WWII Pt 1.

World War

II

• What?

– World War II is the most destructive event in human history.

Almost 2 billion people are impacted by the war. Almost 70
million men fought in WWII at some point. More than 72 million
people died from fighting, starvation, mistreatment, and disease.

• When?

– 1930’s - 1945

• Where?

– The war begins in several locations, at several different times;

but rapidly expands to become a true world war.

• Who?

– Everyone.

Section 1: Causes of World War II

WORD WALL

blitzkrieg

holocaust

Aryan

Semitic

lebensraum

indecisive

appeasement

atomic

kamikaze

Learning Goal

⚫ Students will be able to recall the causes of World War II and

explain how each of them relates to the events that lead up to
World War II.

Causes of World War II

•WWII begins for many of the same reasons as WWI; but mainly because of
the motivations and goals of the totalitarian states of the 1930’s. Two in
particular, Nazi Germany and the Japanese Empire.

•Both Japan and Germany, while being separated by thousands of miles and
vastly different cultures, entered the 1930’s with very similar goals, ideas,
and styles.

•This common set of ideals and goals for expansion and domination led the
two empires to join forces, and with Italy, set the entire world down the road
to war.

•1. Views on government and power

•2. Militaristic culture

•3. Racial motivations

•4. Goals for domination

•5. Common enemies

Causes of World War II

•1. Views on Government and Power

• Both the Nazi and Japanese Empires believed in strong, controlling

governments. They thought democratic systems were feeble and lacked
decisiveness.

• They argued that only under a totalitarian rule could nations achieve their full

potential.

• In such a system, the most capable individuals would rise to power through

competition, shaping the direction of the empire. Those deemed weak were
either forced to comply or eliminated, as compromise was seen as a sign of
weakness that deserved domination by stronger nations.

Multiple Choice

Which type of government did the Nazi and Japanese Empires prefer?

• Democracy

• Totalitarian

• Monarchy

• Oligarchy

“Those who want to live, let them fight, and those who do
not want to fight in this world of eternal struggle do not
deserve to live. “

Adolf Hitler

Causes of World War II

•2. Militaristic Culture

• In the 1930s, both Japan and Nazi Germany admired their military histories

and emphasized military culture.

• Japan particularly celebrated its warrior heritage, including the samurai and

the code of bushido. The Japanese military saw themselves as modern
samurai, ready to sacrifice for the empire and the emperor, valuing victory
and refusing defeat.

• Military action was considered essential by the Japanese government to

gain glory, expand their empire, and expel Western influence from Asia.

Multiple Choice

1. What did the Japanese government consider essential for gaining glory?

• 1. Cultural exchanges

• 1. Economic reforms

• Military action

• Diplomatic negotiations

Causes of World War II

•2. Militaristic Culture

• Nazi leaders also promoted and strongly valued the German militaries history

and culture. The Nazis portrayed themselves and the new German Reich as
the extension of previous German Empires, the empire of Charlemagne and
the Holy Roman Empire.

• Hitler believed that warfare was crucial for proving superiority and viewed

war as unavoidable and essential. He argued that Germany's military power
was vital for survival and justified taking land and resources from weaker
nations.

Multiple Choice

How did Japan and Nazi Germany view military culture?

• Unimportant

• Negligible

• Optional

• Essential

Causes of World War II

•3. Racial Motivations

•In Japan and Germany, governments used propaganda to fuel existing racial
fears, portraying their people as superior and rightful leaders, while depicting
enemies as inferior and evil.

• In Germany, Hitler’s view on race was set out very early in his book “Mein
Kampf”. His book outlined his belief in Aryan superiority, viewing Slavic
peoples as inferior and advocating their domination or elimination.

•He particularly targeted Jews. He portrayed Jews as an evil, money-hungry
race that cheated non-Jews and tried to control the world. He saw it as his,
and all Aryan people’s mission, to rid the world of Jews.

