Question

How did the rise of Fascism and Nazism become one of the causes of the Second World War?

Answer 1

The rise of extreme nationalism in Italy and Germany, manifested as Fascism and Nazism, played a key role in triggering the Second World War. Italy aimed to revive the grandeur of the Roman Empire and, to strengthen her position, joined the Anti-Comintern Pact in 1937 and formed an alliance with Germany in 1939. Under Mussolini, Italy established a dictatorship and opposed the Treaty of Versailles. Italy’s imperial ambitions were evident when it invaded Abyssinia, highlighting the League of Nations' failure to take action.

In Germany, Hitler sought to restore the nation’s lost prestige by defying the Treaty of Versailles. He rearmed Germany, annexed Austria, and dismantled Czechoslovakia. The aggressive actions of Mussolini and Hitler destabilised international relations, pushing the world towards another global conflict.