The Second World War was the greatest conflict in history. This book provides an accessible and comprehensive introduction to the causes of the war, ideal for all students of the period. The author charts the complex route from the failed peace following the First World War through the rise of right–wing radicalism in Italy and Germany, to the outbreak of war in Europe in 1939, and its subsequent spread to the Pacific.He assesses the role of the different players on the international political scene providing, in particular, a reappraisal of French policy and a new perspective on the centrality of Anglo–German relations during the inter–war years in determining the escalation of tensions. The Causes of the Second World War includes: full treatment of the origins of war both in Europe and in the Pacific; a reassessment of the controversial policy of "appeasement"; analysis of the historiography surrounding the subject; a chronology of events, appendix of key figures and a guide to further reading.