Causes of World War II Based on what you remember from first term, what do you think are some likely causes of WWII?

The Treaty of Versailles Designed to keep Germany _________________to fight another war Huge reparations increased Germany’s war debt leading to _____________ troubles Demilitarized the ________ German territories given to Austria, Czechoslovakia and _____________________ What do you remember about the Treaty of Versailles? What conditions may have made Germany angry enough to start another war? war guilt clause Reparations lost territory restricted military lost control of Rhineland (Rhineland = buffer zone, but leaves Germany undefended along a vulnerable border) treaty was dictated to Germany (resentment) Reparations: repayment of the war debts of the victorious nations War debt exacerbates Great Depression Hitler will try to get these territories back through Anschluss & Lebensraum (see later notes)

The League of Nations Created to help nations resolve conflict through _____________ means Lost power & credibility when the __________ refused to join Failed to promote ___________ after WWI Failed to prevent numerous conflicts including the territorial expansion of _______________, Japan & Italy League was brainchild of US Pres. Woodrow Wilson, but new isolationist Pres. Harding refuses to join Disarmament: reduce stores of weapons & size of military Will get into specifics of territorial expansion later in the presentation

Great Depression Economic struggles only increased ____________ between nations Made people susceptible to the promises of ______________ leaders like Hitler & Mussolini Mussolini, for example, promised to return Italy to the glorious days of the Roman Empire. Hitler promised to make Germany a “new Rome.”

Rise of Dictatorships Germany: __________ Hitler (National Socialist) Italy: Benito Mussolini (_______________) Japan: Emperor __________ All promised to increase their nation’s power & adopted policies of ___________________, totalitarianism & imperialism Militarism: maintenance of a strong military, glorification of the military, prepared to aggressively use military power to defend or promote the nation’s interests. Totalitarianism: centralized state power, dictatorship Imperialism: Territorial expansion, building of empires Fascism and National Socialism (Nazism) are very similar political philosophies. Many consider Nazism to be a form of fascism. Fascism: political movement founded by Mussolini in Italy, features include: totalitarianism (no limits to state power, subordination of the individual to the state), imperialism, militarism, extreme nationalism National Socialism: political movement founded by Hitler in Germany, features include: totalitarianism, imperialism, militarism, extreme nationalism to the point of racism (believed in racial inequality where the strong were meant to rule the weak, felt need to purge certain inferior races like the Jews) What do you feel is the key difference between fascism and Nazism? Racism

Appeasement ______________ PM Neville Chamberlain wanted to give Germany, Italy, etc. what they wanted to avoid another war German, Italian & Japanese militaries grow unchecked until __________ Appeasement: avoid armed international conflict by giving in to the demands of certain powerful nations Hitler will violate the terms of the Treaty of Versailles multiple times, but Chamberlain will convince the world to forgive it In photo: British PM Neville Chamberlain (left), Hitler (centre) and Mussolini (beside Hitler)

Territorial Expansion 1931 Japan invades Manchuria (________) 1936 Germany _______________ Rhineland 1935-6 Italy invades Ethiopia 1936-9 Germany & Italy help Franco (Fascist) win the ______________ Civil War 1938 Germany annexes Austria & the Sudetenland (part of Czech.) 1939 Germany occupies all of Czechoslovakia & Italy seizes ________ 1936-9: Who else is a Fascist like Franco? Mussolini Reunification with Austria = Anschluss Taking over Czech/Poland = lebensraum (gaining living space for Germans) 1939: These acts bring the end of appeasement

Invasion of Poland _______________ invades Poland on Sept. 1, 1939 Britain & France Declare war on Sept. __ Most __________________ countries soon follow with Canada declaring war on Sept. 10 What do we mean by Commonwealth? All territories that are currently or were once part of the British Empire Examples: Canada, India, South Africa Why is it significant that Canada declares war on Sept. 10? First time we declared for ourselves. Clear assertion of independence from Britain