SECOND WORLD WAR

Causes of the Second World War

The Second World War was caused by:

a. Hitler’s Aims
1.To unite German speaking people (using NSD which had
been denied at the Treaty of Versailles.
2.He wanted lebensraum (living space) in order to gain self-
sufficiency (autarky)
3.He wanted to dominate Europe and the World

4.To achieve any of these aims would involve breaking the

Treaty of Versailles (28/6/1919), and this could lead to war.
b.Democratic powers were passive
1.USA – Isolated
2.France – France was unlikely, and reluctant, to intervene
against Germany, because she could not rely on Britain’s and
America’s support.
3.Britain – Between 1934 and 1937, Britain was sympathetic to
German recovery. Between May 1937 and March 1939, Britain
appeased Germany.

4.These powers could have stopped Fascist aggression earlier

than 1939.

c. The League of Nations failed to keep peace

d.The aggression of Hitler’s Allies
1.Italy – Mussolini wanted a Fascist-Roman empire in the
Mediterranean and Africa (e.g. Abyssinian invasion in 1935.)
2.Japan – Japan wanted a Nipponese empire in the Pacific,
extending into China and Australia (e.g. Manchurian invasion in
1931)
3.Germany, Italy and Japan were hostile to Communism (USSR),
and this way a cause of war and vice versa.
Causes of the Second World War (Detail)
Nine Steps to War
1. The Rearmament of Germany
German rearmament began after Hitler left 1932-4 Geneva Disarmament
Conference, stating that as the powers would not disarm to his level, he would rearm
Germany to their level. By 1935 rearmament was well underway. This involved
conscription and munitions factories.
Rearmament alarmed the French who, feeling insecure, reinforced the Maginot line
(built between 1929 and 1934). This was a line of steel and concrete fortifications
stretching from Belgium to Switzerland and was called ‘a gate without a fence’
because Germany would be able to avoid it and invade France via Belgium. France
remained passive without Britain’s support.
Britain was sympathetic towards Germany and even signed an Anglo German naval
Treaty (June 1935) allowing Germany’s navy to be 35% of the size of the Royal
Navy. Hitler used his new found arms to support Franco in the Spanish Civil War
(1936-9) Hitler sent the Condor Legion of the Luftwaffe to bomb Guernica on 26th
April, 1937. Guernica was razed to the ground and Franco went on to conquer the
Basque areas of Spain. Hitler had used Spain as a practise ground
Reasons for Causes of War
1.The Second World War was caused by Fascist aggression and the failure of democratic powers to
stop this aggression.
2.The rearmament of Germany was a cause for war because it broke the Treaty of Versailles (28th June,
1919)
3.The remilitarization of the Rhineland (7th march, 1936) was a cause of war because it broke the
Treaty of Versailles and the Locarno Pacts (1925)
4.The Rome-Berlin Axis (October 1936) was a cause of war because it united the aggressive fascist
powers and divided Europe into hostile camps.
5.Chamberlain’s appeasement policy (after may 1937 – March 1939) was a cause of war because it
broke the Treaty of Versailles and Treaty of St. Germain (10th September, 1919)
6.The Anschluss of Germany with Austria (13th march, 1938) was a cause of war because it broke the
Treaty of Versailles and Treaty of St. Germain (10th September, 1919)
7.The Nazi annexation of the Sudetenland after the Munich conference (29th September 1938) was a
cause of war, because it broke the Treaty of St. Germain.
8.The Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia in March 1939, cause war because it defied the Munich
agreement and ended Britain’s appeasement policy.
9.The Nazi-Soviet Pact (29th August 1939) caused war because it sealed Poland’s downfall.
10.The Nazi invasion of Poland (1st September 1939) caused war because Britain had guaranteed
Poland’s borders.
2. The Remilitarization of the Rhineland (1936)

Having broken the Treaty of Versailles once, Hitler risked doing it a second time by marching 30,000
troops into Cologne on 7th March 1936. France, with 250,000 troops mobilised, remained passive
because Britain would not support her. Britain took the view that Germany was ‘marching into her own
back yard.’

To show that his remilitarization was popular, Hitler held a plebiscite, which showed that 98.8% were in
favour. He went on to build his own defensive fortification, the Siegfried Line.

