1. Causes of the Second World War

2. I. Fundamental Causes: A Review
The Treaty of Versailles
The Great Depression
Global economic crisis
Failure of democracy
Rise of Totalitarianism
Adolf Hitler & the Nazi Party
Goal: To unite German speaking people
lebensraum (living space) in order to gain self-sufficiency (autarky)
Achieved by breaking conditions of TofV

3. I. Fundamental Causes: A Review
D. Ineffectiveness of the League Of Nations
Ideal LON
League in Practice Was Weak
All nations should be members.
All nations should be equal partners in the League.
The League should be able to make decisions quickly and easily.
National interests should be second to the league’s interests.
Members should obey the League’s sanctions:
The Moral Sanction
The Economic Sanction
The Military Sanction

4. I. Fundamental Causes: A Review
D. Ineffectiveness of the League Of Nations
Ideal LON
League in Practice Was Weak
All nations should be members.
Not all nations were members
All nations should be equal partners in the League.
Not equal partners b/c major powers made decisions in the Council.
The League should be able to make decisions quickly and easily.
League structure was weak, unanimity caused delays.
National interests should be second to the league’s interests.
Nations were more interested in their OWN affairs, especially after with the economic crisis.
Members should obey the League’s sanctions:
The Moral Sanction
The Economic Sanction
The Military Sanction
Offenders could trade with non league members
Had no military power

5. I. Fundamental Causes: A Review
E. Extreme, unchecked nationalism
F. Policy of Non-intervention by Democratic Governments (isolationist)
USA
Isolated geographically
Britain
, sympathetic to German recovery
May March 1939, appeased Germany
France
a. unlikely and reluctant to intervene b/c she could not rely on Br + USA support.

6. II. Immediate Causes Appeasement 1936-1939
Re-militarization of the Rhineland
T of V called for demilitarization
reneges on reparation payments
Occupationn by Fr & Belgium
Annexation of Austria
Recall Hitler’s desire for unification of German lands
Actually came in & took it by rigging the vote
Appeasement in Czechoslovakia

7. II. Immediate Causes A. Appeasement Crisis 1936-1939 continued…
Czechoslovakia
Recall Tof V created Czechoslovakia
Large population of boarder called the Sudetenland
Oct 1, 1938, Hitler threatens invasion of Czech
@ Munich Conference in exchange for not invading Czech, Hitler gains Sudentenland
March 1, 1939, H invades anyways
Nazi-Soviet Non-Agression Pact,
Aug 23, 1939 btw Russia & Ger
Recall video, “Life Under Stalin”