Causes of WWII

EQ: What caused World War II?

What was World War II?

World War II was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945 involving over 30 countries. During the war, two
opposing military alliances formed: the Allies and the Axis. World War II launched countries into a state of
total war, and it became the deadliest conflict in human history with the loss of an estimated 50 to 85 million
lives. Mass death was caused by the Holocaust and the atomic bombings at Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Watch this History Channel Video on WWII then answer the questions below about WWII.

Even though World War II began 21 years after the end of World War I, some historians believe that
the two wars were part of one vast global conflict. Why do the historians in this clip argue that the
wars were connected?

They argue the wars were connected because there was so much instability and animosity after the first
World War that all the nations were just searching for an advantage. They claim that the Treaty of Versailles
was the starting gun for the second World War because of the brutal and harsh conditions it placed,
especially on Germany. One woman said that both wars were really just one global conflict, just with a 20
year period of guns being put down.

What were the causes of World War II?

 1919-1939 Unresolved Issues of the Treaty of Versailles
Directions: Read the excerpt below and examine the images. Respond to the questions.
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I and it officially ended the
war between Germany and the Allied Powers. The terms of the Treaty of Versailles were announced in June
1919. Even though German politicians were not consulted about the terms of the Treaty, they had very little
choice but to sign it. This resulted in many unresolved issues. Germany and its allies were the losers in
World War I and as such were held responsible for all of the destruction and costs. In the Treaty of
Versailles, Germany lost territory, was forced to pay huge reparations (payments by a defeated country for
the destruction it caused in a war), was forced to take responsibility for the war through the War Guilt
clause, and forced to demilitarize or greatly reduce their military. After World War I, Germany suffered from
economic problems like inflation and unemployment and Germany was often unable to meet reparation
payments. These problems left many Germans angry at the Treaty of Versailles which they saw as unfair.
Germans were bitter and wanted their overseas and European territories back, as well as the freedom to
operate as they wish.

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 Check for Understanding:
1. What were the unresolved issues of the Treaty of
Versailles?
The unresolved issues were that Germany and its
Allies were held responsible for the war and all the
destruction and cost. Germany lost territory, was
forced to demilitarize/reduce its military, and was
forced to pay huge reparations. Germany was left
with enormous economic problems and was unable
to meet its reparation payments. These problems left
many Germans angry and with feelings of
unfairness. They were bitter and wanted their
territories back. They wanted freedom back.

Synthesis:
2. How could the unresolved issues of the Treaty of
Versailles have led to the beginning of World War II
American contemporary view of German World War I in 1939?
reparations. Political cartoon 1921. The lasting bitterness of the Germans left them with
Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Versailles#/media/File:Treaty_of_Versailles_Reparations_- resentment of some other European nations which
-_Let%27s_see_you_collect.pn
could have been an inspiration for them to fight and
start in World War II.

1920s Great Depression and the Rise of Dictatorships

Directions: Read the excerpt below and examine the images. Respond to the questions.
One major cause of the global Great Depression was the American Wall Street Crash of October
1929. America had given the Weimar Republic huge loans in 1924 to help with reparation payments.
However, after the Wall Street crash, America needed these loans repaid to assist its troubled economy.
Because Germany lost its loans from America, it was unable to make reparation payments. Germany’s
failure to make reparation payments meant that France and Britain were unable to make their loan
payments. Throughout the world, trade began to slow down and production decreased. The Wall Street
Crash had a ripple effect throughout the world that resulted in high unemployment throughout Europe.
Unemployment forced many Europeans, especially in Germany, to rely on soup kitchens and other
government support.

