7.6 Causes of WWII

Causes of World War II

Overview

• Main causes stemmed from unresolved issues post-World War I.
• Economic instability led to civil unrest in Italy and Germany.
• Fascism in Italy linked to economic downturn, with Mussolini rising to power by promising economic renewal.
• The Treaty of Versailles imposed harsh conditions on Germany, fostering resentment.

Hitler's Rise

• Adolf Hitler's extreme ideology established after Germany's 1918 defeat.
• Weimar Republic perceived as weak, leading to the rise of right-wing parties during the Great Depression.
• Hitler declared anti-Semitic views in "Mein Kampf," and the Nazi Party gained power in 1932.
• Manipulation and fear led to the suppression of political dissent and establishment of a totalitarian regime.

Nuremberg Laws

• Laws passed in 1935 targeted Jews, stripping citizenship and enforcing discrimination.
• Anti-Jewish sentiment institutionalized, with shocking responses from assimilated Jews.

Axis Powers Formation

• Hitler sought alliances for territorial expansion; formed the Rome-Berlin Axis with Italy in 1936 and the Anti-Comintern Pact with Japan.

Kristallnacht

• November 1938 riots, known as Kristallnacht, attacked Jewish communities, resulting in deaths and arrests.

Militarism and Expansion

• Hitler's militarization began with the re-creation of the German military, violating the Treaty of Versailles.
• First major aggressive act was remilitarization of the Rhineland in March 1936.