1. Warm Up – April 20
Grab the handouts and answer the following questions on a post it:
1. What were the MAIN causes of World War I?
2. What did Germany agree to when signing the Treaty of Versailles?
3. How did the Great Depression lead to the rise of Hitler?
4. What did Hitler learn from the failed Beer Hall Putsch?
5. What were the Nuremburg Laws? What are two examples the laws?
6. How was Kristallnacht the first step towards Hitler’s Final Solution and creation of the Master Race?

2. Rise of Fascism Reading
Answer the following questions on the same post it as the warm up:
1. What kind of leaders emerged during the Great Depression? What did these leaders support?
2. What countries did Fascism emerge in?
3. What 8 things are fascist states characterized by?
4. What problems existed in Italy following WW1? What individual took advantage of these problems to take power? What did he pledge to solve?
5. Once Fascists took power in Italy, what did they put an end to?
6. What did Hitler promise people in Germany during the Great Depression? What did he say about Germans? 7. What did Hitler’s one party government do to civil rights? To enemies? To Businesses?
8. Who did Hitler use as a scapegoat for Germany’s problems? What did he do because of this?
9. Why were many Germans pleased in Germany?

3. Unit 8: Great Depression and world war II
The Causes of World War II

4. Causes of World War II Underlying Causes of World War II
Nationalism (Review from WWI): Extreme pride in one’s nationality or country
Imperialism (Review from WWI): Taking of land/property
Militarism (Review from WWI): Building weapons or a strong military

5. Causes of World War II Underlying Causes of World War II
Fascism: a political philosophy, movement, or regime that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition

6. Causes of World War II
Totalitarian Dictatorships: Leaders who control all aspects of society
Each dictator took advantage of economic problems by:
Promising simple solutions to their nation’s problems
Rebuilding national pride (often using propaganda)
Providing scapegoats (targets for anger & blame)
Absorbing power, taking away individual rights, and crushing opposition (1 party; 1 ruler)

7. Adolf Hitler in Germany

8. Causes of World War II Fascist Germany
Dictator: Adolf Hitler (Der Fuhrer or The leader)
Nazism is German Fascism
Goals:
Nationalism:
Wanted to rebuild Germany
Preached Vengeance against (4 hates)
Democracies (a weak & undisciplined form of gov’t)
Communism (a threat to Nazi growth)
November Criminals who signed the WWI Armistice
Jews (the source of all evil & problems in Germany)

9. Causes of World War II Fascist Germany Imperialism:
A desire to unite all people of German ancestry (Blood & language)
“Lebensraum” (a desire for more living space) needed to build his empire he called The Third Reich
Militarism:
1. Defied the Treaty of Versailles &
rebuild the army
2. Created the “Nazi War Machine”
3. Built #1 military in the world

10. Benito Mussolini of Italy

11. Causes of World War II Fascist Italy
Dictator: Benito Mussolini (Il Duce = The Leader)
Goals:
Nationalism:
Wished to rebuild the ancient Holy Roman Empire
Imperialism:
Felt betrayed by the Allies at the Treaty of Versailles Conference due to a promise of land for joining the Allies that was not kept
Wanted to control lands around the Mediterranean Sea;
“Mare Nostrum” = Our Sea
Militarism:
Formed the Rome-Berlin Axis (alliance) with Germany in 1936

12. Causes of World War II Japan Dictators:
Hideki Tojo: Military Leader & Prime Minister
Emperor Hirohito: Political & Spiritual figurehead
Goals
Nationalism:
Japan wanted to be #1 in Asia
Goal: Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere: name for power in Asia
Imperialism:
To be #1 in Asia, they needed oil and raw materials
Wanted China’s land (and others) to obtain oil and raw materials
Militarism:
Built up the strongest military regime in Asia
Soldier’s motto: “Death before Dishonor”

13. Causes of World War II Others
Spain: Franco’s fascists won the Spanish Civil War
Soviet Union: Joseph Stalin took control of the communist nation
Germany, Italy, & Japan became known as the Axis Powers once the war began.

14. Causes of World War II
Poor Decisions were made by the powerful democracies
France & Great Britain adopted a policy of appeasement
The League of Nations would prove ineffective; lacked a military
U.S.: Isolationism & Depression kept our focus on U.S. concerns; once aggression began we claimed to be neutral

15. Causes of World War II Equation:
Nationalism + Imperialism + Militarism = Aggression
Extreme Aggression = War!

16. TOD – April 20
Answer the following questions on the same post it as the warm up:
1. What is a totalitarian dictatorship?
2. What four groups did Hitler seek vengeance against?
3. What did Hitler want for all German speaking people?
4. What did Mussolini want to rebuild Italy into?
5. What is the name of the strategy used by France and Britain in response to the aggression of Hitler?