Causes of World War II CHC 2DI S. Todd

1. The Treaty of Versailles So heavily weighted against Germany that it was angry Unjustness one of Hitler’s major political platforms Reparations cause tremendous debt and inflation in Germany Loss of land  Germany wants it back Loss of pride due to War Guilt Clause

Hyperinflation in Post-WWI Germany Year US Dollar German Deutschmark 1918 $1 DM 4 1919 DM 75 1922 DM 400 Jan. 1923 DM 18 000 Jul. 1923 DM 160 000 Aug. 1923 DM 1 000 000 Nov. 1923 DM 4 000 000 000

2. League of Nations U.S. didn’t join, which seriously weakened it Left the league to depend on Britain and France who were unwilling to fight another foreign war Result: Aggressor countries had free hand to expand their territory Japan attacked Manchuria in 1931 Italy attacked Ethiopia in 1935 ∴𝐻𝑖𝑡𝑙𝑒𝑟 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐿𝑒𝑎𝑔𝑢𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑛 ′ 𝑡 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑝 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑒𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑓 ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑎𝑐𝑘𝑒𝑑

3. Aggression of Japan (Invaded Manchuria) By the 1920s, Japan was overpopulated with few resources Needed land to expand (imperialism) 1931 invaded Chinese province of Manchuria Then set out to conquer the rest of China League did nothing

4. Aggression of Italy (invaded Ethiopia) Italy angry about Treaty of Versailles – had been promised land Blamed democratic government for unemployment Elected Benito Mussolini and his fascist party Became a dictator Attacked Ethiopia, a kingdom in Africa, to end the Depression The League did…NOTHING!

5. Aggression of Germany Hitler was the leader of the National Socialist Party (Nazi Party) Blamed the Treaty of Versailles for all of Germany’s problems Blamed other races, particularly Jews, for all of Germany’s problems

6. Policy of Appeasement Definition: Giving a person or party whatever they want in order to prevent conflict Hitler saw that both Japan and Italy got away with invading other countries because the allied countries wanted to avoid conflict SO…. Hitler decided that he was also going to invade other countries because Germany lost land and he thought he could get away with it

Key Players of WWII Allied Powers Neville Chamberlain Winston Churchill Charles De Gaulle Franklin Roosevelt Harry Truman Joseph Stalin

ADOLF HITLER

BENITO MUSSOLINI

HIDEKI TOJO

WINSTON CHURCHILL Critical of Chamberlin’s policies toward Hitler. Became Prime Minister During the War (1940) Strong Ally for the United States Powerful public speaker he helped to rally his troops to fight German Aggression

FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT President through much of the War (died in 1945) Lend Lease program to aid Allies prior to US entry into the War Signed order to intern Japanese after Pearl Harbor.

HARRY TRUMAN

JOSEPH STALIN Totalitarian Regime in USSR. Awaited world-wide Communist revolution. Great Purge of the 1930s to clear out enemies from country 1939 – Signed nonaggression pact with Germany. (Divide Poland) Germany broke the pact, opening up the Eastern Front of the War.