Causes of WW2

Question 1

What were the four causes of WW2?

Answer 1

WW1, League of nations, Hitler’s aims and actions and appeasement.

Question 2

When was WW1?

Answer 2

August 4, 1914 - November 11, 1918.

Question 3

Who were the main powers in powers in WW1?

Answer 3

Allied powers: Britain, France, Russia, USA and ANZACS.

Central powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy.

Question 4

Who won WW1 and what were the consequences?

Answer 4

Allied victory with 8 million people dead - “war to end all wars”.

Question 5

What is an armistice?

Answer 5

It is a ceasefire - an agreement between two sides to put their weapons down until a peace treaty.

Question 6

Why did Germany agree to sign the armistice?

Answer 6

Their army was depleted and had lost the war.

Question 7

What was the Treaty of Versailles and when was it signed?

Answer 7

The T of V was a peace treaty with Germany and signed on the 28th of June 1919.

Question 8

Features of the T of V?

Answer 8

It was dominated by the big 3, Germany had no choice but to sign the “diktat”, Germany regarded it as being very harsh and felt betrayed by Woodrow Wilson’s 14 point speech.

Question 9

Who were the big 3?

Answer 9

PM George Clemenceau, PM Lloyd George and President Woodrow Wilson. They were known as the bog 3 as they heavily influenced the outcome of WW1.

Question 10

What were the agreements and disagreements between the big 3?

Answer 10

They all wanted to punish Germany. However, France wanted to make Germany suffer so badly that they would never be able to attack France again whereas the USA and Britain wanted to punish Germany but not to the point where they would be aggravated and attack again.

Question 11

What were the military terms of treaty?

Answer 11

Military losses 
·      Germany's army reduced to 100,000
·      No tanks allowed
·      Mo air-force allowed
·      Navy limited to 6 ships and no submarines 
·      Demilitarised Rhineland

Question 12

Germany reaction the treaty?

Answer 12

1. The territorial losses. Germans complained that the loss of seven million subjects and 13.5% of her territory was too harsh. In particular they resented the losses to Poland in the east. Germany was now split in two by the polish corridor.
2. The Germans claimed that the allies were trying to bankrupt Germany with their high reparation claims.
3. The terms were worked out in secret and forced upon the Germans.
4. All of Germany’s colonies were taken away but the allies kept theirs
5. The Germans hated having to accept full blame for the war.
6. Above all, Germans hated having to disarm because this left the country defenceless against neighbouring states.

Question 13

What is a quote for Germany’s reactions?

Answer 13

Herr Schneiderman stated that “The allies are driving the knife into the living body of the German people”.

Question 14

What were the main points of Woodrow Wilsons 14 point speech?

Answer 14

On January 8, 1918 President Wilson made a speech on war aims and proposed peace terms, to the US congress.
He wanted all countries to:
· Secret treaties
· Reduce their armaments
· Adjust colonial claims in the interests of both native people and colonists (reduce the size of empires
· Instigate the freedom of seas – all countries can use the seas to trade

Question 15

What was the purpose of the League of Nations?

Answer 15

Its purpose was to promote and maintain peace by having a neutral body to settle disputes around the world through negotiations, trading restrictions and a last resort armed force.

Question 16

Did the League of Nations fails:

Answer 16

Idea-logically it was a great idea but in reality it failed.

Question 17

What were the weaknesses of the league?

Answer 17

1. Not all countries joined the league such as USA, Germany due to WW1 and Russia due to the rise of communism.
2. Trade embargo concept wasn’t adhered to and the depression made things hard enough without losing trading partners.
3. No army to enforce its wishes (toothless tiger) - the league did not have one army to many seperate ones.
4. The league was slow to act – Council of the league only met 4 times a year. Hard to convene emergency meetings to swiftly stop aggressive actions.
5. Example of failures- Japan into Manchuria (1931), Italy invaded Abyssinia (Oct 1935).

