Warm-Up: Global Conflict

Instructions: Take 5 minutes to quietly answer the following questions in your notebook or on a piece of scratch paper.

1. Think about a small disagreement between two people or groups. What factors could cause that disagreement to escalate and involve many more people?
   
   
   
   
2. How might economic problems or strong national pride contribute to such an escalation?
   
   
   
   
3. What role could leaders play in either preventing or fueling a larger conflict?
   
   
   
   

The Road to World War II: Unpacking the Causes

World War II, the deadliest conflict in human history, did not erupt spontaneously. It was the culmination of a complex interplay of political, economic, and ideological factors that had been simmering since the end of World War I. Understanding these causes is crucial to grasping the war's origins and its profound impact.

The Lingering Resentment from World War I

The Treaty of Versailles, signed in 1919 to formally end World War I, is often cited as a major contributing factor to the next global conflict. While intended to ensure lasting peace, many Germans viewed its terms as excessively harsh and humiliating. Germany was forced to:

• Accept sole blame for the war.
• Pay massive reparations to the Allied powers.
• Lose significant territory and all its overseas colonies.
• Severely limit its military capabilities.

This widespread resentment created fertile ground for extremist nationalist ideologies to take root, promising to restore Germany's pride and power.

The Rise of Totalitarian Regimes

The 1920s and 1930s saw the emergence of powerful, authoritarian governments in several key nations. These totalitarian regimes exerted absolute control over their citizens, suppressed dissent, and often pursued aggressive foreign policies.

• Fascist Italy (Benito Mussolini): Inspired by ancient Rome, Mussolini's fascist movement emphasized nationalism, militarism, and the supremacy of the state. Italy sought to expand its empire, invading Ethiopia in 1935.
• Nazi Germany (Adolf Hitler): Hitler and the Nazi Party rose to power in Germany by exploiting public discontent and economic hardship. Nazism was based on extreme nationalism, racial supremacy (especially antisemitism), and the desire for Lebensraum (living space) for the German people. Hitler openly defied the Treaty of Versailles by rearming Germany and expanding its military.
• Imperial Japan (Militarists): While not fascist in the European sense, Japan's government became increasingly dominated by militarists who believed in Japan's destiny to lead Asia. Japan aggressively expanded its territory, invading Manchuria in 1931 and launching a full-scale invasion of China in 1937.

The Policy of Appeasement

As Germany, Italy, and Japan became more aggressive, many Western democracies, particularly Britain and France, adopted a policy of appeasement. This meant giving in to the aggressors' demands in hopes of avoiding another devastating war like WWI. Key examples include:

• Rhineland Remilitarization (1936): Hitler sent troops into the demilitarized Rhineland, a direct violation of the Treaty of Versailles. Britain and France took no action.
• Anschluss (1938): Germany annexed Austria, uniting German-speaking peoples. Again, there was little international resistance.
• Sudetenland/Munich Agreement (1938): Hitler demanded the Sudetenland, a region of Czechoslovakia with a significant German population. Britain's Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and France agreed to this demand at the Munich Conference, believing it would ensure "peace in our time." This proved to be a critical failure of appeasement, as Hitler soon seized the rest of Czechoslovakia.

Appeasement emboldened Hitler and other aggressive leaders, making them believe that the Western powers would not stand in their way.

Failure of the League of Nations

The League of Nations, an international organization created after WWI to prevent future wars, proved largely ineffective. It lacked its own military force and often failed to take decisive action against aggressor nations. Its inability to stop Japan's invasion of Manchuria or Italy's invasion of Ethiopia severely undermined its credibility.

The Spark: Invasion of Poland

After securing the Soviet Union's neutrality through the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (a non-aggression pact that secretly divided Eastern Europe), Hitler invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. This act of aggression finally pushed Britain and France to declare war on Germany, officially marking the beginning of World War II in Europe. The "spark" had finally ignited the "fire" that would consume the world.

Understanding WWII Worksheet

Instructions: Answer the following questions using your knowledge from the lesson, the Causes of WWII Reading, and the WWII: The Spark & The Fire Slide Deck.