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 European governments seemed unable to handle the crisis. The traditional approaches to handling
economic crises seemed to only cause more problems. With the current governments unable to ease the
pain and suffering of unemployment and inflation, Europeans were drawn to totalitarian leaders who
promised economic recovery. Totalitarianism is a system of government in which one party tries to rule
with complete control over every aspect of the lives of its citizen. There have been a number of totalitarian
rulers in history. While they all try to run their totalitarian states with complete control over the people that
live in them, they often have different ideologies [beliefs] that guide their decisions. For example, the first
totalitarian ruler you learned about, Joseph Stalin, was a Communist. He used totalitarianism to make
Russia into the first state inspired by Karl Marx’s ideas. Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini were other
totalitarian rulers influenced by an ideology called fascism. Fascists also wanted complete control over
their countries. While these totalitarian leaders in Europe were motivated by different ideologies, they were
all deeply nationalist and militaristic, believing that they needed to fight for the survival and superiority of
their nations while building up a strong military that could defeat other nations that may have attempted to
take away their power. In Japan, Emperor Hirohito emerged as a nationalist and militaristic leader fixated
on overseas expansion.

Together, Joseph Stalin (Russia), Adolf Hitler (Germany), Benito Mussolini (Italy) and Emperor Hirohito
(Japan) were all dictators or rulers who had complete control over their countries. These dictators also
aggressively sought control over other nations.

Check for Understanding:

1. What caused the rise of
Observations Inferences dictators during the interwar
period? What was the main focus
- The Hitler - The rise of the of these dictators?
Party is coming Hitler Party was
With the current governments
out of the Treaty a direct result of
of Versailles the Treaty of unable to ease the pain and
document Versailles suffering of unemployment and
inflation, Europeans were drawn
to totalitarian leaders who
promised economic recovery.
What is the message of this
political cartoon?
Synthesis:
October 19, 1930 - The harsh conditions of the 2. How could these dictators
Reprinted from The St. Louis Post-
Treaty of Versailles on Germany have caused the beginning of
Dispatch in Zeneman, Heckling Hitler
directly led to the rising Hitler World War II in 1939?
(1987)
Source: Party These controlling and
http://hti.osu.edu/opper/lesson-plans/treaty-of-versailles/ima
ges/the-source authoritative dictators could have
caused the beginning of World
War II in 1939 because they were
very power-hungry and would do
whatever it takes to maintain
their power and gain back
territory, sparking the beginning
of the war.

1931-1939 Aggression & Failures of the League of Nations

Directions: Read the excerpt below and examine the images. Respond to the questions.

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The Treaty of Versailles included the planned formation of the League of Nations, an international forum and
an international collective security arrangement. The nations that joined the League of Nations agreed to
settle disputes rather than go to war. The League of Nations was set up after World War I to keep the
peace, however, the U.S. did not join and other nations were too concerned with their own problems to take
on global peace. When an issue of global peace did arise, the League of Nations did not have the power to
do anything about it.
In the early 1930s, the invasion of Manchuria and Abyssinia (current-day Ethiopia) destroyed people's belief
in the ability of the League to stop wars or keep any kind of peace. In both situations, the League acted
slowly and made poor decisions about how to suppress aggressive nations. In 1931, Japan invaded
Manchuria, a Northeastern region of China. The Chinese called on the League of Nations to condemn the
act and stop the Japanese, but the League did not act and the Japanese left the League of Nations. In
1935, Italy, under the leadership of fascist leader Benito Mussolini, invaded Abyssinia (current-day Ethiopia)
using poison gas. The Ethiopians called on the League of Nations to condemn the invasion. Instead, Britain
and France signed a secret pact to give Abyssinia to Italy. By 1936, Italy had conquered Abyssinia and in
1937, Italy left the League.
1. How did the League of Nations respond to the crisis in Manchuria (1931) and Abyssinia (1935)?
In both situations, the League acted slowly and made poor decisions about how to suppress aggressive
nations.

While Manchuria and Abyssinia were being invaded, Hitler announced that Germany was leaving the
League and in 1935, Hitler broke the Treaty of Versailles and started rearming Germany. The League called a
Disarmament Conference but it failed and Germany continued to arm. In 1936, in defiance of the League of
Nations, Germany began to recapture territories lost under the Treaty of Versailles including the Rhineland.
In 1938, Germany informed the League that in defiance of the Treaty of Versailles, Germany and Austria
were uniting.
2. How did the League of Nations respond to Hitler’s violation of the Treaty of Versailles?
The League called a Disarmament Conference but it failed and Germany continued to arm.

