Causes of World War II

Causes of World War II

When Hitler came to power in 1933 he made several of actions that some

years later lead to war. These actions were re-armament, leaving the

league of nations, re-militarism of the Rhineland, the spanish civil

war, the lightning war and the alliances with Italy and Japan.

Hitler's aims were clear, he wanted lebensraum (living space) in order

to gain self-sufficiency, wanted to abolish the treaty of Versailles

and revenge for those who signed it. And some years after he seized

power it was clear he wanted to dominate the whole of Europe and the

rest of the world.

The Second World War was caused by Fascist aggression and the failure

of democratic powers to stop this aggression. The rearmament of

Germany was a cause for war because it broke the Treaty of Versailles

(28th June, 1919) 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) The Rome-Berlin Axis (October 1936) was a

cause of war because it united the aggressive fascist powers and

divided Europe into hostile camps. 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).

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. The Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia in March 1939, cause

war because it defied the Munich agreement and ended Britain's

appeasement policy. The Nazi-Soviet Pact (29th August 1939) caused war

because it sealed Poland's downfall...

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...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.

German tanks invaded West Prussia and Poland 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.

Although it was Hitler's actions which lead to war, many other factors

were important in making the war happen as the ones mentioned above.