causes of ww2

Have you ever engaged in appeasement?

Appeasement: to bring to a state of peace, quiet, ease, calm, or contentment; to pacify; to soothe

March 1936 Hitler

militarizes Rhineland, the demilitarized buffer zone bordering both France and Germany

Before the War: German Expansion

March 1938 – Hitler annexes Austria (Anschluss)

Anschluss = Union (Germany & Austria)

More Expansion

"Do you agree with the reunification of Austria with the German Empire that was enacted on 13 March 1938, and do you vote for the party of our leader Adolf Hitler?"

September 1938 – Hitler demanded Sudetenland (a mostly German area in Czechoslovakia) be given to Germany.

He says that’s all he wants… No more expansion… Honest.

Hitler Demands More land….

Germany has violated the terms of the Versailles agreement by

building up Germany’s military and expanding its territory.

Is anyone concerned about this?

Great Britain, German, Italy, France agree Germany can have Sudeten.

Germany will respect new Czech borders

Munich Conference - September 29, 1938

Why would England and France let Hitler get away with remilitarizing

and expanding Germany’s territory?

Why Appeasement?

• Fear of war• Military unprepared for war• Guilt over Versailles Treaty• Trust in Hitler• Other reasons?

The Appeaser

Did Hilter stop with Sudeten as promised?

•Militarizes Rhineland, 1936•Anschluss with Austria, March 1938•Annexes Sudetenland, Sept 1938•Invades Czechoslovakia, March 1939

Hitler's Strategic Alliances

Pact of Steel, May 1939

Rome-Berlin Axis October 1936• “The axis around which

Europe rotates”

Steel Pact, May 1939Formalized Rome-

Berlin Axis with military agreement

Nazi – Soviet Pact

•Hitler and Stalin pledged not to attack one another

•August 1939

•Secret pact to divide Poland

September 27, 1940Japan, Germany, ItalyAgreed to provide

military assistance to one another.

Recognized spheres of influence. Gives Germany and Italy

control of EuropeGives Japan control of

Asia

Tripartite Agreement

Neutrality Acts of 1935Prohibits export

of arms to “belligerent countries”

Pursued policy of Isolationism

What's the U.S. doing?

Germany – We know about

Territorial Expansion (Don't write, just envision)

ItalyInvades Ethiopia, 1935 Invades Albania, April

1939JapanInvades Manchuria, 1931Invades mainland China,

1937Soviet Union

Invades Eastern Poland, 1939Invades Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland

1939

Sept. 1, 1939 – Hitler invades Poland

Sept 3, 1939 – France and Great Britain declare war on Germany

Poland – The Last Straw

What will this war be like?

• Overwhelming offensive force Fast-moving aircraft –

Luftwaffe – German Airforce Armored tanks –

Panzer tank Surprise• Very successful – Poland was defeated within one month

Germany’s Battle TacticBlitzkrieg – “lightning war”

At War?British and French

station troops along the Maginot Line.

Phony War (Sitzkrieg)

….. And everybody waited

…. And waited

German troops waited on the other side.

Write what you think are TWO causes of World War 2.

After the Phony War, World War 2 will begin in earnest.

Battle ProjectsName 4 or 5 people you would like to work

with in a group.

On Your Notecards…..