World War IIWorld War II

Causes for World War Two

Economic Political Social

Germany After World War I

• Following the First World War, Germany was heavily burdened by war debt.

• It had been forced to borrow in order to pay back the victorious European nations.

• When the American

economy fell into depression, US banks recalled their loans, causing the German banking system to collapse.

Germany PaysWar Debts

to Allies

Allies Pay America Loans

United StatesLoans Germany

Funds

Loan Cycle

•   Unemployment jumped Unemployment jumped from 1.3 million to 5 from 1.3 million to 5 million and industrial million and industrial production fell by production fell by one-halfone-half

Depression in GermanyDepression in Germany

Depression in Europe

Germany’s Unemployment in thousands—

1928—2,265,000

1932—5,392,000

1934—2,462,000

September 1928 650,000 unemployed

September 19291,320,000

unemployed

September 19303,000,000

unemployed

September 19314,350,000

unemployed

September 19325,102,000

unemployed

January 19336,100,000

unemployed

Causes of World War Two

Economic Political Social

Loan Debt

Great Depression

Unemployment

Nationalism on the Rise• "Everything in the

State, nothing outside the State, nothing against the State"

• Renewed German & Italian Pride

• 2 Great Examples of Nationalism: Nazism (Germany) & Fascism (Italy)

Fascism In Italy

• Defined as corporatism, totalitarianism, nationalism, militarism, and Anti-Communism

• Italy had also been torn apartby the Allies in WWI

• Rise of Benito Mussolini – Powerful Speaker– Supporter of a Stronger State – Prime Minister in 1922– Non-hostile take-over of Gov.

Rise of Hitler

Adolph Hitler

(in color)

Adolph Hitler

• Born in Austria• Joined the Nazis after WWI• Modeled his ideas /charisma

after Mussolini• Protested the Government

•Arrested & wrote “Mein Kampf” in prison

•Depression hit Germany in 1930

•Became Chancellor in Germany in 1933

Can you See the Attraction to the Nazi Party?

Germany 1923-1933

Hitler’s Demands

• Hitler begins to rebuild the Military 1935• Rhineland Remilitarized 1936 • Unification with Austria (March 1938)• Sudetenland, German speaking Czechoslovakia,

(Sept. 1938)

• Appeasement– Neville Chamberlain British P.M.– “We have Peace in our time”

Germany 1938

Hitler’s Broken Promise

• Hitler promises Chamberlain– If he received the Sudetenland he would stop– September 1938

• Hitler invades Poland (March 1939)

Lightening fast Blitzkrieg

• Britain & France

declare war on Germany

Causes of World War Two

Economic Political Social

Loan Debt

Great Depression

Unemployment

Nationalism (Fascism & Nazism)

Germany’s Rebuilt Military

Appeasement

Blitzkrieg of Poland

Nationalism!!!

• Unification– people had restored pride in their country, in their people, and in their leaders

• Lead to Ideas of Ethnically Superior– You are better than other people groups

One Big Social Cause

• German in the Early 1930’s– Turmoil, unemployment, inflation…

• Someone has to take the blame…• Hitler blamed the Jews AND…• Along with Jews, non-Jewish Poles (over 3

million of whom died), alleged communists, the physically handicapped and mentally retarded, Soviet POWs, anti-Nazi clergy, trade unionists, and psychiatric patients were killed.

Causes of World War Two

Economic Political Social

Loan Debt

Great Depression

Unemployment

Nationalism (Fascism & Nazism)

Germany’s Rebuilt Military

Appeasement

Blitzkrieg of Poland

Holocaust

Nationalism (unification)