The Causes of the Second World War

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Nature is cruel, so we may be cruel, too I have
the right to remove millions of an inferior race
that breeds like vermin -Hitler
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The Causes of the Second World War
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Key Terms

• Allies and Axis
• Theaters of War
• Weimar Republic
• Treaty of Versailles
• League of Nations
• The Great Depression
• Anchluss
• Rhineland
• Re-armament

• Manchurian Incident
• Anti-Comintern Pact
• Appeasement
• Neville Chamberlain
• Winston Churchill
• Nazi-Soviet Pact
• Munich Pact
• Sudetenland
• Invasion of Poland

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Allies and Axis Powers

• Allies
• Great Britain
• France
• Canada
• China
• United States (from 1941)
• USSR (from 1941)

• Axis
• Germany
• Austria
• Japan
• Italy
• USSR (until 1941)

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Theaters of War

• World War II was fought in two theaters of war,
  meaning that there were two wars happening at the
  same time.
• The main war with Germany was know as the
  EUROPEAN THEATER.
• The other theater was the PACIFIC THEATER. This
  war was fought against Japanese aggression in the
  Pacific Ocean.

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Direct Causes of WWII

• It has been said that World War II was just a
  continuation of World War I, yet there are some
  specific causes to the Second World War, all of
  which could not have been possible without the
  rise of Hitler and his Nazis.
• When WWI ended, Germany was made into a republic.
  Chancellor Hindenburg was its leader. The
  country had to report regularly to the Allies.
• Being controlled by the Allies left a bitter
  taste with most Germans.

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Effects of World War I

• Treaty of Versailles
• -Establishment of League of Nations
• -German reparations
• Mandate System British and French

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WWI - End of Empires

• Hapsburg Dynasty (Germany Austria)
• Romanovs
• (Russian Czars)
• Ottoman Empire
• (Middle East)

Family of Czar Nicholas II last of the Romanov
Rulers of Russia
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The Treaty of Versailles

• After WWI, the Treaty of Versailles laid almost
  impossible conditions upon the German volk
  (people).
• Reducing the army to 100 000 men and taking land
  from Germany, especially the Rhineland, greatly
  reduced morale.
• Forcing responsibility upon the Germans for
  starting the War was also painful.
• But the most disastrous condition was the war
  reparations they had to paya big fine.

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The League of Nations

• One positive thing came out of Versailles. It
  was the creation of an international government
  that would prevent wars by settling disputes
  between nations through peaceful talks.
• Unfortunately, the League of Nations fell apart
  because of a number of problems, all of which are
  another direct cause of WWII.

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Problems With the League of Nations

1. The League did not include every nation. Nations
   could choose to join or not.
2. Decisions required that all countries agree, a
   rare occurrence.
3. The League could not raise an army to enforce its
   decisions.
4. It was unable to prevent major incidents like
   Japan invading Manchuria, or Italy from attacking
   Ethiopia.

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The Russian Revolution

• 1917Workers revolt against the Czar --Bolsheviks
  take over Russia and begin a socialist system
  under Vladimir Lenin. Allied countries (Great
  Britain, France, Japan and the United States)
  send troops to support anti-communist forces, but
  communist forces eventually prevail.

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The Soviet Union

• 1922 --Lenin establishes the Soviet Union (USSR)

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The Rise of Joseph Stalin

• 1924Lenin dies Several leaders struggle for
  power including Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin.
• Eventually, Stalin seizes power and becomes a
  dictator over USSRimposing a totalitarian state.
• He begins a Five Year Plan to increase
  industrialization and collectivize agriculture in
  the Soviet Union.

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The Red Scare

• After the Russian Revolution, fear of a similar
  revolution in the United States by communists
  from Russia led to a period known as the Red
  Scare.
• Attempted assassinations of Attorney General
  Mitchell Palmer and John D. Rockefeller led to
  the Palmer Raidsin which suspected communists
  were arrested and more than 500 immigrants
  deported.
• This led to increase fear of immigrants and
  restrictions on immigration were passed by
  Congress.

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New Leaders Emerge

• In Italy, a new fascist government emerged in
  1922 under Benito Mussolini. He rose to power
  using propaganda, brutality, and
  intimidationpromoting an ultra-nationalist Italy
  and himself as Il Duce (the Leader).

