1. Causes of World War II

2. What was WWII? Largest war in human history.
Involved countries, colonies, and territories around the entire world.
By the end, over 70 million were dead.
It lasted from 1939 until 1945.

3. W WI and the Treaty of Versailles Appeasement Rise of Totalitarianism
Causes
W WI and the Treaty of Versailles
Appeasement
Rise of Totalitarianism

4. WWI and the Treaty of Versailles
Germany lost land to surrounding nations
War reparations
Allies collect $ to pay back war debts to US
Germany pays $57 trillion (modern day equivalent)
Germans are bankrupt, embarrassed, guilt ridden, and angry.
Desperate people turn to desperate leaders

5. Appeasement
Giving someone something to make them happy and leave you alone.
Hitler demanded land that wasn’t Germany’s and others just gave it to him.
Nations were trying to prevent war…it didn’t work. (Isolationism)
Appeasement just showed Hitler that he could do whatever he wanted.

6. “Peace in Our Time!”

7. Rise of Totalitarianism
A system in which the state and its leader have nearly TOTAL control.
Individual rights are not viewed as important as the needs of the nation.
No right to vote
No free speech
Government controlled economy
Often a police state

11. How did WWII start?
Germany invaded Poland to get lebensraum

12. How did WWII start? Germany invaded Poland.
Allies declare war on Germany.
Germany then invades France, Belgium, etc.
Then Hitler invades Russia.
Germans use “blitzkrieg” to overwhelm other armies.
Blitzkrieg means “lightening war” in German.
Surround with tanks and troops in trucks.

13. Who was on each side? Axis Powers Germany Italy Japan Soviet Union
non-aggression pact, they both wanted Poland and Eastern Europe- 1941
Allied Powers
Great Britain
Soviet Union (from 1941)
United States
France
Surrendered to Germany in 1940 after 6 weeks

16. What is the US doing at this time?
Relief, Recovery Reform from Great Depression
FDR’s New Deal but the US has an eye on Europe. Americans grasped onto the “Normalcy” policy of isolationism.
Congress passes a series of Neutrality Acts forbidding involvement in European affairs especially selling arms or loans to Europe.
This begins to fall apart as the Allies in Europe become desperate.