Treaty of Versailles - The Treaty of Versailles ended World War I between Germany and the Allied Powers. Since Germany had lost the war, the treaty was very harsh against Germany. Germany was forced to "take responsibility" for the war damage 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 Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Japanese Expansion: In the period 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 trying to grow its empire to obtain new resources. They invaded Manchuria in 1931 and China in 1937. Fascism - With the economic turmoil left by World War I, some countries were conquered by dictators who formed powerful fascist governments. The first fascist government was Spain, ruled by the dictator Franco. Then Mussolini took control of Italy. These dictators wanted to expand their empires and began looking for new lands to conquer. Italy invaded and conquered Ethiopia in 1935. Adolf Hitler emulated Mussolini in his conquest of Germany. Hitler and the Nazi Party - In Germany, Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party came to power. The Germans were desperate for someone who could turn their economy around and restore their national pride. Hitler offered them hope. In 1934 Hitler was proclaimed "Fuhrer" (leader) and became dictator of Germany. Hitler resented the restrictions imposed on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles. While talking about peace, Hitler began to rearm Germany. He allied himself with Mussolini and Italy with Germany. Then Hitler tried to bring Germany back to power by expanding his empire. He first conquered Austria in 1938. When the League of Nations did nothing to stop him, Hitler became bolder and conquered Czechoslovakia in 1939. Appeasement - After World War I, the European nations were tired and did not want a 'another war. When countries like Italy and Germany became aggressive and began to gain the upper hand over their neighbors and build their armies, countries like Great Britain and France hoped to maintain peace through “pacification.” This meant that they tried to make Germany and Hitler happy rather than trying to stop him. They hoped that by fulfilling his demands he would be satisfied and there would be no war. Unfortunately, the policy of appeasement failed. It only made Hitler bolder. It also gave him time to build his army. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper 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. the world called the Great Depression. Many people were out of work and struggling to survive. This created unstable governments and worldwide unrest that helped lead to World War II. ​