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Fascism in Germany

• In 1921, Adolf Hitler took control of the
  National Socialist German Workers Partybetter
  known as the Nazis.
• He became chancellor of Germany in 1933 and
  eventually claimed the title Fuhrer (guide of
  Germany) and established himself as dictator over
  the Third Reich.

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Leadership in Japan

• Japanese Emperor Hirohito began his reign in
  Japan in 1926. He did not exercise absolute
  control over the government.
• Instead, an army general, Hideki Tojo, assumed
  the role of Japans premier leading it through
  World War II.

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Authoritarian Government and Totalitarianism

• Authoritarian Government is ruled by a single
  person or party interested in political power.
• Totalitarianism is a government which seeks to
  control not only political power, but the
  economy, culture, and social life.
• These governments often use terror and
  fear--utilizing propaganda and controlling access
  to information such as the press and education.
  (Examples Italy, Germany, USSR)

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The Great Depression

• Another cause to the Second World War was the
  Great Depression.
• The stock-market crash of 1929 was a global event
  that caused people to lose their jobs and often
  commit suicide. They lost all hope.
• Governments also fell as people chose rulers that
  promised hope and prosperitydictatorships.
• Germany thus accepted Hitler because he promised
  not to pay the war fine and to create jobs.

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Germany Under the Fuhrer

• After Hitler became Fuhrer of Germany in 1934, he
  began to dismantle Versailles.
• He came good on his promise and began not paying
  for the war damages.
• In 1936 he began to deploy 30 000 soldiers into
  the de-militarized zone (or Rhineland), as well
  as re-arm Germany he started training 1 million
  troops.
• France and Britain did nothing. They feared
  another costly war.

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Controlling Peoples Minds

• Once Hitler had complete control of the
  government, he began to control all aspects of
  life. Germany became a police state.
• 2 million Nazis now made up the SA, Hitlers army
  of Stormtroopers.
• He also had his SS (Schutzstaffe). These men had
  sworn eternal life to Hitler as the protectors of
  his Aryan race. They were trained, ruthless
  killers who did whatever Hitler asked.
• Hitler used propaganda to instill fear in his
  people.

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Propaganda
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Nazi Propaganda Film 1Cathedral of
Light https//www.youtube.com/watch?vOitnMp8MWb0
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Nazi Propaganda Film 2Falling Hare
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Controlling Peoples Minds

• Once he was certain he had control of the
  country, Hitler began restructuring the
  government to prepare for his master race.
• Many institutions were created such as the
  National Labour Service and Strength-Through-Joy
  Committee (KDF) which guaranteed Nazi sponsored
  leisure activities, 3740 hours a year.
• In 1935, he created the Nuremburg Laws that
  denied inferiors, specifically Jews, rights in
  Germany. These laws would ultimately destroy the
  Jewish culture by systematically eliminating
  their identity, beginning with their history.

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Outside of Germany

• The Great Depression made many nations abandon
  democracy for totalitarianism.
• In the Far East, increased population in Japan
  made the need for more space for the Japanese
  inviting. In 1931, their army invades Manchuria,
  a Chinese-controlled territory to the north of
  Korea.

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The Manchurian Incident

• The Chinese asked for the League of Nations to do
  something. The League told the Army to withdraw,
  but it did not.
• The invasion of Manchuria positioned the Japanese
  as a major military power in South-East Asia.
• Between 1933 and 36, the USSR felt threatened by
  the Japanese and asked China to support them if
  there were a war (Comintern Pact).

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Japan invades China

• The Japanese respond by signing an Anti-Comintern
  Pact with Germany in 1936.
• In July 1937, the Japanese invade China and
  attack Beijing with a million soldiers. They
  loot, rape, torture, murder and caused pointless
  destruction. Millions of Chinese civilians died.

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Great Britain

• The British wanted to halt the Japanese invasion
  because they had strong trade relations with the
  Chinese, as well as controlling ports in Shanghai
  and Hong Kong.
• Still, the British feared war with Japan because
  it would take at least ten weeks to position the
  Royal Navy in the Pacific, and the Japanese have
  millions of soldiers available.