Question 18

What were Hitler’s aims and actions?

Answer 18

1. Destroy/defy/ignore the Treaty of Versailles (wherever, whenever and however it suited the aspirations for Germany).
2. Unite all German speaking people – create a “Greater Germany”.
3. Lebensraum (living space) conquers land for Germany in eastern Europe or German citizens to live.
4. Defeat communism.

Question 19

How did Hitler get to power

Answer 19

· Economic and political instability enabled Hitler to come to power (legally) in 1933 when he was appointed chancellor.
· Following president Hindenburg’s death in 1934 he combined the two roles of chancellor and president and appointed himself Fuhrer (supreme leader).
· Immediately began increasing the size of the army, re-building the navy and air-force, introduced compulsory military service and acquired land: Rhineland, Anschluss with Austria, Czechoslovakia. All these actions were in contravention of the Treaty of Versailles.

Question 20

How did hitlers fulfil his aim from 1933 - 1935?

Answer 20

He spent this time rebuilding his army and defying the T of V.

Question 21

How did Hitler fulfil his aim in 1936?

Answer 21

He remilitarised the Rhineland area as well as defying the T of V.

Question 22

How did Hitler fulfil his aim in 1938?

Answer 22

He invaded Austria which is also known as Anschluss in order to unite all German speaking people.

Question 23

How did Hitler fulfil his aim in 1939?

Answer 23

In March of 1939 he was given the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia only if he stop expanding his land. He then went on to invade Poland which forced Britain and France to declare war on Germany. Hitler did this as he wanted to conquer more living space in the east for is ever expanding greater Germany.

Question 24

What is an appeasement?

Answer 24

It is a negotiation to in order to avoid conflict.

Question 25

Why did PM chamberlain try to arrange an appeasement with Hitler?

Answer 25

He tried to arrange an appeasement to try and end Hitler’s expansion of Germany.

Question 26

When and where was the appeasement first heard.

Answer 26

At the Munich conference on the 19th of September in 1939.

Question 27

What were Chamberlains reasons for appeasing Hitler.

Answer 27

Reasons for appeasing Hitler:

1. Some British people approved of Hitler’s policies.
2. The British people hoped that a strong Germany would stop the growth of Communist Russia.
3. Many people felt that events in Europe were not Britains business.
4. Many British people wanted peace.
5. Many people agreed with Hitler that the Treaty of Versailles was unfair.

Question 28

What was the Nazi Soviet Pact?

Answer 28

In April of 1939 France, Britain and Russia formed an Alliance to defend Poland from Hitler. But by August 1939 Russia had flipped and formed an alliance with Germany. Hitler and Stalin ( a Russian leader) chose to split Poland between.

Question 29

What were the territorial terms of the treaty?

Answer 29

Territorials losses
· Stripped of 13% of her territory and 10% of her population
· Alsace-Lorraine was loss to France
· West Prussia, Posen and Upper Silesia to Poland
· Other territory also relinquished to Belgium, Denmark and Czechoslovakia
· Germany lost all of her colonies

Question 30

What were the financial terms of the treaty?

Answer 30

Financial
· Loss of rich coal mining areas of the Saar and Upper Silesia
· 75% of her iron ore deposits and 26% of her coal and potash
· Reparations to the tune of 6,000 Million pounds

Question 31

What were the general terms of the treaty?

Answer 31

General
· Germany had to accept full responsibility for the war (Article 231 – The War Guilt Cause)
· Formation of the League of Nations

Question 32

Should PM Chamberlain tried to appease Hitler?

Answer 32

PM Chamberlain should have known what Hitler’s intentions were from 1933. The appeasement allowed Nazi Germany to gain an enourmous aomout of power subsequently posing a larger threat on Europe. The appeasement encouraged Hitler’s aggression as he gained increased confidence after annexing each new piece of land without any intervention by the League of Nations. In the end Chamberlain was naive and Churchill was right.