3. The Rome Berlin Axis (October 1936)

Originally Mussolini did not want to be Hitler’s ally and in 1935 talks were held with Britain and France
at the Stresa Front, but these came to nothing when Anthony Eden of Britain threatened oil sanctions
against Mussolini during the Abyssinian crisis. This caused the Rome-Berlin Axis in 1936. Mussolini
and Hitler strengthened their alliance on two occasions

a. The Anti-Commintern Pact (November 1937) with Japan.

b. The Pact of Steel (May 1939).
4. Britain’s policy of Appeasement (May/June 1937 – March 1939)

`
Neville Chamberlain became British Prime Minister on 28th May 1937, and followed the policy of
appeasing Germany, believing that all Hitler wanted to do was unite German speaking people. In so doing,
Hitler would break the Treaty of Versailles (28th June 1919) but Chamberlain did not believe Hitler
would cause war. Churchill disagreed, citing Mein Kampf (1924) where Hitler had written that Germany
must regain lands ‘in the East … by the power of the sword.’

Chamberlain had misinterpreted Hitler’s aims. (We have the benefit of hindsight.)

5. The Anschluss with Austria (13th March, 1938)

Austrian Fascists wanted to unite with Germany but Schuschnigg, the Austrian Chancellor, wanted
Austria to be independent. He was unable to gain support from abroad (France and the Little Entente) so
agreed to meet Hitler in Berlin. He was persuaded to accept Hitler’s henchman Seyss-Inquart as Minster
of the Interior. Rioting in Vienna increased under Seyss-Inquart’s leadership and Schuschnigg resigned.
Seyss-Inquart invited Hitler to assist him and on 13th March, 1938 troops from the Wermacht entered
Austria. In a plebiscite on the Anschluss a vote of 99.75% in favour was recorded. This was ‘rigged’ by
biased questioning. Hitler made it seem that he had been invited into Austria, in fact he had incited the
union.
6. Hitler Gained the Sudetenland (29th September, 1938)

The Sudetenland was lost by Austria in the Treaty of St. Germain (10th September 1919) and hereby
Czechoslovakia gained 3 million German speaking people. After the Anschluss the Sudeten German
leader, Konrad Henlein, demanded a union with Germany. Unable to receive help from France, the
Czech Premier, Benes, mobilised alone. Fearing war, Chamberlain met Hitler on three occasions at
Berchtesgaden, Godesburg and at Munich.

Munich Agreement (29th September, 1938)

This was signed by Hitler, Mussolini, Chamberlain and Daladier. Benes was not present. It said:
Hitler could take the Sudetenland the following day without a plebiscite
Hungary and Poland could take border districts from Czechoslovakia
Britain and Germany would never go to war.
Chamberlain’s Reaction
On his return to England, Chamberlain announced that he had gained ‘peace with honour, peace in our
time’. The majority rejoiced, except Churchill.
Hitler Reaction
In public Hitler seemed satisfied, but in private he exploded saying ‘that fellow Chamberlain has
spoiled my entry into Prague.’
7. The Fall of Czechoslovakia (March 1939)

In March 1939, Hitler forced Lithuania to give him Memel where most people spoke German. So far
Hitler had only taken German speaking territory, so Chamberlain could still appease Hitler. However, in
March 1939, Hitler threatened to bomb Prague, so the Czechs surrendered. Chamberlain realised
appeasement had failed, so he began to rearm Britain and guarantee peace in Poland.

8. Nazi-Soviet Pact (29th August, 1939) – The Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact

By the summer of 1939, Hitler’s plans to invade Poland were complete. He realised that to invade Poland
mighty cause Britain to attack him from the West but he was more concerned to avoid a Russian attack
from the east. Therefore to avoid a war on two fronts, he arranged the Nazi-Soviet Pact, which said that if
either country went to war the other would remain neutral.

Hitler gained the chance to invade Poland with a war on one front, if Britain supported Poland.