There were many effects of the League of Nations failures. First, small nations soon learned that they could
not expect protection from the League of Nations and that aggressive totalitarian states could act without
consequence. Second, the League of Nations inability to act and their slowness made the League appear
incompetent, scared and ineffective. Third, by the 1930s, the four major powers - Japan, Italy, Britain and
France - all betrayed the League’s goals. Fourth, because Britain and France knew the League could not
stop aggressive nations, they instead followed the policy of appeasement or giving Hitler what he wanted
to stop Germany from going to war. This policy allowed Hitler to quickly advance with his plans.

Check for Understanding:

3. What was the purpose of the League of Nations after World War I?
To peacefully settle conflicts before they escalated in order to prevent another war. It was like an alliance and the
people in it agreed to support and help each other out in all times of need.

4. Did the League of Nations meet its goals? Explain.

No, it failed miserably, it was unable to stop more wars, invasions, and conflicts from breaking out. Plus, Germany was
able to rearm and break the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations didn’t do anything about it. It made many
poor decisions and was too slow to act to make any positive differences.

Synthesis:
5. How could the failures of the League of Nations have led to the beginning of World War II in 1939?
The failure of the League of Nations may have led to the beginning of World War II because it didn’t prevent any
conflicts that arose that began World War II. It allowed for more reason to start the war.

1935-1939 Appeasement
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Directions: Read the excerpt below and examine the images. Respond to the questions.
What is appeasement? Why did leaders take this route?
In the 1930s, when Britain and France knew the League could not stop aggressive nations, they instead
followed the policy of appeasement or the policy of giving aggressive or enemy nations what they want in
order to avoid conflict. The term is most often applied to the British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s
actions towards Nazi Germany between 1935 and 1939. There are several reasons why several Western
democracies like Britain and France appeased Hitler. First, the British were not prepared to go to war and
wanted to avoid war at all costs. Additionally, having remembered the slaughter of World War I, many
leaders thought another world war would destroy civilization. Finally, some thought that Hitler’s complaints
and ideas were reasonable. From 1935 until 1938, Britain and France gave Hitler what he wanted such as
land, control over nations, and the freedom to remilitarize because they assumed that if they gave Hitler
what he wanted, he’d eventually stop and war could be avoided. Instead, this policy of appeasement
empowered Hitler to want more and take more. The greatest example of this appeasement policy is the
Munich Agreement.
1. What is appeasement? 2. Which nations appeased 3. Why did these nations appease Hitler
The policy of giving aggressive or Hitler and Nazi Germany? and Nazi Germany?
enemy nations what they want in Several Western Britain and France gave Hitler what he
order to avoid conflict. democracies like Britain wanted such as land, control over
and France appeased nations, and the freedom to remilitarize
Hitler. because they assumed that if they gave
Hitler what he wanted, he’d eventually
stop and war could be avoided.

4. What do you predict are the dangers of appeasement? What are the possible benefits?
I predict the dangers are that it gives Hitler too much power and dictatorial powers to control huge masses of
people to achieve his selfish and self-concerned goals. A benefit would be for Hitler because it gives him control
and power over other nations because he has the power to start conflict so he can get the nations to do what he
wants. The people who are appeased will get more and more power until can do anything they want. The benefits
are no war conflicts. They will break trust. They'll take advantage.

