The Treaty of Versail les

Several events led to the start of World War II (September 1939 –September 1945). Many believe the devastation and problems from World War I led to the outbreak of fighting in the second World War. The Treaty of Versailles, which was signed to end WWI, had severe consequences for Germany, and could possibly have been the major cause of World War II. When the Treaty of Versailles was signed, Germany had to accept full blame for causing WWI. In addition to assuming blame, Germany also lost land and had to pay reparations, which caused severe economic stress on the country. The German people were starving, German money was almost worthless, and the government was in chaos.

World Depression & Fascism

Germany was not the only country to struggle economically, though. Many countries throughout the world had economies that were struggling. This period of time before WWII was called the Great Depression. Many people were out of work and barely had enough income to survive. This caused governments to become unstable and allowed powerful leaders to take over. Some of these struggling countries were taken over by dictators who formed powerful fascist

governments. Fascist governments believed in a strong central government and strict control. Fascist governments were highly militaristic, In 1922 in Italy, Benito Mussolini and the Fascist Party rose to power. In 1925, Mussolini made himself dictator of Italy and wanted to expand the Italian empire. He looked for new land to conquer. In 1935, Mussolini was ready, and Italy invaded Ethiopia, a country in Africa.

Rise of Nazism

Fascism was also embraced in Germany by the National Socialist German Workers Party, also known as the Nazis. Led by Adolf Hitler, the Nazi Party finally began to gain power in 1929. Germans were desperate for a leader who would improve the economy and restore their national pride. Many Germans were still bitter about the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler was charismatic and gave the German people hope. Hitler and the Nazis wanted a controlled, militaristic Germany, but they also wanted race purity of the

German people. In 1933, Hitler was appointed Reich Chancellor by the German government. One month later the German government building, the Reichstag, burned to the ground. Hitler blamed the Communist Party of Germany (although many historians believe Hitler himself was responsible for the fire), and the Nazi Party took control of the

©2016 Heather LeBlanc, LLC/Brainy Apples

Name _______________________

Notes

Unit: World War 2Lesson: Causes of WW2

Many stood in food lines for hours.

Italian dictator Benito Mussolini

Adolf Hitler & his Nazi Party came to power in Germany.

The Reichstag building ablaze.

government by passing an act that gave Hitler the power to pass any law without Reichstag approval. Hitler used this power to remove any political opponent and made himself the Führer, or supreme leader, of Germany in 1934. Germany was now under a dictatorship. Hitler began rebuilding the German military, a violation of the Treaty of Versailles. Like Mussolini, Hitler wanted to expand the German empire, which was a another violation of the treaty. Having similar goals, Hitler allied with Mussolini in 1939 with the Pact of Steel. In 1938, Hitler annexed Austria. The League of Nations, an organization of countries who worked together to maintain peace after the end of WWI, did nothing to stop Hitler, so he became bolder and annexed Czechoslovakia next.

Appeasement

Many countries in Europe did not want another war, so when countries like Italy and Germany began invading other countries and building up their militaries, countries such as Great Britain and France hoped peace would be kept through appeasement. They wanted to make Hitler happy instead of trying to stop him. Great Britain and France hoped that Hitler would be satisfied with taking over Austria and Czechoslovakia and not invade more countries. Unfortunately, Hitler saw this appeasement as a sign of weakness and grew bolder. He also had more time to strengthen his military, and he made plans to conquer all of Europe.

Japanese Expansion

Europe was not the only continent to have leaders who practiced imperialism. In 1926, Emperor Hirohito inherited the throne in Japan. Because Japan is an island country, it does not have many natural resources. In order for Japan to become

industrialized, it would need to claim land rich with natural resources. In 1931, Japan invaded Manchuria, a region in China, and threatened to conquer China as it claimed more Chinese land over the next several years and seized European colonies in the Pacific region. Even though Japan was under the rule of Emperor Hirohito, another man, military general Tôjô Hideki, gained power, too. Tôjô pushed for the alliance with Germany. ©2016 Heather LeBlanc, LLC/Brainy Apples

Name _______________________

Notes

Unit: World War 2Lesson: Causes of WW2

Germany 1937 Germany 1939

Japan’s Emperor Hirohito

Japan’s PM Tôjô Hideki

Germany & USSR Invade Poland

In late August 1939, Hitler and Joseph Stalin, the dictator of the Soviet Union, signed the German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact. This worried France and Great Britain because it meant that if Germany invaded Poland, a country to which France and Great Britain promised military support, Hitler did not have to worry about fighting a war on two fronts because the Soviet Union would assist Germany. The

pact also included a secret agreement: Hitler and Stalin would split Poland amongst themselves. Germany invaded Poland on September 1, and two days later WWII had officially begun when France and Great Britain declared war on Germany.

©2016 Heather LeBlanc, LLC/Brainy Apples

Name _______________________

Notes

Unit: World War 2Lesson: Causes of WW2

Political cartoon depicting Japan, Germany, and Italy

Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin

German-Soviet occupation of Poland