■ Essential Question:

–What factors led to the outbreak of World War II in 1939?

■ Warm-Up Question:

–Considering the short comings of the Treaty of Versailles, what do you think will cause the Second World War?

The Causes of World War II■ WWI was not the “war to end all

wars” as a series of problems from 1919 to 1939 led to World War II–Resentment in Germany over the

Treaty of Versailles–The failure of the League of

Nations to maintain world peace –A global depression & intense

nationalism led to the rise of dangerous, aggressive dictators

Cause of World War II

The punishing terms of the Treaty of Versailles (war guilt & demilitarization) led to anger & resentment in Germany

Huge reparations slowed Germany’s ability to rebuild after the war

Causes of World War IIBritain & France were leaders of the League of Nations, but

war debts & post-war rebuilding meant that they

could not afford another war

The Causes of World War IEuropean nations were dependent upon U.S. investment to help rebuild, …but the Great

Depression led to a world-wide depression in the 1930s, especially in Europe

In Germany inflation was so bad, that

money became

worthless; Here German children use

stacks of German

money as play toys

The Rise of Totalitarianism■ These desperate conditions led to

the rise of totalitarianism in Europe

–Dictators seized total control over the gov’t & the lives of citizens

–Promoted nationalism to win support & promised a return of jobs, national pride, & “empire”

–Used propaganda, police terror, & persecution to maintain power

Totalitarian Regimes in Europe & Asia

Totalitarian Regimes in Europe & AsiaMussolini & Hitler both believed in fascism—the idea that nations need strong dictators,

total authority by one political party, but that people can keep their private propertyCommunists like

Lenin & Stalin in the Soviet Union believed that the

gov’t should control all property

& business

Totalitarian Regimes in Europe & AsiaIn the 1920s & 1930s, Japan was the strongest & wealthiest nation in Asia; Prime Minister Hideki Tojo created a

military dictatorship in Japan

Causes of World War II■ In the 1930s, territorial expansion in

Europe & Asia contributed to WWII

In the 1930s, Japan began to build a

large Asian empire to provide resources for their industry & military; Japanese

forces attacked Manchuria, northern China, & East Indies

In the 1930s, Mussolini directed

the Italian military to seize Libya & Ethiopia

in Africa, then Albania in Europe

To fulfill Hitler’s dream of Lebensraum (living space); Germany annexed

Austria & Czechoslovakia in the 1930s

Failure of the League of Nations■ This expansion threatened world

peace, but the League of Nations failed to intervene effectively:

–Britain & France relied on appeasement (giving in to an aggressor to avoid war)

–The League condemned Japan, Italy, & Germany but resisted more severe actions to halt expansion

The Outbreak of World War II

■ In 1939, German expansion led to the outbreak of World War II:

–Hitler negotiated the Nazi-Soviet Nonaggression Pact allowing Germany to seize half of Poland

–World leaders were shocked by the agreement & horrified by German military expansion

On September 1, 1939 Germany invaded Poland

England & France could not use appeasement any longer & declared war on Germany

In 1940, Germany, Italy, & Japan signed the Tripartite Pact ( “Axis Coalition”) to protect each other in case any nation was attacked

Expansion in Europe & Asia

■ Once WWII began, the Axis Powers used modern militaries to seize large territories in Europe & Asia:

–The Germans used blitzkrieg tactics to take most of Europe

–Italian forces seized north Africa

–Japanese military gained an empire in Southeast Asia

Blitzkrieg (“lightning war”) tactics used air raids followed by infantry & tanks invasions

In 1940, France fell to the Nazis

In 1940, Germany began bombing Britain, the

strongest Allied nation

In 1941, Germany broke the Nazi-Soviet Pact & invaded the USSR

By 1941, the Axis Powers controlled almost all of Europe & northern Africa

Meanwhile…in the PacificJapan took full advantage of the European war to expand in Asia

Conclusions■ By the end of 1941, the Axis

Powers appeared close to victory:–Germany & Italy were in control

of Europe with Britain & USSR as the only opposition to victory

–Japan seemed to go unnoticed in their conquest of Asia

■ From 1939 to 1941, the USA remained neutral, but not isolated, from the global conflict

Closure Activity

■ On your map, label the following:–The 3 main Axis Powers–The territories under the control of

the Axis Powers by 1942■ On your timeline, identify the 5 most

important events that contributed to World War 2; For each event, provide a brief summary & an image