The Road to World War II

Hitler wanted to unite all German-speaking people into the Third
Reich [Nazi Germany] and he began on the road to create a “living
space” for German in Eastern Europe. To create the “living space” for
Germany, Hitler believed that he should do whatever was necessary.
One of his first steps in creating this “living space” was the
Anschluss or union between Austria and Germany in 1938. Even
though the Anschluss violated the Treaty of Versailles, Western
democracies did nothing to stop Hitler.
5. What did 6. How did he 7. What did Western democracies
Hitler want? go about do in response to the Anschluss?
To unite all getting it? What message might this send to
German-speak He began on Hitler?
ing people into the road to They did nothing to stop it. This might
Nazi Germany. creating a send the message that it is okay for
“living space” him to do this and he will continue to
British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain for German in do so.
cheerfully greeted by Adolf Hitler at the Eastern
beginning of the Bad Godesberg meeting Europe.
on 24 September 1938, where Hitler 8. How is this an example of
demanded annexation of Czech border

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 areas without delay.
Source: appeasement?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appeasement#/media/File:Bund
esarchiv_Bild_146-1976-063-32,_Bad_Godesberg,_M%C3% If the Western nations intervened,
BCnchener_Abkommen,_Vorbereitung.jpg
Hitler may have started a war/conflict
immediately, so to avoid this, those
nations did nothing about it, which is
loosely what appeasement is.

Having built confidence that he could not be stopped, Hitler turned to

Czechoslovakia. In western Czechoslovakia, there was a region
called Sudetenland where there were German-speaking people he
believed needed to be reunited with their German homeland. Britain
and France were not willing to go to war so a deal was reached on
September 30 between Adolf Hitler, Neville Chamberlain (Britain), Benito Mussolini (Italy), and Édouard
Daladier (France) called the Munich Agreement. The Munich Agreement permitted German annexation of
Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland. Czechoslovakia was informed by Britain and France that they could either
fight Germany alone or surrender to Germany. The Czechoslovakian government agreed to abide by the
agreement because they knew they could not fight Hitler alone since Britain and France were unwilling to
help them fight. The settlement gave Germany the Sudetenland and control over the rest of Czechoslovakia
as long as Hitler promised to go no further.
9. What did Hitler 10. How did he go about 11. What did Western democracies do in response
want? getting it? to the Anschluss [annexation of Czechoslovakia]?
To reunite the He used the appeasement of What message might this send to Hitler?
German-speaking Britain and France to him to The Czechoslovakian government agreed to abide by
people in Sudetenland make a deal that permitted the agreement because they knew they could not fight
with the German the German annexation of Britain, France, and Germany. This message sends
homeland. Czechoslovakia's another “okay” to Hitler to keep continuing to
Sudetenland. Czechoslovakia “blackmail” in a way to get what he wants. The other
was then informed by Britain nations are just submitting to him because he holds the
and France that they could threat of war.
either fight Germany alone or
surrender to Germany. 12. How is this an example of appeasement?
This is an example of appeasement because he used
Britain and France who had already made
appeasements to him to gang up on Czechoslovakia to
get them to submit to his power and rule, forcing them
to agree to abide by his agreement because they too
did not like the threat of war that Hitler presented.

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 13. Based on the information provided by
this map, how did adopting the policy of
appeasement at the Munich Conference in
September 1938 change Europe?
It changed Europe because Germany was
growing rapidly and taking back areas they
had conquered and acquired during and
before World War I but got taken away
because of the agreements and conditions of
the Treaty of Versailles at the end of World War
I. Germany was able to expand its land for
Hitler’s "Master Race". He had control of
central Europe.

After the signing of the Munich Agreement,

Chamberlain returned to Britain and announced, "My
good friends, for the second time in our history, a
British Prime Minister has returned from Germany
bringing peace with honor. I believe it is peace for our
time."

14. Why do you think Chamberlain was so excited

after the Munich Agreement? How might other
nations have felt about the Munich Agreement? Why?
He was excited because he had avoided war, kept the
peace, and helped to conquer and force another nation
into submission, which felt like power. Other nations may
have felt threatened because of the power Hitler had with
France and Britain by his side since those were all very
powerful European nations.
British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain,
landing at Heston aerodrome on 30 September
1938 after his meeting with Hitler at Munich. In his
hand he holds the peace agreement between
Britain and Germany.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appeasement#/media/File:MunichAgreement.jpg

15. If you were Chamberlain, would you have signed

the Munich Agreement? Explain.
I probably would have because if I didn’t my country and
the people would have been destroyed by Hitler and his
newly rearmed army. I would not want to put my people
in the threat of danger, so I would have to submit to
Hitler’s demands.

