2. 1. Causes of the War
A. Treaty of Versailles- Ended WWI, created
hostility in Europe and Asia
1. League of Nations- International groups of
countries meant to keep the peace- could not
enforce their will (no military power)
3. 2. Japan- Their interests are ignored even though
they were on the winning side
a. Japan invades Manchuria in 1931 for more land
b. LON condemns the act, Japan quits the LON
4. 3. Russia- Lost land even though they helped in
WWI
a. Josef Stalin becomes leader of Russia, newly
formed Communist gov’t
b. Stalin kills anyone who believed threatened
his power (8-13 M)
c. Established totalitarian gov’t- they control
everything (political, social, cultural, economic)
5. 4. Italy
a. Unemployment and inflation are high
b. Benito Mussolini- “El Duce” starts a fascist
gov’t- the interests of the country are above the
interests of the people
c. Italy invades Ethiopia in 1935, LON does
nothing
6. 5. Spain
a. Civil War breaks out in 1936, Francisco
Franco wins election with help from Italy and
Germany
b. Europe now has another totalitarian gov’t
c. Alliance is formed between Hitler and
Mussolini
7. 6. Germany- blamed for starting WWI
a. Forced to pay reparations (payments), give up
territory and disarm
b. Beer Hall Putsch- Adolph Hitler is arrested for
trying to overthrow the gov’t
8. c. Mein Kampf- (My Struggle) Book written by
Hitler while in jail
Focused on: creating a German empire,
Germans are the master race, and expansion
d. Hitler leads the National Socialist German
Workers Party- the Nazi Party
e. He is elected in 1933 and establishes the Third
Reich
9. f. Hitler pulls Germany out of LON
g. Germany amasses an army
h. Germany takes the “Rhineland”- border
between Germany and France
LON does nothing
10. 7. United States
a. US is clinging to isolationism
b. Congress passes the Neutrality Acts in 1935-
outlaws sales of arms to countries at war
c. FDR aids China when Japan invades, he calls
to stop aggressive nations to prevent spread of
war
11.
12. II. Early Stages
a. Hitler takes Austria in 1937, troops unopposed
b. Hitler wants the Sudetenland, part of
Czechoslovakia
Hitler claims Germans there are being
mistreated, which was propaganda
13. c. England defends Czech
Hitler and Neville Chamberlain compromise
“Munich Agreement”- Germany gets
Sudetenland, the last territorial demand by
Hitler
Agreement known as appeasement- giving up
your principals to satisfy an aggressor
