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CAUSES OF WORLD WAR TWO
WHAT WERE THE CAUSES OF THE
SECOND WORLD WAR IN EUROPE?
To what extent was peace-making,
the Great Depression and the
failure of the League to blame or
was it just Hitler’s Foreign Policy?
Cause one
The Peace Treaties 1919 - 23
FACTORS:
‘Peace is 100 times more difficult to make than war’. Louis
Botha
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Differing aims of the main peacemakers:
Orlando, Wilson, Clemenceau, Lloyd George
Agreements, Disagreements, Compromises
Conditions in Europe
A harsh peace would serve as a deterrent
THE TERMS: How and Why did
they contribute to WW2?
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Were they……………..
Just or unjust?
 Fair or unfair?
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What problems did they create?
 Issue
of self determination
never solved
 Diktat treaty
 Financial problems for Europe
and Germany
 Military terms seen as unfair
 Feelings of revenge
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Immediately after the Treaty…
Hitler’s vow to reverse the “humiliation” of
Versailles, e.g. Clause 160 (Disarmament)
and 231 (War Guilt)
Division between those who wanted to
implement terms of treaties and those
who wanted to amend them in the inter
war years.
Left Germany too strong
Contemporary views:
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‘It is not surprising that they made a bad
peace: what is surprising is that they
managed to make peace at all’ – Gilbert
White
‘This is not a peace, it is an armistice for
twenty years’. Foch
But there was recovery…
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Dawes Plan
Locarno
Germany joins the League
Kellogg-Briand
Young Plan
Hitler was in the wilderness
So…..by 1929 there appeared to be no
chance of War? How important was it?
But
then………
The Great Depression and
the Causes of World War II
1929-1939
The Crash of 1929
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Major selling of stocks in Wall Street
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Prices of stocks collapsed
People defaulted on loans
Major bank failures
Sources of capital vanished
Stock Market crash in Wall Street
October 29, 1929
The Great Depression
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Massive shutdown of businesses
Massive unemployment in US, Europe, and
elsewhere
Economic collapse threatened payments of
reparations
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No American capital to fuel European
economic growth
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Britain
Coalition government formed under Labour,
(National Government) Conservative, and
Liberal parties
 2.5 million unemployed by 1931
France
 Affected France in 1931
 Rise of right-wing groups
 Socialists in power in 1936
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Germany
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Depression weakened support for the
Weimar Republic
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Mainstream politicians unable to provide
solutions
Torn between Communists and Nazis
Middle class afraid of communist takeover
Germany
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Elections held in 1932
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Nazis won 37% of the seats in Reichstag
Hitler appointed Chancellor on January 30,
1933
Had support of big business
 Seen as having solutions to economic problems
 Campaigned on getting rid of the Versailles Treaty
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Germany
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Hitler’s Economic Policies
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Tax breaks for families
To encourage women to have children
 Paid vacations
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Heavy government spending on public works
to eliminate unemployment
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The Autobahn
Military
rearmament
Italy
• When Depression hits, Mussolini looks to
expand Italy and create an Empire to
distract attention from problems at
home…………..leads to…..
• Abyssinia
Japan
• Cannot cope with break down in trade
• Over populated
• Short of raw materials
• Expand military
• Look to take ‘colonies’…….
• Manchuria
Causes of World War II
• Hitler begins to scrap Versailles after 1933
– Rearms Germany past limits permitted
by Versailles
•Builds up army past 100,000 troops
•Builds up air force
– Hitler remilitarizes the Rhineland in 1936
So the Great Depression was a
cause of WWII because….
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It led to the failure of the League
International trade broke down
Countries turned inwards
Countries began to rearm
Aggressive foreign polices were followed
Brought Hitler to power
The League fails
from 1931
1929 Wall Street Crash!
This is MAJOR turning point for the league:
*Many members of the League were now focussed on
solving domestic problems.
*The crash created a depression in Europe causing
unemployment and poverty. Dictators rose to power
as they promised a solution to problems. These were
new problems for the League to face
*Had a major effect on Japan who relied heavily on
international trade. This would eventually contribute
towards the invasion of Manchuria
The 1930s…
Were BAD for the League:
*The 1930s are always seen as bad for the
league by comparison with the 1920s.
Remember this for exam questions that ask
about both
*There were three huge failures for the League
in the 1930s:
1.
The Japanese invasion of Manchuria
2.
The failure of the disarmament conference
3.
