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The Second World War
Causes
than it
1. Dissatisfaction with the Treaty of Versailles-Thistreaty created more problems
divided
solved, The German territories were annexed, its colonies were taken away and she was
into two for the benefit of Poland. She was also burdened with huge war indemnity and her
military power was reduced. This humiliation gave rise to a spirit of revenge and Germany
started to produce armaments.
2. Rise of Fascism and Nazism-The rise of extreme nationalism in Italy and Germany led to
dictatorship which caused the Second World War. Italy signed a ten years pact with Germany
and Mussolini established dictatorship in Italy. He opposed the Treaty of Versailles. He attacked.
Abyssinia and the League of Nations failed to take action against him .In Germany Hitler
opposed the Treaty of Versailles, declared re-armament, annexed Austria and attacked
Czechoslovakia.
3. Policy of Appeasement- Appeasement meant accepting the hostile demands of an aggressive
nation to gain peace. Britain and France followed this policy towards dictatorial countries like
Germany and Italy because they felt that the dictators hada real cause of grievance due to the
humiliating terms of the Treaty of Versailles and if their grievances were removed, they would
not disturb world peace. Further, they also wanted to check the rise of communism and limit the
influence of Russia. Therefore they allowed Germany to rearm and remilitarise Rhineland and
capture Austria and Czechoslovakia. This policy of appeasement led to the war as it encouraged
dictatorship.
4Japanese Invasion of China
Japan attacked China, invaded Manchuria, occupied it and set up agovernment there. It
started an undeclared war against China.
China appealed to the League of Nations but Britain and France paid no attention to this
appeal.
Japan joined Germany and Italy to form the Berlin-Rome-Tokyo AXIS and continued its
policy of expansion and conquest.
ikely Japan left the League of Nations and started occupying British and American properties in
China.
France and Britain followed the policy of appeasement because they wanted Japan to be
used to weaken China
(5.Failure of the League of Nations
USA did not join the League and countries which joined were not interested in collective
security. It was unable to stop the rise of dictatorship.
League was helpless when France atacked Lithuania, Japan seized Manchuria, Italy atacked
Ethiopia and Hitler attacked Czechoslovakia and annexed Austria.
In every crisis, the countries either defied or ignored the League.
It did not have an army of its own.
An economic sanction against aggressor nation was of no use as member states were not
willing to apply the sanctions which affected the economy.
Countries lost faith in the League and entered into mutual political and military alliances.
Hitler's Invasion of POLAND Lmmediate causel
Hitler attacked Poland for the following reasons
He wanted torecapture the Port of Danzing which Germany had lost. He wanted to regain all
teritories they had lost due to the Treaty of Versailles.
C
Germany had been divided intotwo to give Poland a land-route to the sea.
Danzing was inhabited mainly by Germans and Germany could connect with East Prussia by
occupying Danzing corridor.
Germany signed aNon-Aggression Pact with Russia. Poland was accused of committing
atrocities against Germans living there.
EVENTS Japanese
Why did America enter the war- Due to the GermorAttack on Pearl Harbour
America dropped bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 for the following
reasonsS
1. To end the Second World War.
2. To make Japan surrender.
CONSEQUENCES
1. Defeat of the Axis Powers
The Axis powers which comprised Germany,Japan and Italy were defeated by
the Allied powers comprising Britain,France,the Soviet Union and USA.
Germany was divided into two zones- West Germany came under the Capitalist
ideology and was administered by UK,France and the U.S/East Germany was
administred by the Soviet Union and became part of the Communist Bloc./Japan and
Italy became weak./AIl lands seized by Japan were taken away.
2. Formation of the UN
The destruction caused by the two World Wars,the failure of the League of Nations to
prevent wars and maintain peace in the world,division of the world into two power blocs
-one led by USA and the other by Russia and the invention of mass weapons of
destruction led to the formation of the UN.
3. Cold War- Cold war is defined as an atmosphere where there is no armed struggle ,but
rivals continue to maintain their peace time diplomatic relations along with hostility.
USA and USSR emerged as two great powers representing contrasting ideologies. They
divided the world into two rival blocs- the Capitalist bloc led by the USA and the
Communist bloc led by the USSR.
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