We can count many causes of World War 2, political and others, but the three root causes of World

War 2 were : 1. The Prussian Militarism - developed in 200 years of history, it was the force that made Germany so powerful, and made it possible for a man like Adolf Hitler to gain total control of it. 2. Adolf Hitler - a madman and political genius, Adolf Hitler re-ignited the Prussian militarism after the German defeat in World War 1, and with this great power under his total control, he started the greatest and cruelest war in history, in his planned attempt to vastly expand Germany and to dominate the entire world. 3. Appeasement - Britain and France could easily stop Hitler when Germany was still weak, but their war-traumatized pacifist desire to totally avoid violence just helped Hitler rebuild Germany's military strength more rapidly, until it was too late to stop him.

The Treaty of Versailles solved nothing more Reparations left many people in the victorious nations feeling guilty. The loss of all that land to other countries simply made Hitler's early aggression look justified. Self-determination surrounded Germany by a lot of small nation states that fell easy prey to Germany. Most of all, the Treaty made the Germans angry, just waiting their chance for revenge.

. The League of Nations failed to keep the peace It was weak from the beginning, and had spectacular failures in Manchuria and Abyssinia, and it failed to prevent Hitler breaking the Treaty of Versailles. It failed to achieve disarmament, which resulted in an arms race. Countries left the failing League, and realised that they would have to fight a war. Britain and France abandoned collective security, and turned instead to appeasement.

Appeasement encouraged aggression more Appeasement encouraged war. It made Hitler think no one dare stop him, which encouraged him to go further and further until in the end he went too far. The Sudetenland led Stalin to make the Nazi-Soviet Pact, because he believed he could not trust Britain.

Hitler was expansionist Many historians still think that the Second World War was Hitler's personal war, and that he always intended to fight a war - as a re-run of a First World War he did not believe that German had lost fairly.

Eight Steps to War [SCRAMCUP] In addition, the events leading up to the war played a part in starting the fighting. Each event created anger in the allies. This anger grew until Chamberlain declared war on Hitler on 3rd September 1939.

EIGHT events have been identified by historians as being especially significant in causing war (click on the yellow pointers to see HOW they helped to cause war): Saar Plebsicite, 1935 It broke the Treaty of Versailles It started a rearmament race It divided the nations opposing Germany.

Conscription and Re-armament, 1935 It broke the Treaty of Versailles

 It started a rearmament race It divided the nations opposing Germany.

Rhineland, 1936 It broke the Treaty of Versailles It was the first military action by Hitler and it was successful France lost the opportunity to stop Hitler once and for all.

Austria, 1938 It broke the Treaty of Versailles It was the first time Hitler had annexed land outside Germany It marked the beginning of Mussolini's support for Hitler It marked the first time Chamberlain appeased Hitler because Austria was 'too far away to help'.

Munich, 1938 It was the first time Hitler took land that was not simply redressing the Treaty of Versailles It convinced Hitler that Chamberlain and Daladier were 'worms' who could be bullied It convinced Stalin that Chamberlain and Daladier would not stand up to Hitler and led him to make the Nazi-Soviet Pact The German army, hoping Hitler would be humiliated by the allies, had planned to topple him when he was; his success meant the end of any hope of getting rid of Hitler.

Czechoslovakia, 1939

 It discredited appeasement and demonstrated that Hitler's promises could not be trusted It was the first time Hitler had annexed a non-German people; thus it appear to prove that he wanted to dominate the whole world Czecholsovakia was a democracy, which worried the other western democracies It convinced Chamberlain that Hitler would ot be stopped by negotiation, and led him to make the Polish Guarantee (which was the eventual trigger of the war) It outraged the British people, and got them ready for war (where in September 1938 they had been overwhelmingly in favour of peace).

USSR/Nazi Pact, 1939 It was the agreement which made Hitler brave enough to invade Poland It was seen as a disgusting act of political cynicism which convinced British people of the need for a war to stop this evil man.

Poland, 1939 The Polish Guarantee was the end of appeasement - a 'non-negotiable' which provoked war The Polish Guarantee was the promise that prevented Chamberlain cutting another deal with Hitler in August 1939 The Polish Guarantee was the decision which threw Stalin into the NaziSoviet Pact the invasion of Poland was the event which explicitly caused Britain to declare war on 3 September 1939.