The Causes of World War II

The Causes of World War II — page 3 — THE LAST WAR In 1918 World War I then called the Great War came to an end The victors were an alliance of countries known as the Allied powers also called the Triple Entente It included British Empire French Republic and the Russian Empire along with other allies such as Italy Japan and the United States The Axis powers also known as the Central Powers had been defeated They were an alliance of countries that included Germany Austria Hungary Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire BELOW Germany stopped fighting on November 11 1918 and accepted defeat GA ED cERMANY CERMANY RENOER PRENDER PA GERMANY SURRENDERS GERMANY SLUIRRENDER

The Causes of World War II — page 4 — t Aut IIIIIIIII trip ABOVE The American Memorial at the cemetery at Flanders Field in Belgium honors the soldiers who died fighting in World War I THE LEGACY OF WWI After four years of bombings much of began a policy of rationing This made Europe had been destroyed Manv of sure all citizens received only a small the buildings in famous cities such as amount of food each day to keep the London and Paris lay in pieces Many nation from running out of food roads and had been bridges damaged In Austria Hungary alone nearly and farmland across the continent had two million people had been left been torn up homeless because of the war Worst In some countries such as Britain food of all an estimated 37 million people was so scarce that the government worldwide had been

The Causes of World War II — page 5 — PEACE AT LAST Because so many countries had been involved in SSION WWI many people believed that the end of the war would bring about world peace In fact the war was not So called World War I or the First World War until World War II began because in 1918 people assumed they would never see another conflict the size of the Great War Unfortunately that war and the events that came afterward actually set the stage for an even bigger world war ABOVE On top of everything else the Great Depression of the 1930s brought more economic hardships to people who were still recovering from the war People often stood in line for free food THE WORLD AFTER WWI WWI had many causes but it officially started after the assassination of This the greatest of all wars is not just another war it is the last war Austrian archduke Franz Ferdinand Because the assassination took place BRITISH WRITER H G WELLS on Serbian soil Austria blamed WRITING ABOUT WORLD WART Serbia After the war the Allied forces continued to blame the Axis powers for causing the war The Allies agreed felt the punishments they received that the defeated countries should were too harsh They resented the return any land they had taken over Allies in return This anger among and pay for the damage the war had nations only got stronger over the caused On their side the Axis powers 20 years that followed WWI

The Causes of World War II — page 6 — Changing Borders A country could also control another One reason that conflict kept growing country through a mandate from the in Europe was the desire for more League of Nations which was like land and more power Some countries today's United Nations For example thought that by controlling other in 1939 Britain had a mandate over the countries they could prevent another middle eastern territory of Palestine war Other countries believed they which meant that Britain governed the had a right to claim land that had been people of Palestine taken away from them One country Finally one country could control could control another through three another country by creating a colony different means A colony is a country that is politically One way was annexation where one and economically controlled by country conquers territory in another another country For example Canada country and claims that territory as and the United States both began as part of itself For example in 1938 colonies of Britain and France Germany annexed Austria Iceland Finland Norway Swed Soviet Union LEFT Before 1939 many of the countries we recognize today didn't exist They were controlled by or were part of other countries This map shows the borders in Europe before World War II Estonia Ireland Britain East Prussia Luxembourg Romania Yugoslav Spain Corsica Bulgaria What do you think Should countries be allowed to take control of other countries If so why Turkey Sardinia Tunisia Sicily Morocco Syria On Cyprus Lel Transjordon Algeria Saudi Egypt

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