Causes of WW2

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Long term: - Treaty of Versailles

Trends in 1930s:•Hitler’s Foreign Policy – Aggressive/Expansionist?•Chamberlain’s Appeasement Policy – UK•Failure of League of Nations in the 1930s

- Disarmament- Abyssinian & Manchurian crisis

Trigger: - Nazi-Soviet Pact & Invasion of Poland

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Why was peace threatened in the 1930s?

What were the immediate causes of World War II in

Europe?

Events in the 1930s that made Europe a less peaceful place

and war a greater possibility Events in 1939 that triggered the war

Could war in Europe have Could war in Europe have been avoided?been avoided?

“TREND” – Long Term “TRIGGER” – Short Term

Background After World War I, peace in Europe was built on the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations.

•Rise of the Nazi regime challenged the Treaty and caused peace to break down.

•To create a Greater Germany, Adolf Hitler invaded countries such as Austria and Czechoslovakia.

•Britain and Allied Powers had the policy of appeasement towards an expansionist Germany.

•League of Nations which was set up to preserve world peace was too weak to stop the outbreak of World War II.

4Adapted from Crisis and Conflict: War in Europe

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Hitler’s foreign policy aimsFailure of the League of Nations

to deal with aggressors

The League of Nations was too weak to maintain peace in

the 1930s

More authoritarian governments came to power in Europe because of the economic

problems of the 1930s

The members of the League of Nations put their own

interests first

The policy of appeasement

The League of Nations could not make countries give up their

weapons

Why was peace threatened Why was peace threatened in the 1930s?in the 1930s?

In Mein Kampf, Hitler laid out 4 key foreign-policy aims, which were later carried out when he came to power:

1) overthrowing Versailles treaty in terms of re-arming and recovering lost territory,

2) gaining lebensraum for Germany in Eastern Europe, which would involve a future war with Communist Russia, 3) uniting all German-speaking people in his ‘new Germany’, including those in Austria, Sudeten and Danzig, and

4) creating a racially ‘pure’ German state that would the dominant power in Europe.

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Lebensraum (living spaces)

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“ We turn our eyes towards lands of the east…When we speak of new territory in Europe today, we must principally think of Russia and the border states subject to her. Destiny itself seems to wish to point out the way for us here.

Colonization of the eastern frontiers is of extreme importance. It will be the duty of Germany’s foreign policy to provide large spaces for the nourishment and settlement of the growing population of Germany” Mein Kampf

The Treaty was considered unfair because it was designed to keep Germany weak.•Restriction on size of Germany army.•Territorial losses on the side of Germany.

Hitler wanted to make the military strong and regain the land that was lost by breaking the terms of the Treaty of Versailles (ie rearm and claim back lost territories).

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Hitler aims to make Germany strong again by breaking the terms of the Treaty of Versailles

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To get more land for Germany• Hitler wanted to create a Greater Germany uniting all Hitler wanted to create a Greater Germany uniting all lands containing German-speaking people. lands containing German-speaking people.

• Hitler also felt that Germany needed Hitler also felt that Germany needed lebensraumlebensraum or or living space. So he had to get the land by conquering living space. So he had to get the land by conquering other countries.other countries.These included lands such as:These included lands such as:

Parts of Russia

Poland

Austria

Czechoslovakia

Nazi Foreign Policy of Aggression and Appeasement

• https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/history/euro-hist/hitler-nazis/v/nazi-aggression-and-appeasement

• http://www.johndclare.net/RoadtoWWII4.htm

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Hitler wanted to fight Communism

• Hitler’s expansionist policy which targetted the living space in Russia increased the chances of a war with Communist Russia

• Hitler wanted to destroy Communism because he believed that if he did not destroy Communism first, it would annihilate Germany.

• Hitler also aware that by gaining control of East Europe, he would be able to exterminate the Jews living there.

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Rearmament• One of the first steps Hitler undertook was to rearm Germany, through

acquiring more weapons and increasing the size of his army.

• In October 1933, Hitler pulled Germany out of the Geneva Disarmament Conference.

• Shortly after this incident, Germany withdrew from the League of Nations.

• Spending on the army and navy was doubled.

• Production of arms increased sharply.

• In March 1935, conscription was brought back by Hitler.

