Unit 5- WWII
Guided Notes- Causes of WWII
Name: ___________________
Causes of World War II
• Treaty of Versailles
• Germany’s Action/ Hitler’s Response
• Failure of Appeasement
• Failure of the League of Nations
Treaty of Versailles- Causes of World War II
• ____________________________________- Germany must accept all blame for WWI
• _________________________- Germany to pay $5 billion immediately, and $33 billion over the next
60 years
• _________________________- Germany not allowed any navy or air force
– Rhineland territory to have no military (fully demilitarized)
• Territorial Clauses: French troops should be stationed in Germany for 15 years
– Germany lost all colonial territories
Reparations Effects on Germany’s Economy
• _______________________________________________
– German government printed more money to pay off debt.
• Inflation- The _______________________________________________________________________,
and, subsequently, purchasing power is falling.
• Example
Stop and Jot!
– 1914- $1.00 = 4.2 GERMAN MARKS.
– 1923- $1.00 = 4,200,000,000,000 GERMAN MARKS!
Germany’s Reaction
• ______________________________________________________________
• Germany did not believed they lost the war
– Why? no invasion into Germany or damage to German cities
• Changed to a _____________________________________- Nazi Party
– German Chancellor Adolph Hitler, 1933
Hitler’s Response
• Becomes Chancellor of Germany in January 1933
• Hitler _______________________________________ by the regulations of the Treaty of Versailles.
– ____________________________
– Demanded land from other European countries
– _______________________________ reparations
– Made allies with Italy and Japan- Axis Powers
Hitler’s Actions
 _________________________________ in 1936.
• Rome-Berlin Axis Pact
– allied Hitler's Germany with Mussolini's Italy.
• Anti-Comitern Pact
– allied Germany with Japan.
 In March 1938, German troops marched into Austria.
 Goal- _______________________________ that had been taken away from Germany.
The World’s Reaction…
• ________________________________- Nations allowed Germany to do what they wished in order to
avoid another war.
• Munich Conference of 1938- Germany promised not to take any more territory
– Did not last! Germany invaded Czechoslovakia and Poland in 1939 causing Great Britain and
France to declare war
Stop and Jot!
Failure of Appeasement
- Throughout 1930’s- _____________________________________ that the Treaty of Versailles was
__________________________________
- Because of treaty, Hitler’s _______________________________________________________
- Munich Agreement of September 1938
- Leaders of Germany, Britain, France and Italy, agreed that the Sudetenland (traditionally
German territory) would be returned to Germany
- But no further territorial claims would be made by Germany
Failure of the League of Nations
• Not all countries joined the League, including the United States
• The League had ___________________________
• The League had ___________________________
• Unable to act quickly
Germany Brings Nations to War
• Battle of Britain, Summer 1940
– __________________________________ on the cities of England
– Damage to civilian homes and military bases
• _________________________________________- Resulted in alliance ending and Soviet Union
declaring war on Germany
Reflection: Describe why the policy of appeasement was a failure in regards to preventing WWII.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------GLUE MARGIN!