Causes of World War II

Causes of World War II

• Germany and its allies were defeated in World War I and imposed heavy sanctions, leading to hyperinflation and economic crisis
• The Treaty of Versailles held Germany responsible for the war and imposed unreasonable debt, causing resentment among Germans
• The global economic crisis of 1929 worsened Germany's economy, leading to the rise of nationalism and the Nazi party

Rise of Nationalism

• Adolf Hitler rose to power in 1933 and restored military service, violating the Treaty of Versailles
• Germany began an aggressive foreign policy, annexing Austria and invading Czechoslovakia
• Italy, under Benito Mussolini, expanded its colonial empire, seizing Ethiopia and Albania
• Japan continued its expansionist policy, invading China and committing massacres and using chemical and biological weapons

Outbreak of World War II

• Germany signed a non-aggression pact with the USSR and invaded Poland, prompting the United Kingdom and France to declare war
• Germany launched a Blitzkrieg strategy, rapidly invading Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Belgium
• France was defeated, and Germany occupied the north and west, while the French colonies and Belgian Congo remained loyal to the Allies

The War Expands

• The Soviet Union seized the Baltic states and part of Romania, while Germany, Italy, and Japan formed the Axis Powers
• Germany failed to take over the UK, and Hitler shifted his focus to invading the USSR
• Italy failed to invade Greece, and Germany invaded Yugoslavia and Greece
• Resistance movements formed across Europe, with people organizing strikes, demonstrations, and sabotage

The War in the East

• Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, the largest military operation in history, against the USSR
• The siege of Leningrad lasted 872 days, causing over 1 million civilian deaths
• German troops were stopped at the gates of Moscow, where they suffered a harsh winter
• The SS massacred Slavic and Jewish populations behind the front lines

The War in the Pacific

• Japan occupied French Indochina, prompting the US to impose an embargo on oil and steel
• Japan launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, drawing the US into the war
• Japan conquered territories in the Pacific and committed atrocities, including forced labor and prostitution

Concentration and Extermination Camps

• Germany built concentration and extermination camps, massacring Jews, resistance fighters, political opponents, gypsies, homosexuals, and people with disabilities
• Japan sent millions of Chinese civilians into forced labor camps, and Allied prisoners were exhausted building a railway in Burma and Thailand

Turning Points

• The Allies landed in Morocco and Algeria, and Italy's Libya was caught between two fronts
• The Soviets took the initiative and counterattacked, forcing Germany to concentrate on the Eastern Front
• The Allies landed in Normandy, liberating Paris and advancing rapidly
• The USSR advanced westward, and Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945

Aftermath

• At least 60 million people died, mostly civilians
• The United States and USSR emerged as global superpowers
• The United Nations was created to maintain peace and international security, but both sides engaged in indirect confrontations around the world

Causes of World War II

• Germany's defeat in World War I led to hyperinflation and economic crisis due to heavy sanctions
• The Treaty of Versailles imposed unreasonable debt on Germany, fueling resentment among Germans
• The 1929 global economic crisis worsened Germany's economy, leading to the rise of nationalism and the Nazi party

Rise of Nationalism

• Adolf Hitler rose to power in 1933 and restored military service, violating the Treaty of Versailles
• Germany annexed Austria and invaded Czechoslovakia, while Italy, under Benito Mussolini, expanded its colonial empire
• Japan continued its expansionist policy, invading China and committing massacres and using chemical and biological weapons

Outbreak of World War II

• Germany signed a non-aggression pact with the USSR and invaded Poland, prompting the UK and France to declare war
• Germany launched a Blitzkrieg strategy, rapidly invading Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Belgium
• France was defeated, and Germany occupied the north and west, while French colonies and the Belgian Congo remained loyal to the Allies

The War Expands

• The Soviet Union seized the Baltic states and part of Romania, while Germany, Italy, and Japan formed the Axis Powers
• Germany failed to take over the UK, and Hitler shifted his focus to invading the USSR
• Italy failed to invade Greece, and Germany invaded Yugoslavia and Greece
• Resistance movements formed across Europe, with people organizing strikes, demonstrations, and sabotage

The War in the East

• Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, the largest military operation in history, against the USSR
• The siege of Leningrad lasted 872 days, causing over 1 million civilian deaths
• German troops were stopped at the gates of Moscow, where they suffered a harsh winter
• The SS massacred Slavic and Jewish populations behind the front lines

The War in the Pacific

• Japan occupied French Indochina, prompting the US to impose an embargo on oil and steel
• Japan launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, drawing the US into the war
• Japan conquered territories in the Pacific and committed atrocities, including forced labor and prostitution

Concentration and Extermination Camps

• Germany built concentration and extermination camps, massacring Jews, resistance fighters, political opponents, gypsies, homosexuals, and people with disabilities
• Japan sent millions of Chinese civilians into forced labor camps, and Allied prisoners were exhausted building a railway in Burma and Thailand

Turning Points

• The Allies landed in Morocco and Algeria, and Italy's Libya was caught between two fronts
• The Soviets took the initiative and counterattacked, forcing Germany to concentrate on the Eastern Front
• The Allies landed in Normandy, liberating Paris and advancing rapidly
• The USSR advanced westward, and Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945

Aftermath

• At least 60 million people died, mostly civilians
• The United States and USSR emerged as global superpowers
• The United Nations was created to maintain peace and international security, but both sides engaged in indirect confrontations around the world