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The United States

• Though the US was concerned about hostilities in
  Asia, the Americans were following a foreign
  affairs policy of isolationism where they would
  remain neutral or isolated from international
  relations.
• All the government did was was to advise
  Americans abroad to reduce their trade with Japan.

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Back to Germany

• In 1936, Hitler and Mussolini became allied
  through the RomeBerlin Axis.
• Hitler also wanted to re-establish the Anchluss
  with Austria, but the Treaty of Versailles
  forbade it. However, because of Britains
  concern over events in China, Hitler took a
  gamble that they would do nothing and on March
  12, 1938 he began invading Austria.

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Anchluss

• Not a shot was fired, and the German army
  entered Austria with bands playing and soldiers
  smiling.

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Czechoslovakia

• Only weeks after Germany invaded Austria, Hitler
  set his sights on taking-over Czechoslovakia.
• Czechoslovakia was a country that rose after WWI.
  It was made up of various ethnic groups
  including Czechs, Slovaks and Germans, who lived
  mostly in the Sudeten province near Germany.

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The Sudeten Question

• The Sudetenland was an obvious region to acquire
  for the Nazis Germans lived there, and there
  was an abundance of natural resources.
• Of course, once this province was invaded, it was
  only a matter of time before Hitler would set his
  sights on all of the country.

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What is Europe doing during all of this?

• As mentioned, Britain was concerned with their
  ports in China.
• France feared a war with Germany.
• The Soviet Union was at war with Japan.
• Once it became clear that the League of Nations
  was about to do nothing, Britain decides to act.
• British PM, Neville Chamberlain agrees to appease
  Hitler.

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Appeasement

• Appeasement means to agree to whichever demands
  seem reasonable in order to prevent war.
• The British understood that a war with Germany
  would cause appalling damage.
• Also, many believed that Hitlers demands were
  just demands, and many Britons believed that
  Versailles was too harsh.
• So off Chamberlain goes to Munich to sign an
  agreement with Hitler.

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The Munich Agreement

• In September, 1938, Britain, France, Italy and
  Germany met to discuss Hitlers aims in Munich.
• Hitler said he would only take the Sudentenland
  and if Czechoslovakia falls apart, then he would
  govern it. The other three agreed to this.
• Chamberlain went back to London with the piece
  of paper, securing Peace in our Time.

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NaziSoviet Pact

• On August 23, 1939, Hitler and Stalin signed the
  NaziSoviet Pact.
• Though Hitler hated Communism, the need for his
  lebrensraum made it necessary for him to have
  land. He chose Poland.
• Hitler promised Stalin that if he invaded Poland,
  he would eliminate the undesirables and give
  Stalin the eastern part of the country. Stalin
  agreed, and actually invades Poland from the east.

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September 1, 1939

• On this date, Hitler invades Poland.
• The world is shocked.
• Chamberlain is appalled.
• Britain and France declare war on Germany two
  days later, but do not immediately act. They
  waited to see if Hitler would do more, which he
  did not for 3 months
• This becomes known as the Phoney War.

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Blitzkrieg

• In German blitzkrieg means lightning war.
• Hitler used blitzkrieg during his invasion of
  Poland.
• Blitzkrieg included surprise attacks, rapid
  advances into enemy territory, and massive air
  attacks that struck and shocked the enemy.
• Germany achieved most of its victories in World
  War II with the Blitzkrieg tactic.

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Blitzkrieg
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Phony War

• Britain sent troops to wait with the French down
  behind the Maginot Line.
• Reporters called this quiet time of not much
  action the phony war

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Maginot Line

• The Maginot Line was a defensive for France
  against an invasion of Germany.
• The Maginot Line was established after World War
  I.
• The line showed to be little use in 1940 when
  Germany invaded France for the third time.

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Maginot Line
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Early Axis Triumphs

• In April 1940 the quiet time of the war exploded
  into action.
• Hitler launched a series of blitzkrieg.
• Norway and and Denmark both fell.
• Germany had overrun the Netherlands and Belgium.
• Germany along with Italy forced France to
  surrender.

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World War II in 1939/1942
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