THE CAUSES OF WORLD WAR II MAIN

MILITARISM German rearmament French failed Maginot line: did not realize Hitler would outflank and go through ‘Low countries’ again. (Belgium, Luxembourg) New weapons and techniques of warfare (as tested in Spain) made nations, particularly Germany, confident of an easy victory. Japanese Naval build-up after ‘35

ALLIANCES AXIS ALLIES vs The Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis, 1939. Russo-German Non-Aggression Pact, 1939. French alliance with Britain, 1938, and with Little Entente countries, and with Poland.

IMPERIALISM Japan’s conquest of Manchuria in 1931 & the attack on China in 1937. Italian conquest of Ethiopia (Abyssinia) in 1936. German annexation of Austria, Sudetenland and Czechoslovakia. Desire of Germany to reacquire her lost colonies, and Italy to gain what she was denied at Versailles.

NATIONALISM Nazi Germany’s resentment of Treaty of Versailles. Italian Fascist desire to play the role of Great Power. Japan’s doctrine of “ Asia for the Asiatics”. German master race-Aryan the Italian dream of Mare Nostrum”, Japanese chauvinism “war is a justifiable exercise of national sovereign power”.

BONUS CAUSES American neutrality legislation-isolationism Weakness of League of Nations: membership and lack of a fighting force. Appeasement Anger over Treaty of Versailles: “stab in the back and war guilt clause”. The Great Depression

Appeasement

Major Causes of World War II Treaty of Versailles Rise of fascism in Italy Japanese expansionism Economic depression Anti- communism Appeasement Militarism Nationalism Hitler

Theaters of War: Where WWII Was Fought Europe Atlantic Ocean Asia North Africa Pacific

HITLER’S WWII PARTNERS

THE ALLIED POWERS IN WWII India Brazil These are the nations that had a substantial number of soldiers involved in the fighting. THE ALLIED POWERS IN WWII