Final answer:
The policy of appeasement by Western democracies, such as Britain and France, played a key role in the lead up to World War II, making concessions to dictatorial regimes and bolstering their aggressive expansionist policies. The Great Depression had led to a loss of faith in democratic capitalism, prompting the rise of totalitarian governments in Germany, Italy, and Japan, and the lack of decisive action against early acts of aggression demonstrated a worrisome complacency.
Step-by-step explanation:
How the Policy of Appeasement Contributed to the Start of World War II
The rise of dictatorships and their unchecked aggression were central to the outbreak of World War II. The policy of appeasement by Western democracies, notably Britain and France, played a significant role. This policy involved making concessions to dictatorial regimes, namely Nazi Germany, in hopes of avoiding conflict. The Munich Agreement of 1938 is an infamous example where the Sudetenland was ceded to Germany without Czechoslovakia's consent. Such acts emboldened the expansionist policies of dictators such as Hitler, who interpreted these concessions as weakness and opportunities for further territorial acquisitions.
In the wider context, the global reaction to the Great Depression had undermined faith in democratic capitalism, leading to the rise of fascist and communist ideologies. In Germany, the rise of the Nazi Party and its racist, expansionist ambitions, also echoed by the militaristic government in Japan, ran counter to the principles of democracy and international order that had been hoped for post-World War I. Totalitarian governments took advantage of economic turmoil and societal unrest to consolidate power, thus setting the stage for global conflict.
Moreover, the failure to adequately address the aggressive actions of Japan in Manchuria in 1931 and Italy in Abyssinia during the early 1930s further demonstrated the lack of resolve among democracies to confront the growing threat of militarism and expansionism, contributing to the atmosphere of aggression that preceded World War II.