The invasion of Abyssinia by Italy
Failure #1: Manchuria
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There was an explosion on the Manchurian railway
that ran though China. The Japanese depended on
this railway to transport goods into their country,
whose natural resources and agriculture were
limited by their mountainous terrain.
The Japanese invaded China on the grounds that it
needed to safeguard its railway. However, they
later also bombed Shanghai
•China appealed to the League for help and the
League ruled that the Japanese should return
Manchuria to Chinese rule.
•But Japan continued to invade new areas of
China
•The League discussed sanctions but its
member were not prepared to send troops to
enforce its decision…
Failure 2: The Disarmament conference
1932-3
In February 1932 the League of Nations began the longawaited disarmament conference.
It produced resolutions to limit the size of artillery and
tanks, ban the bombing of civilians and chemical warfare.
HOWEVER, nothing was agreed upon as to how they would
enforce these limits.
They were also unsure as to what to do about Germanyshould all countries disarm to her level or should Germany
be allowed to re-arm to the new universal lower level as
the TOV had been too harsh?
With no peace keeping
organisation left to enforce
collective security…Hitler and
Mussolini embarked on
aggressive foreign policies
which would eventually lead to
war
The steps to war 1936 - 39
Civil War in Spain
Re-occupation of the Rhineland
Anschluss with Austria
Sudetenland crisis
Hitler takes over rest of
Czechoslovakia
Italy joins Hitler in Axis
Nazi-Soviet Pact
Germany invades Poland
The Road to War
1933-1939
Hitler’s Foreign
Policy
Hitler’s aggressive foreign policy
was written in his autobiography
Mein Kampf
HITLER’S FOREIGN POLICY
AIMS
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Revising Versailles - nationalist
Imperial – Reich
Lebensraum
Racial
Destroy Communism
Personal Glory
Autarky
War
Hitler’s Foreign Policy was
built on three aims
 To
reverse the Treaty of Versailles
 To create a “Greater Germany” by
uniting all German speaking people
 The creation of Lebensraum - living
space for the German people.
The Treaty Of Versailles
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The German Army was
limited to 100,000 men
Germany had to pay
reparations to the allies
Germany had to accept
the War Guilt Clause
(231)
Germany lost 13% of its
territories and all her
colonies
LEBENSRAUM
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Hitler’s Greater Germany would have a
population of over 85 million people
Germany’s land would be insufficient to feed
this many people
Hitler intended to expand eastward towards
Poland and Russia
Russians and Poles were Slavs-Hitler believed
them to be inferior and so Germany was
entitled to take their land.
Creation of a Greater Germany
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Hitler wanted a
single homeland for all
German speaking
people
After Versailles millions
of Germans were living
in Foreign countries
The Treaty of Versailles
had forbidden the union
of Germany and
Austria- The Anschluss
1933
Germany refused to pay any
more reparations
Germany walked out of the
Disarmament conference
July 1934 Austria
Attempt at ANSCHLUSS fails. Austrian
Nazis had assassinated Chancellor
DOLFUSS. Mussolini rushes troops to the
Brenner frontier and the attempt at
Anschluss (Union) fails. Hitler disclaims
any responsibility.
JANUARY 1935
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PLEBISCITE IN THE
SAAR (as laid down at
Versailles).
90 per cent in
FAVOUR of joining
Germany.
Propaganda triumph
for Hitler
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Specialists' Diagnosis
Germany Rearms 1934-5
Soldiers:
1932 100,000
1939 950,000
Warships:
1932 30
1939 95
Aircraft:
1932 36
1939 8250
Conscription re-introduced
March 1935
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Direct challenge to
the Allies as breaking
Versailles
Allies responded with
the Stresa Front
Mutual assistance
pacts signed with
Russia and the Czechs
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(Stresa pact: short
term pact with Italy,
GB and France aimed
to curb Hitler:
collapsed due to HL
pact in Dec 1935 and
undermined by AGNT)
• It is the world’s response to
this that will determine
whether a second war will
start
Anglo German Naval Agreement
June 1935
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Germany could build up her naval fleet to
35 per cent of that of Britain.
45 per cent for submarines
Seemed as if GB was condoning German
rearmament
Broke the Stresa Front (formed to
condemn German rearmament) between
Italy, France, GB.
