Second World War: causes 1 (AQA GCSE History): Revision Notes
Second World War: causes 1
Introduction
While it might seem simple to say that Hitler caused the Second World War, historians understand that the situation was far more complex. Multiple factors combined over time to create the conditions that led to the outbreak of war in 1939. Understanding these interconnected causes helps us see how tensions built up throughout the 1920s and 1930s.
Historical causation is rarely simple. Major events like world wars typically result from multiple interconnected factors that build up over time, rather than single causes or individuals.
The Treaty of Versailles, 28 June 1919
The peace settlement that ended the First World War created significant problems that would later contribute to another global conflict. The treaty's impact on Germany and Europe was profound and long-lasting.
Germany's resentment and Hitler's opportunity
The treaty imposed extremely severe terms on Germany, creating widespread anger and resentment among the German people. This harsh treatment backfired in several ways. Many people, not just in Germany but across Europe, began to feel sympathy for Germany's situation. This sympathy became crucial for Hitler's rise to power, as it meant that when he began breaking the treaty's terms, people were more willing to overlook his actions. Hitler skillfully used this resentment to gain support, presenting himself as Germany's saviour who would restore the nation's strength and dignity.
The Treaty of Versailles' harsh terms created a cycle of resentment that actually helped Hitler gain power. The treaty was designed to weaken Germany, but instead gave Hitler the perfect justification for his aggressive policies.
Territorial changes and new tensions
The treaty fundamentally reshaped Europe's borders, creating new problems in the process. When Poland was recreated as an independent state, it required taking territory from both Germany and the Soviet Union (USSR). This territorial loss created lasting resentment in Germany, while also pushing the USSR closer to Germany, eventually leading to the Nazi-Soviet Pact. The creation of new states like Czechoslovakia and an enlarged Poland meant that millions of German-speaking people now lived outside Germany's borders. Hitler would later use the presence of these German minorities as justification for his aggressive expansion, claiming he was simply reuniting German people with their homeland.
The failure of the League of Nations, 1930-1939
The League of Nations was designed to maintain peace, but several fundamental weaknesses made it ineffective when real crises emerged.
Structural weaknesses from the beginning
The League faced serious problems from its creation. Most importantly, the United States never joined, despite President Wilson's role in creating it. Without America's economic and military power, the League lacked the strength to enforce its decisions effectively. Other major powers like the USSR, Germany, and initially Japan were either not members or left the organisation. This meant that crucial international negotiations often happened outside the League's framework, such as the Hoare-Laval Pact between Britain and France, which undermined the League's authority and made it appear irrelevant.
The League of Nations suffered from a fundamental contradiction: it was supposed to maintain world peace, but many of the world's most powerful countries were not members or actively opposed its work.
Crisis failures that exposed weaknesses
Two major international crises in the 1930s demonstrated the League's inability to maintain peace. The Manchuria Crisis showed that the League couldn't stand up to powerful countries that were determined to break international law. When Japan invaded Manchuria, the League's response was slow and ineffective, encouraging other potential aggressors. The Abyssinian Crisis was even more damaging because it revealed that the League couldn't take meaningful action even when a member country (Italy) was clearly in the wrong. The lack of an army meant the League had to rely on economic sanctions, but these proved inadequate against determined aggressors.
The League's failures in Manchuria and Abyssinia sent a clear message to potential aggressors: international law could be broken without serious consequences. This encouraged further aggression by dictators like Hitler.
The Great Depression, 1929-1939
The economic catastrophe that began in 1929 created conditions that made war more likely by undermining international cooperation and making extreme political solutions more appealing.
Impact on international relations
The Great Depression significantly weakened the global commitment to working together peacefully. The United States retreated into isolationism as it focused on solving its domestic economic problems. This withdrawal removed a potential stabilising force from international politics. Meanwhile, the economic crisis made it much harder for the League of Nations to impose effective economic sanctions, since member countries were reluctant to damage their own struggling economies by cutting off trade relationships.
Rise of extremist leaders
The severe economic hardship created perfect conditions for dictators like Hitler and Mussolini to gain power and popularity. As unemployment soared and living standards collapsed, people became desperate for solutions and were willing to listen to leaders who promised simple answers and someone to blame for their problems. These dictators offered hope and national pride to populations that felt humiliated and forgotten. The economic chaos also meant that governments were more focused on solving their immediate domestic problems than on preventing international aggression.
Economic desperation often makes populations more willing to accept extreme political solutions. The Great Depression created the ideal conditions for dictators to rise to power by offering simple explanations for complex problems.
Military action becomes impossible
The Depression made it practically impossible for democratic countries to take the kind of military action that might have stopped aggression early. Countries simply couldn't afford to maintain large armies or fight expensive wars when they were struggling to feed their own people and rebuild their economies. This economic weakness was well understood by potential aggressors, who realised that democratic countries were unlikely to respond with force to territorial expansion or treaty violations.
The Great Depression created a dangerous situation where democratic countries were too economically weak to stop aggression, while dictatorships used the crisis to build up their military strength and popular support.
Timeline of key events
- 28 June 1919: Treaty of Versailles signed, creating long-term resentment in Germany
- 1929: Great Depression begins, leading to economic chaos worldwide
- 1930-1939: Period of League of Nations failures and increasing international tensions
- 1931: Japan invades Manchuria, League fails to respond effectively
- 1935: Italy invades Abyssinia, League sanctions prove ineffective
- 1939: Second World War breaks out
Key Points to Remember:
- The Treaty of Versailles created resentment that Hitler exploited to gain power and justify breaking international agreements
- The League of Nations was fatally weakened by the absence of major powers and its lack of military force to back up decisions
- The Great Depression made countries focus inward and unable to afford military action against aggressors
- These three factors worked together - economic crisis made the League ineffective while giving dictators the perfect conditions to rise to power
- Multiple causes combined over twenty years to create the conditions for war, showing that complex historical events rarely have single explanations