1. Steps to war

2. The League of Nations  Purpose to make the First World War truly the “War to End All Wars”  Inability to prevent another war can be traced to the failure of the League  Idea to maintain collective security through discussion and diplomacy  No chance of success: US refused to join and other nations gave little support

4. The Manchurian Crisis - 1931  Japan invaded the Chinese province of Manchuria  China appealed to the League for help – no one was prepared to act  Most nations firmly in grip of Great Depression

6. Invasion of Abyssinia - 1935  Mussolini of Italy had noted the League’s unwillingness to act  War involved Italian tanks against Abyssinian spears  World-wide public outrage, but no intervention  Boycott on some goods, not oil

8. Formation of the Axis Powers - 1937  For protection against Soviet forces in Manchuria, Japan signed the anti- Comintern (world-wide Communist movement lead by the USSR) Pact with Germany  In 1937, Italy joined creating the Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis

10. Lebensraum  Living space for the German people  Hitler demanded Anschluss (unification of Austria and other German speaking territories with Germany)  Occupation of the Saar Valley, Remilitarization of the Rhineland, annexation of Austria  Neither of the Allies responded

13. Munich Pact and Appeasement - 1938  Appeasement – policy of satisfying Hitler’s demands  Favoured by British prime minister Neville Chamberlain and Canadian prime minister King  At the Munich Conference, Chamberlain agreed to German occupation of the Sudetenland if Hitler promised to leave the rest of Czechoslovakia

14. Neville Chamberlain  “I Believe it is Peace for Our Time”

15. William Lyon Mackenzie King  "He smiled very pleasantly, and indeed had a sort of appealing and affectionate look in his eyes. My sizing up of the man as I sat and talked with him was that he is really one who truly loves his fellow man and his country... his eyes impressed me most of all. There was a liquid quality about them which indicated keen perception and profound sympathy (calm, composed) - and one could see how particularly humble folk would come to have a profound love for the man."

16. Munich Pact and Appeasement 1938  Chamberlain was later strongly criticized as being weak  Optimism was short lived  Hitler invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia by March 1939

19. Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact 1939  Removed the threat of war for Germany in the East  Included an agreement to partition (split-up) Poland  Allowed Hitler to fight in the West without having to worry about an Eastern Front

24. Four General Causes of the War 1. The Treaty of Versailles 2. The Great Depression 3. Appeasement: The failure of the League of Nations to Act 4. Adolf Hitler’s racial theories and territorial ambitions