Mussolini Invades Abyssinia
1935
Italy’s leader, Mussolini, sent his army into Abyssinia (now known as Ethiopia)
The Abyssinians with spears were no match for Mussolini’s tanks
Britain and France criticized Mussolini but he got away with it
Nazi propaganda of the
weakness of Germany,
surrounded by
belligerent and strong
neighbors , circa mid30’s.
Rhineland Remilitarized
1936
Effects of rearmament and reoccupation
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Germany builds a line of forts along the Rhine.
Hitler justifies his actions by citing the 1935 Soviet
France alliance which broke the terms of Locarno and he
offers non aggression pacts.
Germany could now protect the great industrial area of
the Ruhr.
France now had German troops right on its border.
Smaller powers now saw that collective security was of
no use to them.
Hitler was encouraged to take more chances even
although “the 48 hours after the march into the
Rhineland were the most nerve racking in my life” – thus
was it a wild gamble?.
Britain and France now began to think about
rearmament.
Actually Broke Versailles and Locarno
Spanish Civil War
1936-39
Hitler and Mussolini
send warplanes to
Franco (above)
in his war against the
Communists in Spain
Why was this a cause of WWII?
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Pages 51 to 52
The Rome-Berlin Axis
1936
The Spanish
Civil War
bought Hitler
and Mussolini
together.
They agreed
on a friendship
pact, the Axis.
Causes of World War II
• Appeasement
– British came to the conclusion that Treaty of
Versailles was unfair
• Put off by French demands for revenge
• Believed that treating Germany fairly would bring a lasting
peace
– France goes along with Britain
• Could not stand alone
• Tries to make alliances with new countries in Eastern and
Central Europe
• Builds Maginot Line
Causes of World War II
• Hitler redraws Germany’s borders
– Austria (1938)
•A small republic after World War I
•Hitler wanted to unite all Germans
(Anschluss)
•Hitler joins Austria to Germany on
March 1938
Anschluss
Austria Taken Over
1938
German troops
Entered Austria
in March 1938.
99% of the
Austrian
people voted to
join Germany
Czech Crisis 1938
• Czechoslovakia
– Democracy that emerged after World War I
– Large German minority in Sudetenland
• Hitler really wanted forts along German border
– Hitler wants to annex Sudetenland
– What will Britain and France do?
APPEASEMENT: VISITS 1938
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3 visits in 1 month!
Berchtesgaden – Sept 15
Bad Godesberg – Sept 22
Munich – Sept 29:
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German troops to occupy Sudetenland
Claims of Poland and Hungary on Czhech. Territory
should be met
Britain and France would protect what was left of
Czechslovakia
Causes of World War II
• Munich Conference
– British, French, Italian, and German leaders
meet to decide Sudetenland question
– Czechoslovakia not allowed to participate
– British Prime Minister Chamberlain agrees to
let Hitler have Sudetenland
• Hitler promises not to take any more territory
• Chamberlain “brings peace for our time”
The Munich Pact
1938
Chamberlain,
Hitler and
Mussolini met
in Munich and
agreed to give
Sudetenland
to Hitler
Results of Appeasement
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The rest of Czechoslovakia weakened
Skoda Arms Works lost
Would Britain and France now act over Poland?
Gave GB and France time to prepare for war.
Known now that Hitler cannot be trusted.
France’s allies – Poland, Yugoslavia and Rumania
– lost confidence in France and tried to improve
relations with Germany. Russia now believes
that Britain and France could not be relied upon.
Appeasement …As simple as ABC
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Avoid war/Approval
Britain was weak
Communism
Democracy/Diplomacy
Empire
France
German propaganda made it seem as if Germans were being repressed in Austria, Sudetenland
and Danzig
Home Front
Ist World War lessons/Isolationism on part of the USA
Justice – Versailles unfair on Germany
Kost/kinder
League
Mutual lack of confidence /Morality
Neville Chamberlain misjudged Hitler
Out of sight out of mind – e.g. Olympics
Politcal instability in France/Peace movement
Quit taking over places – Czech would be Hitler’s last territorial claim in Europe
Rearmament would be necessary
Spanish Civil War horrors
Treaties at the end of WW1 – unjust, unfair
USSR menace
Victory unlikely?
Why go to war
Xcess deaths from la total world war need to be avoided
Young people (class of 1940)
ZZZZZZZZZZ
"My good friends, for the second time in our
history a British Prime Minister has returned
from Germany bringing peace with honour. I
believe it is peace for our time.“
-Prime Minister Chamberlain
Soviet poster showing the betrayal of
Czechoslovakia by capitalist powers to
the fascist wolf.