Stalin of USSR gained time to rearm in case Hitler attacked him later, and the chance to gain the eastern
half of Poland. This would provide the USSR with a bufferzone.
9. German Invasion of Poland (1st September, 1939)

German tanks invaded West Prussia and Posen on the 1st September 1939 using blitzkrieg tactics. (This
is a lightning, sudden attack co-ordinating air, then land forces). Chamberlain sent an ultimatum (a
warning with a threat) saying that if Hitler did not withdraw from Poland by 11am, 3rd September 1939,
Britain would declare war. On 3rd September, Britain, followed by France, declared war on Germany.
Lebensraum – living space, e.g. Hitler’s aim to take land from bordering states to achieve self-sufficiency
(autarky)
Lebensraum – living space, e.g. Hitler’s aim to take land from bordering states to achieve self-sufficiency (autarky)
Anschluss – union, e.g. Austria and Germany (March, 1938)
Appeasement – to give into an aggressor little by little, in the hope of preventing war. E.g. Britain appeased Germany
(May/June 1937 – March 1939)
Blitzkrieg – lightning attack, co-ordinating air and land forces. E.g. Germany’s attack on Poland (1st September 1939)
Remilitarization – rearming and area, e.g. Germany remilitarized the Rhineland (1936)
Plebiscite (referendum) – a vote on an issue, e.g. Hitler’s plebiscites on remilitarization and the Anschluss of Austria
and Germany (Hitler fixed his referendums in 1936 and for the Anschluss in 1938, so no-one expected him to have a
plebiscite for the Sudetenland. He fixed them by biased questioning.)
Ultimatum – a warning with a threat, e.g. Britain’s ultimatum for Hitler to leave Poland by 11am on the 3rd September
1939.
Buffer zone – a protective barrier of land, e.g. Eastern Poland taken by the USSR as protection against a future German
attack.
Rearmament – manufacturing of weapons and conscription, e.g. Germany (after 1934), Britain after the taking of
Sudetenland
Autarky – self-sufficiency economically, e.g. Germany under Hitler and Schacht to enable Germany to avoid imports
Aggression – hostile or violent action, e.g. Germany was aggressive towards Czechoslovakia (March, 1939) and
Poland (1st September, 1939)
Diktat – none-negotiated decision/arrangement, e.g. The Munich Agreement, forced onto Czechoslovakia (1938)
Passive – to spectate, i.e. not take part in the action, e.g. Britain and France were passive towards the German
remilitarization of the Rhineland (March 1936)
Incite – devious planning, e.g. Hitler incited the Anschluss (March, 1938)
Long term causes
Long term
a. The harshness of the Treaty of Versailles (28th June, 1919) on Germany:
Land losses
Reparations
War Guilt
b. The failure of the League of the Nations to:
Keep peace
Bring about disarmament

Immediate causes
a. German invasion of Poland (1st September, 1939)
Short term

a. Hitler’s aggression:
His aims

b. The aggression of the other powers:

Italy – Abyssinia (1935), Rome-Berlin Axis, Anti-Commintern Pact, Albania
Japan – Manchuria (1931), Anti-Commintern Pact (November, 1937)
Russia – Nazi-Soviet Pact, Invasion of Poland

c. The democracies were too passive

USA – isolation
France – would not do anything without Britain’s support
Britain – sympathetic towards Germany, e.g. Anglo-German Naval Treaty (1935) and later
appeased her (May/June 1937 – March 1939)
 TRENCH WARS
(BATTLE OF SOMME)

Trench warfare is a form of warfare where both combatants have fortified

positions and fighting lines are static. Trench warfare arose when a revolution in
fire power was not matched by similar advances in mobility, resulting in a slow
and grueling form of defense-oriented warfare in which both sides constructed
elaborate and heavily armed trench and dugout systems opposing each other
along a front, with soldiers in both trench lines largely defiladed from the other's
small arms fire and enclosed by barbed wire. The area between opposing trench
lines (known as "no man's land") was fully exposed to small-arms and artillery
fire from both sides. Attacks, even successful ones, often sustained severe
casualties as a matter of course. Periods of trench warfare occurred during the
American Civil War and the Russo-Japanese War and reached peak bloodshed on
the Western Front of World War I. Trench warfare is often a sign of
attrition warfare.
• DONE BY
• HARSH(POWERPOINT,MODEL)
• BURHAN(MODEL)
• LUWAI(MODEL)
• FAHAD(MODEL)
• DINUKA(CHART)