The short-term causes of World War II include:
1. **Treaty of Versailles**: The harsh terms imposed on Germany after World War I led to resentment and economic hardship, creating a fertile ground for the rise of aggressive leaders like Hitler in Germany.
2. **Failure of Appeasement**: The policy of appeasement by Britain and France towards aggressive actions by Nazi Germany, such as the annexation of Austria and the Sudetenland, only emboldened Hitler and failed to prevent further aggression.
3. **Invasion of Poland**: The immediate trigger for the war was Germany's invasion of Poland in 1939, which prompted Britain and France to declare war on Germany, marking the beginning of World War II.
4. **Non-Aggression Pact**: The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact between Germany and the Soviet Union in 1939 included a secret protocol dividing Eastern Europe, allowing Hitler to invade Poland without fear of Soviet intervention.
These factors, among others, contributed to the outbreak of World War II in the short term.
