(1) By the Treaty of Versailles which ended World War
I, Germany was not only dismembered, disarmed but also
himiliated, and very exacting conditions were imposed
upon her. (2) There was strong feeling of deep social
discontentment in Germany and Italy after the War. (3) The rise
of the Nationalist movement in Germany and Italy; and the
growing power of the Nazis under Hitler and that of the Fascists
under Mussolini seriously upset the balance of power in Europe.
(4) The colonial and commercial rivalry between England and
France on one side, Germany and Italy on the other, brought them
into conflict with each other. (5) Germany had become very
aggressive, she annexed the Saar Valley, occupied Rhineland and
Austria : Captured Czechoslovakia, etc.
The immediate causes were that Germany gave an ultimatum to
Poland regarding (i) surrender of the Port of Danzing, (ii) the
right of establishing rail link between Germany and East
Prussia, through the Polish Corridor. These two demands were
rejected by Poland, so Germany invaded Poland on 1st September,
1939. Britain and France as
they were under treaty obligations to aid Poland, declared war
against Germany on 3rd September, 1939. Germany, Italy and
Japan, called the Axis Powers, fought on one side;
U.K., U.S.S.R., France, U.S.A., Benelux countries, etc., called
the Allies, fought on the other. It ended on 14th August,
1945.
