Responsibility for War
Who was most responsible for the outbreak of war in 1939: weighing the aims and aggression of Hitler, the appeasement of Chamberlain, and the Nazi-Soviet Pact of Stalin to reach a balanced judgement.
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Who was to blame?
When war broke out in 1939, no single decision caused it on its own. Historians weigh the actions of several leaders, above all Hitler, but also Chamberlain and Stalin. This module sets out the case against each so that you can reach a balanced judgement about who was most responsible.
Responsibility vocabulary
Learn these four terms before you weigh the argument.
Three figures weighed
The argument sets three leaders against each other.
Weigh all three, then judge
A top answer does not blame one figure and stop. It weighs each in turn, decides how much each contributed, and reaches a clear judgement backed by evidence. Most historians place the greatest responsibility on one figure while treating the others as factors that made war more likely. Say which you find most responsible and explain why.
Match the figure
- Hitler
- Chamberlain
- Stalin
- aggression
- his aims and invasions drove events to war
- led the policy of appeasement for Britain
- signed the pact that cleared the way east
- attacking others to get your way
Match the action
- invading Poland in 1939
- giving away the Sudetenland at Munich
- making a deal with Germany not to fight
- marching troops into the Rhineland
- aggression by Hitler
- appeasement by Chamberlain
- a calculation by Stalin
- breaking the treaty by Hitler
Who is held most responsible?
Which figure do most historians hold most responsible for the outbreak of war?
- Hitler.
- Chamberlain.
- Stalin.
- Nobody at all.
Contributing factors
Select the TWO factors, besides the actions of Hitler, that helped bring war closer.
- The policy of appeasement.
- The Nazi-Soviet Pact.
- A strong, united League of Nations.
- A lasting peace across Europe.
Order the road to war
Put these steps toward war in order, earliest first.
- The Munich Agreement gives away the Sudetenland
- Germany occupies the rest of Czechoslovakia
- The Nazi-Soviet Pact is signed
- Germany invades Poland
- Britain and France declare war
Complete the facts
How much blame a person holds is their _____. Most historians hold _____ most responsible for the war. The policy of giving in to demands was _____. The 1939 deal between Germany and the USSR was the Nazi-Soviet _____. War finally came when Germany invaded _____.
How fast events moved
The Munich Agreement was in 1938 and war began in 1939. Subtract 1938 from 1939 to find how many years passed between them. What is the answer?
Spot the contributing factors
Tap the TWO factors that, besides the actions of Hitler, helped bring war closer.
- the policy of appeasement
- the Nazi-Soviet Pact
- a strong League of Nations
- a lasting peace in Europe
Whose responsibility?
Read each action and choose whose responsibility it points to.
- German forces invade Poland in September 1939, the act that started the war. Whose responsibility is this above all?
- Britain gives in to Hitler at Munich rather than standing firm. Whose responsibility is this?
- The USSR signs a pact with Germany that removes the risk of a war on two fronts. Whose responsibility is this?
Reach a judgement
Explain how far Hitler, Chamberlain and Stalin were each responsible for the outbreak of war, and reach a judgement.
- Explain the responsibility of Hitler
- Explain the parts played by appeasement and by the Nazi-Soviet Pact
- Reach a clear judgement on who was most responsible and why