World War II
Causes for World War Two
Economic
Political
Social
Germany After World War I
• Following the First World
War, Germany was heavily
burdened by war debt.
• It had been forced to borrow
in order to pay back the
victorious European
nations.
• When the American
economy fell into
depression, US banks
recalled their loans, causing
the German banking system
to collapse.
United States
Loans Germany
Funds
Germany Pays
War Debts
to Allies
Loan Cycle
Allies Pay
America Loans
Depression in Germany
• Unemployment jumped
from 1.3 million to 5
million and industrial
production fell by one-half
Depression in Europe
September 1928
September 1929
September 1930
September 1931
September 1932
January 1933
650,000
unemployed
1,320,000
unemployed
3,000,000
unemployed
4,350,000
unemployed
5,102,000
unemployed
6,100,000
unemployed
Germany’s
Unemployment
in thousands—
1928—2,265,000
1932—5,392,000
1934—2,462,000
Causes of World War Two
Economic
Loan Debt
Great Depression
Unemployment
Political
Social
Nationalism on the Rise
• "Everything in the
State, nothing
outside the State,
nothing against the
State"
• Renewed German
& Italian Pride
• 2 Great Examples
of Nationalism:
Nazism (Germany)
& Fascism (Italy)
Fascism In Italy
• Defined as corporatism, totalitarianism,
nationalism, militarism, and Anti-Communism
• Italy had also been torn apart
by the Allies in WWI
• Rise of Benito Mussolini
–
–
–
–
Powerful Speaker
Supporter of a Stronger State
Prime Minister in 1922
Non-hostile take-over of Gov.
Rise of
Hitler
Adolph Hitler
(in color)
Adolph Hitler
• Born in Austria
• Joined the Nazis after WWI
• Modeled his ideas /charisma
after Mussolini
• Protested the Government
•Arrested & wrote “Mein Kampf” in prison
•Depression hit Germany in 1930
•Became Chancellor in Germany in 1933
Can you See the Attraction to the
Nazi Party?
Germany 1923-1933
Hitler’s Demands
•
•
•
•
Hitler begins to rebuild the Military 1935
Rhineland Remilitarized 1936
Unification with Austria (March 1938)
Sudetenland, German speaking
Czechoslovakia, (Sept. 1938)
• Appeasement
– Neville Chamberlain British P.M.
– “We have Peace in our time”
Germany 1938
Hitler’s Broken Promise
• Hitler promises Chamberlain
– If he received the Sudetenland he would stop
– September 1938
• Hitler invades Poland (March 1939)
Lightening fast Blitzkrieg
• Britain & France
declare war on Germany
Causes of World War Two
Economic
Political
Loan Debt
Nationalism
Great Depression (Fascism &
Nazism)
Unemployment
Germany’s
Rebuilt Military
Appeasement
Blitzkrieg of
Poland
Social
Nationalism!!!
• Unification– people had restored pride in
their country, in their people, and in their
leaders
• Lead to Ideas of Ethnically Superior
– You are better than other people groups
One Big Social Cause
• German in the Early 1930’s
– Turmoil, unemployment, inflation…
• Someone has to take the blame…
• Hitler blamed the Jews AND…
• Along with Jews, non-Jewish Poles (over 3
million of whom died), alleged communists, the
physically handicapped and mentally retarded,
Soviet POWs, anti-Nazi clergy, trade unionists,
and psychiatric patients were killed.
Causes of World War Two
Economic
Political
Loan Debt
Nationalism
Great Depression (Fascism &
Nazism)
Unemployment
Germany’s
Rebuilt Military
Appeasement
Blitzkrieg of
Poland
Social
Holocaust
Nationalism
(unification)