THE BIG QUESTION

WHY DID WORLD WAR II BREAK

OUT IN SEPT 1939?
WHAT WAS THE GREAT DEPRESSION AND
HOW DID IT HELP TO CAUSE WWII?

BLP OBJECTIVES
OBJECTIVES
Resourcefulness
 To understand what the Great Depression was and its
impact on international relations in the 1930s.
Resilience
 To analyse the Great Depression, The Treaty of
Versailles and the failure of the League of Nations as
long term causes of the war.
INDEPENDENT STUDY

 Revise The Versailles Treaty and the

League of Nations for a fact test on
THURSDAY 6TH FEBRUARY.
LONG TERM CAUSES OF WWII

THE
VERSAILLES
TREATY
HITLER’S
FOREIGN THE GREAT
POLICY DEPRESSION
LONG TERM
CAUSES
OF
WORLD
WAR II

THE FAILURE
APPEASEMENT OF THE
LEAGUE
OF NATIONS
AGGRESSION
OF JAPAN
AND ITALY
THE GREAT DEPRESSION

 What do you already know about this

event?
 What do you want to find out about this
event today?
Use the video to try to answer your
questions.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKv0
25v4e7U
Impact of the Depression, 1929–32

In 1929, the
Wall Street Crash
caused the US stock
market to collapse.

This led to a terrible

chain reaction that
threw the whole world
into an economic crisis.

The crisis is known as the Great Depression.

The Depression spread
The Great Depression:
Economic Effects.
• The Depression was not just felt in
America – it affected the whole world
(apart from USSR).
• The USA demanded repayment of the
money it had loaned to Germany and
other countries. This caused great
economic hardship and damaged world
trade.
• The slump in world trade was worsened
by the USA putting tariffs (taxes) on
imported goods.
The Great Depression:
Economic Effects.
• The Depression had a huge social and
economic impact on the major world
• powers.
The volume of international trade
fell by 70% as countries brought
in import tariffs – by taxing
imports, countries sought to
prevent cheaper foreign goods
undercutting their domestic
industries.
• The drop in trade led to massive unemployment and terrible
hardship for ordinary people all over the world.
(USA 15 million, Germany 6 million, Britain over 2 million).
The Depression and peacekeeping
There was less international
How the Depression cooperation. The USA and
affected peacekeeping
other nations looked to take
care of themselves instead of
worrying about world peace
and humanitarian issues.
Desperate people
suffering terrible economic Britain and France no
hardship increasingly longer wished to sort out
turned to leaders offering international disputes
radical solutions. This led that would cost them
to the rise of militaristic money and could further
fascist governments. damage their trade.
The impact of the Depression.
The impact of the Depression on
world peace in the 1930s
 The Depression was a major cause of Hitler’s
rise to power in Germany in 1933.
 The League was reluctant to impose economic
sanctions against aggressive countries
because of the economic impact on its
member states.
 The Depression led countries such as Japan
and Italy to invade other countries to solve
their economic problems.
The Manchurian Crisis 1931

• The Japanese economy relied

on exporting goods to America.
This meant that the depression
hit
Japan very hard.
• Economic hardship led to the
Japanese civilian government
becoming unpopular and the
military increasing its power.
• The army decided that the best
way for Japan to escape the
effects of the depression was to Japan had conquered
invade Manchuria (part of Korea in 1905.
China).
The Abyssinian Crisis 1935
• Italy was also suffering due to the
depression.
• To distract the
Italian people
from economic
problems and to
satisfy Italian
imperial desires,
the Italian leader,
Mussolini,
suddenly invaded
Abyssinia
(modern Ethiopia)
in October 1935.
How did the Great Depression lead to
World War II?

 Fill in the appropriate box on the long term

causes chart.
 The Details box should summarise key points
about the Great Depression.
 The Consequences box should explain how
it helped to cause WWII.

EXTENSION: Is the Great Depression a more

important reason than the Treaty of Versailles?
Explain your points fully.
PLENARY
 What have you learned today about the
Great Depression ?
 How do you think it may have helped to
cause World War II? (Is it more important
than the Versailles Treaty?)
 Have we experienced a “Great
Depression” in the last few years?
 What lessons do you think we can learn
from the past on this issue?