Historical Views

Causes of the Second World War

• Other countries Foreign Policies
• Policies of appeasement only encouraged Hitler as did failed peace treaties.
• The fear of communism was spreading worldwide - this caused segregation of Eastern Europe.
• USA isolated themselves
• International Causes
• International growth of dictatorships
• Failed attempts at peace = tension regarding war
• Wounds of WW! never fully healed and remained in the back of countries minds.
• Social
• Different social groups wanted revenge
• Pressure for the Nazi's to go to war
• Nazi Foreign Policies
• Aim for autarky caused isolationism
• Command economy means that the country was geared for war so HAD to go to war eventually
• Racial purity (Getting rid of Jews and undesirable's etc)
• Lebensraum - living space = Expansionism
• Treaty of Versailles
• Trying to reverse it
• Long resented by Germany and the people
• Countries tolerated expansionism as they felt bad for Germany
• Economic
• Depression allowed for Dictatorships to rise
• 1939 = Economy would have collapsed had they not gone to war.

Intentionalist & Functionalist

• Intentionalist
• Hitler had a master-plan.
• Aims to take over were all outlined from the very beginning in Mein Kampf.
• Racial purity was not a new aim however racial cleansing was.
• Functionalist
• Hitler took advantage of events going on around him - he was an opportunist.
• Lebensraum was not a new concept and neither was expansionism - The King, Kaiser and Hindenburg had all previously pursued this.
• WW2 was long embedded in German History (E.g. The Treaty of Versailles which was resented and around before Hitler came into power).