1. Bellringer Download today’s notes: Causes of War Notes
Answer the following question:
1. What would you do if someone made you a promise and then broke it? How would you respond? Would you trust them in the future? Why or why not?

2. Rise of
Hitler
Nationalism
Militarism
Appeasement
SPARK:
Invasion of
Poland
Economic
depression
Japanese
expansionism
fascism in
Italy
Treaty of
Versailles
Major Causes of
World War II

3. The BIG Idea!
The ambitions of Japan and Germany paved the way for the outbreak of WWII.
Hitler’s theory of racial domination laid the foundation for aggressive expansion outside Germany.
The need for natural resources fueled the Japanese plan to seize other countries.

4. German Path to War
Hitler wanted “living space” for the Aryan race and his Third Reich.
Needed more land to support a larger population.
Hitler wanted land in the east – in the Soviet Union.
Had to prepare for war with the Soviet Union.
Once conquered the land would be given to German people and all others would be used as slave labor to build the Third Reich.

5. Hitler Violates Treaty
Hitler hated the Treaty of Versailles and violated it.
First he built up the German military.
Then he sent troops into the Rhineland. This was a direct violation of the Treaty of Versailles, which said in 1919 that Rhineland was a demilitarized zone.(1936)

7. Allies’ Response
Appeasement – satisfying reasonable demands of dissatisfied powers in an effort to maintain peace and stability
France and Great Britain condemned Germany but did not do anything about it.
Why?

8. Germany’s New Allies Italy Japan
Mussolini of Italy invaded Ethiopia, but was opposed by British and French – Hitler took Mussolini’s side
October Hitler and Mussolini made an agreement recognizing their common political interests, signed an alliance one month later (Rome-Berlin Axis)
Japan
Germany and Japan signed a pact in November to work together against communism (Anti-Comintern Pact)
This all happened very quickly (just 1 ½ years after he began expanding his army). How might France and Britain have viewed these developments?

9. Union with Austria
Convinced that Great Britain nor France would use force against him – Germany was once again a ‘world power’ with strong military allies
Threatened to invade Austria if Austrian Nazis weren’t put in charge of government – Austria gave in
Hitler annexed Austria to Germany in March 1938 (Anschluss)
Why was Hitler interested in Austria?

11. Demands and Appeasement
Next (in September 1938), Hitler demanded that Czechoslovakia cede the Sudetenland to Germany. Mostly Germans lived here.
Again, Britain and France practiced appeasement
The British and French prime ministers agreed to Hitler’s demands without consulting Czechoslovakian leaders, in the hopes that this would avoid a war in Europe.
Hitler promised that he would make no more demands…

13. Great Britain and France React
Hitler was even more convinced that no one would fight him.
In March 1939, he took over more of Czechoslovakia.
At last Great Britain and France responded.
Hitler’s aggression made clear that his promises were worthless.
He began to demand a port in Poland.
Great Britain offered to protect Poland in the event of war.
France and Great Britain tried to form an alliance with Joseph Stalin to combat Hitler. Why?

14. Hitler and Stalin
To prevent Stalin from making an alliance with France and Great Britain, Hitler made his own agreement first!
Nazi-Soviet Nonaggression Pact signed on Aug. 23, 1939 – Soviet Union and Germany agreed not to attack each other.
Hitler offered to split eastern Europe with Stalin.
Why does this seem weird? What does Hitler gain?
Do you think Hitler plans on keeping his promise? Why or why not?

16. Germany Invades Poland
The nonaggression pact shocked the world.
It also gave Hitler the freedom he needed to attack Poland.
Invaded Poland in Sept – Britain and France declared war on Germany

18. Review! 1. Why did Britain and France adopt a policy of appeasement?
2. What regions did Hitler annex or take over?
3. How did the Nazi-Soviet Nonaggression Pact help lead to World War II?
4. How important do you think appeasement was as a cause of WWII?

19. Japanese Aggression In 1931 Japan invaded Manchuria for raw materials.
The League of Nations investigated and condemned Japan. Japan withdrew from the League. U.S. did not recognize the Japanese takeover of Manchuria, but was unwilling to threaten force.
Japan committed to expansionist policies, and the military controlled the government.
The same year, Japan began to attack China.
Chiang Kai-Shek (Chinese ruler) tried to avoid conflict as he dealt with Communist revolutionaries in China. Practiced appeasement by letting Japan control areas of North China.
Full-scale war broke out in 1937 (the Sino-Japanese War) as Japanese troops continued to push south.

20. Japanese Aggression
Wanted to create a New Order in East Asia – Japan, Manchuria, and China – ruled by Japan
Also wanted Soviet Siberia for its resources, cooperated with Nazi Germany. Why? The Nazi-Soviet Nonaggression Pact ended these goals. Needed a new plan…

21. Japanese Aggression
Japan turned to Southeast Asia to gain raw materials to fuel its military machine
This would risk war with European colonial powers and the U.S., however
Japan demanded the rights to French Indochina in 1940 – the U.S. objected by applying sanctions
Japan needed oil and scrap from U.S. but also needed raw materials from Southeast Asia. They were in a pickle!
Japan decided to launch a surprise attack on U.S. and European colonies in Southeast Asia.

23. Review! 1. What territories did Japan acquire between 1933-1941?
2. What was a key motivation for Japan’s plans to expand into the Soviet Union, China, and French Indochina?
3. What do you think the U.S. was doing during this time of German and Japanese aggression?

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

25. HITLER’S WWII PARTNERS

26. 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