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The Coming of War1931-1942
Section 1: Dictators and War
Why it Matters
- WWI and the Great Depression impacted almost every corner of the globe.
- Dictatorship and totalitarianism were able to grasp many states (nations)
Focus Question: Why did totalitarian states rise after World War I, and what did they do?
A Bitter Peace Unravels
- With the end of WWI and the Treaty of Versailles nations again were divided over the terms of peace.
- During the 1920’s many nations moved toward democracy and others in the opposite direction of totalitarianism
- Totalitarianism – a theory of government in which a single party or leader controls the economic, social, and cultural lives of its people
Checkpoint: What legacy did World War I leave behind?
Characteristics of a Totalitarian State
- Single-Party dictatorship
- Strong, charismatic leader often at head of government
- State control of the economy
- Use of police, spies, and terror to enforce the will of the state
- Government control of the media and use of propaganda to indoctrinate citizens
- Use of schools and youth organizations to spread ideology
- Strict censorship of artists, intellectuals, and political rivals
Repression in the Soviet Union and Italy
- The 1917 Russian Revolution was the first totalitarian state (Lenin)
- His programs resulted in civil war, starvation ,famine, and death of millions of Russians
Stalin’s Grip on the Soviet Union
- Joseph Stalin (man of steal) - took Lenin’s place as the head of the Communist Party
- His attempts to transform the Soviet Union into an industrial power caused millions of deaths (purges)
Mussolini’s Fascist Party Controls Italy
- Italian totalitarianism was in many ways a result of the war, peace treaties, and economic depression.
- Benito Mussolini – Fascist Party, trumpeted nationalism and promised to make Italy great again.
Checkpoint: How did Stalin and Mussolini maintain their power?
Aggressive Leaders in Germany and Japan
- After WWI Germany became a democracy (Weimar Republic)
- Economic woes and runaway inflation plagued the young government
The Nazis Rise
- The National Socialist German Workers’ Party, or Nazi began to threaten the republic
- They were not socialists or communist or any ism that promoted class interests or workers’ rights above German ethnic solidarity
- Adolf Hitler – led the Nazi Party, failed artist, wounded and decorated WWI soldier
- Wrote Mein Kampf(“My Struggle”) stated the problems facing Germany
- His most piercing criticisms were of the communists and Jews
- Anti-Semitic – prejudice against Jewish people
- Anti-Semitism had troubled Europe for centuries, motivated by religious intolerance and economic resentment
Hitler Seizes Power
- Recognizing the power of Hitler’s party president of the Weimar Republic appointed Hitler chancellor of Germany in 1933
- Over two years he became chancellor and president then consolidated his power
- This was a totalitarian regime (secret police) pgs. 438, 440
Militarists Gain Power in Japan
- Reasserting power, military leaders argued that expansion through out Asia would solve Japan’s economic troubles
- Japan did not become a totalitarian state, but remained a constitutional monarchy
The Japanese Expand Their Empire
- In 1931 Japan attacked Manchuria
- 1937 Japan moved against China, gaining control over major Chinese railroad links and coastal areas
- The “Rape of Nanjing” 200,000
Checkpoint: How did the Great Depression affect political life in Germany and Japan?
Dictators Turn to Aggression
- Germany and Italy resorted to acts of aggression similar to those of Japan in Asia
- The League of Nations was powerless to do anything
Hitler and Mussolini Threaten the Peace
- Hitler focused on restoring Germany’s economy, army, navy, and air force in direct defiance of the Treaty of Versailles
- Hitler spoke of the need to gain Lebensraum, living space
- Mussolini invaded Ethiopia with many pleas and little response for the League of Nations
Fighting Breaks out in Spain
- Spanish Civil War – bloody conflict that raged from 1936 until 1939.
- Fascist rebels fought against Spain's democratic Republic aided by Hitler and Mussolini
Checkpoint: Why did the League of Nations fail to halt German and Italian aggressions?
Aggression Goes Unchecked
- Appeasement – policy of granting concessions to a potential enemy in the hope that it will maintain peace
- French and British policy in the 1930s’
- Anschluss (AHN shloos) – in the spring of 1938 Austria’s entrance into the Reich
- Munich Pact – the agreement Chamberlain reached at conference with Germany declaring “peace for our time,” this only delayed WWII for 11 months
Checkpoint: Why did Britain, France, and the U.S. not stop fascist aggression in the 1930’s?
From Isolation to InvolvementSection 2
Why it Matters
- Roosevelt condemned aggression in Asia but did little to stop it, while Britain and France continued appeasement in Germany
Focus Question: How did Americans react to events in Europe and Asia in the early years of WWII?
Roosevelt Opposes Aggression
- Roosevelt criticized Japan’s aggression by calling it “reign of terror and international lawlessness”
- Roosevelt suggested that no part of the world was truly isolated (pg. 444)
War Erupts in Europe
- Hitler Launches a Blitzkrieg Against Poland
- Blitzkrieg – sudden attack (lighting war)
- France Falls to the Axis Powers
- Axis Powers – Germany, Italy, Japan
- Allied Powers – Britain, France, Soviet Union, U.S., China
- Winston Churchill – British Prime Minister
- The Battle of Britain is fought in the air. (pg. 446)
Checkpoint: Which side seemed to be winning the war at the end of 1940?
Americans Debate Involvement
- America Favors Isolation
- Theories behind why the U.S. became involved in WWI
- Interventionists Urge Support for the Allies
- Neutrality Act of 1939 – cash and carry provisions
- Isolationists Argue for Neutrality
- Trade would automatically involve the U.S., argued The America First Committee
- Roosevelt inches toward involvement with the Tripartite Pact – making allies of Germany, Italy, and Japan
Should the U.S. Enter World War II
Make a list of both viewpoints using your text.
Checkpoint: According to interventionists, how would aiding the Allies actually keep the United States out of war?
America Takes Steps Toward War
- Lend-Lease Act – authorized Roosevelt to “sell transfer title to, exchange, lease, lend, or otherwise dispose of, to any such government any defense article”
- Atlantic Charter – document that endorsed national self-determination and an international system of “general security”
- U.S. Navy Battles German U-Boats
Checkpoint: How did the United States support the Allies after Roosevelt’s reelection?