IB2SL
IB2HL
IB3SL
IB3HL
CAUSES OF WORLD WAR II

TIME PERIOD: 3 lessons (+ expected home work)

TYPE: Individual work / Essay at home or essay in class

TOPICS: 3 topics

1. Hitler and Germany

2. Appeasement

3. Other causes

PURPOSE: To be able to refer to and explain different theories about the origin of WWII. Since Germany played an important role it's also important to read about the Third Reich - German domestic and foreign policies 1933-1939...

MATERIAL:
Old Morris = 286-302
New Morris = 297-327
Newest Morris = 297-327
Traynor = 171-202 / 252-305

NOTES: ORIGIN OF WORLD WAR TWO
Two major interpretations of the causes of WWII exist:
  1. The major cause of the Second World War was Hitler's desire for the expansion of Germany
  2. The major cause of the Second World War was the policy of appeasement
Other important interpretations are:
  1. The consequences of the Paris Peace Settlement’s
  2. The role of Mussolini and Italy 1933-1939
  3. The Soviet Union and the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact 1939
  4. The weak French foreign policy
  5. The isolation of the USA
  6. The failure of the League of Nations
  7. The Depression (esp. after the Wall Street Crash 1929)
  8. Nationalism
  9. Totalitarian ideologies; communism, fascism and Nazism
One important scholar of the “origins/causes” is A.J.P. Taylor:
In his book "The origins of the Second World War" (1961) A.J.P. Taylor stated:
  • Hitler was not an "evil monster" who molded events to fit his master plan, but he was a man of "improvisation", "opportunism" and "the-spur-of-the-moment bright idea". His foreign policy followed earlier German tradition
  • Appeasement was a logical and realistic policy, but the mistakes made by Chamberlain when he abandons this policy brought the war on
So... the Second World War according to A.J.P. Taylor broke out not because of Hitler's design, but because of Chamberlain's blunders. Hitler's foreign policy succeeded (for a while) because of his ability to seize opportunities and profit from the mistakes of his opponents.
Link to more detailed information about the
“Causes of World War II - Historiography”
"Causes of World War II"
PP - Causes of WWII (the "Spider")