Causation in Global Conflict Practice Test

After 1945, many Asian and African colonies gained independence. New states often faced border disputes, ethnic divisions, and economic dependence. Superpowers offered military and financial aid, sometimes supporting coups or insurgencies to secure allies. Conflicts in places like Angola and Afghanistan became prolonged and destructive. Which factor most directly explains why decolonization sometimes intensified global conflict during the Cold War?

In the 1930s, Italy invaded Ethiopia, Japan expanded in China, and Germany annexed Austria and demanded territory in Czechoslovakia. The League of Nations issued condemnations but lacked effective enforcement, and major powers often prioritized domestic recovery or avoided confrontation. Aggressors interpreted limited responses as weakness and continued expansion. Which factor most directly explains why collective security failed to prevent the outbreak of World War II?