Causes of World War II

•3. Racial Motivations

•Racial propaganda against Slavs and Jews was published openly in Nazi
Germany. Anti-Semitic movies, radio programs, posters, and books became
common. Anti-Semitic beliefs were even taught in German schools,
replacing old textbooks with ones teaching Nazi ideas.

Cover of Nazi, anti-Semitic
children’s book called
“The Poisonous
Mushroom”.

Picture of German children
reading “The Poisonous
Mushroom” in 1940.

Multiple Choice

What was the purpose of propaganda in Japan and Germany?

• Fuel racial fears and superiority beliefs

• Advocate for human rights and equality

• Encourage cultural exchange and understanding

• Promote peace and cooperation

Causes of World War II

•3. Racial Motivations

•The Japanese had a long-standing hatred of Western nations because of their dominance over Asian people since Imperialism. Government propaganda portrayed Japan as Asia's rightful leader, rescuing Asians from Western exploitation.

•They also promoted Japanese superiority over other Asian nations, teaching that Japan alone could resist the West and had a duty to liberate weaker Asian nations.

•It was Japan’s duty to rule them and teach them Japanese culture to educate and better them.

Japanese poster showing
American President
Franklin Roosevelt as a
greedy zombie.

Japanese propaganda
showing Japanese soldiers
being welcomed by other
Asian peoples as saviors and
liberators.

Causes of World War II

•4. Goals for Domination

•Both nations held goals for the domination of their continents and saw
themselves as the rightful rulers of the weaker people surrounding them.

• Hitler and the Nazis believed in the concept of lebensraum.

They believed that the German people were entitled to certain lands as “living space” and
that the inferior people occupying this land would either be ruled by
Germans or eliminated.

•Japan pursued what they called the “New Asian Order”. Their plan was to expel all Western countries from their colonies in Asia and to create “Asia for Asians”; with Japan’s rule.

•With this they would be able to acquire the needed resources to create a protective ring of Japanese bases around the Pacific Ocean; preventing western nations for regaining their control of Asia.

Multiple Choice

What did Hitler and the Nazis believe in regarding land?

• Preservation of existing borders

• International land redistribution

• Shared ownership

• Lebensraum for the German people

Multiple Choice

What was Japan's vision for Asia under its rule?

• Independence and self-rule

• Liberation from Western exploitation

• Continued Western dominance

• Subjugation to Western powers

The Japanese Empire at its largest point - 1942

Nazi Empire at its largest point – 1942.

Causes of World War II

•5. Common Enemies

• Both Japan and Germany saw themselves as mistreated by the Big Three

after WWI.

• The Nazis rallied Germans against the Allies by tapping into anger over the

harsh Treaty of Versailles, portraying themselves as protectors against Allied
mistreatment. They also portrayed the Allies and their democratic ways as
soft and weak, getting rich on the backs of German work.

• Similarly, Japan resisted Western interference, arguing that they deserved

leadership in Asia and portraying the Allies as obstructive and selfish.

Causes of World War II

•5. Common Enemies

•Japan and Germany both saw the Soviet Union as a challenge to their goals.

•The Nazis wanted Soviet Union land for the German Empire, saw the
Russian people as racially inferior Slavs, and communism as a threat to their
government and master race

•Japan saw the Soviet Union as a rival in Asia, especially for control over
China and Siberia's resources.

•This alliance between Germany, Japan, and Italy in 1936 escalated tensions
and contributed to the outbreak of World War II.

Japanese poster showing the united flags of Nazi Germany, the
Japanese Empire, and Fascist Italy while a powerful samurai destroys
American ships.

Multiple Choice

How did the Nazis rally Germans against the Allies?

• By advocating for Western interference

• By tapping into anger over the Treaty of Versailles

• By portraying the Allies as allies

• By promoting democratic values

Multiple Choice

How did Japan view the Soviet Union?

• As a rival in Asia

• As a supporter of their goals

• As racially superior to Slavs

• As an ally

Hitler later regretted showing his bare legs and banned
the few photos in existence where they were seen.

Essential Question

⦿ What were the causes of WWII?

Essential Question

⦿ How did each of the underlying causes

contribute to the start of WWII?