What was WWII?
•Largest war in human history.
•Involved countries, colonies, and territories around the entire world. •By the end, over 70 million were dead.
•It lasted from 1939 until 1945
Causes
•W WI and the Treaty of Versailles•Appeasement•Rise of Totalitarianism
WWI and the Treaty of Versailles
•Germany
lost land to surrounding nations
•War
reparations
–Allies collect $ to pay back war debts to
US
–Germany pays $57 trillion (modern day
equivalent)
– Germans are bankrupt, embarrassed, guilt
ridden, and angry.
•Desperate
people turn to desperate leaders
Appeasement
Giving someone something to make them happy and leave you alone.
Hitler demanded land that wasn’t Germany’s and others just gave it to him.
Nations were trying to prevent war…it didn’t work. (Isolationism)
Appeasement just showed Hitler that he could do whatever he wanted.
Rise of Totalitarianism
A system in which the state and its leader have nearly TOTAL control.
Individual rights are not viewed as important as the needs of the nation.
No right to vote
No free speech
Government controlled economy
Often a police state
How did WWII start?
Germany invaded Poland.
Allies declare war on Germany.
Germany then invades France, Belgium, etc.
Then Hitler invades Russia.
Germans use “blitzkrieg” to overwhelm other armies.
Blitzkrieg means “lightening war” in German.
Surround with tanks and troops in trucks.
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