World War II

Causes for World War TwoEconomic Political Social

Germany After World War I

• Following the First World War, Germany was heavily burdened by war debt.

• It had been forced to borrow in order to pay back the victorious European nations.

• When the American

economy fell into depression, US banks recalled their loans, causing the German banking system to collapse.

Germany Pays War Debts

to Allies

Allies Pay America Loans

United States Loans Germany

Funds

Loan Cycle

• Unemployment jumped from 1.3 million to 5 million and industrial production fell by one-half

Depression in Germany

Depression in Europe

Germany’s Unemployment in thousands—

1928—2,265,000

1932—5,392,000

1934—2,462,000

Total Jobs lost

September 1928 650,000 unemployed

September 1929 1,320,000 unemployed

September 1930 3,000,000 unemployed

September 1931 4,350,000 unemployed

September 1932 5,102,000 unemployed

January 1933 6,100,000 unemployed

Causes of World War Two

Economic Political SocialLoan Debt Great Depression Unemployment

Nationalism on the Rise• "Everything in the

State, nothing outside the State, nothing against the State"

• Renewed German & Italian Pride

• 2 Great Examples of Nationalism: Nazism (Germany) & Fascism (Italy)

Fascism In Italy

• Defined as corporatism, totalitarianism, nationalism, militarism, and Anti-Communism

• Italy had also been torn apart by the Allies in WWI

• Rise of Benito Mussolini – Powerful Speaker – Supporter of a Stronger State – Prime Minister in 1922 – Non-hostile take-over of Gov.

Rise of Hitler

Adolph Hitler

(in color)

Adolph Hitler

• Born in Austria • Joined the Nazis after WWI • Modeled his ideas /charisma

after Mussolini • Protested the Government

•Arrested & wrote “Mein Kampf” in prison

•Depression hit Germany in 1930

•Became Chancellor in Germany in 1933

Can you See the Attraction to the Nazi Party?

Germany 1923-1933

Hitler’s Demands

• Hitler begins to rebuild the Military 1935 • Rhineland Remilitarized 1936 • Unification with Austria (March 1938) • Sudetenland, German speaking Czechoslovakia,

(Sept. 1938)

• Appeasement – Neville Chamberlain British P.M. – “We have Peace in our time”

Germany 1938

Hitler’s Broken Promise• Hitler promises Chamberlain

– If he received the Sudetenland he would stop – September 1938

• Hitler invades Poland (March 1939) Lightening fast Blitzkrieg

• Britain & France declare war on Germany

Causes of World War Two

Economic Political SocialLoan Debt Great Depression Unemployment

Nationalism (Fascism & Nazism) Germany’s Rebuilt Military Appeasement Blitzkrieg of Poland

Nationalism!!!

• Unification– people had restored pride in their country, in their people, and in their leaders

• Lead to Ideas of Ethnically Superior – You are better than other people groups

One Big Social Cause

• German in the Early 1930’s – Turmoil, unemployment, inflation…

• Someone has to take the blame… • Hitler blamed the Jews AND… • Along with Jews, non-Jewish Poles (over 3

million of whom died), alleged communists, the physically handicapped and mentally retarded, Soviet POWs, anti-Nazi clergy, trade unionists, and psychiatric patients were killed.

Holocaust

Causes of World War Two

Economic Political SocialLoan Debt Great Depression Unemployment

Nationalism (Fascism & Nazism) Germany’s Rebuilt Military Appeasement Blitzkrieg of Poland

Holocaust Nationalism (unification)