Path to War
WORLD HISTORY PROJECT 1750 / LESSON 7.5 OPENERPATH TO WAR1Unless otherwise noted, this work is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Credit: “Path to War,” OER Project, www.oerproject.com/PurposeExplore a series of events that happened between World War I and World War II to consider how each event might have pushed the world closer to global conflict. This will prepare you to learn about the causes of the Second World War and determine when war started to feel inevitable.Process1.Examine the timeline of events and their descriptions. For each event, rate it on a global conflict tension scale from 1 to 5 (1 = minor concern for causing global conflict; 5 = major crisis for causing global conflict).YearEventTension rating (1–5)1919Treaty of Versailles—Harsh conditions of the peace treaty fueled German resentment.1922Mussolini takes power in Italy—Mussolini established the first fascist regime and pledged to restore power and glory to Italy.1931Japan invades Manchuria—Japan seized territory in China, defying the League of Nations. 1933Hitler becomes chancellor—In violation of the Treaty of Versailles, Hitler began rebuilding Germany’s military strength.1935Italy invades Ethiopia—Italy launched an invasion of Ethiopia, showing the weakness of international peace efforts.1936Germany remilitarizes the Rhineland—German troops entered a forbidden zone, directly violating the Treaty of Versailles.1937Japan launches full-scale war on China—Japan expanded its aggression with an invasion of China.1938Munich Agreement—Britain and France gave in to Hitler’s territorial demands in hopes of avoiding war.1939Germany invades Poland—Germany’s invasion triggered declarations of war from Britain and France.
WORLD HISTORY PROJECT 1750 / LESSON 7.5 OPENERPATH TO WAR22.If you can, compare your rankings with a partner.3.Which events raised the most tension? Which event seems most likely to be the triggering event for World War II?