Transcript Events Leading to World War II

Events Leading to
World War II
Definitions
• Totalitarian – Usually a single individual who controls a
country and its government
• Dictator- A person or group of people who completely
control a country through its government
• Nazi- A member of the German Nationalist Social
Worker’s Party
• Fascism-a form of government that believes the state is
more important than the individual, maintains control
of the economy and suppresses opposition 
controlled by a dictator
• IN ALL CASES THE LEADER(S) TAKE CONTROL AND
MAINTAIN CONTROL THROUGH FORCE
1. Totalitarian Leaders in Europe
• Adolph Hitler - Germany
• Benito Mussolini- Italy
• Hideki Tojo - Japan
Why were they able to gain control?
• After WWI people blamed their governments for
the hardships they faced.
• Many nations were experiencing political and
social unrest.
• As a result totalitarian regimes that restricted
personal freedoms and prohibited political
opposition rose to power based on their
promises to make things better.
• They are usually very charismatic and easily get
the people to follow them.
2.Japanese Invade Manchuria 1931
• Japan trying to establish a sphere of influence
there
• US responds by placing economic sanctions on
them – we withheld trade of oil, iron, and
steel.
• The League told them to stop but Japan
ignored them and resigned from the League.
• The League of Nations does NOTHING!
Japanese Invade China 1937
• Later extend occupation of Indochina (now
Vietnam).
• 1931 into
Manchuria
• 1937 into
China and
starts
WWII in
Asia
• 1937, U.S.
refuses
trade with
Japan
until they
withdraw
from
China…..
• 1940
invades
Indochina
• US froze
Japanese
assets,
refused to
trade oil,
gasoline
and steel.
Hitler and FDR
• Both come into office in 1933 in the midst of
the economic and social upheaval of the Great
Depression.
• FDR tells Americans, “The only thing we have
to fear is fear itself”
• Hitler takes the approach that the Jews are
the source of all Germany’s economic and
political problems.
How Does Hitler Justify His Actions?
• He says they are in response to the
punishment placed on Germany by the Treaty
of Versailles. – Makes the Germans believe
they had been done wrong.
• As a result, the rest of Europe appeases him.
• They give their inch and he takes mile after
mile. The more they give in the more he takes.
What was appeasement?
• In 1935 Britain signed the naval
agreement with Germany.
• For the next three years, Britain and
France followed a policy of giving
Hitler what he wanted-a policy that
became known as APPEASEMENT.
• Agreement signed between England, France,
and Germany.
• Hitler asked for the Sudentenland to be
returned to Germany and that would be all he
would ask for.
• The problem – Hitler had no intention of
honoring his word.
LANDMARKS OF
APPEASEMENT
• 1933-Germany leave the L of N - start to rearm in
secret
• 1935-Anglo-German Naval Agreement, Abyssinian
Crisis, German announces conscription.
• 1936- Remilitarization of the Rhineland
• 1938 (March) Anschluss
• 1938 (Sept) Sudetenland crisis and the Munich
agreement
• 1939- Germany take over the rest of Czechoslovakia
• 1939 Britain and France abandon appeasement and
guarantee to defend Poland
Why US Neutrality Acts?
• Americans want to remain isolationist
• Needed to respond in some way to help our
allies who were the targets of Fascist
aggression in Europe
• League of Nations is too weak to do anything.
• England and France are appeasing Hitler but
the US realizes he’s only getting worse.
•1935: prohibited arms
shipments to all belligerent
countries.
•1936: forbid loans to all
belligerents
•1937: “Cash and Carry”
principle: all nations must pay
for nonmilitary purchases and
ship the goods in their own
vessels
Neutral
• Munich Pact
•1939: prohibited Americans
from traveling on ships of
belligerent nations
•1940: Lend Lease program
offered to Great Britain…. U.S.
becomes the “arsenal of
democracy”
•FDR responds to Fascist aggression in Europe by protecting
democracies and preparing the US for war…..
Neutral
•1939: prohibited Americans
from traveling on ships of
belligerent nations
•1940: Lend Lease program
offered to Great Britain…. U.S.
becomes the “arsenal of
democracy”
•FDR responds to Fascist aggression in Europe by protecting
democracies and preparing the US for war…..
Neutral
•Americans wanted to
remain neutral.
•America First
Committee
•Committee to Defend
America by Aiding the
Allies
•Feb. 21, 1940: If
Germany is defeating
England & France,
should the U.S. declare
war on Germany and
send our Army and Navy
to Europe to fight
against Hitler?
Yes: 23%
Neutral
No 77%
LEND LEASE
LEND LEASE
•RENTING, LEASING, GIVING
BRITAIN AND LATER SOVIET
UNION AND CHINA, MILITARY
WEAPONS TO ARM THEM AGAINST
THE GERMANS AND JAPANESE…
•FDR’s FINAL ATTEMPT TO REMAIN
NEUTRAL!
•USA BECOMES THE “ARSENAL OF
DEMOCRACY”
U. S. Lend-Lease Act,
1941, “ US becomes the arsenal
of democracy”
Great Britain.........................$31 billion
Soviet Union...........................$11 billion
France......................................$ 3 billion
China.......................................$1.5 billion
Other European.................$500 million
South America...................$400 million
The amount totaled: $48,601,365,000
Japanese Attack Pearl Harbor
• December 11, 1941
• US had placed an embargo on war goods so
that Japan could not purchase them
• US had placed an embargo on war goods so
that Japan could not purchase them
• The Japanese felt if they attacked the US hard
enough, we would back off and let Japan
control
Infamy7
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VqQAf74
fsE
• FDR Day of Infamy Speech