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Major and Minor Causes of the Second World War
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The last Kaiser of Germany, Willhelm II, abdicates his throne.
Willhelm II was an unpopular leader and incompetent during times of war. He lost the support of his people and his military, leading to Germany's defeat. After abdicating, he fled to the Netherlands. -
Germany loses the First World War
The German military was spread thin and tired of fighting, and eventually an official armistice was called at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. -
FIRST MAJOR POINT
Germany signs the Treaty of Versailles. This is a major point simply because of the huge repercussions the harsh terms of this Treaty caused upon Germany. Hitler would use the terms of this Treaty as leverage to turn the German people to war. -
The Weimar Republic is established
The Weimar Republic played an instrumental role in Hitler's rise to power, and Hitler's rise to power was one of the main causes of the war. -
Hitler joins the Nazi Party (German Worker's Party)
Hitler joins the Nazi party after being invited by its leader, Anton Drexler. Drexler was impressed with Hitler's speaking skills which prompted the invitation. This marked the beginning of Hitler's rise to power. -
The League of Nations holds its first meeting
On this date, the first meeting of the League of Nations was held. Although the League proved itself useful in the resolution of several major disputes, a major member did not join, namely the United States of America. A decade and a half later, the world would see that without the US, the League lacked power and the sanctions it imposed could not be enforced. -
Benito Mussolini seizes power and overthrows the original government of Italy.
The fact that Mussolini manages to acquire power is significant because it represents the Alliance that would later form between Italy and Germany, the relationship between Mussolini and Hitler and the similarity of both leaders' rule (through totalitarianism). -
SECOND MAJOR POINT
The New York Stock Market crashes, causing a chain reaction that throws the entire world into an economic Depression. Debts from World War One could not be paid, driving countries like the US, France, and Britain deeper into debt. -
The Imperial Japanese Army invades the Chinese province of Manchuria
As part of its plan to acquire more territory and influence, Japan invaded the Chinese province of Manchuria. Although the Chinese government responded by appealing to the League of Nations, the League was powerless and subsequently the sanctions it imposed upon Japan were as well. Japan simply withdrew from the League and simply continued attacking. -
The Nazi Party becomes the largest political party in Germany
This marked an important point of the events leading up to World War Two as it demonstrated how powerful the Nazi Party had become. -
THIRD MAJOR POINT
Adolf Hitler becomes the Chacellor of Germany. This was a crucial event that marked the beginning of the changes that would subsequently throw the world into the Second World War. -
Concentration camps began to be used by Germany
Although Hitler's 'Final Solution' had not yet been implemented at this time, Germany had already begun blaming the Jewish people and making use of concentration camps. This would further goad the German people into war. -
Italy invades independent African nation of Abyssinia
I found this point significant not because of the fact that Italy mobilized upon Abyssinia, but for what the League of Nations did in response to it. Although the League tried to impose trade sanctions, it had no power and proved to be ineffective, ultimately showing how useless the League was. -
FOURTH MAJOR POINT
As a first test of his re-armed military and in direct violation with the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, Hitler sends his troops into the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) of Rhineland. This was extremely significant because it marked the first time Hitler was testing his newfound power. More importantly, Britain and France chose not to act at the time. -
Austria is annexed by Germany
Austria is re-annexed by Germany, something that the Treaty of Versailles had forbidden against. Although this was a serious breach of the Treaty, the Allied powers still did nothing about it. This showed Hitler exactly how much he could overstep the boundaries without repercussion, leading to him commiting bolder acts. -
British Prime Minister attempts appeasement with the Munich Agreement
The British Prime Minister of the time, Neville Chamberlain, attempted to appease Hitler by flying over to Munich to discuss the future of the newly German annexed area named the 'Sudetenland'. This halted the German advances for a mere 6 months before Hitler began to advance again. -
The Pact of Steel creates the Axis powers and joins them together
On this date the Axis powers were created through the Pact of Steel. The Axis powers consisted of Germany, Japan, and Italy, although membership was fluid with nations fighting and not fighting throughout the war. -
Germany and Soviet Russia sign a non-agression pact together
This pact, known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, stunned the entire world. Two bitter enemies promised not to fight each either in this pact. It freed Germany to make it's move upon Poland, which could be seen as the opening for the Second World War. -
FIFTH MAJOR POINT
Germany began her Blitzkrieg conquest of Poland, which was the last straw. It would be this event that drove the Allies to officially declare war on Germany. -
Britain and France declare war upon Germany
After trying and failing to appease Hitler, France and Britain have no choice but to turn to war after watching Hitler run over so many other countries and put his toe across the line countless times.
