Transcript Aggressors on the March

Aggressors on the
March
KEY IDEA: As Germany, Italy, and
Japan conquered other countries,
the rest of the world did nothing.
The World Drifts Toward War
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In the 1930s, the major democracies—Britain,
France, and the United States—still faced
serious problems at home.
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Dictators in Germany and Italy took
advantage of this and began moving to gain
territory.
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So, too, did Japan, now ruled by generals.
Militarists Take Control of Japan
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The military leaders in Japan had taken power
when the Depression struck. They planned to
capture China as a part of a Pacific empire.
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In 1931, the Japanese army captured Manchuria,
a part of China. It was rich in coal and iron and as
a result provided valuable resources for the
Japanese economy.
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Other countries protested in the League of
Nations but did nothing else.
Japan Seeks an Empire
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The Japanese militarists were extreme
nationalists who wanted to solve the
countries economic problems by foreign
expansion.
The empire would provide Japan with raw
materials and markets for goods as well as
more living space for Japan’s growing
population.
Japan Invades China
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Japan ignored the protests and in 1933 pulled out of the
League of Nations, but it stayed in Manchuria.
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Four years later, Japan invaded China. The strong
Japanese army swept Chinese fighters aside.
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It killed tens of thousands of Chinese in the city of
Nanjing.
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Chinese forces—both the Nationalists of the government
and Communist rebels—continued to fight Japan.
Emperor Hirohito of Japan
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HIROHITO, (19011989), 124th Emperor
of Japan, who
succeeded to the
throne in 1926 after a
period of five years as
regent. The Showa
era, as his reign is
called, witnessed
dramatic
transformations in
Japanese life,
including the status of
the Emperor himself.
Mussolini Attacks Ethiopia
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Japan’s defiance of the League of Nations
encouraged Mussolini to begin expanding into
Africa, and in 1935 he invaded Ethiopia.
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His troops won easy victory.
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Haile Selassie, the emperor of Ethiopia,
pleaded to the League of Nations for help.
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Once again, the League did nothing.
Appeasement in Africa
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Although the League of nations
condemned Italy for it aggression against
Ethiopia, Great Britain continued to allow
Italy to move troops and supplies through
the Suez canal.
By giving into Mussolini in Africa, Great
Britain and France hoped to keep peace in
Europe.
Benito Mussolini
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Mussolini founded a
political newspaper and
served in World War I and
founded the Fascist party.
He founded the Fascist
party and personally took
over the ministries of the
of the interior, of foreign
affairs, of the colonies, of
the corporations, of the
army and other armed
services, and of public
works.
Hitler Defies the Treaty of
Versailles
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In 1935, Adolph Hitler announced
that Germany would no longer obey
the restrictions of the Treaty of
Versailles. He began to rebuild the
German army.
Because the League of Nations did
nothing to stop him, he began to take
greater risks.
Hitler Defies Versailles Treaty
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In 1936, Hitler sent troops into an area
of Germany that the treaty had
forbidden them to enter.
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France and Britain again refused to
stand up to Germany. This move won
Hitler more support in Germany.
The German Third Reich
Expands

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In 1937, Hitler announced his plans of to
absorb Austria and Czechoslovakia into the
German Empire (Third Reich).
Hitler believed that any where that
Germans lived was in fact a part of
Germany.
Appeasement
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In March 1938, Hitler moved his troops into
Austria. He made it part of Germany,
breaking the Versailles Treaty again.
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France and Britain once more did nothing.
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The next year, Hitler demanded that
Czechoslovakia (Sudetenland) give up part
of its land to Germany.
Britain and France Choose
Appeasement
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After Germany invaded the Sudetenland in
Czechoslovakia, the Munich Conference was
held to deal with Germany’s aggression.
At the Munich Conference, France and Great
Britain agreed to allow Hitler to keep the
Sudetenland as long as Hitler promised to
respect the new borders of Czechoslovakia
This agreement was made without
Czechoslovakia’s knowledge or approval.
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Hitler promised to respect the new borders of
Czechoslovakia, but a few months later he
took the entire country.
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In the summer of 1939, Hitler made a similar
demand of Poland. That nation also refused
to give up land.
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Britain and France now said that they would
protect Poland.
Appeasement Fails
Less than 6 months
later, Germany took all
of Czechoslovakia
Adolph Hitler

Adolf served in the
German Army during
World War I, and then
became an undercover
agent and took charge of
the German Worker's
Party propaganda in 1920.
In addition to founding
the Nazi (National
Socialist German Worker's
Party), he also wrote an
autobiography titled Mein
Kampf, or My Struggle.
The Axis is Formed
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Hitler’s growing strength
convinced Mussolini that he
should seek an alliance
with Germany In October of
1936, Hitler signed an
agreement with Mussolini
and also with Japan. The
three nations were called the
Axis Powers.
Civil War Erupts in Spain
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In 1936, Spain erupted in civil war as the
army revolted against a leftist government.
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Hitler and Mussolini sent aid to the army,
which was backed by Spanish Fascists.
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The Soviet Union sent aid to the government.
In 1939, the army won and Francisco Franco
became Spain’s Fascist dictator.
General Francisco Franco
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After the nationalist victory in the
Spanish Civil War, General Francisco
Franco declared himself military
chief.
He ruled Spain until his death in
1975.
His rule was quite harsh. He
executed more than 200,000
Spaniards between 1939 and 1943.
Although he sympathized with the
Axis Powers, he did not enter WWII
Non-aggression Pact with
Russia
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While Germany was making its moves in
Europe, Hitler made an agreement with
Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin in which the
two countries promised never to attack each
other.
With the treaty signed with Russia,
Germany was free to move unchecked
throughout Europe
Western Democracies Fail
to Halt Aggression
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The people in the United States were
determined not to get involved in
Europe’s new problems.
Beginning in 1935, to insure the U.S.
remained Neutral, Congress passed a
series of Neutrality Acts that banned the
sale of arms to the warring nations.
Over the years, these laws were slowly
changed to allow arms sales to Great
Britain.