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Remilitarisation of the Rhineland• The Rhineland was demilitarised by the Treaty.The Rhineland was demilitarised by the Treaty.• Most Germans felt this to be most unfair to them.Most Germans felt this to be most unfair to them.• Hitler was determined to reclaim the Rhineland.Hitler was determined to reclaim the Rhineland.• On 7 March 1936, German troops marched into the On 7 March 1936, German troops marched into the

RhinelandRhineland unopposed. unopposed.• It was a gamble by Hitler as he was not sure if the It was a gamble by Hitler as he was not sure if the

League of Nations would stop him by using military League of Nations would stop him by using military action.action.

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Remilitarisation of the Rhineland

• No action was taken against Germany.

• The French were horrified but did not do anything without the support of the British.

• The lack of response from Britain and France gave Hitler the confidence that Britain and France would give in to his demands.

• Hitler was able to start building a defensive force to protect Germany from any attack by France.

• This made him even more ambitious.

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The force that Hitler had sent into the Rhineland was small but he had gambled and won.

He said“The forty-eight hours after the march into the Rhineland were the most nerve-racking in my life….If the French had then marched into the Rhineland, we would have had to withdraw with our tails between our legs, for the military resources at our disposal would have been wholly inadequate for even moderate resistance.”

He drew the conclusion that Britain and France were weak and that he could get away with more aggressive actions.

• Hitler was an Austrian, and wanted Austria to be part of the Third Reich.

• The Austrian empire broke up at the end of World War I. Subsequently, a small and independent Austrian republic was set up.

• The Treaty of Versailles however stated that there should be no union (or Anschluss in German) between these two countries.

• A number of attempts were made by Germany to take over Austria in the 1930s. The most serious attempt, in 1934, was stopped by Italy.

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Anschluss

Anschluss• Austria led by Chancellor Schuschnigg protested but the protests

were ignored. A secret plebiscite was arranged.

• In March 1938, Germany marched across the border into Austria.

• Schuschnigg was pressured to resign and the plebiscite was abandoned.

• A vote was held and the majority voted for Anschluss. Anschluss (union of the two countries) was completed without any resistance.

• Many Austrians welcomed the German takeover.

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Anschluss

• It was another gamble taken by Hitler that paid off.

• The League of Nations protested but took no action.

• It gave Hitler the confidence to take on further “gambles.”

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Hitler returned in triumph to Vienna where he was greeted by euphoric crowds. This was the city where he had lived before World War One.

Hitler incorporated Austria into the Reich and this event became known as the Anschluss (political union).

Again the British and French did nothing. The new Prime Minister in Britain was Neville Chamberlain. He wanted to prevent another European war breaking out. He decided to follow a policy called Appeasement. Appeasement was a policy of giving into Hitler’s reasonable demands in order to prevent war. It was a very popular policy in Britain at the time.

Italian aggression in Abyssinia• In 1934, Italian dictator Mussolini planned to invade Abyssinia (Ethopia).

• Following an appeal to the League of Nations by the Emperor of Abyssinia, war was averted.

• By 1935 however, Mussolini began full-scale invasion into Abyssinia.

• The League only managed to sanction an embargo of rubber and metal on Italy to stop the invasion.

• The League did not resort to drastic measures for fear of triggering a war.

• In fact, the League was willing to give Italy two-thirds of Abyssinia if Mussolini withdrew his troops. This was called the Hoare-Laval Plan.

• As a result, Italy sought Hitler’s help and managed to gain control over Abyssinia in May 1936.

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• The British and French needed Italy to counter the Nazi menace.

• They tried to shirk their responsibility to the League but public opinion in Britain would not allow them.

• This shows how the League was not strong enough to protect the interests of its members.

• As a result the Hoare-Laval Plan (with Italian Mussolini) was abandoned which angered Mussolini.

• Mussolini then became closer to Hitler & on 25 October 1936, the Rome-Berlin Axis was formed ( "an axis around which can revolve all those European states with a will to collaboration and peace." )

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The members of the League of Nations put their own

interests first

Failure of LON Disarmament efforts

•The 1932 Disarmament Conference was bogged down by disagreements over how disarmament should be carried out.

•Countries like France refused to disarm for fear of Germany.

