Name: ______Date: _____

WebQuest: Causes of World War II

Directions for the WebQuest Guide: The following guide lines up directly with the website for the WebQuest. As you follow through the Process part of the WebQuest, use the guide to summarize information from the websites, typing your answers directly into the guide.

IMPORTANT NOTE:Do NOT simply copy and paste the information from the websites into the WebQuest. You are NOT allowed to give word-for-word answers unless otherwise indicated. You should have plenty of time to complete in class, but if you do not it will be homework.

Part I: Causes, People, Events

Main Causes of WWII

  1. Treaty of Versailles (
  2. Complete the acronym: UBRAT
  3. Explain what each letter stands for (include more than just the word!!)
  4. U
  5. B
  6. R
  7. A
  8. T
  9. Worldwide Depression (
  10. 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?)
  11. Totalitarian government
  12. Germany (
  13. What were Hitler’s three main aims?
  14. How did each aim lead to war? BE SPECIFIC.
  15. Japan (
  16. Why did Japan invade Manchuria? Name 4 reasons.
  17. How did the League respond? Why were they limited in how they could respond?
  18. Italy (
  19. Why did Italy want the territory of Abyssinia? Name 2 reasons.
  20. Why couldn’t the Abyssinians fight back?
  21. Was the League’s response to the incident successful? Why or why not?
  22. What three things did the League of Nations involvement in the conflict show?
  23. Soviet Union (
  24. Why did Anglo-Soviet talks fail? List each piece of SCAB and briefly explain (again, more than just the one word!)
  25. Why did the Nazi-Soviet Pact happen? List each piece of THUG and briefly explain.
  26. Expansionist policies (
  27. What were the three ways militarism contributed to war? Give a specific example for EACH ONE.
  28. Policy of appeasement (
  29. Define appeasement (look it up in an online dictionary).
  30. What were the five most important reasons why Britain appeased Hitler?
  31. Who opposed Chamberlain in his policy of appeasement?
  32. What were the eight results of appeasement?
  33. Continued German aggression
  34. Breaking the Treaty of Versailles (
  35. List the three ways Hitler broke the Treaty of Versailles. Explain each one and provide at least one detail for each point.
  36. Threatening the peace of Europe (
  37. What actions did Hitler take to disrupt peace in Europe? Name at least 5 actions.
  38. What did Europe do to allow Hitler to disrupt peace? Name at least 2 actions.

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:
  2. Who controlled the Saar region after World War II?
  3. How did Nazi Germany influence the vote for control?
  4. Three effects of the vote
  5. Conscription and re-armament:
  6. How did Hitler see Nazi Germany?
  7. What was going on behind the scenes in Nazi Germany?
  8. How did Europe respond to Hitler?
  9. Why did Britain allow Germany to break the terms of the treaty?
  10. What did Britain hope to accomplish by doing this?
  11. Rhineland:
  12. What huge gamble did Hitler take?
  13. Why didn’t the Allies do anything about it? Name 3 reasons.
  14. How did the Rhineland affect France?
  15. What did Hitler conclude about the British point of view?
  16. Austria:
  17. What party change occurred in Austria that allowed Hitler to implement his plan for Anschluss?
  18. According to The Manchester Guardian, what did the Federal Government of Austria decide?
  19. How does he characterize himself? (Hint: not as a ____, but as a _____)
  20. Munich Conference:
  21. What two things did Hitler know about France and Britain that made him bold enough to suggest a conference about Czechoslovakia?
  22. Where did the meeting take place? Who attended? What were the terms of the agreement?
  23. Czechoslovakia:
  24. What did Hitler’s invasion of Czechoslovakia help the British government realize? Name two things.
  25. What leader suggested that Britain should be preparing for war?
  26. What event made the British people side with this leader? Why?
  27. What change in Britain’s military made war possible?
  28. USSR/Nazi Pact:
  29. Why did Stalin initially want to ally with Britain?
  30. Why didn’t Stalin trust the British?
  31. What were Stalin’s two choices?
  32. Why did he make the choice he did?
  33. Poland:
  34. List the eight reasons Hitler invaded Poland. Briefly explain how each reason aimed the world toward war.