The Second World War was caused mainly by Hitler's aims to unite German-speaking people, gain Lebensraum or living space, and dominate Europe and the world. Hitler rearmed Germany starting in 1932-1934 and used the new army to support Franco in the Spanish Civil War from 1936-1939. He then annexed Austria in 1938 and Czechoslovakia in 1939. The war involved over 60 countries across Europe, Africa, Asia, the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, lasted from 1939-1945, and was exceptionally brutal due to totalitarian regimes committing atrocities like genocide and concentration camps.

1. The Second World War .
1-CAUSES OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR.
The Second World War was caused by:
Hitler’s Aims. This was the main reason.
1. To unite German speaking
people .
2. He wanted lebensraum
(living space).
3. He wanted to dominate
Europe and the
World.
He almost achieved his
objectives, step by step.
German rearmament began in 1932-4. Hitler used his new army to
support Franco in the Spanish
Civil War (1936-9). Hitler had used Spain as a practise ground.

2. Appeasing: Neville Chamberlain became British Prime Minister, and
followed the policy of appeasing Germany, believing that all Hitler wanted
to do was unite German speaking people.
Hitler's conquests: On 13th March, 1938 the German army entered
Austria. In March 1939 Germany conquered Czechoslovakia.
Nazi-Soviet Pact (29th August, 1939)
– The
Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact: It was a non-
aggression
pact between the Soviet Union and
Germany.

3. Democratic powers were passive
1. USA – Isolated
2. France – She could not rely on Britain’s and America’s support. She
wanted peace.
3. Britain – Between 1934 and 1937, Britain was sympathetic to
German recovery. Between May 1937 and March 1939, Britain
appeased Germany.
2-SIDES AND LEADERS:
Two sides:
AXIS ALLIES
The Nazi Germany
Italy
Japan
Great Britain (and its colonies)
France (until its defeat)
Soviet Union (In June 1941)
United States (In December 1941)
The main leaders were:
A) For the allies.
In Great Britain
sir Winston Churchill
Prime Minister of Great Britain during most of
the war, from 1940 to 1945, Churchill led Britain
to victory.
In the Soviet Union
Joseph Stalin
Stalin was very brutal Communist dictator of
Russia (1928-1953). In the years before World
War 2 Stalin murdered or imprisoned almost all
of Russia's senior military officers, and millions

4. of other
Russian citizens, in a paranoid and unprecedented wave of political terror.
In the United States
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
President of the United States of America
(1933-1945). He declared war on Japan after
the bombing at Pearl Harbor, but
unfortunately he did not live long enough to
celebrate the Allies'
victory in September of 1945.
B) For the axis: The main leaders were:
In Germany
Adolf Hitler
He was the leader of Nazi Germ any.
He was the leader of Nazi Germany during World
War II. Under his leadership, the Nazis sought to
make Germany the most powerful empire in the
world and exterminate all they viewed as inferior.
In Italy
Benito Mussolini
Prime minister of Italy (1922-1943). He joined
forces with Adolph Hitler to fight the Allied
powers. He was executed by his own people.
In Japan .
Hideki Tojo
Prime minister of Japan (October 1941 - July
1944)

5. 3.The features of the war .
The Second World War was by far the most destructive war in history.
This war had different characteristics:
It was a genuine world war.
Military operations occurred in Europe, Africa, Asia, the
Atlantic, the Pacific, the Mediterranean Sea...
More than one hundred million troops fought over the war and more than
eight hundred million civilians went through occupation, bombardment,
misery and hardship.
Sixty countries were involved in the war.
Duration:
• WWII started in September 1939, although some historians claimed it
started in 1937 when Japan invaded China, and ended in August 1945.
Almost six years.
Extreme brutality:
• Totalitarian regimes caused many
atrocities, such as genocide (Jews,
Gypsies...),
systematic torture, concentration
and extermination camps...
• The Allies practiced a sort of
warfare based upon bombing civil
population. It culminated with the atomic
bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
• The civil populations suffered much more
than in previous wars.
• Deportation over and after the war was
a normal practice. It caused millions of
refugees.
• All these atrocities were facilitated by
the usage of extremely powerful and
sophisticated weapons (planes, gas,
atomic bomb...)
The belligerent powers dedicated their
whole economies to the war effort.

6. Read the document and answer the questions:
1. What were the main causes of the second world war?
2. Where did Hitler use the new army?
3.What did Hitler attack in 1938 and 1939?
4. Why do you think France and Britain were passive ?
5. What were the two sides of the war?
6. List the name of the main leaders .
7.Why do we say it was a real world war?.
8. How many countries were involved in the war?.
9. How long did it last?
10.Write three reasons why the war was so cruel.

7. Read the document and answer the questions:
1. What were the main causes of the second world war?
2. Where did Hitler use the new army?
3.What did Hitler attack in 1938 and 1939?
4. Why do you think France and Britain were passive ?
5. What were the two sides of the war?
6. List the name of the main leaders .
7.Why do we say it was a real world war?.
8. How many countries were involved in the war?.
9. How long did it last?
10.Write three reasons why the war was so cruel.