Main Causes of World War II

This lecture covers the ten main causes of World War II, exploring key events and policies.

Treaty of Versailles

• Post-WWI, Germany was forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles.
  • Required Germany to accept full responsibility for WWI (War Guilt Clause).
  • Reparations set at £6.6 billion.
  • Restrictions:
    • German army reduced to 100,000 men.
    • Forbidden union with Austria.
    • Loss of Polish Corridor and occupation of Rhineland.
• Resulted in deep resentment in Germany.

Hitler's Foreign Policy Aims

• Aimed to make Germany great again, disturbing European peace.
• Main objectives:
  • Unite all German-speaking people into a Greater Germany.
  • Abolish the Treaty of Versailles.
  • Obtain 'Lebensraum' or living space in Eastern Europe.

Hitler’s Actions

• Actions violating the Treaty of Versailles:
  • 1935: Germany began rearmament.
  • 1936: Re-militarized the Rhineland.
  • 1938: Annexed Austria (Anschluss).

Munich Conference

• Hitler claimed the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia.
  • Czechoslovakia refused to cede the land.
  • 1938 Munich Conference: Britain, France, Italy, and Germany met (Czechoslovakia not invited).
  • Czechs forced to give up Sudetenland.
  • Chamberlain claimed "peace in our time," but Hitler later took all of Czechoslovakia.

Weakness of the League of Nations

• Established post-WWI for international peace.
• Failures:
  • Did not stop Hitler, Japan, Mussolini.
  • America did not join.
  • Required unanimous decisions.
  • No army to enforce decisions.

Policy of Appeasement

• Britain and France appeased Hitler, hoping to avoid war by satisfying his demands.

Nazi-Soviet Pact

• 1939 Non-aggression pact between Hitler and Stalin.
  • Surprising due to conflicting ideologies.
  • Agreed to divide Poland.
  • Gave Hitler freedom to invade Poland without eastern conflict.
  • Allowed Stalin time to rebuild army post-purges.

Polish Corridor

• Separated Germany from East Prussia.
• Hitler demanded its return; Poland refused.
• 1939: Hitler invaded Poland, sparking WWII with British and French declarations of war.

Japanese Aggression

• Japan expanded into China and Indochina in the 1930s.
  • League of Nations failed to intervene.
  • U.S. imposed economic sanctions.
  • December 1941: Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, leading to U.S. entry into the war.

American Isolation

• America chose isolation post-WWI, avoiding League of Nations.
• Forced into action due to Japanese expansion in Asia.