However Winston Churchill, a British statesmen and staunch opponent of Chamberlain’s appeasement of
Adolf Hitler, delivered a speech to the House of Commons in October 1938 where he stated,
I will, therefore, begin by saying the most unpopular and most unwelcome thing. I will begin by
saying what everybody would like to ignore or forget but which must nevertheless be stated,
namely, that we have sustained a total and unmitigated defeat, and that France has suffered even
more than we have. [...] I venture to think that in the future the Czechoslovak State cannot be
maintained as an independent entity. You will find that in a period of time which may be measured
by years, but may be measured only by months, Czechoslovakia will be engulfed in the Nazi regime.

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 [...] we are in the presence of a disaster of the first magnitude which has befallen Great Britain and
France. Do not let us blind ourselves to that. It must now be accepted that all the countries of
Central and Eastern Europe will make the best terms they can with the triumphant Nazi Power. The
system of alliances in Central Europe upon which France has relied for her safety has been swept
away, and I can see no means by which it can be reconstituted. [...] This is only the beginning of the
reckoning. This is only the first sip, the first foretaste of a bitter cup which will be proffered to us year
by year unless by a supreme recovery of moral health and martial vigour, we arise again and take
our stand for freedom as in the olden time.
Source: https://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/munich.htm

16. What did Winston Churchill fear the impact of the Munich Agreement would be?
He thinks that the Czechoslovak State cannot be maintained as an independent entity.

Observations Inferences

- A man is walking on the - The man represents

backs of what is labeled as
the “spineless leaders of
democracy”
Hitler/Germany who got
many Western nations to
appease and submit to his
power to aid in achieving his
goals

What is the message of this political cartoon?

- Hitler gained power quickly over the democratic nations of

Europe and used them to achieve his personal goals.

Observations Inferences

- A maid labeled - Chamberlain and

Chamberlain is being other European
cautious of a now nations are “tiptoeing”
content and calm around Hitler for fear
child labeled Nazi of war.
Germany.

What is the message of this political

cartoon?

- Hitler has several Western nations wrapped

around his finger and can get them to do
anything he wants because they are afraid.
They will do what will make him content in
order to avoid war.

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 Observations Inferences

- The sea monsters or - The lollipops are

snakes are depicted as agreements and actions
the Nazi Party and “the Western democracies
appeaser” in the middle continue to do to keep
is a little man handing the “sea monsters” or
out lollipops to these the Nazis and Hitler
huge monsters happy and away from
war/conflict.

What is the message of this political cartoon?

- The Western nations who appeased Hitler kept

Remember... one more lollypop, and then you all go home,
August 13, 1941, Dr. Seuss Political Cartoons.
Special Collection & Archives, UC San Diego Library
Source: http://library.ucsd.edu/speccoll/dswenttowar/index.html#ark:bb48472752
having to do things in order to prevent war and
conflict they didn’t want from Hitler. Essentially, to
keep the peace. In order to keep all the Nazi Party
happy, they kept having to do these things
constantly or else they would be in trouble and on
the edge of war.

Check for Understanding:

17. What is appeasement? Why did Western democracies like Britain and France choose this policy?
Appeasement is the policy of giving into an aggressor's demands in order to keep the peace. Western
democracies chose this policy because, Western Democracies Britain & France were not ready for another
war in the 1930s,& politically appeasement was a popular decision.
Synthesis:
18. How could appeasement have led to the beginning of World War II in 1939?
Spurred by voters who demanded "No more war", the leaders of Britain, France, and other Western nations
tried to avoid conflict through diplomacy. Thus they adopted the policy of appeasement, giving in to the
demands of an aggressor to keep the peace. This resulted in weak western governments and this allowed
Hitler and other countries to take advantage and cause war.

Sept. 1, 1939 Hitler invades Poland and World War II Begins

Directions: Read the excerpt below and examine the images. Respond to the questions.