Czechoslovakia
wiped off the map 1939
In March 1939 German troops entered
Czechoslovakia
LANDMARKS OF APPEASEMENT
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1933-Germany leave the L of N - start to rearm in secret
1935-Anglo-German Naval Agreement, Abyssinian Crisis,
German announces conscription.
1936- Remilitarization of the Rhineland
1938 (March) Anschluss
1938 (Sept) Sudetenland crisis and the Munich agreement
1939- Germany take over the rest of Czechoslovakia
1939 Britain and France abandon appeasement and
guarantee to defend Poland
BRITAIN AND APPEASEMENT
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Most politicians wanted to
avoid war
The people of Britain wanted
to avoid war
Britain had only a small army
and airforce
Many people thought of the
Sudetenland in the same
way they had about Austria
Winston Churchill did not
agree but he was in a
minority.
Causes of World War II
• Hitler sets his sights on Poland
– Polish Corridor separates province of East
Prussia from Germany
– Hitler wants to rejoin East Prussia with
Germany
– Britain and France make agreements with
Poland
– Hitler thought Britain and France would cave
in again
Nazi-Soviet Pact
23 August 1939
BACKGROUND
• Stalin had been very worried about German
threats to the Soviet Union since Hitler came to
power in 1933
• Hitler had openly stated that he wanted Soviet
land for his Lebensraum
• Stalin tried to create alliances with Britain and
France but to no avail
• In 1934 Stalin took the USSR into the League of
Nations as a guarantee against German
aggression.
The League Of Nations
• Stalin gained no satisfaction from
the League. Instead he saw failures
• Abyssinia
• Spanish Civil War
• German rearmament
Britain and France
• Britain:
• Some welcomed a
strong Germany as
a force to fight
Communism.
• Communism was
seen as a bigger
threat than Hitler
• France:
• Stalin signed a
pact with France in
1935
• He did not trust
the French to keep
to it- especially
after Rhineland
The Munich Agreement
• This agreement made Stalin even more
wary
• Stalin was not consulted about the
agreement
• Stalin concluded that Britain and France
were powerless to stop Hitler
• Or that they were happy for Hitler to take
over Eastern Europe and the USSR
The Next Moves
• Despite misgivings Stalin was still prepared to
talk to Britain and France about an alliance
• The three countries met in March 1939
• Chamberlain was reluctant to commit Britain
• Stalin believed that Britain and France made
things worse by guaranteeing to defend Poland
if it were attacked
• Chamberlain saw the guarantee as a warning to
Hitler
• Stalin saw it as support for a potential enemy.
A Twist in the tale!
• Negotiations continued between Britain,
France and the USSR throughout Spring
and Summer 1939.
• Stalin, however, was also getting
visits from Nazi foreign minister
Ribbentrop to discuss a Nazi-Soviet
pact
The deed is done!
• On 24 August 1939 Stalin made his
decision and signed a pact with Germany
• The world was shocked as two arch
enemies promised not to attack each
other.
Why did Stalin sign the pact?
• Stalin was not convinced that Britain
and France would be strong and
reliable allies against Hitler
• He also wanted large parts of
eastern Poland
• He did not believe that Hitler would
keep his word. He wanted time to
build up his forces.
TERMS August 23rd (8 days before
war)
• Avoid war on two fronts
• Time to get ready for war and rebuild the Red
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Army; effects of Stalin’s Purges (S)
outwit Britain (H)
Secret Protocols allowed for territorial gains:
Partitioning of Poland (both) Finland, Estonia,
Latvia, Lithuania parts of Rumania to Stalin
Economic aspects
Effects……..?
Hitler Invades Poland
1 September 1939
Blitzkrieg=
lightning war
Britain Declares War
3 September 1939
Britain and France promised
to defend Poland from
attack
German troops crossed the
Polish border on 1 Sept
1939. Chamberlain gave
Hitler 48 hours to withdraw
At 11 a.m. on 3 Sept.
Chamberlain declared war
on Germany
Conclusion
• The legacy of Versailles was huge and there was
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simmering resentment in Europe. Temp buried
by the prosperity of the 1920s.
The Great Depression affects Europe and the
United States
The Great Depression causes countries to look
at other alternatives
The Great Depression leads to rise of Hitler and
the Nazis
Hitler scrapped the Treaty of Versailles
British appease Hitler in hopes of getting him to
cooperate
Hitler breaks his promises and begins World War
II