Treaty of Versailles - The Treaty of Versailles ended World War I between Germany and the Allied Powers. Because Germany had lost the war, the treaty was very harsh on Germany. Germany was forced to “accept responsibility” for war damages suffered by the Allies. The treaty required Germany to pay a huge sum of money called reparations. The problem with the treaty is that it left the German economy in ruins. People were starving and the government was in chaos. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Japanese Expansion – Before World War II, Japan was growing rapidly. However, as an island nation, they did not have the land or natural resources to support their growth. Japan began seeking to expand its empire in order to acquire new resources. They invaded Manchuria in 1931 and China in 1937. Fascism – With the economic crisis left by World War I, some countries were taken over by dictators who formed powerful fascist governments. The first fascist government was Spain, led by the dictator Franco. Then Mussolini takes control of Italy. These dictators wanted to expand their empires and began looking for new lands to conquer. Italy invaded and took control of Ethiopia in 1935. Adolf Hitler would emulate Mussolini in his takeover of Germany. Hitler and the Nazi Party - In Germany, Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party rose to power. The Germans were desperate for someone to turn around their economy and restore their national pride. Hitler offered them hope. In 1934, Hitler was proclaimed "Führer" (leader) and became dictator of Germany. Hitler was unhappy with the restrictions placed on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles. While talking about peace, Hitler began to rearm Germany. He allied Germany with Mussolini and Italy. Next, Hitler sought to restore power to Germany by expanding his empire. He first took control of Austria in 1938. When the League of Nations did nothing to stop him, Hitler became bolder and took control of Czechoslovakia in 1939. Appeasement - After World War I, European nations were tired and did not want another war. When countries like Italy and Germany became aggressive and began to take control of their neighbors and build up their armies, countries like Britain and France hoped to keep the peace through "the appeasement.” This meant that they were trying to make Germany and Hitler happy rather than trying to stop him. They hoped that by meeting his demands he would be satisfied and there would be no war. Unfortunately, the policy of appeasement has backfired. This only made Hitler bolder. It also gave him time to build up his army. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Great Depression - The period leading up to World War II was a time of great economic suffering throughout the world called the Great Depression. Many people were out of work and struggling to survive. This created unstable governments and global unrest that helped lead to World War II.. ​