Winston Churchill said in his War Speech on 3 September, 1939, "We are fighting to save the whole world from the pestilence of Nazi tyranny and in defense of all that is most sacred to man." What happened to cause Britain to declare war on Germany? World War 1 ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919, but ironically the treaty became the first in a list of causes of that led to World War 2. The treaty blamed the war on Germany and Austria-Hungary and rather than make peace, it punished them by making them pay la, limiting their military size, and giving German land to other countries. War indebtment and an unstable government coupled with the Great Depression of 1929, led to an economic crash in Germany. These things …show more content…
Hitler was a Facist. Believing in a strong central government and strict control of industry and the people, Fascism was a reaction to the perceived failure of free market economics and a deep fear of communism. Highly militaristic, Fascism also was driven by a sense of belligerent nationalism that encouraged conflict as a means of social improvement (Hickman). The Nazis began quickly rising to power. When the Reichstag building (the German parliament) burned, Hitler blamed the Communist Party and used the incident to justify banning other political parties from opposing the Nazis. On March 23, 1933, the Nazis passed the Enabling Acts. These acts gave power to the cabinet to pass legislation without the Reichstag's approval. From June 29th to July 3rd Hitler arrested and killed political leaders he thought were a threat to his position and took complete control of the Government. On July 2nd 1934, the Daily Mail of London wrote concerning the …show more content…
Swiftly and with exorable severity, he has delivered Germany from men who had become a danger to the unity of the German people and to the order of the state. With lightening rapidity he has caused them to be removed from high office, to be arrested, and put to death.The names of the men who have been shot by his orders are already known. Hitler’s love of Germany has triumphed over private friendships and fidelity to comrades who had stood shoulder to shoulder with him in the fight for Germany’s future. (qtd. in Trueman) Hitler stated in his speech to the Reichstag on July 13th, "If anyone reproaches me and asks why I did not resort to the regular courts of justice, then all I can say is this: In this hour I was responsible for the fate of the German people, and thereby I became the supreme judge of the German people (qtd. in Shirer, Rosenbaum