Causes of World War II
Axis Philosophy and Aggression
Totalitarianism
 The Axis nations were totalitarianism
dictatorships.
 Totalitarianism (or totalitarian rule) is a
political system where the state holds
total authority over the society and seeks
to control all aspects of public and
private life wherever necessary.
Totalitarianism
 They Scorned:
 Democratic ideals of civil liberties
 The dignity of the individual
 World peace
 And they openly declared their intent
to destroy democracy
Militarism
the belief that a government
should maintain a strong
military capability and be
prepared to use it
aggressively to defend or
promote national interests.
Militarism
 Spent vast sums of money on armaments
 Devised new weapons and battle techniques
 Built huge military organizations
 And psychologically prepared their people for
war
 They proclaimed war a glorious adventure and
the death of the fatherland the highest honor
Nationalism

ideology based on the
premise that the individual’s
loyalty and devotion to the
nation-state surpass other
individual or group interests.
Nationalism
 Your country was more important than
anything – including the individual.
 Japanese Shinto teachings, Italian
dreams of a revival of the roman empire,
and the German “Master Race” doctrine
– all fostered a narrow and bigoted
nationalism
 The axis nations considered themselves
superior and destined to rule over ‘lesser
peoples.’
Imperialism
 belief in empire-building: the
policy of extending the rule or
influence of a country over other
countries or colonies
 domination by empire: the
political, military, or economic
domination of one country over
another
Imperialism
 The Axis powers embarked upon imperialism
with the excuse that they lacked land and
resources.
 Japan expanded into Manchuria in 1931-1932
and China in 1937.
 Japan wanted to create a, “Greater East Asian
Co-prosperity Sphere.”
 Italy invaded Ethiopia in 1935 and wanted to
turn the Mediterranean Sea into an “Italian
Lake.”
Imperialism
 Germany remilitarized the Rhineland
in 1936 and aided General Franco in
the Spanish Civil War from 19361938.
 Invaded and annexed Austria in 1938
 Occupied the Sudetenland in
Czechoslovakia in 1939