McKenna: World History
Name: _____________________________________________________ Date: __________________________
Causes of World War II
Instructions: Match each picture to the correct description, determine which cause of WWII it is and explain WHY.
Picture
Description
In 1938 Hitler met with British prime minister
Neville Chamberlain. Chamberlain appeased
Hitler’s demands for territory in
Czechoslovakia, setting the stage for Hitler’s
troops to occupy Czechoslovakia and invaded
Poland.
By 1936, Hitler’s Nazi military was the most
powerful in Europe. Hitler had forged an
alliance with fascists in Italy and Japan, moved
troops into the Rhineland in violation of the
Treaty of Versailles, and was supporting a
fascist revolt in Spain. The straw that broke
the camel’s back was when the Nazi military
invaded Poland. (Matches 2 Causes)
Japanese imperialism affected many areas of
Asia, including Manchuria, a Chinese territory
rich in mineral reserves that were important
for supporting the military. The invasion of
Manchuria was marked by the indiscriminate
killing of unarmed civilians, an event that
could not be prevented by the League of
Nations.
The harsh treaty of Versailles created tension
between the major Western powers and
Germany in the 1920s and early 1930s. The
enforcement of the treaty led to economic
crisis and social pressures in Germany that
contributed to the rise of Adolph Hitler.
Despite the threat of fascist aggression, the
United States pursued a policy of isolationism
throughout the 1920s and 1930s as it expanded
its production capabilities.
Cause and WHY
McKenna: World History
Picture of Event
A
D
B
C
E