Causes of World War 2

Treaty of Versailles

• Italy wanted LAND, but was denied that land, leading to feelings of resentment toward the other Allies

• Germany was severely punished (BRAT) and people became angry with their situation

• Hitler went on to violate this treaty several times by increasing the German military

Rise of Fascism in Italy

• Glorified violence

• Leader Benito Mussolini promoted Italian nationalism and militarism as a response to Italy’s loss in the Treaty of Versailles

• Fascism disagreed with the no-war goal of the League, so Italy eventually left

• Mussolini sent the Italian army to invade Ethiopia, Albania, and Greece

• Britain and France largely ignored this, hoping that eventually Mussolini would be satisfied

Rise of Hitler

• Hitler inflamed nationalistic feelings among Germans and wanted lebensraum (living space) for the superior German race

• He began to annex countries with large German populations

• Britain and France chose not to confront Germany, instead practicing a policy of appeasement (giving an aggressor what they want in hopes that it will satisfy them)

Japanese Expansionism

• To recover from the economic depression, Japan became militaristic and imperialistic

• Japan invaded China and conquered Manchuria and parts of French Indochina

• Developed a sphere of influence in Manchuria

Economic Depression

• People became desperate and looked to strong leaders who they believed would guide them out of the depression

• Because of this, dictators like Stalin, Mussolini, and Hitler were able to come to power

Failure of the League of Nations

• The League of Nations…

  • Weak-- no military, so nothing to back up its threats with!

  • America never joined

  • Structured poorly-- assembly only met once a year, 4 permanent judges from the main Allied countries, etc.

  • Depression meant most countries were more focused on rebuilding their own economies

  • Unsuccessful, as its members largely ignored its jurisdiction

  • Members-- Italy and Japan became fascist and left, Britain and France neglected their duties

  • Big bullies like Japan, Germany, and Italy were too powerful for the League to stop

Appeasement

• Britain and France practiced this policy by allowing Germany to continue taking land and building its military in hopes that it would be enough and they would stop

• This did not work, and it resulted in Germany becoming extremely powerful

Militarism + Nationalism

• These were the main driving forces behind the ideas of rulers like Hitler and Mussolini

• Nationalism inspired people to put their country above all else and see it as superior to other countries

• Militarism glorified violence and encouraged war and the expansion of one’s military