final WW2 causes

• What happened in the occupation of Czechoslovakia

  • 1939 - Czech President forced to hand over nation to Hitler
  • Hitler marched in + claimed to be restoring order
  • Britain + France opposed but didnt directly oppose
• What were the consequences of the occupation of Czechoslovakia

  • Britain + France abandoned appeasement realising that promises Hitler made at Munich were worthless - began to rearm rapidly
• What was the Pact of Steel (1939)


  • Hitler + Mussolini signed a pact promising they would support each other in future
  • Europe now clearly divided + France looked to USSR for support
• What was the Nazi-Soviet pact (1939)


  • Guaranteed that Soviets + Germany wouldnt fight each other if war broke out
  • Secretly agreed that both powers would divide Polish territory if war occured
  • Stalin distrustful of Britain + France so allied with Germany
• What was significance of the Nazi-Soviet pact

  • Huge Soviet army no longer a huge problem for Germany and threat was removed for time being
  • Germany wouldnt have to face a war on 2 fronts
• Why was the Nazi-Soviet pact a cause of WW2

  • Hitler could attack Poland without worry of attack from USSR - didnt think Britain + France would do anything due to appeasement
  • If war broke out Hitler didnt have to fight the strong USSR - major reason they lost WW1
• Why could stalin be to blame for WW2

  • signed Nazi-Soviet pact that eliminated huge threats for Hitler
  • gave him a powerful ally
• Why could Chamberlain be to blame for WW2

  • allowed appeasement to carry for so long (but there were others)
  • agreed to Munich agreement which gave Hitler confidence to keep invading
  • refused to alliance with Stalin leading to the Nazi-Soviet pact with Hitler
• Why could Hitler be to blame for WW2

  • Foreign policies went against TofV and he knew that they would trigger other nations
  • Was the one to invade poland