Causes of WWII
Unit 4
RMS IB 2013-2014
Mr. Nazak
Causes for World War II
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Treaty of Versailles
Hitler's Actions
Failure of Appeasement
Failure of the League of Nations
Causes of World War II
• Treaty of Versailles
 War Guilt Clause - Germany should accept the blame
for starting World War One
 Reparations -($5 billion in cash immediately, and $33
billion in gold over the next 66 years)
 Disarmament - Germany was only allowed to have a
small army and six naval ships. No tanks, no air force
and no submarines were allowed. The Rhineland area
was to be de-militarized.
 Territorial Clauses: French troops would be stationed in
part of Germany for 15 years.
 Germany lost territory and all overseas colonies
Hitler’s Response
• Chancellor of Germany in January 1933
• Hitler refused to be controlled by the regulations of the Treaty of
Versailles.
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Rebuilt army
Demanded land from other European countries
Stopped paying reparations
Made allies with Italy and Japan- Axis Powers
• Appeasement- Nations allowed Germany to do what they wished
in order to avoid another war.
• Munich Conference of 1938- Germany promised not to take
anymore territory
– Did not last! Germany invaded Czechoslovakia and Poland causing
Great Britain and France to declare war
Hitler's Actions
Hitler also made two important alliances
during 1936.
• Rome-Berlin Axis Pact and allied Hitler's
Germany with Mussolini's Italy.
• The second was the Anti-Comitern Pact and
allied Germany with Japan.
In March 1938, German troops marched into
Austria. Taking back the land that had been
taken away from Germany.
Failure of Appeasement
During the 1930s, politicians in both Britain
and France came to see that the terms of the
Treaty of Versailles had placed restrictions on
Germany that were unfair.
Hitler's actions were seen as understandable
and justifiable.
Munich Agreement of September 1938
 the leaders of Germany, Britain, France and
Italy, agreed that the Sudetenland would be
returned to Germany and that no further
territorial claims would be made by Germany.
Failure of the League of Nations
• Not all countries joined the League (No U.S.)
• The League had no power
• The League had no army
• Unable to act quickly
Think About :
Why was the League of Nations created?
Why didn’t the United States join the League
of Nations?
Germany’s Reaction
• Felt treaty was unfair to
Germany
• Germany did not
believed they lost the
war because of no
invasion into Germany or
damage to German cities
• Changed to a 1 party
system- Nazi Party
– German Chancellor
Adolph Hitler
Effects on Germany’s Economy
• High Inflation because of reparations
• German government printed more
money to pay off debt.
• Inflation- The rate at which the
general level of prices for goods and
services is rising, and, subsequently,
purchasing power is falling.
• Example
– 1914- $1.00 = 4.2 GERMAN MARKS.
– 1923- $1.00 = 4,200,000,000,000
GERMAN MARKS!
Germany Brings Nations to War
• Battle of Britain, Summer 1940
– Constant attacks on the cities of England
– Damage to civilian homes and military bases
• Invasion of the Soviet Union- Resulted in
alliance ending and Soviet Union declaring
war on Germany
Stalin ordered a “scorched
earth” policy to be conducted
throughout all Russian territory
*Goal- Ruin the earth so no
nation can use it!
The “Agents” to World Explosion
World Attitude
Failure of League of Nations
Hitler’s Reaction
Treaty of
Versailles
Appeasement
World War II