Bellringer
Download today’s notes: Causes of WarAnswer 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?
Rise of Hitler
Nationalism
Militarism
Appeasement SPARK:
Invasion of Poland
Economic depression
Japanese expansionism
Rise of fascism in
Italy
Treaty ofVersailles
Major Causes of
World War II
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.
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.
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)
Allies’ Response
Appeasement – giving in to an enemy’s demands in hopes of avoiding further conflict
France and Great Britain condemned Germany but did not do anything about it.
Wanted to keep peace in Europe, didn’t want to go back into war.
In the midst of the Great Depression, distracted by their own problems.
Germany’s New Allies
Italy Mussolini of Italy invaded Ethiopia, but was opposed
by British and French – Hitler took Mussolini’s side October 1935 - 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 to work together
against communism (Anti-Comintern Pact)
Union with Austria
Convinced that Great Britain nor France would use force against him.
Threatened to invade Austria if Austrian Nazis weren’t put in charge of government – Austria gave in
Hitler annexed Austria to Germany in 1938Why was Hitler interested in Austria?
Demands and Appeasement
Next (in 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…
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.
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. Secretly, Hitler offered to split eastern Europe with Stalin. Why does this seem weird? What does Hitler gain?
Hitler planned on fighting the Soviet Union eventually anyway so it didn’t matter what he promised. This also kept him from having to fight the Soviets at the beginning of the war.
Germany Invades Poland
The nonaggression pact shocked the world.It also gave Hitler the freedom he needed to
attack Poland.Invaded Poland in Sept. 1939 – Britain
and France declared war on Germany
Connect!
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?
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, with full-scale war breaking out in 1937 in the Sino-Japanese War.
Wanted to create a New Order in East Asia – Japan, Manchuria, and China – ruled by Japan
Japanese Aggression
Japan wanted raw materials from Southeast Asia to fuel its military machine This would risk war with European colonial powers
and the U.S., howeverJapan demanded the rights to French
Indochina in 1940 – the U.S. objected by applying sanctions Japan needed oil 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.
Connect!
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?
Theaters of War: Where WWII Was Fought
Pacific
AsiaNorth Africa
EuropeAtlantic Ocean
HITLER’S WWII
PARTNERS
Brazil
India
THE ALLIED POWERS IN
WWII
Activity!
Now that we’ve discussed the beginning of the war, pick one of the main causes of the war from the next slide.
Write one FULL paragraph (5-7 sentences) on paper that explains what the cause is and HOW it led to the beginning of WWII.
You may use your notes, class discussion, and the internet to help, BUT DO NOT COPY AND PASTE.
We will turn this in for a grade!
Rise of Hitler
Nationalism
Militarism
Appeasement SPARK:
Invasion of Poland
Economic depression
Japanese expansionism
Rise of fascism in
Italy
Treaty ofVersailles
Major Causes of
World War II
