World War II: Background
Marlon Uriel Vazquez Vidal

Impact of World War I

The pressure that the Treaty of Versailles put on the defeated countries allowed the imposition of authoritarian regimes unified around the Axis Forces

Agreement signed by

Germany

France

Great Britain

Italy

Rise of fascism and totalitarianism

Italian Fascism

Mussolini wanted Italy to join the war, but got expelled by the Italian Socialist Party for his advocacy for the war. In response, he formed the Fasces of Revolutionary Action, encouraging the entry into the war.

German Nazism

The National Socialist Party was born out of a loss of confidence in the German government, which was unable to control poverty. The leader of this party, Hitler, had a racist ideology, but the party still established itself as a political force.

Failure of appeasement

The Munich Agreement peacefully ceded a territory of Czechoslovakia to Germany. The agreement was signed between Germany, Italy, Great Britain and France.

Nevertheless, months later Hitler violated the agreement and destroyed the Czechoslovak state.

Expansionist policies

Rhineland Ocupation

Reoccupied by Germany, this was demilitarized zone under the Treaty of Versailles. This action was directly against the terms to which Germany had agreed.

Austria anexation

Two years later, Germany again violated the Versailles Treaty by annexing Austria to its territory without resistance. Germany violated the treaties several times in order to expand its territory.

Tensions and conflicts

There were other tensions during this period
that worsened the situation

Japanese Invasion
of China

In this conflict the Japanese occupied China and committed atrocities to the Chinese population.

Spanish Civil War

was an internal conflict that had as one of its causes that countries supported the National side and others the Republican side, giving them money and weapons.