Download Causes of WWII

Causes of WWII
Unit Objective
Understanding the causes of WWII including
the role of the Treaty of Versailles, European
Appeasement, and American Isolationism
World War I
• European economies were ruined by WWI
(Germany in particular)
• Demands of the Treaty of Versailles on
Germany:
Rise of Fascism and Nazism
• Fascism:
Totalitarian nationalistic state-run dictatorship
that suppressed all opposition; The state came
before the individual
• Benito Mussolini (This is an ID):
Adolf Hitler (ID)
• Nazism:
Extreme form of Fascism that
included extreme racism against
the Jews
Militarism in Japan
• Japan was an island nation that was
industrializing much like Britain did 100 years
before—Japan needed a colonial empire to
get natural resources from for industry
• Military became a way of life in the mid to late
1800s
• Japan had several disputes with the West but
was never taken over
Emperor Hirohito
• Hideki Tojo:
Highest ranking general, had
almost as much power as Hirohito
• Isoroku Yamamoto:
Planned the attack on
Pearl Harbor
Appeasement and Isolationism
This is an ID
• What does it mean to appease someone?
• Appeasement:
Munich Pact
• Best example of appeasement
• Britain and France decided to meet with
Hitler because he kept taking over neighboring
countries, but they were not ready for war
• Hitler was allowed to keep everything he had
already taken in return for his promise to take
no more—stalling?
• Some German generals were ready to oust
Hitler if anyone stood up to him—no one did
• Isolationism:
• Some in Japan confused that with “Pacifism”
and thought American might not go to war
after Pearl Harbor
• End result:
No one stood up to the dictators as they rose
to power
Non-Aggression Pact
• 1939: Hitler and Stalin signed an agreement that
they would not go to war with each other
• Shocking because Germany and the Soviet Union
had always been enemies (Hitler even blamed
the Communists for burning down the Reichstag)
• Disturbing because Britain and France had been
counting on help from the Soviet Union if war
broke out
• So why did Stalin agree to it?
• Secret part of the deal:
• Why did the agreement finally end?
• Main AXIS Powers?
• Main Allies?
• 1939:
• 1941:
• Dec. 7, 1941: