The Causes of World War II SOL USII.7a Created by Linda Ellis GRT

Political and economic conditions in Europe following World War I led to the rise of fascism and to World War II. Germany was devastated by the Terms of The Treaty of Versailles. In the Treaty they were blamed for starting the war, they had to pay 6 million for damage caused by the war and they had land taken away. The Germans felt that the Treaty was unfair.

There were 2 main causes of World War II Political instability and economic devastation in Europe resulting from World War I 2. The Rise of Fascism

The causes of World War II Political instability and economic devastation in Europe resulting from World War I World wide depression High war debt owed by Germany High inflation Massive unemployment

Causes of WWII World wide Depression The Great Depression was a severe worldwide world wide depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s. It was the longest, most widespread, and deepest depression of the 20th century, and is used in the 21st century as an example of how far the world's economy can decline. The depression originated in the United States, starting with the stock market crash of October 29, 1929 (known as Black Tuesday), but quickly spread to almost every country in the world. “Diligent young man seeks work" “Bennett buggies,” or "Hoover wagons", cars pulled by horses, were used by farmers too impoverished to purchase gasoline

Causes of WWII continued High war debt owed by Germany World War I reparations refers to the payments and transfers of property and equipment that Germany was forced to make under the Treaty of Versailles (1919) following its defeat during World War I. In January 1921, the total sum due was decided by an Inter-Allied Reparations Commission and was set at 269 billion gold marks (2,790 gold marks equaled 1 kilogram of pure gold), (roughly equivalent to $393.6 Billion US Dollars as of 2005), a sum that many economists at the time deemed to be excessive. This economic burden was deemed unfair by most Germans

Causes of WWII continued High Inflation Inflation is a rise in the prices (cost) of goods and services in an economy over a period of time. When the price level rises, each unit of money buys fewer goods and services; so, annual inflation is also an erosion in the purchasing power of money. When inflation is high people can only afford less.

Causes of WWII continued Massive Unemployment Unemployment occurs when a person is available and willing to work but currently without work. The prevalence of unemployment is usually measured using the unemployment rate, which is defined as the percentage of those in the labor force who are unemployed. Data for (February 2010) showed a decline in the number of Americans who have submitted the first applications for unemployment benefits up from 625 000 to 627 000 in the previous week

High War Debt owed by Germany Causes of World War II 1. Political instability and economic devastation in Europe resulting from World War I World wide depression High Inflation Massive Unemployment High War Debt owed by Germany 2. The rise of fascism

Causes of World War II 2. The Rise of Fascism threatened peace in Europe and Asia Fascism is a political philosophy in which total power is given to a dictator and individual freedoms are denied and nationalism and, often racism are emphasized. Fascism

Fascist Dictators of WWII Hideki Tojo Japan Benito Mussolini Italy Adolf Hitler Germany These dictators led the countries that became known as the Axis Powers

The two sides of the conflict in WWII were the Axis countries and the Allied Countries. The Axis countries were: Germany Italy Japan The Allied countries were: Great Britain United States Soviet Union

Allied Leaders Franklin D. Roosevelt Winston Churchill Harry S. Truman Joseph Stalin

There was a gradual change in American Policy from neutrality to direct involvement Isolationism (The Great Depression, legacy of WWI Isolationism is a national policy of avoiding political or economic entanglements with other countries Economic Aid to Allies Americans did not want to become directly involved in the war but they started giving economic aid to Allied countries Direct involvement in the war December 7, 1941, Japan attacked American forces at Pearl Harbor Hawaii and forced America to go to war

War in the Pacific Rising tension developed between the United States and Japan because of Japanese aggression in East Asia (China) On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor without warning The United States declared war on Japan Germany declared war on the United States

Causes of World War II