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AQASpec 1B/BFoundation & Higher~40 min

The Origins of the Second World War

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Read the notes, score 80% and know 75% of the cards.

Topic overview

What you need to know

The Second World War resulted from the breakdown of collective security, aggressive expansion by dictatorships, the legacy of Versailles and failed responses by other powers.

Exam tip

Distinguish Hitler's aims from the opportunities created by appeasement, international weakness and the Nazi–Soviet Pact.

Revision notes

Core ideas

Secure these ideas first. Say each definition in your own words, then connect it to the topic overview.

  • Appeasement: The policy of making concessions to aggressive powers in the hope of avoiding a larger war.
  • Remilitarisation of the Rhineland: Hitler's 1936 decision to send German troops into the demilitarised Rhineland, breaking Versailles and Locarno.
  • Anschluss: The union of Germany and Austria achieved by Hitler in March 1938.

Revision notes

Apply it in the exam

The exam will rarely ask for an isolated definition. Practise selecting the right idea and using it as part of a complete explanation or method.

  • Munich Agreement: The September 1938 agreement allowing Germany to take the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia.
  • Nazi–Soviet Pact: The August 1939 non-aggression agreement whose secret terms divided influence in eastern Europe.
  • Invasion of Poland: Germany's attack on Poland on 1 September 1939, leading Britain and France to declare war.

Core knowledge

Key facts for The Origins of the Second World War

1

Appeasement

The policy of making concessions to aggressive powers in the hope of avoiding a larger war.

2

Remilitarisation of the Rhineland

Hitler's 1936 decision to send German troops into the demilitarised Rhineland, breaking Versailles and Locarno.

3

Anschluss

The union of Germany and Austria achieved by Hitler in March 1938.

4

Munich Agreement

The September 1938 agreement allowing Germany to take the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia.

5

Nazi–Soviet Pact

The August 1939 non-aggression agreement whose secret terms divided influence in eastern Europe.

6

Invasion of Poland

Germany's attack on Poland on 1 September 1939, leading Britain and France to declare war.

Active recall

Close the notes and answer these

  1. 1.Without looking, explain appeasement and give one example or consequence.
  2. 2.Without looking, explain remilitarisation of the rhineland and give one example or consequence.
  3. 3.Without looking, explain anschluss and give one example or consequence.
  4. 4.Without looking, explain munich agreement and give one example or consequence.

Content reviewed 23 July 2026 against the current linked specification.

Finished learning?

Mark the notes complete, then test what you can recall.

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