The Road to War Underlying Causes of World War Two

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The Road to WarUnderlying Causes of World War
Two
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1. The Treaty of Versailles

• Harsh terms intended to make Germany powerless
• accept total blame for WW1
• reduced military
• reparations of 33 billion
• loss of territory

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Territorial Disputes After WWI

• Many German people were living in new countries
  such as Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Austria.
• Germany lost territory to several countries,
  leading to grievances.

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2. Rise of Fascism

• Fascism
• A system of government in which
• Nationalism is promoted
• Labour and industry are regulated by a strong
  national government
• All opposition is suppressed

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Italian Fascism

• The political ideology of fascism
• originated with Benito Mussolini, who
• became dictator of Italy in 1922

1922- March on Rome Mussolinis blackshirts
destroyed Italys government
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Benito Mussolini

• Called Il Duce meaning The Leader
• Created a totalitarian dictatorship by
• banning opposing political parties unions
• censoring newspapers
• creating a secret police force

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Rise of Adolph Hitler

• 1923 Hitler, leader of Nazi party, conducts an
  armed revolt in Munich
• the Beer Hall Putsch
• Hitler thrown in prison
• Wrote Mein Kampf (my struggle) while in prison

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Rise of Fascism in Germany

• 1933 -Hitler is elected Chancellor of Germany,
  becoming Fuhrer (leader)
• organized opposition was violently suppressed by
  the brownshirts
• Hitlers policy of Lebensraum (living room)
• take over German-speaking territories in
  neighbouring countries such as Austria, Poland,
  Czechoslovakia
• defeat Soviet communism and expand German
  territory to the east into the U.S.S.R.,
  expelling non-German people

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Anti-Semitism in Germany

• Blamed Germanys problems on scapegoats such as
  Jews, blacks, Gypsies, homosexuals and the
  mentally ill.

Nazi party policy very racist and anti-Semitic
Widespread discrimination against Jews in
Germany
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3. Failure of the League of Nations

• The League of Nations was established in 1920 to
  prevent war, but its decisions were not legally
  binding

• Non-intervention is when one does not involve
  themselves with foreign affairs.
• Appeasement is the act of giving into, or
  satisfying ones demands.
• Canada and most other countries followed a policy
  of non-intervention and appeasement

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The Manchurian Crisis

• Sept. 1931 Japan invaded Chinese province of
  Manchuria on the pretext that China attacked
  Japanese-owned South Manchurian Railroad

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Manchurian Crisis (cont)

• China applied to the League of Nations for help
• The League condemned Japans actions, but there
  was little support for economic sanctions due to
  Great Depression

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Limited Membership

• The United States never joined the League
• The Soviet Union joined only in 1934, and was
  expelled in 1939
• Germany and Japan both withdrew in 1933

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Spanish Civil War

• In 1936 a Spanish civil war breaks out between
• New Republic government led by communists
• vs.
• Fascists led by Francisco Franco

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Response to Spanish Civil War

• MacKenzie-Papineau Battalion made up of
  Canadian supporters of communism - over half of
  volunteers die
• Britain, France and Canada maintain official
  policy of non-intervention
• Germany and Italy support the fascists with arms,
  equipment, and money

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Italian Invasion of Abyssinia

• Border clash between Abyssinian troops (Africa)
  and neighboring Italian Somaliland
• Mussolini launched full-scale attack against
  Abyssinia
• League of Nations imposes boycott against Italy,
  but little world enthusiasm for sanctions
• England and France took no action against Italy,
  allowing Italian ships through the Suez canal

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5. Formation of Axis Powers

• In 1937 Germany and Italy made a pact not to go
  to war with each other, later joined by Japan
• They became known as the Axis Powers during
  World War Two

Hitler with Mussolini