Part 1: Causes of the War

1. Explain how the Treaty of Versailles contributed to the outbreak of World War II. What specific aspects of the treaty angered Germans?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. Describe the rise of totalitarian regimes in Germany, Italy, and Japan. How did their ideologies and goals differ, and what did they have in common?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

3. What was the policy of appeasement, and why did Britain and France pursue it? Provide at least two examples of appeasement.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

4. How did the failure of the League of Nations contribute to the outbreak of WWII?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Part 2: Key Events & Turning Points

5. What event officially started World War II in Europe? Describe the tactic Germany used in its initial invasion.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

6. Why was the attack on Pearl Harbor a significant turning point in the war?
   
   
   
   

7. Identify and explain the importance of two major turning points in the European theater of the war.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

8. What events led to V-E Day and V-J Day, marking the end of the war in Europe and the Pacific, respectively?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Part 3: Impacts & Aftermath

9. Describe the Holocaust. What was its purpose, and what lessons should humanity learn from it?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

10. What international organization was formed after WWII, and what was its primary goal?
    
    
    
    

11. How did WWII lay the groundwork for the Cold War?
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

12. Identify at least two other significant long-term impacts of World War II on the world.

Understanding WWII Answer Key

Part 1: Causes of the War

1. Explain how the Treaty of Versailles contributed to the outbreak of World War II. What specific aspects of the treaty angered Germans?
   • Thought Process: The Treaty of Versailles, signed after WWI, imposed harsh terms on Germany. These terms led to widespread resentment and economic instability, which extremist groups like the Nazis exploited to gain power. Specific aspects that angered Germans included the War Guilt Clause (Article 231), which forced Germany to accept sole responsibility for WWI, the massive reparations it had to pay to Allied powers, significant territorial losses (including all overseas colonies), and the severe limitations placed on its military (e.g., restricted army size, no air force, demilitarization of the Rhineland).

1. Describe the rise of totalitarian regimes in Germany, Italy, and Japan. How did their ideologies and goals differ, and what did they have in common?
   • Thought Process: Totalitarian regimes are characterized by absolute state control. In Germany, Hitler's Nazism was based on racial supremacy and the quest for Lebensraum (living space). In Italy, Mussolini's Fascism emphasized extreme nationalism and the supremacy of the state. In Japan, militarists sought regional dominance in Asia through aggressive expansion. Differences lay in their specific ideological focuses (racial purity vs. imperial glory vs. nationalistic expansion). Commonalities included strong, centralized control, suppression of political opposition, aggressive expansionist foreign policies, and a glorification of the state or nation above individual rights.

1. What was the policy of appeasement, and why did Britain and France pursue it? Provide at least two examples of appeasement.
   • Thought Process: Appeasement was a diplomatic strategy of making concessions to an aggressor power in hopes of avoiding war. Britain and France pursued it because they were economically devastated after WWI, sought to avoid another large-scale conflict, and some believed Hitler's demands were limited or justifiable (e.g., uniting German-speaking people). They also feared communism more than fascism initially. Examples include: allowing Germany to remilitarize the Rhineland (1936), permitting the Anschluss (annexation of Austria) in 1938, and the Munich Agreement (1938) where they allowed Germany to annex the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia.

1. How did the failure of the League of Nations contribute to the outbreak of WWII?
   • Thought Process: The League of Nations, created to prevent future wars, failed due to a lack of enforcement power and the absence of major powers like the U.S. Its inability to take decisive action against aggressive expansion by Japan (Manchuria), Italy (Ethiopia), and Germany (Rhineland, Czechoslovakia) demonstrated its weakness. This encouraged totalitarian regimes, signaling that aggressive actions would likely go unpunished, thereby emboldening them to pursue further conquests.

Part 2: Key Events & Turning Points

1. What event officially started World War II in Europe? Describe the tactic Germany used in its initial invasion.
   • Thought Process: World War II in Europe officially began with Germany's invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939. The tactic Germany used was Blitzkrieg, or

Cool-Down: Echoes of War

Instructions: Take 3-5 minutes to respond to the following prompt in your notebook or on a separate sheet of paper. Your response will serve as an exit ticket for today's lesson.

Reflect on one significant impact of World War II that we discussed today.

How does this impact still resonate in our world today, or what is one important lesson we can learn from it?