WWII Overview WWII is considered one of the best examples of ‘Total War’ Here is an overview of what that means and how it all began

The end of WWI The main allied powers forced the Central Powers to separate negotiating tables at the Paris Peace Conference. In the end, all of the powers signed, and France’s arguments for the clear punishment of Germany and protection against their shared borders ruled the day.

Cause 1: The Treaty of Versailles This punished Germany very harshly, and she was forced to accept complete and sole blame/responsibility for WWI Much of her profitable land was taken and/or borrowed for a period of time She was reduced to an agrarian state She was forced to pay an exorbitant amount of reparations to France and Britain She was stripped of her colonies (more on this later) She was NOT allowed to join the League of Nations until demonstrating peaceful and positive global and local interaction She was forced to develop a ‘puppet government’ quickly to support and further these ideas

Cause 2: The League of Nations The League of Nations had some very specific positives, however, in the end it was considered a failed effort to maintain stability and further cooperation and communication Membership issues & U.S. Isolation The Mandate System Internal Politics No Army and little funding

Cause 3: The Great Depression Although this event was a tragic occurrence that was centered in the US, it effects were felt worldwide… Countries economies were tied to their creditor, the USA, and the USA was now looking to collect Inflation, poverty and starvation hit a global high, and most populations were angry and restless Angered populations look to extreme changes and structures when in extreme need Politically/Economically, this developed global movements towards Communism, Fascism…two extremes in view Also Economically, this led to a more militarized and industrial view of how to ‘recover’ from the depression

Cause 4: Its Hitler/Fascism’s fault Hitler was a DEMOCRATICALLY elected official, who used his extreme popularity to commit ‘political genocide’ in Germany. He then went a bit further… As a single party state leader he… Got rid of internal opposition in whatever form it took Began dreaming of a ‘glorified Germany’ Was able to gain golbal sympaty and support from places such as Japan, Italy, the USA and GBR (more on this later) Initiated the ‘Nine Steps to War’ that we will consider next.

Cause 5: The Policy of Appeasement Britain, not wanting to fight another long and difficult war, engaged in a political discussion with the Fascists and attempted to use the LoN for what it was intended to do…And if Britain pursued this policy, France, et. al. were forced to follow suit. In basic terms, as Germany looked to reverse the impacts of the Treaty of Versailles, initiate Anschluss and further gains, Britain and France approached the situation with diplomatic means only. Hitler may have never thought WWII would happen based on this idea

The ‘Nine Steps to War’

VOCABULARY TO KNOW (apart from the 5 main causes above): Hyper-Inflation Mandate System Nazi-Soviet Pact Anschluss Alsace and Lorraine The Rhineland The Ruhr/Ruhr Crisis The ‘Rome-Berlin Axis Neville Chamberlin The Beer Hall Putsch Rearmament Article 231 (the ‘War Guilt Clause’ Invasion of Poland Georges Clemenceau Winston Churchill Woodrow Wilson Self – Determination The Spanish Civil War The Stressa Front The Anti-Comntern Pact The Night of Long Knives Reparations Isolationism Fascism Lebensraum The Munich Agreement (‘Scrap of Paper’) The ‘Pact of Steel’ The Sudetenland Invasion of Manchuria ‘Mein Kampf’ The ‘November Criminals”