The treaties drawn up in Paris at the end of the First World War did not satisfy many. Germany, Austria, and the other countries on the losing side of the war were especially unhappy with the Paris Peace Conference, which required them to lay down their arms and make reparations. Germany agreed to sign the Treaty of Versailles only after the winning countries threatened to invade if it did not sign: the last reparations payment was made in 2010.
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Economic issues - World War I was devastating for countries' economies. Although the European economy had stabilized in the 1920s, the Great Depression in the United States caused economic decline in Europe. Communism and fascism gained strength as a result of economic problems.
Nationalism - An extreme form of patriotism that grew in Europe became even stronger after World War I, especially for countries that were defeated.
Dictatorships - Political unrest and unfavorable economic conditions led to the rise of dictatorships in countries such as Germany, Italy, Japan, and the Soviet Union.
Failure of appeasement - Czechoslovakia had become an independent nation after World War I, but by 1938 it was largely surrounded by German territory. Hitler, dictator of Germany, wanted to annex the Sudetenland, an area in western Czechoslovakia where many Germans lived. British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain wanted to appease Hitler and acceded to his demands for the Sudetenland after he promised that he would not demand more territory. Germany seized the rest of Czechoslovakia in March 1939.