3. Failure of policy of Appeasement
(Britain) AND
Failure of the
‘League of Nations’
1. Treaty of
Versailles (signed after WWI) created angst because of its harsh terms
CAUSES
WORLD
WAR II
2. Rise of Totalitarian governments –
Militarism in Japan,
Fascism in Italy and
Nazism in Germany
4. Germany’s economic situation was dire (heavy debts and reparations gutted the country) – German people were vulnerable

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and the making of another war…

Adolf Hitler became
Chancellor in
Germany in 1933 …
In the 1930s
Japan’s military became more and more powerful…
Benito Mussolini became Prime Minister of Italy in 1922…


Not all countries joined the
League, some countries were still trading with Non-League countries and essentially it had no power/army, and it could not act quickly…

The Policy of Appeasement did not work – essentially it meant giving in to some demands of Hitler to
‘appease’ him but re-arming and the ‘Munich Agreement’ (giving back some territorial land) was not enough and Hitler invaded
Czechoslovakia anyway…

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Germany faced an economic crisis: the reparations and heavy debts because of borrowing to fund
WWI efforts left it vulnerable…and poverty was widespread…
Hitler’s propaganda played on this…
German, Health, child protection, fighting poverty, aiding travellers, community, helping mothers: These are the tasks of the
National Socialist
People's Charity.
Become a member!, c. 1930s, poster, German
Federal Archive,
Koblenz.

Axis
Bulgaria
Finland
Germany
Hungary
Italy
Japan
Romania
Allies
Argentina
Australia
Bolivia
Brazil
Canada
China
Chile
Columbia
Costa Rica
Cuba
France
India
Iraq
Lebanon
Mexico
New Zealand
Paraguay
South Africa
Soviet Union
United Kingdom
United States
Occupied
Albania
Belgium
Czechoslovakia
Denmark
Estonia
Ethiopia
France
Greece
Luxemburg
Netherlands
Norway
Philippines
Poland
Yugoslavia
Neutral
Andorra
Ireland
Liechtenstein
Portugal
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
(until Feb 1945)
Uruguay
Vatican City

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1938 ‘Anschluss’ - Annexing of Austria
1938 Munich Agreement

1939 German Invasions Czechoslovakia, Poland
& war declared by Britain & France
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1940 German Invasions Denmark, Norway
1940 ‘Blitzkrieg’ – Lightning war – occupying of Holland and Belgium
1940 Dunkirk : rescue of Allied forces
1940 France signs Armistice , is occupied by Germany
1940 Battle of Britain – bombing raids in Britain by Luftwaffe

1941 Operation Barbarossa – Attack of Russia on Eastern front

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1942 Battle of Alamein – success against Axis powers in Northern Africa
1942 Battle of Stalingrad – Russian success against Germany

1943 Allies take Sicily and Italy surrenders and joins the Allies

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1944 DDay – Allies launch attack in Normandy, capturing port
1944 Battle of the Bulge – attack launched against Allies, beaten back

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1945 Allies cross the Rhine, Russians enter Berlin from the East
1945 April Capture and execution of Mussolini, Suicide of Adolf Hitler
1945 2-4 May German forces surrender
1945 8 May V.E. Day Victory in Europe is celebrated

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ONLINE
German Poverty - www.oldmagazinearticles.com (Accessed 18 March 2012)
Meeting of Leaders/Treaty of Versailles www.historyonthenet.com/WW2/causes.htm (Accessed 17 March 2012)
National Flags - www.flags.net
Third Reich Flag - third-reich-books.com (Accessed 18 March 2012)
Fascist Flag - iranpoliticsclub.net (Accessed 18 March 2012)
Chamberlin and Hitler - ivarfjeld.wordpress.com (Accessed 18 March 2012)
Versailles Political Cartoons - http://urbachc.org/urb-versailles-politicalcartoons.html (Accessed 18 March 2012)
Images of Adolf Hitler www.kgv.edu.hk/history/Y9/WWII_and...War/World%20War%20II.ppt (Accessed
18 March 2012)
Japanese Militarism - library.thinkquest.org/ C005852/militarism.htm (Accessed 18
March 2012)
Luftwaffe - feldgrau.com (Accessed 18 March 2012)
Map of German occupation 1944 - http://germanhistorydocs.ghidc.org/images/English_map_5_bh-edit.jpg (Accessed 18 March 2011)