9
 Alliances Form
Many nations realized that after the annexation of Sudetenland,
Poland would be Hitler's next target. In April 1939, Russia,
Britain and France met to form an alliance to defend Poland.
The Allies thought that Hitler would not invade Poland if it
instigated a war with Russia. By August 1939, Russia changed
its mind and left the alliance with France and Britain. In August
1939, Hitler and his enemy, Joseph Stalin, the Soviet Russian
dictator, signed the Nazi-Soviet Pact, a nonaggression pact
that publicly stated that the rival nations would maintain
peaceful relations. This pact was surprising to the world
because Hitler and Stalin had dramatically different ideologies.
Even though these dictators did not like one another, they used
each other for political ends. Secretly, this pact also said that
they would invade Poland and split it between them.

1. After Sudetenland, what was Hitler’s next target? How

did Russia, Britain, and France respond?
Poland. Russia, Britain, and France met to form an alliance to
defend Poland. Thought that Hitler wouldn't invade Poland if
they were investigated in a war w Russia.
Observations Inferences 2. What was the Nazi-Soviet Pact? Why was the
Nazi-Soviet Pact surprising?
- Two men are walking - The man in the It was a nonaggression pact that publicly stated that the rival
down a wedding aisle, bride’s dress is Hitler nations would maintain peaceful relations. This pact was
one is wearing the surprising to the world because Hitler and Stalin had
Nazi symbol dramatically different ideologies.
3. What was the secret agreement in the Nazi-Soviet
What is the message of this political pact?
cartoon? They used each other for political ends. This pact also said
that they would invade Poland and split it between them.
- Other nations would do anything to keep 4. What does this secret agreement reveal about
Hitler happy and from threatening the peace appeasement and Chamberlain’s argument that the
and bringing them into war. Munich Agreement would bring “peace for our time”?
It was a joke. They got everything handed to them so now
they have all the power. They aren't worried about if it'll be
difficult to invade Poland because they know that they will be
able to do it easily.

World War II Begins

On September 1, 1939, German forces invaded Poland. Only two days later, Britain and France declared war on
Germany and World War II officially began. Nazis stormed Poland with the power of blitzkreig, or lightning war. The
theory of the blitzkreig was to defeat opponents using a series of short military campaigns. These military campaigns
made use of tanks, planes and artillery to quickly attack opponents. These quick attacks would disorganize and shock
opponents, making them more vulnerable. While Germany attacked Poland from the west, Stalin and the Soviet Union
attacked from the east, annexing land promised under the secret parts of the Nazi-Soviet Pact. Within a month, Poland
no longer existed as an independent country, and instead became absorbed under Hitler and Stalin’s dictatorships.

5. Which country did Hitler invade on September 1, 1939? How did Britain and France react?
On September 1, 1939, German forces invaded Poland. Only two days later, Britain and France declared war on
Germany and World War II officially began.
6. What is blitzkreig? Why was it a successful military tactic?
Nazis stormed Poland with the power of blitzkrieg, or lightning war. The theory of the blitzkreig was to defeat
opponents using a series of short military campaigns. These military campaigns made use of tanks, planes, and
artillery to quickly attack opponents. These quick attacks would disorganize and shock opponents, making them
more vulnerable.

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Images of the German Invasion of Poland

Source: Source:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:German_invasion_of_Poland_of_1939#/media/File:Bundesa https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:German_invasion_of_Poland_of_19
rchiv_Bild_183-S52911,_Polen,_Blick_aus_Bugkanzel_einer_He_111.jpg 39#/media/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-E10600,_Graudenz,_jubelnde_Menschen_
neben_Panzer_IV.jpg

Source:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:German_invasion_of_Poland_of_1939#/media/File:Bundesa
rchiv_Bild_183-S55701,_Polen,_deutsche_Soldaten_in_Ortschaft.jpg

Source:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:German_invasion_of_Poland_of_19
39#/media/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-S56770,_Warschau,_brennendes_Gaswer
k.jp

Source:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:German_invasion_of_Poland_of_1939#/media/File:Bundesa
rchiv_Bild_183-1987-1210-502,_Polen,_Stukas.jpg

11
 7. How did Poland’s location make the country
particularly vulnerable to attack by Nazi
Germany and the Soviet Union?
Poland split parts of Germany's territory from
Germany, and also was between Germany and
Russia. They were surrounded by enemy
countries.

