Transcript Causes of World War II

Aggressive Nations
• Element: Explain the aggression and conflict
leading to World War II in Europe and Asia to
include the Italian invasion of Ethiopia, the
Spanish Civil War, the Rape of Nanjing in
China, and the German annexation of the
Sudetenland.
Long-Term Factors to War
• Main Terms of the Treaty of Versailles,
1919
– War Guilt Clause – Germany to accept
blame for WWI
– Reparations – Germany had to pay 63
billion in damages (768 billion today)
Long-Term Factors to War
• Main Terms of the Treaty of Versailles, 1919
– Disarmament – Germany only allowed to have a
small army and six naval ships (No tanks, no air
force and no submarines, the Rhineland area demilitarized)
– Territorial Clauses – Land was taken away from
Germany and given to other countries. Union
with Austria was forbidden.
Long-Term Factors to War
• Other Factors:
– Discontent about Treaty of Versailles: German
people unhappy and thought treaty to be too
harsh
– Economic instability throughout Europe: an
economic crisis went through Europe during the
1920s, Germany could not afford to pay
raparations
Stop and Think!
• How did the Treaty of Versailles contribute to
the causes of World War II?
• Turn and discuss the question with your elbow
partner. Be prepared to share your answers
with the class!
Long-Term Factors to War
• Other Factors:
– Rise of totalitarian governments/police states that
existed in Russia, Germany, and Italy: Government
not able to fix social problems, and with out a
history of democracy Dictators will emerge
Review …
• Who are the totalitarian dictators in Russia …
Germany … and Italy?
League of Nations
 an international organization headquartered in
Geneva, Switzerland
 established at the Treaty of Versailles
 created after the First World War to provide a
forum for resolving international disputes
 proposed by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson
in his Fourteen Points speech
League of Nations
• Key Nations who were not members
– United States: refused to join to remain neutral
– Germany: not allowed to join because of war guilt
clause
– Soviet Union: not allowed to join because of
communist government
League of Nations
• Reaction to aggression:
– Verbal sanctions: issue warning
– Economic sanctions: trade restrictions
– Physical sanctions: military force
League’s Military
• Britain and France only countries with military
might
• could not provide backing to the League
• neither in position to use finances to pay for
an expanded army
• both severely depleted financially and
strength-wise from WWI
Stop and Think!
• Was the League of Nations effective at
keeping the peace and preventing future
wars?
• Why or why not?
Immediate Factors to War
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Date: September 1931
Nation: Japan
Action: Invasion of Manchuria
Reaction: Lytton Commission issued, Japan
withdrew from the League and created
international isolation
Invasion of Manchuria
Immediate Factors to War
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Date: October 1935
Nation: Italy
Action: Invasion of Ethiopia
Reaction: League of Nations looks away,
removes sanctions placed on Italy and
recognizes their control of Ethiopia
Invasion of Ethiopia
Immediate Factors to War
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Date: April 1936
Nation: Spain
Action: Civil War began
Reaction: Germany and Italy sent aide to the
Nationalist lead by Francisco Franco. Hitler
and Mussolini meet for the first time.
Spanish Civil War begins
Immediate Factors to War
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Date: May 1936
Nation: Germany
Action: Occupied the Rhineland
Reaction: Western Europe adopted policy of
appeasement, felt a stronger Germany could
help repel the spread of communism
Occupation of Rhineland
Stop and Think!
Why do you think the actions of
aggressive nations lead to World War II?
Appeasement
• historian Paul Kennedy defined as “the policy of
settling international quarrels by admitting and
satisfying grievances through rational negotiation
and compromise, thereby avoiding the resort to
an armed conflict which would be expensive,
bloody, and possibly dangerous.”
• In summary, the term means the act of giving
something to an aggressive power to keep the
peace
Stop and Think!
• Give an example from your life where you
have appeased someone.
• Share your story with your elbow partner, and
be prepared to share with the class!
Axis Powers
• Germany and Italy became allies by October
of 1936 forming the Rome-Berlin Axis
• Japan joined the other 2 a few months later
making up the Axis Powers
Immediate Factors to War
• Date: July 1937
• Nation: Japan
• Action: second Sino-Japanese War (rape of
Nanjing, China)
• Reaction: violated U.S. Open Door policy
which held that all nations should be able to
trade freely in China. U.S. placed Economic
Sanctions on Japan.
Second Sino-Japanese War
Immediate Factors to War
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Date: March 1938
Nation: Germany
Action: annexed Austria (Anschluss)
Reaction: Hitler assured he may continue his
expansion without confrontation of Britain
and France because of appeasement
Anschluss
Immediate Factors to War
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Date: September 1938
Nation: Germany
Action: took the Sudetenland
Reaction: Hitler defended lebensraum,
Chamberlin maintained appeasement, the
Munich Pact was signed. Gave Hitler the
Sudetenland but he agreed not to invade
Czechoslovakia
Invasion of the Sudetenland
Response to Munich Pact
• Neville Chamberlain announced that the
settlement meant “peace for our time”
• Winston Churchill's remark "You were given
the choice between war and dishonor. You
chose dishonor and you will have war."
Immediate Factors to War
• Date: March 1939
• Nation: Germany
• Action: Seizes Czechoslovakia violating the
Munich Agreement
• Reaction: Britain and France issue a warning
that if Germany invade Poland they would
declare war.
Partition of Czechoslovakia
Immediate Factors to War
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Date: April 1, 1939
Nation: Spain
Action: the end of the Civil War
Reaction: Francisco Franco became dictator of
Spain
Spanish Civil War ends
Immediate Factors to War
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Date: April 7-12, 1939
Nation: Italy
Action: invaded Albania
Reaction: Economic sanctions given by the
League on Albainia. Mussolini declared the
Italian Empire as emerging. Albania left the
League (Italy left in 1937)
Invasion of Albania
Non-Aggression Pact
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signed in August 1939 by Hitler and Stalin
agreed not to invade one another
Hitler did not want to fight a two front war
Stalin did not trust Hitler, but did want to buy Soviet
Union more time to build up their army
Immediate Factors to War
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Date: September 1939
Nation: Germany
Action: Invaded Poland
Reaction: Soviet Union invaded other half of
Poland, Britain and France declared war on
Germany to begin WWII. U.S. declared
neutrality.
Invasion of Poland
Stop and Think!
• Why do you think the European powers
agreed to appease Hitler?
Cause of Appeasement
• events occurred only a few years after
WWI
• misplaced sympathy over the harsh
peace terms of 1919
• felt better with a stronger Germany to
repel communism
• U.S. would not make a stand because of
strict Neutrality Act, 1935
Allowed Hitler to…
• implement his policy of increasing Living
Space(lebensraum) and Greater Germany
• backed up these moves with the policy of
self-determination, claiming that he was
only occupying German lands
Failure of Appeasement
• world community ignored the problem
hoping it would go away
• As a result
– Hitler felt he could ignore Britain
– betrayed Prime Minister Chamberlin
– invaded Czechoslovakia, violating the Munich
Pact and idea of German self-determination
• eventually leads to war
Let’s summarize …
• How did the actions of aggressive nations lead
to World War II?