•Due to the fact that most countries did not want to disarm to Germany’s level, Hitler pulled out of the Conference in Oct 1933.

•The Anglo-German Naval Treaty also demonstrated how Britain had violated the Treaty of Versailles by allowing Germany to increase its naval size.

•Following this, other members followed Britain’s example.

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The League of Nations could not make countries give up their weapons

Due to serious economic problems resulting from the Great Depression, many government were blamed for failing to solve unemployment.

•This had the effect of drawing support towards authoritarian regimes.

•Economic problems had encouraged many countries to resort to protectionism triggering off a trade war.

•Despite efforts by the League to stop the trade war, few countries cooperated.

•Trade war also increased worldwide unemployment.

•Many countries used rearmament to create jobs. But this had the effect making war more likely.

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More authoritarian governments came to power in Europe because of the economic problems of the

1930s

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Aggressive rearmament: In 1933, Hitler announced that he was increasing the size of the army from 100 000 to 300 000 men. In 1935, he increased the size of the army to 550 000 men.

Illustration showing rearmament in Germany during the 1930s. What Illustration showing rearmament in Germany during the 1930s. What does it tell you about the changes in Germany at that time? does it tell you about the changes in Germany at that time?

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Conscription: Hitler reintroduced compulsory military service for all male citizens in 1935.

• By the mid 1930s, the members of the League of Nations no longer believed that it could protect countries that were being attacked.

• Efforts at collective security had failed.

• The League officially ended in 1946.

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The League of Nations was too weak to maintain peace in the 1930s

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The League of Nations was too weak to maintain peace in the 1930s

Which one of these reasons do you think illustrates the Which one of these reasons do you think illustrates the League’s greatest weakness?League’s greatest weakness?

The policy of appeasement • One of the main reasons for the failure

of collective security was the policy of appeasement.

• Appeasement means the practice of avoiding war by giving in to the aggressive demands made by a country.

“Appeasement was the policy of giving in to some of the demands of dictators like Hitler and Mussolini in the hope that they would be satisfied and not ask for more.”

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Neville Chamberlain, the British Neville Chamberlain, the British PM most closely associated PM most closely associated with appeasement.with appeasement.

Appeasement

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England footballers give the Nazi salute before a match in Germany in 1938 - a picture from German photograph archives

Reasons for adopting policy of appeasement

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To buy timeBritain hoped appeasementwould give it some time tomodernise its armies. TheGerman army on the other handhad been growing steadily.

Britain’s other problemsBritain was having problemswith its colonies that were fightingfor independence. Its troops weretoo stretched to deal with apossible war.

Lack of US supportUS policy of isolation meant that Britainand France were left to face the threat ofGermany alone.

Economic problemsThe British economy had beendamaged by World War I andGreat Depression. Its efforts atrebuilding its economy wouldbe destroyed by another war.

Memories of World War IBritain was keen to avoid another war thatwould cause millions of lives.

Fear of CommunismMost Britons felt that a strong Germanywould prevent the spread of Communism,which to them was a greater threat.

Attitudes towards the Treaty of VersaillesMost Britons felt that the Treaty had been too harsh on Germany.

How appeasement worked

Background• Czechoslovakia was one of the richest countries in Eastern Europe.• The main problem was that Czechoslovakia was made up many different

ethnic groups.• Some smaller groups wanted to merge with neighbouring countries like

Germany, Hungary, Poland.• Hitler took advantage of this.

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Policy of AppeasementHitler actions:•encouraged different racial groups to complain about the Czech rule.•targeted mainly the Germans living in Sudetenland in western Czechoslovakia.•got the Sudeten Nazi party to create problems for the Czech government.

Britain and France could see a crisis developing over the Sudetenland.•They feared that it might lead to war.•Chamberlain tried to persuade the Czech government to give way to Hitler.•He hoped that this would stop Hitler from causing more trouble.

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• http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/public_opinion_and_appeasement_i.htm

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The Munich Agreement (1938)

Three visits were made by Neville Chamberlain to Germanyto resolve this issue.

First visit:• Chamberlain was so anxious to avoid conflict that he made

three trips to speak to Hitler.

• Hitler threatened to go to war with Czechoslovakia if the Sudetenland was not given to Germany.

