The Road to War
Did Hitler cause World War 2?
Historians continue to debate whether the rise of Hitler in Germany was the reason for the outbreak of World War 2.
Hitlers actions after gaining power in 1933
Aggressive territorial expansion: Hitler pursued a policy of expanding German territory,
Violation of international agreements: Hitler repeatedly violated the Treaty of Versailles and other international agreements.
Rapid rearmament: Hitler engaged in a massive military buildup, violating arms limitations set by the Treaty of Versailles.
Aggressive diplomacy: Hitler used threatening diplomatic tactics, destabilising international relations.
Alliance with other Axis powers: Hitler formed alliances with Italy and later Japan, creating a powerful axis of aggressive states.
Hitler's Nazi ideology, including extreme nationalism and antisemitism, drove many of his actions and decisions
Invasion of Poland: The immediate trigger for World War II was Germany's invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939. This led Britain and France to declare war on Germany two days later.
Task 1. Road to War Essay
In this essay you will examine the causes of World War 2 and assess the evidence for Hitler's ultimate responsibility.
Choose ONE of the following two options
OPTION 1.
Evaluate the following proposition. You can argue for or against this but you must come to a conclusion based on evidence.
'Hitler and the Nazi government were solely responsible for the outbreak of the Second World War in Europe in 1939"
P 1. German actions that bear responsibility for the outbreak of WW2
Annexing Czechoslovakia
The signing of the Molotov -Ribbentrop pact that allowed Hitler to plan a one front war and included the secret clause for dividing up Eastern Europe
The resulting invasion of Poland - Not cool Hitler
P2. German actions that might be justified and didn’t automatically lead to war
Rejecting the Versailles treaty, the War Guilt clause, ending war reparations and rearming - good for the economy and German morale
Reoccupying the Saar and Rhine Valley (Justified?)
Annexing Austria
P 3. Describing other possible causes of WW2.
The harsh terms of the Versailles treaty and the German reaction
The failure of Appeasement - The Munich conference
OPTION 2
Evaluate the following proposition. You can argue for or against this but you must come to a conclusion based on evidence.
'Hitlers actions after 1933 were justified by the unfair terms of the Versailles treaty'.
P 1. Hitler was justified?
The harsh terms of the Versailles treaty and the German reaction
The impact of the Hyperinflation and the Great Depression on German society.
Germany begins to rearm - Describe the benefits of rearming and the potential costs
Germany moves into the Rhineland (1936)
P 2 & 3. Hitler wasn't justified?
Anschluss in Austria (1938) - Hitler practices 'gangster diplomacy', what are his justifications
Sudetenland (Czechoslovakia) (1939) - What are the strategic benefits of annexing Sudetenland?
The Munich Conference (1938) - What does Hitler promise at Munich?
Czechoslovakia (1939) - What are the strategic benefits of annexing Czechoslovakia?
Hitler and Stalin form a pact – (1939) - Why was the alliance such a shock and what did the agreement mean for Hitler and his plans for Europe? (Hint: Think strategically)
Hitler invades Poland (1939) - Explain why this event 'started' WW2.
Essay Guide: Writing paragraphs
The body of the essay is where you fully develop your argument.
Each body paragraph should contain one key idea or claim (Focus area), which is supported by relevant examples and evidence from the body of scholarly work on your topic (i.e. academic books and journal articles).
Body paragraphs - The TEEL structure
Topic: Begin EACH new paragraph with a clear and precise topic sentence that refers directly to the content of the paragraph. The topic sentence tells the reader what the paragraph is about, or its main idea
Explain: Explain what you mean in greater detail.
Evidence: Provide evidence to support your idea or claim. To do this, refer to your research. This may include: case studies, statistics, documentary evidence, academic books or journal articles. Remember that all evidence will require appropriate citation.
Link: Summarise the main idea of the paragraph, and make clear how this paragraph supports your overall argument. The linking sentence links one paragraph to the next.
Essay Guide: Referencing Guidelines
When do you need an endnote/ footnote?
Quotes
Paraphrasing
Facts and figures
Images
How to footnote
The first time you footnote a book, article or document you need to list it in full as follows:
Jones, E., A collection of inappropriate remarks made in the History classroom, Penguin, 2024, p.34
If you quote from Inappropriate Remarks as your next quote you don’t write out the whole author/title again you simply use the abbreviation ibid., p#
If you quote from the same source, same page it is simply ibid.
If your next quote is from a different source, you need to write out full reference: author surname, initials, title in italics, publisher, year of publication, page number.
If your next quote is again from Inappropriate Remarks, you simply put the author’s name and initials and the abbreviation op.cit., p#
Footnote samples
Jones, E., A collection of inappropriate remarks made in the History classroom, Penguin, 2024, p.34
ibid.
ibid., p.38
McKenzie, C.M., Please don't make me go back in there. A classroom memoir, Featherhead, 2019, p.11
Jones, E., op.cit., p.59
Example reference list
Bibliography:
Aub.edu.lb.libguides.com. (2020). LibGuides: Lebanese Civil War: 1975-1991: Home. [online] Available at: https://aub.edu.lb.libguides.com/LebaneseCivilWar.
Badran, T., 2008. The Lebanese Civil War. MERIA: Middle East Review of International Affairs, 12(2), pp.MERIA: Middle East Review of International Affairs, June 2008, Vol.12(2).
Crawford, M. & Army Command General Staff Coll Fort Leavenworth KS School Of Advanced Military Studies, 2010. Civil War and Intervention: Lessons Remembered From the Lebanese Civil War and the U.S. Response.