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Treaty of Versailles
On June 28, 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was signed. This treaty took away all of Germany's colonies, downsized their army to 100 000 men along with holding them responsible for the entire war and forcing them to pay for all of the damages. This establishment angered the German population along with bringing the nation into an economic depression. This event contributed to the war as the state that Germany was left in allowed Hitler to rise and gain power. -
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The League of Nations
The League of Nations was formally established on January 10, 1920. This was a group that wanted an establishment of "a general association of nations" that would work as a unit to solve problems peacefully and as a team. This aspect contributed to the war as their overall plan failed. The group was based on the principle of national security and because they failed to prevent the outbreak of war, the main purpose of the group was unsuccessful. -
Economic Depression
Germany's economic depression was a major contributing factor on the path to war. As a result of the Treaty of Versailles, Germany was extremely vulnerable. As the nation was largely in debt, they began printing ample amounts of money in 1923 which only resulted in the currency being devalued. This led to a chain reaction causing unemployment rates to soar and business to collapse. This contributed to the war as this state allowed leaders such as Hitler to rise and take control over the country. -
The Rise of Hitler
On January 30, 1933, Adolf Hitler was appointed chancellor. Since Germany was facing an economic depression, it was the perfect time for Hitler to gain power. He made multiple promises about how he would bring the nation out of this state and was worshiped by the majority of the German race as they were desperate for a solution. Hitler was a contributing factor in the war as many people did not agree with his actions and therefore were prepared to go to war with Germany. -
Appeasement "...war was declared."
On March 7, 1936, Germany sent troops into the Rhineland. Although this was against the Treaty of Versailles, this act was ignored as France was dealing with a political crisis at the time. On the account of Britain, no action was taken against Germany as they viewed the situation as Germany marching onto their own land rather than intruding a demilitarized zone. This contributed to the war as France and Britain eventually realized that they had ignored the situation for too long and therefore, -
Germany Invades Poland
This act was a contributing factor in the war as it was the determining factor in whether or not there would be a war. Since Britain and France had an alliance with Poland, they were forced to act when the Germans invaded. When an ultimatum was given (Germany could either withdraw from Poland or go to war,) Germany declined, thus beginning the Second World War.
