‘The Nazi Soviet Pact was the main reason for the outbreak of the Second World War in
1939’.
How far do you agree with this statement?
Explain your answer.
The Nazi-Soviet Pact was one of the main causes for the outbreak of the Second World War. On
the 19th of August 1939, a pact was introduced between Germany and the Soviet Union, it was a
treaty of non-aggression which ruled that Russia and Germany would not attack each other if
another war broke out. In addition, it was also introduced Poland would be split between the
two countries. This bought Russia some time to increase the size of the army and start to build
up their defences. Therefore, this made the invasion inevitable and this was because Germany
knew they would not have to fight Russia because of the pact signed and Germany knew Britain
and France promised to defend and protect Poland, so in 1939 when Germany invaded Poland,
Britain and France declared war on Germany.
Some historians argue that appeasement was the main cause. Neville Chamberlain and France
had given Hitler chances before Germany invaded Poland and didn’t stand up to him, which
made him more aggressive because he wanted more lebensraum. For example, the re-
militarisation of the Rhineland was not opposed, which lead to Hitler invading other lands, like
when Germany annexed Austria the year before because he knew that he wouldn’t be
challenged. Finally, when Germany took over the Sudetenland, Britain and France had agreed to
let him keep the land at the Munich conference, and Hitler betrayed that agreement when he
took over the rest of Czechoslovakia. Therefore, appeasement led to the invasion of Poland and
the start of the war because Hitler thought that France and Britain would stay out of it again,
like they had in 1938.
Hitler’s aims were also a reason because Hitler would only have been able to achieve his aims by
starting a war. He wanted to destroy the Treaty of Versailles and get lebensraum for the German
people, which meant that he had to take over land in Poland and Czechoslovakia because that
was where the land was. The League of Nations couldn’t stop him after it failed in the
Abyssinian crisis when Italy invaded Abyssinia in 1936 and the League of Nations only gave a
moral sanction to Italy and Mussolini took the whole country. This meant that Hitler wasn’t
afraid to act aggressively because he saw that the League was not able to deal with invasions,
which gave him a reason to invade Poland and start the war.
Conclusively, the Nazi-Soviet Pact was one of the more important reasons for the outbreak of
the Second Worlds War. However, it was not the most important reason. Appeasement was the
most important reason for war because it made Hitler more aggressive in achieving his aims
because he knew that his biggest rivals were afraid to stop his army, like they showed when he
invaded the Sudetenland. This is why he signed the Nazi Soviet pact, because it gave him
permission to invade Poland which he wouldn’t have done if he was afraid of Britain and France.
1939’.
How far do you agree with this statement?
Explain your answer.
The Nazi-Soviet Pact was one of the main causes for the outbreak of the Second World War. On
the 19th of August 1939, a pact was introduced between Germany and the Soviet Union, it was a
treaty of non-aggression which ruled that Russia and Germany would not attack each other if
another war broke out. In addition, it was also introduced Poland would be split between the
two countries. This bought Russia some time to increase the size of the army and start to build
up their defences. Therefore, this made the invasion inevitable and this was because Germany
knew they would not have to fight Russia because of the pact signed and Germany knew Britain
and France promised to defend and protect Poland, so in 1939 when Germany invaded Poland,
Britain and France declared war on Germany.
Some historians argue that appeasement was the main cause. Neville Chamberlain and France
had given Hitler chances before Germany invaded Poland and didn’t stand up to him, which
made him more aggressive because he wanted more lebensraum. For example, the re-
militarisation of the Rhineland was not opposed, which lead to Hitler invading other lands, like
when Germany annexed Austria the year before because he knew that he wouldn’t be
challenged. Finally, when Germany took over the Sudetenland, Britain and France had agreed to
let him keep the land at the Munich conference, and Hitler betrayed that agreement when he
took over the rest of Czechoslovakia. Therefore, appeasement led to the invasion of Poland and
the start of the war because Hitler thought that France and Britain would stay out of it again,
like they had in 1938.
Hitler’s aims were also a reason because Hitler would only have been able to achieve his aims by
starting a war. He wanted to destroy the Treaty of Versailles and get lebensraum for the German
people, which meant that he had to take over land in Poland and Czechoslovakia because that
was where the land was. The League of Nations couldn’t stop him after it failed in the
Abyssinian crisis when Italy invaded Abyssinia in 1936 and the League of Nations only gave a
moral sanction to Italy and Mussolini took the whole country. This meant that Hitler wasn’t
afraid to act aggressively because he saw that the League was not able to deal with invasions,
which gave him a reason to invade Poland and start the war.
Conclusively, the Nazi-Soviet Pact was one of the more important reasons for the outbreak of
the Second Worlds War. However, it was not the most important reason. Appeasement was the
most important reason for war because it made Hitler more aggressive in achieving his aims
because he knew that his biggest rivals were afraid to stop his army, like they showed when he
invaded the Sudetenland. This is why he signed the Nazi Soviet pact, because it gave him
permission to invade Poland which he wouldn’t have done if he was afraid of Britain and France.
