Explanations for World War Two

Question 1

Individual-level explanations

Answer 1

Hitler’s ambitions and racist ideology, Hitler’s personality, Chamberlain’s unwillingness to acknowledge war.

Question 2

“Hitler’s ambitions and racist ideology” is an example of?

Answer 2

An individual-level explanation.

Question 3

Hitler’s ambitions and racist ideology

Answer 3

• Hitler was a corporal in World War One in which he was hospitalised in a gas attack.
• He blamed German loss on Jewish and socialist treason and was determined to reverse the Treaty of Versailles.

Question 4

“Hitler’s personality” is an example of?

Answer 4

An individual-level explanation.

Question 5

Hitler’s personality

Answer 5

• Strong charisma and a great orator.
• Developed interest and faith in him by the German public.
• He was underestimated by the allies.
• Intent on his own gratification and destroying the people whom he considered lesser.

Question 6

“Chamberlain’s unwillingness to acknowledge war” is an example of?

Answer 6

An individual-level explanation.

Question 7

Chamberlain’s unwillingness to acknowledge war

Answer 7

• So desperate to avoid war, the thought of it was inconceivable.
• Hitler knew how to take advantage of Chamberlain’s unwillingness and general Western feeling that the Versailles treaty had been too harsh on Germany.
• Partly responsible for British military weakness so established a policy of appeasement.

Question 8

Unit-level explanations

Answer 8

Collective action/security was not in the national interest, domestic challenges of states, the spread of pacifist attitudes, economic collapse, social and economic cleavages

Question 9

“Collective action/security not in the national interest” is an example of?

Answer 9

A unit-level explanation.

Question 10

Collective action/security was not in the national interest

Answer 10

• Widespread belief on the part of revisionist states.
• Germany, Italy and Japan were dissatisfied with the outcomes of World War One.
• Led to the rise of fascism in Italy, Nazism in Germany and militarism in Japan.
• These governments then used threats and violence to achieve political changes in the global system.

Question 11

Collective security

Answer 11

• Wilson’s League of Nations was based on this principle.
• The invasion of any country would lead to the intervention of every country.
• Assumed that all states had a common interest in global peace and stability, and was thus in their interest to aid victims of aggression.
• Required states to surrender autonomy to the League.

Question 12

“Domestic challenges of states” is an example of?

Answer 12

A unit-level explanation.

Question 13

Domestic challenges of Italy

Answer 13

• In Italy, the Fascist party was established by Mussolini creating domestic turmoil.
• Later democracy was abandoned when King Victor Emmanuel III handed Mussolini power.

Question 14

Domestic challenges of Japan

Answer 14

• In Japan, democracy ended when military officers assassinated democratic politicians and military dictatorship established.
• Japan set out to establish an Asian empire and in 1941, it waged war with UK and USA.

Question 15

Domestic challenges of Germany

Answer 15

• In Germany, the Great Depression led to an invocation of emergency powers and then parliamentary elections.
• Saw the rise of the Nazi party and increased nationalism.
• Thereafter, Hitler was appointed Chancellor, he outlawed opposition parties and became a dictator.

Question 16

Domestic challenges of Britain

Answer 16

• In Britain, PMs Baldwin and Chamberlain were paralysed by fear of German growth.
• Revulsion among British elites at the prospect of another war.
• Britain’s lack of military preparedness (e.g. air force).
• The belief that Germany had been treated too harshly by the Treaty of Versailles.
• Opposition to British rearmament.
• Led to the policy of appeasement.

Question 17

“The spread of pacifist attitudes” is an example of?

Answer 17

A unit-level explanation.

Question 18

The spread of pacifist attitudes

Answer 18

• Lack of desire for rearmament.

- Little public support for the adoption of rigorous measures to halt German, Italian and Japanese aggression.

Question 19

“Economic collapse” is an example of?

Answer 19

A unit-level explanation.

Question 20

Economic collapse

Answer 20

-After the Great Depression, voters were swayed to vote for Hitler.

Question 21

“Social and economic cleavage” is an example of?

Answer 21

A unit-level explanation.

Question 22

Social and economic cleavage

Answer 22

-In Britain and France, these cleavages made it difficult to deal firmly with Germany.

Question 23

Global systems-level explanations

Answer 23

Change in the distribution of power, the Versailles treaty, the effects of the Great Depression, the spread of extremist ideologies.

Question 24

“Change in the distribution of power” is an example of?

Answer 24

A global systems-level explanation.

Question 25

Change in the distribution of power

Answer 25

• The breakup of Austria-Hungary into smaller states became easy prey to German expansionism.
• The defeat of Germany and harshness of The Treaty of Versailles angered Germans and helped bring about the rise of Hitler.
• Rise of anti-Semitism and anti-communism.
• Multipolar distribution of power between Germany, Italy and Japan.

Question 26

“Effects of the Great Depression” is an example of?

Answer 26

A global systems-level explanation

Question 27

Effects of the Great Depression

Answer 27

• Led to democratic governments turning inwards and attending to their own woes, refuse to spend what was necessary to strengthen militarily and ignore costly overseas challenges.
• Led to dissatisfaction in Germany with the Weimar Republic and thus the rise of Hitler.

Question 28

“Division of the world by hostile ideologies” is an example of?

Answer 28

A global systems-level explanation

Question 29

Division of the world by hostile ideologies

Answer 29

• German Nazis and Italian fascists considered Russian communists to be deadly enemies.
• Nazism and fascism was the enemy of Western democracy.
• Soviet communism and Western capitalism were deeply suspicious of each other, a key factor of the Cold War.