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Causes of World War Two Study Cards
Free GCSE History Revision Flashcards
Cover the key political and economic factors behind the outbreak of World War Two, from the failures of Versailles to the policy of appeasement, with these free History flashcards.
Question
What was the Treaty of Versailles (1919) and how did it affect Germany?
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Answer
The peace treaty ending WW1 — it imposed war guilt (Article 231), reparations (£6.6 billion), military restrictions, and territorial losses on Germany.
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Question
What is appeasement and who is most associated with it?
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Answer
The policy of making concessions to aggressive powers to avoid war — most associated with British PM Neville Chamberlain in the 1930s.
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Question
What happened at the Munich Agreement (1938)?
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Answer
Britain, France, Italy, and Germany agreed to allow Hitler to annex the Sudetenland in exchange for a promise of no further territorial demands.
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Question
What was the significance of the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact (1939)?
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Answer
Germany and the USSR agreed not to attack each other, allowing Hitler to invade Poland without fear of a two-front war.
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Question
What event directly triggered Britain and France to declare war on Germany?
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Answer
Germany's invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939.
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Question
What was the League of Nations and why did it fail?
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Answer
An international organisation set up after WW1 to maintain peace — it failed due to lack of US membership, no army, and members prioritising self-interest.
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Question
What was Hitler's foreign policy goal regarding territory?
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Answer
Lebensraum ("living space") — expanding Germany eastwards to acquire land for the German people.
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Question
What was the Anschluss (1938)?
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Answer
The political union of Germany and Austria, achieved by Hitler in March 1938 — forbidden by the Treaty of Versailles.
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Question
Why did the Great Depression help Hitler rise to power?
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Answer
Economic hardship caused mass unemployment and suffering, making Germans receptive to Hitler's promises of national revival and scapegoating of minorities.
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Question
What were the Nuremberg Laws (1935)?
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Answer
Nazi racial laws that stripped Jews of German citizenship and prohibited marriage between Jews and non-Jews.
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