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Rudbeck-IB-History-Revision - 2.5 Causes of WW2
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2.5 Causes of WW2 (/2.5+Causes+of+WW2)
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Causes of the Second World War in Europe (1939 - 45)
Past Exam Questions:
Paper 2 Analyse (a) the long-term causes and (b) the short-term causes, of the Second World War.
(May 2009)
Select two causes of the Second World War and show (a) how, and (b) why, they led to the
outbreak of war in 1939. (Specimen)
Compare and contrast the causes of the First World War and the Second World War (May
2008)
Compare and contrast the reasons for Germany’s involvement in the First and Second World
Wars (Nov 2007)
In what ways did the causes of the Second World War differ from the causes of the First World
War? (May 2004)
Paper 3 For what reasons, and with what results, were appeasement policies followed in the 1930s? (Nov
2010)
For what reasons, and to what extent, did attempts to achieve collective security between 1919
and 1939 fail? (May 2010)
To what extent was the Second World War caused by Hitler's policies? (Nov 2008)
Why did the Second World War break out in 1939? (May 2008)
Why did international diplomacy fail to prevent the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939?
(Nov 2007)
**Markscheme notes for these questions**
**REVIEW NOTES ON THE CAUSES OF WAR**
Long-term causes of the Second World War in Europe: how do these contribute to instability
in the international system?
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Unresolved issues after WW1 and the shortcomings of Versailles
A.J.P. Taylor; "The Second World War was, in large part, a repeat performance of the first"- conveys to
the extent that the problems of 1919 were left unresolved.
1. German resentmentThe German population resented the terms that were imposed on them by the TOV and saw the
treaty as a "dictated peace" (they had expected a treaty based upon Wilson's 14 points of selfdetermination.
The treaty stripped the German reich of 25,000 square miles, 7 million habitants- in many cases
the Germans found themselves being treated differently from those that goverened the
settlements with other states.
However, even though Germany was disarmed and Anschluss was strictly forbidden, she still
retained the means to become a great power in the future (in 1945 she would be partitioned) but
now Germany still retained nearly 90% of economic resources.
It was these circumstances that enabled Hitler to rise to power in Germany and it was also the
terms of the treaty that as soon as they became public, poiliticians saw the treaty as too harsh
and led to the new diplomatic strategy of the western powers- appeasement.
2. The disintergration of wartime allied alliancesBy 1920, the alliances that had fought the war had disintigrated, especially Russia who was
completely excluded in the deliberations of 1919.
The Western powers saw Germany as a bulwark to Communism Russia and with Germany
defeated, there would no one to prevent the Communist spread in Europe. This was one of the
main reasons why the western power did not do mucg to object the remilitarization of Germany
in 1934 and onwards.
After the USA drew back to diplomatic isolation, the implementation of the peace treaty of 1919
had to be undertaken by the European powers who were in the midst of their own problems
(economic depression and social restraint).
3. Keynes and the controversy over reparationsEconomist J.M. Keynes denounced the treaty's reparation clauses by saying that such pressure
upon the German economy threatened the stability of the whole European economy.
These kinds of arguments was greatly influential in Britain and the USA and even further
contributes to the policy of appeasement.
However, E.Mantoux argues that the productivity of German industry during the 1930s,
especially armament manufacture, showed that the levels of reparations set in 1921 were after
all within Germany's capacity.
There have been many controversial idea as to if the treaty was a long term cause to the second
world war, and whilst some as Baumont argues that "the treaty righted age-old wrongs", others
claim that the main fault was not in the treaty itself but with the hopes that came with it and the
failure to implement its terms.
Orthodox view of settlement James Joll, "Europe was divided by the peace conference into those who wanted the peace
revised (Germany, Italy, Japan and Hungary) and those who wanted it upheld (France, Poland,
Czechoslovak ia and Yugoslavia), and those who were not that interested (the USA and Britain)".
E.H. Carr, self-determination and collective security as unworkable idealistic principles, and the
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settlement failed to settle the 'German problem'.
A.J.P. Taylor, Versailles as crushing, harsh and lacking in moral validity, as no Germans
accepted it and all wanted to overturn it. From this perspective, the Second World War was "
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