cause and effect
Cause and Effect of WW2
Our History |
In 1919 Lloyd George of England asked Woodrow Wilson, president of the United States to meet and discuss how Germany should be made to pay damages caused by WW I. The Treaty of Versailles declared that Germany would pay reparations. The German people were very unhappy about the treaty and thought it was too harsh. Germany could not afford to pay the money. Although Britain and France were aware of Hitler's actions, they were also concerned about the rise of Communism and believed that a stronger Germany might help to prevent the spread of Communism to the West. In 1936 Hitler ordered German troops to enter the Rhineland. At this point the German army was not very strong and could have been easily defeated. Yet neither France nor Britain was prepared to start another war. Hitler also made two important alliances. The first was called the Rome-Berlin Axis Pact and allied Hitler's Germany with Mussolini's Italy. The second was called the Anti-Committer Pact and allied Germany with Japan. Hitler's next step was to begin taking back the land that had been taken away from Germany. In March 1938, German troops marched into Austria. The Austrian leader was forced to hold a vote asking the people whether they wanted to be part of Germany. WWII began in September 1933 when Britain and France declared war on Germany following Germany’s invasion of Poland. The United States tried to stay out of the war, but on December 7, 1941 the Japanese attacked the United States aircraft and air craft carriers in Pearl Harbor in Hawaii causing America to become involved militarily. ZH |