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Causes of WWII - Coggle Diagram
Causes of WWII
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles ended World War I, placing full blame for the war on Germany and imposing severe reparations, territorial losses, and military restrictions. These terms led to widespread resentment and economic hardship in Germany.
The treaty humiliated Germany and fostering anger and nationalism, which contributed to the rise of extremist movements like Nazism.
War Guilt Clause
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This clause placed moral and financial blame solely on Germany and provided the legal basis for reparations. It was particularly humiliating and caused deep resentment in Germany.
Reparations Clause
Germany was required to pay reparations to the Allied Powers to cover civilian damage caused by the war. They had to pay about $33 million.
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Expansionist Policies
Under Hitler, Germany pursued aggressive territorial expansion, including the remilitarization of the Rhineland (1936), the annexation of Austria (1938), and the Sudetenland and Czechoslovakia (1938-1939). These moves were initially met with appeasement by Britain and France.
Japan sought to dominate East Asia, starting with the invasion of Manchuria and later expanding into China (Second Sino-Japanese War, 1937). The pursuit of resources and territorial control drove Japanese aggression.
Mussolini’s Italy sought to expand its empire by invading Ethiopia and aligning itself with Germany.
Economic Depression
The Great Depression, which began in 1929, increased global economic instability. In countries like Germany, economic desperation gave rise to extremist political movements as a solution.
Nations used protectionist economic policies, which worsened international trade relations and increased tensions among countries.
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Appeasement
Britain and France adopted a policy of appeasement, trying to avoid war by conceding to some of Hitler’s demands. The Munich Agreement of 1938 allowed Germany to annex the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia, in exchange for a promise of no further expansion. However, this only emboldened Hitler.
The policy of appeasement ultimately failed when Hitler continued to push for more territory, culminating in the invasion of Poland.