Source: http://www.ushmm.org/lcmedia/map/lc/image/pol81270.gif

Watch this Discovery Channel Video on WWII (0:00-09:00) then answer the questions below
about WWII.

8. How did Hitler justify his attack 9. Why did Britain and France 10. What advantages did the
on Poland? declare war on Hitler after the German military have?
invasion of Poland?

He staged an attack on the They each said that they They were more prepared for
German border. would if Poland was invaded, war.
they were allies.
11. What was Poland’s military 12. Which other country invaded 13. After Poland surrendered, what
like? Poland? Why? did Germans begin to do to
Jewish people?

Poland is weak because it has a They sided with Germany and They gathered them and
very weak Army, also Poland is ended up splitting the country brought them to specific
weak because it is occupied by between themselves. areas.
foreign companies whose main
purpose is to take as much
money out of a country as is
possible.

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 German troops parade through
Warsaw after the invasion of Poland.
Warsaw, Poland, September 28-30,
1939. — National Archives and Records
Administration, College Park, Md.
Source: Source:
Source: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01462 http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/media_ph.php?ModuleId=1000
http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1939/09/01/issue.html /war-evac-3_1462836i.jpg 5070&MediaId=942

Check for Understanding:

14. What happened on September 1, 1939? Why?
Germany invaded, breaking their agreement, so Britain and France declared war, starting World War II, and
invaded Poland on Sept. 1, 1939. After signing the non-aggression pact Hitler had a surprise attack,
German tanks and troops rumbled across the Polish border. He did this to expand his dictatorship and to
continue to maintain his power. He wanted to continue to expand his power and control central Europe and
beyond. He also did it because he could, he had many nations appease him already, he was trying to create
a “Master Race” and attempted to do so through this.
Synthesis:
15. How did this event lead to the beginning of World War II in 1939?
Hitler's invasion of Poland in September 1939 drove Great Britain and France to declare war on Germany,
marking the beginning of World War II. Over the next six years, the conflict would take more lives and
destroy more land and property around the globe than any previous war.

Synthesis
Directions: Complete the venn diagram below.
How were the causes of World War I similar or different from the causes of World War II?

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14
Formative Assessment Writing Task
Directions: Respond to the EQ in a well-written paragraph, using specific details and evidence to
support your claim.

Essential Question: What caused World War II? Identify 5 causes and explain how they led to
WWII.
The five causes of World War II were the unresolved issues of the Treaty of Versailles, the Great
Depression and rise of dictatorships, aggression and the failure of the League of Nations,
appeasement, and lastly Hitler's invasion of Poland. The unresolved issues of the Treaty left
Germany and many other nations weak and in desperation for some stability. They were ashamed
and in great debt. As a result, the Great Depression arose because of the lack of economic
stability and starvation of the people. In search of some sort of steadiness, many political leaders
promised hope and recovery in order to gain power and dictatorial power like Stalin and Hitler.
Many people were quick to support these leaders because of their desperation. The League of
Nations, formed as a result of the Treaty of the Versailles, was created to stop another global war
and peacefully settle conflicts and create an alliance so countries can help out each other in their
time of need. Ultimately, when these types of conflicts occurred, the League was too slow to act,
wasn't prepared, and rather stood by than taking action like it was supposed to. Aggression
increased between nations and Germany, under the control of Hitler began to rearm, break the
Treaty of Versailles, take back territories, and gain immense power back again. Many nations
appeased Germany for fear another world war would break out and wanted to avoid conflict. They
would do anything, side with Hitler, sign agreements, and more to keep Hitler and the Nazis happy.
Lastly, Germany invaded Poland which violated the terms between Britain and France who had
appeased but were allied with Poland. So they both declared war on Germany, starting the
beginning of World War II. Tools like propaganda were especially essential to the inspiration of
World War II.

