Causes of WW2

Causes of WW2

Long-term
1. German resentment
  1. seen as to harsh
  2. Had expected ToV based on Wilson's 14 points
2. Disintegration of wartime allied alliance
3. Reparations
4. Weakness of LoN
  1. failed to stop or prevent major confrontations since ignored by aggressors
    1. Manchuria(1931)
    2. Abyssinia (1935)
  2. USA not present
  3. Could not impose economic sanctions
    1. USA - strongest economic power
      1. Supplied to Japan = could not impose economic sanctions since would continue to trade with USA
    2. Depression
  4. Each country had different views
  5. Absence of USSR and Germany
5. Wall Street Crash (1929)
Short-term
1. Failure of disarmament
  1. Conflicts between countries = want to protect countries = won't disarm
  2. No reason why Germany couldn't rearm
    1. in equality between countries
  3. Washington Conference (1921-22)
  4. London Naval Conference (1930)
  5. London Naval Treaty (1936)
  6. Geneva Disarmament Conference (1932-34)
Key steps by Hitler
1. Remilitarised Rhineland (1936)
  1. marked beginning of overturning treaty
  2. Br. and Fr. did not intervene
2. Annexation of Sudetenland in Czech0 (1938)
  1. Munich Conference 1939 = Br. Fr. It. appease to avoid war
  2. Given to G. without consultation of Czech gov.t and USSR
3. Anschluss with Austria (1938)
  1. Why?
    1. Unite G. speakers
  2. plebiscite held in Austria = voted in favour for anschluss with G.
    1. due to bad+weak Austrian economy
    2. Br.+Fr. appeased = didn't resist anschluss
4. Invading Poland (1939)
  1. Why?
    1. Expand in east
    2. Unite German speakers in Poland with G.
  2. H. demands Lithuania
  3. SS troops dressed as Polish soldiers attack G. border = justification to invade Poland = Br.+Fr. declare war on G.
Appeasement
1. Form of negoitation
2. policy alienated Stalin = Nazi-Soviet Pact
  1. USSR+G would not attack each other
    1. Pact divided up Poland between countries
    2. . could focus on Poland
3. Example = Hitler's claims over Sudetenland in Czech
  1. Br. and Fr. gave in to demands
  2. Later, Hitler invaded rest of Czecho. = brought Europe closer to war
Rapallo Treaty
Collective Secruity
1. Depression
  1. No economic sanctions = no control over countries
2. Absence of major powers
  1. economic sanctions difficult = trade with other countries
  2. don't have control over countries not in League = other countries, e.g. Germany and Japan, could rearm
Locarno
Young Plan (1929)
Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928)

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	Created by hanalou about 10 years ago