The Causes of World War II

Here it comes again!

Japan, Germany, and Italy displayed

militaristic aggression against other countries. Other countries and the League of Nations did little to stop them.

Frustration with the Treaty of Versailles

The Causes - Overview

Italy was extremely

upset that they did not get lots of money and large amounts of land for joining the Allies in World War I, like originally promised.

Why didn’t they get what they were promised?

Italian Discontent

Germany was very upset it was blamed for

World War I. Why was it blamed? Reparations hurt the already weakened

German economy. This led to a worsened depression in Germany than elsewhere. Why have we mentioned this for the last two sections?

German Anger

Three Militaristic Countries

Germany, Japan, and Italy began building their armies.

Once their armies were armies were strong, they began to use them!

Mussolini ordered an invasion of Ethiopia in 1935.

Hitler sent troops to the Rhineland, the border of France and Germany.

Japan invaded Manchuria and China!

The League of Nations?

DID NOTHING BUT FUSS!!!

The World’s Axis

Italy and Germany supported a fascist, General Franco, as he took over Spain. Much like Italy during World War I, though, he didn’t help them during World War II!

In 1936, Germany, Japan, and Italy formed the Axis Alliance. What is an axis (or axle?)

What about US?

The US became an isolationist (what is that again?) country again.

Passed a series of Neutrality Acts, designed to keep Americans from selling weapons or loaning money to countries at war. We knew what was coming in other words.

And the other Allies?

Britain and France hoped they could appease (give stuff to get people to do what you want them to) Hitler and prevent the coming war.

Hitler took advantage of this and took the Rhineland, Austria, the Sudetenland, and finally all of Czechoslovakia with the Allies’ blessings.

The Powder Keg Reignites

World War II officially begins when Hitler (and the Soviet Union!) invades Poland in September of 1939.

Britain and France (Poland’s allies) declared war on Germany, finally abandoning appeasement.