10 History Home

Task 1. The Road to War 

Did Hitler cause World War 2?

Historians continue to debate whether the rise of Hitler in Germany was the reason for the outbreak of World War 2.

Hitlers actions after gaining power in 1933

  1. Aggressive territorial expansion: Hitler pursued a policy of expanding German territory, 

  2. Violation of international agreements: Hitler repeatedly violated the Treaty of Versailles and other international agreements.

  3. Rapid rearmament: Hitler engaged in a massive military buildup, violating arms limitations set by the Treaty of Versailles.

  4. Aggressive diplomacy: Hitler used threatening diplomatic tactics, destabilising international relations.

  5. Alliance with other Axis powers: Hitler formed alliances with Italy and later Japan, creating a powerful axis of aggressive states.

  6. Hitler's Nazi ideology, including extreme nationalism and antisemitism, drove many of his actions and decisions

  7. Invasion of Poland: The immediate trigger for World War II was Germany's invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939. This led Britain and France to declare war on Germany two days later.

Task 1. Road to War Essay

To what extent do you agree with the following statement.

“Hitler and the Nazi government were solely responsible for the outbreak of the Second World War in Europe in 1939.”

Your essay must address the following points:

  1. German actions that contributed to the outbreak of war

  2. German actions that might be interpreted as justified or not directly causing war

  3. Other contributing causes (e.g., Treaty of Versailles, appeasement, economic instability, failures of the League of Nations, Allied decisions)

Use the following guide to help structure and write this response:

  • Essay written entirely in class

  • No AI tools, internet, or notes beyond the approved planning page

  • One handwritten or printed Essay Plan Notes page allowed (see below)

  • Teacher may set slightly different questions for different classes

  • Submit planning notes at the end of the test.

Remember: Strong essays are built on clear thinking, not perfect wording.

If you cannot explain your argument without reading it, you do not understand it.

Essay planning instructions

Allowed Format

  • Bullet points only

  • Single A4 page

  • Handwritten or teacher approved printed sheet

  • No full sentences

  • No quotations longer than 5 words

Not Allowed

  • Paragraphs of prose

  • Pre‑written introductions or conclusions

  • Model answers

  • AI‑generated text copied verbatim

How to plan your essay

For each body paragraph

  • Main claim

  • 2–3 pieces of specific evidence

  • Link to the question

Ensure you include a counter argument.

  • Alternative interpretation

  • Limitation of your argumentEvaluate this proposition. You may argue for or against it, but you must reach a conclusion based on historical evidence.

AI use guidelines

You may use AI to:

• refine your ideas

• help restructure your argument

• practise writing sample introductions or paragraphs

• ask for feedback on clarity

• brainstorm possible counterarguments

• generate alternative thesis statements to improve

• help convert notes into a plan

• provide organisational advice

You must not use AI to:

• write the full essay for you

• generate final sentences for in class writing

• research causes of WWII (research must be from approved class sources)

• produce dot points you copy directly into your folio

Essay Guide: Writing paragraphs

The body of the essay is where you fully develop your argument.

Each body paragraph should contain one key idea or claim (Focus area), which is supported by relevant examples and evidence from the body of scholarly work on your topic (i.e. academic books and journal articles).

Body paragraphs - The TEEL structure

Topic: Begin EACH  new paragraph with a clear and precise topic sentence that refers directly to the content of the paragraph. The topic sentence tells the reader what the paragraph is about, or its main idea

Explain: Explain what you mean in greater detail.

Evidence: Provide evidence to support your idea or claim. To do this, refer to your research. This may include: case studies, statistics, documentary evidence, academic books or journal articles. Remember that all evidence will require appropriate citation.

Link: Summarise the main idea of the paragraph, and make clear how this paragraph supports your overall argument. The linking sentence links one paragraph to the next.