The Causes of World War II

Understanding the Path to Global Conflict Grade 8 Social Studies

What We'll Learn Today

Identify the major causes of World War II Analyze primary and secondary sources Organize causes into four categories Understand how these causes led to global conflict

Four Categories of Causes

Political - Government decisions and international relations Economic - Financial problems and trade issues Social - Cultural attitudes and public opinion Military - Armed forces and defense strategies

Timeline: Road to War

Source Analysis Activity

Work in pairs to examine sources Read Treaty of Versailles excerpt Review timeline handout Find evidence for each cause category Prepare to share one cause with supporting evidence

Political Causes

Treaty of Versailles harsh terms Rise of totalitarian governments Failure of League of Nations Policy of appeasement Nationalism and territorial disputes

Economic and Social Causes

Great Depression worldwide German war reparations burden Unemployment and poverty Rise of extremist ideologies Propaganda and nationalism Scapegoating of minority groups

Reflection Question

What lessons can we learn from the causes of World War II that are important today? Think about: How economic problems affect politics The importance of international cooperation The dangers of extremism and scapegoating