WebQuest: Causes of World War II



Name: ___________________________

Period: _______ Date: __________

WebQuest: Road to World War II

WEBSITE:

Directions for the WebQuest Guide: The following guide lines up directly with the website for the WebQuest. As you follow through the first part of the WebQuest, use the guide to summarize information from the websites, answering the questions on your own paper.

IMPORTANT NOTE: As a rule, do NOT simply copy the information from the websites into your responses. This is PLAGARISM – you will not be given credit for doing so. At certain points throughout the guide, you will be allowed to have word-for-word answers, but these are indicated as you proceed through. They are CLEARLY marked and you should first assume that you are NOT allowed to give word-for-word copied answers unless otherwise indicated.

WebQuest guides will be completed on your own paper. You should have plenty of time to complete in class. Do not neglect to complete part 2 which is a free response after you finish the main WebQuest.

Part I: Causes, People, Events

Main Causes of WWII

1. Treaty of Versailles

a. Complete the acronym: UBRAT

b. Explain what each letter stands for (include more than just the word!!)

i. U

ii. B

iii. R

iv. A

v. T

2. Worldwide Depression

a. List all six points related to the Depression that led to war. Briefly explain each one (include more than just the title phrase – what do each of those phrases mean?)

3. Totalitarian government

a. Germany

i. What were Hitler’s three main aims?

ii. How did each aim lead to war? BE SPECIFIC.

b. Japan

i. Why did Japan invade Manchuria? Name 4 reasons.

ii. How did the League respond? Why were they limited in how they could respond?

c. Italy

i. Why did Italy want the territory of Ethiopia (Abyssinia)? Name 2 reasons.

ii. Why couldn’t the Ethiopians (Abyssinians) fight back?

iii. Was the League’s response to the incident successful? Why or why not?

iv. What three things did the League of Nations involvement in the conflict show?

d. Soviet Union

i. Why did Anglo-Soviet talks fail? List each piece of SCAB and briefly explain (again, more than just the one word!)

ii. Why did the Nazi-Soviet Pact happen? List each piece of THUG and briefly explain.

4. Expansionist policies

a. What were the three ways militarism contributed to war? Give a specific example for EACH ONE.

5. Policy of appeasement

a. Define appeasement (look it up in an online dictionary).

b. What were the five most important reasons why Britain appeased Hitler?

c. Who opposed Chamberlain in his policy of appeasement?

d. What were the eight results of appeasement?

6. Continued German aggression

a. Breaking the Treaty of Versailles

i. List the three ways Hitler broke the Treaty of Versailles. Explain each one and provide at least one detail for each point.

b. Threatening the peace of Europe

i. What actions did Hitler take to disrupt peace in Europe? Name at least 5 actions.

ii. What did Europe do to allow Hitler to disrupt peace? Name at least 2 actions.

Leaders of WWII

Complete all elements of the chart for each of the 10 leaders. Remember, do not copy/paste! The category and birth to death can be word-for-word, but all other parts must be in your own words.

|Leader |Category |Birth-Death |Main accomplishments |Role in WWII |

|Franklin D. Roosevelt | | | | |

|Winston Churchill | | | | |

|Joseph Stalin | | | | |

|Adolf Hitler | | | | |

|Benito Mussolini | | | | |

|Hirohito | | | | |

|Hideki Tojo | | | | |

|Chaing Kai-shek | | | | |

|Sun Yat-sen | | | | |

|Mao Tsetung | | | | |

Key Events Leading Up to WWII

After the colon following each event, record the main website’s brief description of the event (again, in your own words). The particular questions that follow each event refer to the website specific to that event (i.e., the link you get to by clicking on the name of the event).

1. Saar plebiscite:

a. Who controlled the Saar region after World War I?

b. How did Nazi Germany influence the vote for control?

c. Three effects of the vote

2. Conscription and re-armament:

a. How did Hitler see Nazi Germany?

b. What was going on behind the scenes in Nazi Germany?

c. How did Europe respond to Hitler?

d. Why did Britain allow Germany to break the terms of the treaty?

e. What did Britain hope to accomplish by doing this?

3. Rhineland:

a. What huge gamble did Hitler take?

b. Why didn’t the Allies do anything about it? Name 3 reasons.

c. How did the Rhineland affect France?

d. What did Hitler conclude about the British point of view?

4. Austria:

a. What party change occurred in Austria that allowed Hitler to implement his plan for Anschluss?

b. According to The Manchester Guardian, what did the Federal Government of Austria decide?

c. What did Hitler say the people of Austria met him with when he crossed into their land?

d. How does he characterize himself? (Hint: not as a ____, but as a _____)

5. Munich:

a. What party began to influence Czechoslovakia in 1935? How? Who supported this party?

b. What two things did Hitler know about France and Britain that made him bold enough to suggest a conference about Czechoslovakia?

c. Where did the meeting take place? Who attended? What were the terms of the agreement?

6. Czechoslovakia:

a. What did Hitler’s invasion of Czechoslovakia help the British government realize? Name two things.

b. What leader suggested that Britain should be preparing for war?

c. What event made the British people side with this leader? Why?

d. What change in Britain’s military made war possible?

7. USSR/Nazi Pact:

a. Why did Stalin initially want to ally with Britain?

b. Why didn’t Stalin trust the British?

c. What were Stalin’s two choices?

d. Why did he make the choice he did?

8. Poland:

a. List the eight reasons Hitler invaded Poland. Briefly explain how each reason aimed the world toward war.

CONCLUSION

By now, you have reached the end of your WebQuest guide.  Answer this final question:

Imagine you are living in Germany in 1939. Your sister immigrated to the United States five (5) years ago. When she left she asked you to keep her informed about everything going on back in Germany. Write a brief letter to your sister in America about the political situation and day to day life in Germany during 1939 -- be sure to include at least two major causes for the war supported by examples of specific events that illustrate those causes and the key political leaders.  Be sure to explain what each event means! Remember, she hasn't been to Germany in five years. She doesn't know what's going on there. Your letter will be evaluated on the accuracy and completeness of the information provided in your letter as well as the creativity.

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