The key causes of World War 2 in Europe included the Treaty of Versailles which failed to achieve lasting peace, the failure of the League of Nations to prevent German and Italian aggression, and the appeasement policies of Britain and France that allowed Hitler to aggressively remilitarize and reoccupy territories. In Asia, Western attitudes towards Japan following World War 1, Japan's increased industrialization and reliance on imports, and the rise of militarism in Japan led to its expansionism including the invasion of Manchuria and eventual attack on Pearl Harbor.

1. Revision: Causes of WW2

2. Causes of WW2
In Europe
• Treaty of Versailles
– Solved nothing
• League of Nations
– Failed to keep the peace
• Appeasement
– Letting Hitler rearm
– Letting Hitler reoccupy the Rhine
– Letting Hitler pursue Anschluss
– Letting Hitler take the Sudetenland
• Hitler’s Expansionism
– Defeat Communism
– Pursue ‘living room’ for the German people

3. Test what you remember
• Causes of World War Two Revision Sheet -
JohnDClare.net
• http://
www.johndclare.net/causes_of_world_war_t
wo_revision.htm
• Test your understanding
http://www.johndclare.net/RoadtoWWII10.ht
m

4. Causes of WW2
In Asia & The Pacific
• Western Attitudes to Japan
– Treaty of Versailles
– US Immigration Policy
• Industrialisation of Japan
– Increased reliance on imported raw materials
• Build up of Militarism in Japan
– Militarists control of government
– Assassination of opponents
• Expansionism
– Invasion of Manchuria
– Attack on Pearl Harbour

5. • Who was Georges Clemenceau?
• Who was Woodrow Wilson?
• Who was David Lloyd George?
• What did France hope to achieve from the
peace settlement concluded after WWI?
• What did the USA hope to achieve from the
peace settlement concluded after WWI?
• What was the Anschluss?
• What were the terms of Versailles Treaty?
• What was the Weimar Republic?
• What important event took place in
German history in 1933?
• The membership of the Nazi Party in its
early stages was mostly composed of?
• What were Hitler's policy aims?
• What was the result of the policy of appeasement?
• What was the result of the failure of the League of
Nations?
• In which year did Germany sign a non-aggression
pact with Soviet Russia?
• Why was Hitler's invasion of Poland a significant
event in the build-up to war?
• Who was British Prime Minister at the start of
WWII?
• Which countries belonged to the Axis?
• In the 1930s Japan invaded which area?
• 7 December 1941 is an important date in WWII
because?
• Who was Robert Menzies?
Test what you have learned

6. Answer key to practice quiz
1. C. Poland
2. B. take over the Sudetenland
3. A. Britain’s policy of avoiding conflict with Nazi Germany
4. D. all of these are reasons for Germany’s justification in seeking
Lebensraum
5. C. the Americans were completely surprised
6. B. 1931
7. D. Japan’s diplomatic isolation and withdrawal from the League of
Nations
8. D. increasingly relied on imported raw materials
9. B. Britain, USA and Australia voting against the proposed racial
equality clause at the Treaty of Versailles
10. A. militarism