How did imperialism set the stage for both world wars?

Imperialism, which is the political and economic control of territory outside of one's
own nation-state's borders, became a trend among powerful countries in the nineteenth century.
Industrialized nations needed both a reliable supply of raw materials and markets for their
finished goods, and colonies provided both.

Germany, which did not unify
until early 1871, felt cheated when it came to imperial holdings. It perceived itself as a
rising world power and wanted to rival Great Britain in control of the seas. It had a huge
thirst for territorial expansion, and the threat it posed to other nations led to alliances,
military build-ups, and increased tensions across Europe that eventually erupted into
.

After World War I, Hitler and the Nazi Party pursued an expansionist and
imperialist agenda. Hitler was willing to take as much land as possible without a war, but a war
was what he foresaw and wanted. He envisioned Germany controlling a vast empire of vassal states
in Eastern...