Standard: SS6H7a
Essential Questions: 1) How did the Treaty of Versailles contribute to the outbreak of WWII?
2) How was Hitler able to come to power?
Name:
Date:
Per:
T.o.C. #
Warm-Up: Review the following photos from Germany during the 1920s and 1930s. Answer the
questions that follow.
1. Describe your feelings about the Allied Powers in the 1920s and 1930s if you were a German from
the photographs
2. If someone started to tell you that they wanted to seek revenge on the countries that did this to
you, how would you feel about that?
Key Vocabulary: Appeasement: When a country accepts whatever another country does, to avoid a war.
Historical Context:
Starting in the 1930s, Adolf Hitler began campaigning with the National Socialist Party, more commonly
referred to as the “Nazi Party” on the platform that Germany had been beat down for too long and that it
was time for Germany to regain its former glory.
One of the things that was very important to Hitler and the Nazi Party was restoring Germany to its
former land holdings. Although under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles Germany wasn’t technically
allowed to start building their military, they started secretly making plans to invade neighboring
countries.
Countries across Europe saw that Germany was beginning to mobilize its army, but were unwilling to
declare war on Germany. The horrors of World War I were still fresh in Europe’s collective memory, and
most countries did not want to experience that scale of violence again. In 1938, British Prime Minister
Neville Chamberlain allowed Hitler to take Czechoslovakia if he promised not to invade any other
countries.
When Nazi Germany invaded Poland in 1939, however, France and Britain declared war on Hitler’s
regime. Germany’s invasion of Poland started World War II.
Task 1: The following is from a speech given by British Prime Minister (leader) Neville Chamberlain.
The speech was given right after he had reached an agreement with Hitler.
--British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, October 3, 1938
1. What did Chamberlain say his “main goal” was, as Prime Minister?
2. Why did Chamberlain think that it was important to get past the “issue of Czechoslovakia?”
3. Chamberlain said “there shall be peace in our time.” Was he right? Explain.
4. Do you think Chamberlain was right to try and reach an agreement with Hitler? Explain.
Task 2: The following is a political cartoon from pre-WWII.
1. What country does the large soldier represent?
2. According to this cartoonist, why don’t Britain and France care about Austria and Czechoslovakia?
3. What does the cartoonist suggest will happen to Britain and France if Germany keeps invading
other countries?
4. Circle one:
This cartoonist is for appeasement
This cartoonist is against appeasement
5. How can you support your answer from #4? Write at least 1-2 sentences.
Task 3: “Yertle the Turtle” is a Dr. Seuss creation from 1958. Some historians believe that WWII was
part of the inspiration for this book. After watching the video clip, answer the following questions.
1. How does Yertle act in the beginning? What are his ultimate goals?
2. How does Yertle believe that he can reach his goals? How does he treat the other turtles?
3. What happens at the end of the story? Does Yertle learn anything, and if so, what?