Highlight the correct answer for the Multiple Choice Questions below.

Regents Multiple Choice Check for Understanding

1. Which event occurred first and led to the other
three?
(1) rise of fascism in Europe
(2) Bolshevik Revolution
(3) World War I
(4) signing of the Treaty of Versailles
6. Which agreement was labeled by the Nazis as
unfair to Germany?
(1) Treaty of Versailles
(2) Soviet Nonaggression Pact
(3) Munich Pact
(4) Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

2. One major reason the League of Nations failed 7. Which development occurred in Germany as a
was that it result of the terms imposed by the Treaty of
(1) was not included in the Versailles Treaty Versailles?
(2) was controlled by communist Russia (1) Soviet occupation
(3) frightened many nations with its large (2) political instability
military force (3) overseas expansion
(4) lacked the support of many of the major (4) economic prosperity
world powers during crises

3. Which term is defined as payment for damages? 8. One way in which the Treaty of Nanking and the
(1) mandate Treaty of Versailles are similar is that in both treaties

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 (2) armistice the provisions called for
(3) reparation (1) monarchs to be returned to their rightful
(4) militarism places
(2) reparations to be paid by defeated
countries
(3) existing borders to be maintained
(4) peacekeeping organizations to be
established

4. In Europe during the 1930s, economic instability
led to the
(1) rise of fascist dictatorships
(2) development of nuclear arms
(3) abandonment of colonial territories
(4) establishment of the League of Nations
9. The Treaty of Versailles angered many Germans
after World War I because the treaty
(1) divided Germany into Communist and
non-Communist zones
(2) made Germany restore its emperor
(3) required all German-speaking Europeans
to return to Germany
(4) forced Germany to pay large war
reparations

5. Which newspaper headline illustrates a policy of 10. The policy of appeasement helped cause World
appeasement? War II because this policy
(1) "Dien Bien Phu Falls; French to Leave (1) reduced the armaments of major
Vietnam" European powers
(2) "Chamberlain Agrees to German (2) gave too much power to the United
Demands: Sudetenland to Germany" Nations
(3) "Marshall Plan Proposes Economic Aid (3) increased sea trade between England and
Program for Europe" the United States
(4) "Soviet Troops and Tanks Crush (4) allowed the aggressive actions of
Hungarian Revolt" Germany to go unchecked

Base your answer to the following question on the

passage below and on your knowledge of social
studies.

"It took the Big Four just five hours and twenty five
minutes here in Munich today to dispel the clouds of
war and come to an agreement over the partition of
Czechoslovakia. There is to be no European war,
after all. There is to be peace, and the price of that
peace is, roughly, the ceding by Czechoslovakia of
the Sudeten territory to Herr Hitler's Germany. The
German Führer gets what he wanted, only he has to
wait a little longer for it. Not much longer though —
only ten days. . . ."
Source: William Shirer, recording of CBS radio report from Prague,
13. Based on the information provided by the
September 29, 1938 diagram, which statement is a valid conclusion
about the 1930s?
11. The policy that France, Britain, and Italy chose to (1) The United States led international
follow at this meeting is known as peace-keeping efforts.
(1) appeasement (2) Aggression led to the start of World War II.
(2) self-determination (3) The actions of Italy, Germany, and Japan
(3) liberation united Europe.

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 (4) pacification
12. One reason for the outbreak of World War II was
the
(1) ineffectiveness of the League of Nations
(2) growing tension between the United
States and the Soviet Union
(3) conflict between the Hapsburg and the
Romanov families
(4) refusal of the German government to sign
the Treaty of Versailles
(4) Economic and social upheaval led to the
rise of democracy in Asia.
14. Which situation is an example of totalitarianism
in Germany in the 1930s?
(1) frequent meetings of the German
Reichstag
(2) decline of the German economy
(3) strict government control of the press
(4) negotiation of a nonaggression pact with
the Soviet Union
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