1. The harsh terms of the Treaty of Versailles after WWI led to resentment in Germany and contributed to the rise of Hitler and the Nazis.
2. Aggressive actions by Germany and Italy in the 1930s were initially appeased by other European leaders hoping to avoid another major war.
3. Hitler's invasion of Poland in 1939 despite agreements to protect it led Britain and France to declare war on Germany, starting World War II.
1. Causes of WWII
1. Problems left over from WWI
Treaty of Versailles—punished
Germany too severely—this angered
them.
Germany ignored many of the
provisions
2. • 2. World Wide Depression—prices too high
and wages were low. High unemployment and
despair—no hope for the future.
3. • 3. The Rise of Dictators
• Totalitarian-one party has complete control
over the government
• Fascism-places the nation above all else
(freedom and rights are lost of the benefit of
the nation)
• Extreme nationalism, racism, and militarism
4. 4. Aggression-a warlike act by one country
against another without just cause
5. Appeasement- giving in to aggression in order
to avoid war - “if you give a mouse a cookie…”
6. Hitler invades Poland
5. Italy
• Leader: Benito Mussolini
• Founded the Italian Fascist Party
• Fascism: aggressive nationalism
• Fascist believe that the nation was more
important than the individual. Individualism
made countries weak and they believed a nation
became great by expanding its territory and
building up its military. They were strongly anti-
communist
6. Russia
• Leader: Joseph Stalin
• Government: Communism-In 1926 Stalin became the
new Soviet dictator. He soon began a massive effort to
industrialize his country. He tolerated no opposition—
killed over 10 million peasants who resisted the
Communist policies.
• Communism-a form a government that is both
economic and political. The government takes over all
property and distributes it to all the people and
everyone works for the common good.
7. Germany
Leader: Adolf Hitler
Nazi Party
• The harsh demands put on Germany in the
Treaty of Versailles led to resentment,
economic difficulties, and WWII.
• The Treaty also left him with a moldering
hatred for the victorious Allies and for the
German government that had accepted the
peace terms.
9. World War II Begins
• By the late 1930’s Germany had rebuilt—
against the Versailles Treaty of WWI.
• European leaders did not try and stop Hitler at
first—WHY?
10. Reasons for not stopping Hitler
• Shadow of WWI
• Bringing all Germany speaking regions of
Europe was reasonable.
• Hitler would be satisfied—Appeasment
• BUT…
11.
12. So Hitler starts his march
•
1St Austria-with little
opposition-same
language and culture-
no Allies
• 2nd Czechoslovakia—
but this country was
different-why?
--a democracy
-- many languages
--allies
--they resisted
13. Poland
After that he
set his sights on
Poland.
Appeasement
had failed.
14. • The British announced that if Poland went to
war to defend its territory, Britain and France
would come to its aid. In 1939 Hitler ordered
the German army to invade Poland.
15. The Nazi-Soviet Nonaggression Pact
If Germany was going to fight Britain and France, Hitler
did not want to have to fight the Soviets too. So they
made a treaty with each other. A deal was made that
Poland would be divided between the 2 countries if the
Soviets helped Hitler
16. The Polish held up bravely but they
were no match for the Germans.
17. The Germans used a new type of
warfare called blitzkrieg—or
lightning war.
18. Next France
• But before Hitler invaded France he attacked
Norway, Denmark, Netherlands Belgium and
Luxembourg first
21. Battle of Britain
• When Hitler realized that Britain would not
surrender, he ordered his commanders to
prepare to invade.
• In June 1940, the German air force, Luftwaffe,
began to attack British shipping, then an all
out air battle to destroy the British RAF and
then finally Hitler began to bomb London and
other major cities for over 85 days. This air
battle became known as the Battle of Britain.
22. • Hitler’s goal was to terrorize the British people
into surrendering. The British people endured.
23. Radar
• Although the British RAF was greatly
outnumbered, the British had one major
advantage—Radar-a new technology. By
pacing radar stations along their coast, the
British were able to detect incoming German
aircraft and directly intercept them.
• After the loss of many German planes, Hitler
called off the invasion of Britain.
• The skill of a few hundred pilots saved Britain
from invasion.
