Explanations for World War Two Flashcards

1
Q

Individual-level explanations

A

Hitler’s ambitions and racist ideology, Hitler’s personality, Chamberlain’s unwillingness to acknowledge war.

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2
Q

“Hitler’s ambitions and racist ideology” is an example of?

A

An individual-level explanation.

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3
Q

Hitler’s ambitions and racist ideology

A
  • Hitler was a corporal in World War One in which he was hospitalised in a gas attack.
  • He blamed German loss on Jewish and socialist treason and was determined to reverse the Treaty of Versailles.
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4
Q

“Hitler’s personality” is an example of?

A

An individual-level explanation.

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5
Q

Hitler’s personality

A
  • Strong charisma and a great orator.
  • Developed interest and faith in him by the German public.
  • He was underestimated by the allies.
  • Intent on his own gratification and destroying the people whom he considered lesser.
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6
Q

“Chamberlain’s unwillingness to acknowledge war” is an example of?

A

An individual-level explanation.

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7
Q

Chamberlain’s unwillingness to acknowledge war

A
  • So desperate to avoid war, the thought of it was inconceivable.
  • Hitler knew how to take advantage of Chamberlain’s unwillingness and general Western feeling that the Versailles treaty had been too harsh on Germany.
  • Partly responsible for British military weakness so established a policy of appeasement.
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8
Q

Unit-level explanations

A

Collective action/security was not in the national interest, domestic challenges of states, the spread of pacifist attitudes, economic collapse, social and economic cleavages

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9
Q

“Collective action/security not in the national interest” is an example of?

A

A unit-level explanation.

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10
Q

Collective action/security was not in the national interest

A
  • Widespread belief on the part of revisionist states.
  • Germany, Italy and Japan were dissatisfied with the outcomes of World War One.
  • Led to the rise of fascism in Italy, Nazism in Germany and militarism in Japan.
  • These governments then used threats and violence to achieve political changes in the global system.
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11
Q

Collective security

A
  • Wilson’s League of Nations was based on this principle.
  • The invasion of any country would lead to the intervention of every country.
  • Assumed that all states had a common interest in global peace and stability, and was thus in their interest to aid victims of aggression.
  • Required states to surrender autonomy to the League.
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12
Q

“Domestic challenges of states” is an example of?

A

A unit-level explanation.

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13
Q

Domestic challenges of Italy

A
  • In Italy, the Fascist party was established by Mussolini creating domestic turmoil.
  • Later democracy was abandoned when King Victor Emmanuel III handed Mussolini power.
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14
Q

Domestic challenges of Japan

A
  • In Japan, democracy ended when military officers assassinated democratic politicians and military dictatorship established.
  • Japan set out to establish an Asian empire and in 1941, it waged war with UK and USA.
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15
Q

Domestic challenges of Germany

A
  • In Germany, the Great Depression led to an invocation of emergency powers and then parliamentary elections.
  • Saw the rise of the Nazi party and increased nationalism.
  • Thereafter, Hitler was appointed Chancellor, he outlawed opposition parties and became a dictator.
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16
Q

Domestic challenges of Britain

A
  • In Britain, PMs Baldwin and Chamberlain were paralysed by fear of German growth.
  • Revulsion among British elites at the prospect of another war.
  • Britain’s lack of military preparedness (e.g. air force).
  • The belief that Germany had been treated too harshly by the Treaty of Versailles.
  • Opposition to British rearmament.
  • Led to the policy of appeasement.
17
Q

“The spread of pacifist attitudes” is an example of?

A

A unit-level explanation.

18
Q

The spread of pacifist attitudes

A
  • Lack of desire for rearmament.

- Little public support for the adoption of rigorous measures to halt German, Italian and Japanese aggression.

19
Q

“Economic collapse” is an example of?

A

A unit-level explanation.

20
Q

Economic collapse

A

-After the Great Depression, voters were swayed to vote for Hitler.

21
Q

“Social and economic cleavage” is an example of?

A

A unit-level explanation.

22
Q

Social and economic cleavage

A

-In Britain and France, these cleavages made it difficult to deal firmly with Germany.

23
Q

Global systems-level explanations

A

Change in the distribution of power, the Versailles treaty, the effects of the Great Depression, the spread of extremist ideologies.

24
Q

“Change in the distribution of power” is an example of?

A

A global systems-level explanation.

25
Q

Change in the distribution of power

A
  • The breakup of Austria-Hungary into smaller states became easy prey to German expansionism.
  • The defeat of Germany and harshness of The Treaty of Versailles angered Germans and helped bring about the rise of Hitler.
  • Rise of anti-Semitism and anti-communism.
  • Multipolar distribution of power between Germany, Italy and Japan.
26
Q

“Effects of the Great Depression” is an example of?

A

A global systems-level explanation

27
Q

Effects of the Great Depression

A
  • Led to democratic governments turning inwards and attending to their own woes, refuse to spend what was necessary to strengthen militarily and ignore costly overseas challenges.
  • Led to dissatisfaction in Germany with the Weimar Republic and thus the rise of Hitler.
28
Q

“Division of the world by hostile ideologies” is an example of?

A

A global systems-level explanation

29
Q

Division of the world by hostile ideologies

A
  • German Nazis and Italian fascists considered Russian communists to be deadly enemies.
  • Nazism and fascism was the enemy of Western democracy.
  • Soviet communism and Western capitalism were deeply suspicious of each other, a key factor of the Cold War.