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Causes of the Second World War

3 dot points across 3 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

Why did Britain and France follow a policy of appeasement, and how did the outbreak of war finally come in 1939?

Explain the policy of appeasement, why Britain and France followed it, and how the invasion of Poland led to war in 1939
A clear N(A)-Level answer on appeasement and the outbreak of the Second World War. What appeasement was, why Britain and France followed it, the Munich Agreement, the Nazi-Soviet Pact, and how the invasion of Poland led to war.
10 min answer →

How did Hitler's foreign policy and step-by-step expansion push Europe toward another war?

Explain how Hitler's foreign policy aims and his steps of expansion in the 1930s increased the risk of another European war
A clear N(A)-Level answer on how Hitler's foreign policy led to war. His aims, rearmament, the Rhineland, the union with Austria, the takeover of Czechoslovakia, and how to explain his step-by-step expansion.
9 min answer →

Why did the League of Nations fail to keep the peace, and how did this help cause the Second World War?

Explain why the League of Nations failed to prevent aggression in the 1930s and how this contributed to the outbreak of the Second World War
A clear N(A)-Level answer on why the League of Nations failed. Its weaknesses, the absence of key powers, its failure over Manchuria and Abyssinia, and how its collapse encouraged aggression and helped cause the Second World War.
9 min answer →