The Causes of World War II in the West
Chronology of Events
The March to War
Long-Term Causes
Versailles; Economics; Search for Answers
Short-Term Causes
Rearmament; Expansion; Alliances
Immediate Causes
Annexations & Appeasement
Guilty Men? Or, Policy of Necessity?
Criticizing the Appeasers
Personalities; Depression; Pacifism
Hearing the War via Radio
The Key Media for Spreading News
“Campaign in Poland: Special Service of
the ‘German Infantry’”
Chronology of the Onset of War
28 June, 1919
24 October, 1929
September, 1931
30 January, 1933
3 October, 1935
7 March, 1936
1 November, 1936
July, 1937
12/3 March, 1938
September, 1938
29 September
October, 1938
15 March, 1939
30 March, 1939
7 April, 1939
22 May, 1939
1 September, 1939
3 September, 1939
Treaty of Versailles
The Crash on Wall St.
Japan invades Manchuria
Chancellor Hitler
Abyssinian Crisis
Rhineland Remilitarized
Rome-Berlin Axis
Japan/China War
Anschluss (Annexation)
Chamberlain/Hitler 3X
Munich Conference
Sudetenland
Prague
Polish Guarantee
Annexation of Albania
Pact of Steel
Invasion of Poland
Britain Declares War
The Expansion of Axis Territory, Spodek, 699
Long Term Causes, 1919-35
Treaty of Versailles
Borders Redrawn
Severe War Reparations
Economic Crash
Wall St.; Main St.; Worldwide Effects
Political Instability & Fear
Social Services > Military Arms
Search for Order & New Answers
Rise of New Governments
Dictatorship/Totalitarianism
Reactions vs. Liberal Democracy
Mussolini’s Fascism
Franco’s Conservatism
Hitler’s Third Reich
Japan’s Imperialism
Short Term, 1935-7
Open German Rearmament, March ‘35
Goering’s Luftwaffe, vs. Versailles
Hitler’s 36 Division Army, w/ Conscription
Abyssinia/Ethiopia, 1935-6
Italy Conquers Last Stronghold
Signal of Military Aggression to Hitler
Rhineland, March ‘36
Remilitarized, vs. Versailles
Rome/Berlin Axis, November ‘36
Alliance of Dictators
Followed by Japan/Germany Pact
Anglo-Italian Gentlemen’s Agreement, Jan. ‘37
Recognition of Mussolini’s Power
Non-aggression; Use of the Mediterranean
Immediate Causes, 1938-9
Anschluss of Austria (Annexation), March ’38
(Cf. Ausschluss/Exclusion, 1871)
Czechoslovakia, April ‘38
Hitler’s Plan & Demands for Germans
Prime Minister Chamberlain, ‘37-9
Appeasing Hitler; September Meetings
Munich Conference, September ‘38
Consigned Sudetenland to Germany
“We regard the agreement signed last night and the
Anglo-German Naval Agreement [limiting German
Navy, ‘35] as symbolic of the desire of our two
peoples never to go to war with one another again.
We are resolved that the method of consultation
shall be the method adopted to deal with any other
questions that may concern our two countries, and
we are determined to continue our efforts to remove
possible sources of differences and thus to
contribute to assuring the peace of Europe.”
Immediate Causes, Con’t
Prague, March ‘39
Czechoslovakia Gone
“Guarantee” to Poland
Hitler’s Desire: Danzig
Albania, April ‘39
Annexed by Italy
Similar Aggression as Hitler
Pact of Steel, May ‘39
Hitler/Mussolini Agree to
Military Aid in Event of War
Poland, Sept. 1, ‘39
German Invasion
Britain Declares War, Sept. 3
Guilty Men?
Journalists’ Mudslinging in 1940
Criticizing Governments’ Inaction
Winston Churchill, MP from 1900
Voiced Need to Rearm Several Times; Hawkish
Esp. the Royal Air Force; vs. the Growing Menace
Anthony Eden, Foreign Secretary, ‘35-8
Ally of Churchill; Frequent Contact
Resigned over Chamberlain’s Policy on Italy
Rearmament
Hitler in Secret, ‘33-5; Announced in ‘35
Calls for British Rearmament Denied
Intelligence Agencies Ignored
Policy of Necessity?
Chamberlain’s Personality
“I am a man of peace to the depths of my soul”
Majority of Britons on his Side
Economic Depression
Massive Impact Still felt
Social Programs > Military Spending
Vast Sums Require Concrete Justifications
Aversion to War
Effect of the “Lost Generation”
Horrors of Modern Mechanized Warfare
Trust
Hitler Signed the Agreement
Mussolini’s Gentleman’s Agreement
Japan not a Threat to Europe (Russian Buffer)
Winston Churchill: October 16, 1938
On the Need to Arm
Hawkish, Minority Attitude
Importance of the United States
Neville Chamberlain: September 3, 1939
On the Declaration of War
Somber Tone of a Defeated Man
Winston Churchill: June 4, 1940
On the Fight in France & Elsewhere
Importance of the Fight in the Air
Carrying on the Struggle
Aid of the Empire
Winston Churchill: June 18, 1940
On the Battle of Britain
“Their Finest Hour”
Winston Churchill: August 20, 1940
On the Air Battle
Defending Britain
Importance of the RAF
Winston Churchill: June 22, 1941
On Hitler’s Turn toward Russia
Ambitions for Empire
(N.B.: Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941
Winston Churchill: May 8, 1945
•  d
•  s
•  d
The Instrument of Surrender, May 7, 1945; N.B.: Japan Surrenders August 15