• Chamberlain was so keen to avoid war that he agreed to see what concessions he could persuade the Czech government to make.

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Second visit:• This meeting was held at Godesborg in the Rhineland.• Chamberlain offered to transfer to Germany all those parts of

Sudetenland where more than fifty per cent of the inhabitants were German.

• Hitler however threatened to go to war again if Sudetenland was not transferred to Germany immediately.

Third visit:• This meeting was held at Munich, the main city of Bavaria in

southern Germany.• There were representatives from Britain, France, Italy and Germany

but no representatives from Czechoslovakia.• Outcome: Almost everything that Hitler asked for was given.• Within days, Germany was in control of the whole of Sudetenland.

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The Munich Agreement (1938) • For Hitler, this was a great triumph as he made important gains

without fighting.

• In fact it only served to encourage him further.

• For Chamberlain, this seemed like proof that appeasement worked.

• For the Czechs, it was a great disaster and the first step towards their annihilation.

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Britain endedthe policy of appeasement

The Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression

Pact

Hitler’s invasion of

Poland

What were the immediate What were the immediate causes of World War II in causes of World War II in

Europe?Europe?

Britain ended the policy of

appeasement• Britain and France had been rearming for some

time in the event that appeasement fails.

• The German invasion of Czechoslovakia finally convinced them that Hitler could not be trusted.

• More aggressive action was needed to deal with Hitler.

• Poland looked likely to be the next victim.

• In March 1939, Britain and France signed an agreement with Poland promising to go to its aid if Germany was to invade.

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The Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact• Hitler’s next target was Poland, particularly Hitler’s next target was Poland, particularly the Polish corridor and Danzig.the Polish corridor and Danzig.• However he was wary of the possible interference from the However he was wary of the possible interference from the

USSR.USSR.• Stalin on the other hand was wary of German aggression.Stalin on the other hand was wary of German aggression.• Stalin’s attempts to reach a deal with Britain andStalin’s attempts to reach a deal with Britain and France failed.France failed.

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The Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact

• This pact came as a great surprise to the world as Hitler and Stalin were known to be arch enemies.

• For years, Hitler had attacked Communism and Stalin had done his best to prevent growth of German power.

• In Mein Kampf, he wrote:

“ We turn our eyes towards lands of the east…When we speak of new territory in Europe today, we must principally think of Russia and the border states subject to her. Destiny itself seems to wish to point out the way for us here. Colonization of the eastern frontiers is of extreme importance. It will be the duty of Germany’s foreign policy to provide large spaces for the nourishment and settlement of the growing population of Germany”

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Terms of the Pact

• The USSR was to stay neutral in any war between Germany and Poland.

• Secret clause: Both agreed to divide Poland between them.

• Germany took the west. The USSR took eastern Poland that it had lost at the end of World War I.

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The Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact

• The pact allowed Hitler to risk a war with Britain and France, knowing that he did not have to fight the Russians as well.

• In doing so, he avoided the possibility of war on two fronts.

• To Britain, the pact was a big blow as war with Germany became more likely.

• To many, this pact was seen as the trigger to full-scale war in Europe.

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Hitler’s invasion of Poland The pact secured Germany its The pact secured Germany its

Eastern Front.Eastern Front. On 1 September 1939, Hitler On 1 September 1939, Hitler

invaded Poland.invaded Poland. This time Britain and France was This time Britain and France was

determined to keep their promise to determined to keep their promise to Poland and declared war on Poland and declared war on Germany.Germany.

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Hitler wanted to destroy Poland in order to gain living space (Lebensraum).

Hitler demanded the German speaking town of Danzig from Poland and the building of a motorway to link East Prussia with the rest of the Reich.

However the demand for Danzig was not the real issue for Hitler.

Hitler saidFurther successes can no longer be attained without the shedding of blood…Danzig is not the subject of the dispute at all. It is a question of expanding our living space in the east…there is no question of sparing Poland.

Summary

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Causes of World War II in Europe

Hitler’s foreignpolicy

Economic problems

AppeasementFailure of the

League of Nations

to stop aggression

by other countries Ways World War II could have been avoided (?)

A fairer Treatyof Versailles?

Join forces withthe USSR?

Fight Hitler while he was still

weak?

Support collectivesecurity in

the League?

to stop rearmament