Another cause of the outbreak of the Second World War, under the principle of ‘collective security’, the League of Nations was founded. People had great hopes in the League of Nations as a body which could deter aggression and enforce the peace. The League of Nations gained great support from the public in Europe despite the absence of participation of the United States of America. However after all the great hopes placed in the League of Nations it failed. The League of Nations mainly failed because of the failure of the League of Nations to do anything after the aggression of Japan and Italy. In 1931 the Japanese invaded Manchuria. The Japanese renamed it Manchukuo and set up Pu Li the last Chinese emperor as a puppet ruler. The league did condemn the Japanese invasion of China however no effective action was taken against Japan. The Japanese invasion made a mockery of the League of Nations and Japan left the league in 1933. In the same year Germany left the league. The Disarmament conference meeting in Geneva from 1931 onwards had proved that the league was a failure. In 1936, Italy invaded Abyssinia. The league applied ineffective economic sanctions against Italy. After the invasion of Manchuria and Abyssinia it was clear that the league could not defend small or weak states from aggression, collective security was a total failure, and the league also failed to bring about effective disarmament. So the Great Powers were not really afraid from the League of Nations if a war had emerged.
A cause which leads to the breakout of the Second World War was the Wall Street crash in 1929. Firstly the United States was so committed to dealing with the effects of the crisis that it limited America’s involvement in world affairs. The economic crisis created insecurity and tensions which endangered the peace in various countries. Due to the crisis the authority of civilian members weakened, the influence of military figures over emperors and cabinet grew. This strengthened the hand of the military men who called for the war of aggression against China and South East Asia in order to seize raw materials and markets which Japan lacked. The financial crisis played an important part in Hitler’s rise to power. However it also made the period of the economic crisis a period where it was hard to keep control of the peace. During the crisis many countries cut back their military spending. However countries such as Germany, Italy and Japan saw that military spending and foreign conquests and aggression as solutions to their economic and social problems. So in conclusion the economic crisis made it generally hard to keep the peace in the 1930’s.
Moreover another cause for the breakout of the Second World War was the actions made by the aggressive nationalist states which consisted of Germany, Italy and Japan. September 1940, Germany, Italy and Japan signed the tripartite pact. In Europe there had been the idea of a ‘Popular Front’ against fascism, embracing all socialist groups, who would put aside their ideological differences to support the common cause of defeating the Fascist threat. The Spanish civil war so the collapse of the popular front, who were the communists in Spain who had the support of Russia, as they suffered defeat from the Fascists who had the support of Hitler and Mussolini. However the Second World War mainly began in the Far East in July 1937 when Japan launched an all out attack against the main parts of China. Then on December 7th 1941 the Japanese launched an attack on Pearl Harbor which saw the beginning of the war between U.S.A and Japan.
Another cause for the outbreak of the Second World War was the policy of Appeasement. The Appeasement policy also caused the war to breakout in 1939 and not before. Britain and France pursued the policy of appeasement which gave to European dictators such as Hitler and Mussolini. For example the Hoare- Laval pact was appeasement for Italy. Another example was the lack of an effective response to Hitler’s occupation of the Rhineland in 1935. France and Britain pursued the policy of appeasement fearing the start of another Great War, the belief that Hitler and Mussolini were against communism. It has been claimed that there was no alternative to appeasement. Neville Chamberlin believed that appeasement bought time for Britain to build its defenses. Appeasement was mainly the cause for why the war broke out in 1939 and not before. However the policy of appeasement was a total failure. In 1939 Britain and France changed their policies which caused them to declare war on Germany after Hitler had invaded Poland on September 1 1939.
A reason for why the war broke out in 1939 and not before was Hitler’s foreign policy. Hitler’s foreign policy was also a reason for the outbreak of the Second World War. Hitler’s foreign policy allowed him to slowly rearm his army and make Germany a strong power again. His risk to reoccupy the Rhineland benefitted him in rearming and improving his army. Hitler’s foreign policy at start was that he wanted to revise the Treaty of Versailles and turn it into Germany’s favor. Hitler’s foreign policy then leads him to the occupation of Prague which had broken the agreement which he had made at the Munich settlement. Hitler’s foreign policy slowly leads him to war and aggression until September 1, 1939 Hitler invaded Poland as because he was convinced that Britain would eventually withdraw her guarantee to Poland. However Britain did not withdraw her guarantee and on September 3rd, 1939 Britain and France declared war on Germany and the Second World War had started.
In conclusion the main reason for the outbreak of the Second World War were mainly the Treaty of Versailles, the failure of the League of Nations, the Wall Street crash in 1929, the aggressive nationalist states (Germany, Italy, Japan), the policy of appeasement, and Hitler’s foreign policy. Hitler’s foreign policy the policy of appeasement were also the main causes for the outbreak of Second World War in 1939 and not anytime sooner.
