The Rise of Dictators & the Causes of WWII (Years 9–11) — History

The Depression, the rise of Hitler and totalitarian regimes, appeasement, and the outbreak of war in 1939.

In the 1930s economic collapse and bitter resentment allowed dictators to seize power. Their aggression, combined with a policy of appeasement, led to a second world war in 1939.

Why this matters Studying how democracies gave way to dictatorship, and how efforts to keep peace can fail, warns us to defend freedom and confront aggression wisely.

The Great Depression

The Wall Street Crash of 1929 triggered a worldwide economic slump. Mass unemployment and poverty made many people lose faith in their governments and look to strong leaders promising order and national revival.

The rise of dictators

In Germany, Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party promised to overturn the Treaty of Versailles, end unemployment and restore national pride. Hitler became Chancellor in 1933 and swiftly turned Germany into a one-party totalitarian state.
In Italy, Benito Mussolini had already built a Fascist dictatorship in the 1920s.
In the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin held total power through the Communist Party.

A totalitarian state controls almost every part of life — the press, education, the courts and opposition — allowing no free choice.

Hitler broke the Treaty of Versailles step by step between 1933 and 1939, testing how far Britain and France would allow appeasement to go.

Aggression and appeasement

Hitler broke the Treaty of Versailles step by step: rebuilding the armed forces, remilitarising the Rhineland (1936), uniting with Austria (the Anschluss, 1938) and taking the Sudetenland. Britain and France followed a policy of appeasement — giving in to some demands to avoid another war, as at the Munich Agreement of 1938.

Common exam mistake: treating appeasement as simple cowardice. Chamberlain's government had genuine reasons — Britain was not ready to fight, memories of WWI losses ran deep, and many believed Germany's demands over the Sudetenland's German-speaking population had some justice.

Put these steps towards war in order, earliest first:

Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany (1933)
The Rhineland is remilitarised (1936)
Austria is united with Germany in the Anschluss (1938)
The Sudetenland is taken after the Munich Agreement (1938)
Germany invades Poland (1 September 1939)

The outbreak of war, 1939

After signing the Nazi–Soviet Pact with Stalin in August 1939 — an agreement not to fight each other — Hitler invaded Poland on 1 September 1939. Having promised to defend Poland, Britain and France declared war on Germany on 3 September 1939.

Historians still debate appeasement. Some argue it was a reasonable attempt to avoid another terrible war, buying time for Britain and France to rearm; others believe it only encouraged Hitler by showing him that aggression would be rewarded rather than resisted.

Exam technique: for "how far was X responsible for the outbreak of war" questions, weigh several causes (the Depression, Hitler's aims, appeasement, the Nazi–Soviet Pact) against each other rather than writing about only one — top answers reach a judgement about which mattered most.

Appeasement bought time but failed to satisfy an aggressor determined to expand.