World War 2 Virtual Exhibit
By Feliks Rogotskiy
Causes of WW2 in Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Overview
There were many factors and events that contributed to the start of WW2 such as trying to appease Adolf Hitler to prevent a war, Japan surprising the US at Pearl Harbor by attacking the boats, and hyperinflation in the Weimar republic in the years prior to Adolf Hitler taking power. They happened in different countries and places that all eventually led to the start of WW2, the bloodiest war in history. Everything that the images here show have something to do with the start of WW2, and an explanation as to why they show an event that led to the start of WW2.
Image 1
This image represents Germany invading Poland in 1939. This event is the event that made Britain and France declare war on Germany, which is considered by many to be the start of WW2 in Europe.
Image 2
This image represents Germany’s economic hardship in the 1920s. In this image, children are playing with stacks of currency. However, this currency is so inflated, the amount that they are playing with isn’t enough to buy anything. The Weimar republic was blamed for WW1, meaning they had to pay war reparations to the Allies. The Weimar Republic tried to pay the war reparations to the Allies as mentioned by the Treaty of Versailles, by printing more money. However, this resulted in hyperinflation, which rapidly devalued the German marks that were in use during that time period. This economic struggle and the humiliation of Germany is what led to Adolf Hitler taking power in Germany, which inevitably led to WW2.
Image 3
This image shows Italy invading Ethiopia in WW2. Italy was part of the Axis powers, which was a military alliance between Germany and Japan and Italy, meaning that this picture represents a cause of WW2 in Africa.
Image 4
This image represents Germany invading Czechoslovakia. This invasion was allowed by Britain to prevent another world war, a tactic called appeasement. This tactic ultimately failed when Germany invaded Poland in 1939
Image 5
Neville chamberlain was the leader of Britain
before WW2. He tried to prevent WW2 by
giving Hitler territories that he wanted so he does not
start a war. He allowed Germany to take/invade certain
territories. However, this failed as Germany
invaded Poland in 1939, when Britain declared war on
Germany.
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor was a surprise attack by the Japanese on the US in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. This is a major event that led the US into WW2 fighting in the Pacific theater with Japan. After this event, the US declared war on Japan.
Adolf Hitler
This was the leader of Germany during WW2. He wanted to conquer all of Europe, and eventually the whole world. At first, Britain and France let him take some territories in Europe, trying to appease him and not provoke him so he does not start a war. This tactic failed in 1939, when Germany invaded Poland. Britain and France declared war on Germany after that happened, so this image represents the causes of WW2.
Summary
I selected the images because all of them encapsulate the reasons that WW2 started in the first place. They help to tell the story of WW2 because the images have WW2 leaders, show major WW2 events, and all help explain why WW2 started in the first place. I hope that the viewers of the virtual exhibit look at all of these causes of WW2, and learn from them and make sure another war does not happen, because as the saying goes, “Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it”.