PLAN: Why did World War II break out?
Hitler was to He hated communism so much that he had to start a war.
blame His aims were to overturn the TOV, create a greater Germany and unite German speaking people
and to acquire Lebensraum.
In Mein Kampf, Hitler said the only way to make Germany strong again was to overturn the
TOV.
Failure of the Only successful when dealing with smaller countries.
LON Britain and France undermined the League.
Failure in Manchuria[1931] and in Abyssinia [1935].
No army – no action.
Structural weaknesses.
The opportunity to stop Hitler early on was missed [E.g. Rhineland & Czechoslovakia].
The Munich Agreement [September 1938] alienated Stalin who then turned to Hitler.
August 1939: Hitler was backed up by the USSR.
The Nazi- Allowed Hitler to invade Poland without fear of repercussions [USSR’s sphere of influence]
Soviet Pact Hitler did not have to face a war on 2 fronts.
October 1929: The League couldn’t afford to put effective economic sanctions on people
The Great Desperate people turned to extremist parties and leaders, such as Hitler and Mussolini.
Depression Countries more preoccupied in dealing with their own problems to worry about others.
June 1919: Structure meant that it was weak.
The Treaty of Hitler promised to right a wrong.
Versailles Too harsh on Germany.
Britain felt that Hitler should be allowed to overturn the treaty so didn’t intervene until too late.
Created new states like Czechoslovakia and Poland where many Germans were living. Hitler
was determined to reunite these people into a greater Germany.
PLAN: Which Treaty of Versailles was the harshest?
Military Army => 100,000 men.
Aspects Navy => 15000 men, 1500 officers, and 6 battleships.
Conscription disallowed.
No tanks, submarines, or air force.
Rhineland demilitarised.
Germany felt vulnerable to attack from the surrounding hostile nations [France; Communist
Russia].
A source of humiliation – the army had been a big source of national pride.
Territorial Lost 13% of land.
Losses Lost 16% of coal and 48% of steel production.
The Saar [an important industrial region that contained many coal mines] was put under LON
control for 15 years [British and French control].
The Polish corridor [which gave Poland sea access] split Germany in two.
Germany’s African colonies were taken as LON mandates [British and French control].
Danzig was made a free city under LON control.
Effectively crippled the already struggling economy.
Separated families, businesses, etc.
6 million Germans were now under the rule of foreign, often hostile, powers.
Families were forced off land they’d owned for generations.
Germans were worried about their French and Russian neighbours.
Article 231: Stated that Germany had to accept full war responsibility even though they weren’t solely to
The War Guilt blame – Britain had competed with Germany for the biggest navy & empire.
Cause Article 232: Forced reparation payments => set at £6.6 billion in 1921 – would take until 1988 to
repay.
Germans hated Article 231 the most. It also meant that they had to accept all other terms.
The crippled German economy couldn’t afford these reparations=> 1923 hyperinflation.
LON The LON was formed [10 Jan 1920] but Germany was not allowed to be a part of it.
Anschluss Anschluss [union] between Germany and Austria was forbidden.
Hitler was to He hated communism so much that he had to start a war.
blame His aims were to overturn the TOV, create a greater Germany and unite German speaking people
and to acquire Lebensraum.
In Mein Kampf, Hitler said the only way to make Germany strong again was to overturn the
TOV.
Failure of the Only successful when dealing with smaller countries.
LON Britain and France undermined the League.
Failure in Manchuria[1931] and in Abyssinia [1935].
No army – no action.
Structural weaknesses.
The opportunity to stop Hitler early on was missed [E.g. Rhineland & Czechoslovakia].
The Munich Agreement [September 1938] alienated Stalin who then turned to Hitler.
August 1939: Hitler was backed up by the USSR.
The Nazi- Allowed Hitler to invade Poland without fear of repercussions [USSR’s sphere of influence]
Soviet Pact Hitler did not have to face a war on 2 fronts.
October 1929: The League couldn’t afford to put effective economic sanctions on people
The Great Desperate people turned to extremist parties and leaders, such as Hitler and Mussolini.
Depression Countries more preoccupied in dealing with their own problems to worry about others.
June 1919: Structure meant that it was weak.
The Treaty of Hitler promised to right a wrong.
Versailles Too harsh on Germany.
Britain felt that Hitler should be allowed to overturn the treaty so didn’t intervene until too late.
Created new states like Czechoslovakia and Poland where many Germans were living. Hitler
was determined to reunite these people into a greater Germany.
PLAN: Which Treaty of Versailles was the harshest?
Military Army => 100,000 men.
Aspects Navy => 15000 men, 1500 officers, and 6 battleships.
Conscription disallowed.
No tanks, submarines, or air force.
Rhineland demilitarised.
Germany felt vulnerable to attack from the surrounding hostile nations [France; Communist
Russia].
A source of humiliation – the army had been a big source of national pride.
Territorial Lost 13% of land.
Losses Lost 16% of coal and 48% of steel production.
The Saar [an important industrial region that contained many coal mines] was put under LON
control for 15 years [British and French control].
The Polish corridor [which gave Poland sea access] split Germany in two.
Germany’s African colonies were taken as LON mandates [British and French control].
Danzig was made a free city under LON control.
Effectively crippled the already struggling economy.
Separated families, businesses, etc.
6 million Germans were now under the rule of foreign, often hostile, powers.
Families were forced off land they’d owned for generations.
Germans were worried about their French and Russian neighbours.
Article 231: Stated that Germany had to accept full war responsibility even though they weren’t solely to
The War Guilt blame – Britain had competed with Germany for the biggest navy & empire.
Cause Article 232: Forced reparation payments => set at £6.6 billion in 1921 – would take until 1988 to
repay.
Germans hated Article 231 the most. It also meant that they had to accept all other terms.
The crippled German economy couldn’t afford these reparations=> 1923 hyperinflation.
LON The LON was formed [10 Jan 1920] but Germany was not allowed to be a part of it.
Anschluss Anschluss [union] between Germany and Austria was forbidden.
