Transcript World War II - Cloudfront.net

World War II
The Road to War
Chap. 15: Sections 1-2
Video Clips
America in the 20th
Century
US Foreign Policy 1930s
 During
the 1930s US was preoccupied
with Depression.
 However FDR announced Good Neighbor
policy & promised nonintervention in
Latin American countries.
 Most Americans favored isolationism &
neutrality in foreign affairs.
 FDR promises not to send soldiers into
Europe
 This was the lesson from WWI
Video Clip
th
America in the 20 Century:
World War II: Road to War
American Isolationism
Rise of Mussolini in Italy
Italian economy was in chaos.
 High rate of unemployment
 Benito Mussolini aka il Duce promised
change & to restore Italy’s power in the
Mediterranean.
 Was a fascist like Hitler.
 Preached that the state & race were more
important than the individual.
 Fascists won elections by intimidating
people.
 Mussolini invaded Ethiopia in 1935 – the
League of Nations did nothing.

Mussolini Video Clip
America in the 20th century:
WWII: Road to War
Elements of Fascism
 Authoritarian
dictatorship that is not
communist
 Rejected enlightenment emphasis on
reason & equality
 Extreme nationalism linked to Social
Darwinism
 Glorified violence
 Anti-democratic
 Viewed the state as absolute that took
precedence over individual rights
Features of Totalitarianism
Single-party dictatorship
 State control of the economy & media
 Use of spies & state terrorism
 Strict censorship
 Use of schools & media to indoctrinate &
mobilize citizens
 Demands unquestioning obedience to ruler
 Seeks to control all aspects of life such as
music, art, education
 USSR, Germ & Italy were all totalitarian

Hitler & Nazi Party
 Fascist
who took advantage of
Germany’s econ problems during the
Depression.
 Denounced the Versailles treaty
which dismantled Germ army & req’d
Germ to pay reparations
 Nazis became most powerful party in
1932
 By 1933 Hitler became chancellor
 He immediately began eliminating
his political enemies
(Communists/Social Democrats)
Hitler & Rise of the Nazis
Video Clip
2:20
Third Reich
He suspended German civil rights in 1933
 Convinced the Reichstag to give him
power to make laws without its consent.
 Demanded that the military swear
allegiance to him personally
 After the German president, Hindenburg,
died he abolished that office and became
Der Fuhrer & totalitarian dictator.
 One of his first actions was to suspend
civil rights

Hitler Defies Versailles Treaty
 Rebuilt
the German army
 Reoccupied the Rhineland which had
been a buffer zone.
 Now Germany was on the French
border
 Britain, France, League of Nations
did nothing to stop him
 This will emboldened him
 Formed an alliance with Mussolini in
1936
Spanish Civil War
Fascist army general Franco wanted to
over-throw the democratic government.
 Developed into international conflict when
Mussolini & Hitler began aiding the fascist
Franco with weapons because he was antiCommunist.
 Also gave Musso & Hitler opportunity to
test their weapons
 The USSR did the same for the prodemocracy forces
 Many volunteers from Brit, Fr & US helped
pro-democratic forces – felt this was
necessary otherwise France might be next

Appeasement @ Munich
 1938
Anschluss – annexation of Austria
 1938 Munich Pact – Brit PM Chamberlain,
gave in to German demands for the
Sudetenland which was the German part
of Czechoslavakia.
 This was a policy of “appeasement” or
giving in to what Hitler wanted in the
belief that it would satisfy his demands &
avert war
Sudetenland plus…
 Brit
& Fr appeased Germany because
Hitler claimed he was just trying to
protect the German speaking
population at their request.
 Hitler promised he would respect the
territorial integrity of all countries &
make no further demands
 5 ½ months later Hitler seized the
rest of Czechoslovakia
Winston Churchill’s View about
the Munich Pact
 Churchill
who would soon replace
Chamberlain as PM had this to say
about the Munich Pact.
 “Brit
& Fr had to choose between
war and dishonor. They chose
dishonor. They will have war.”
Soviet-Nazi Pact 1939


Although Hitler had openly expressed his
disgust of Communist Russia & slavic peoples
since the early ’20s he signs non-aggression
pact with USSR. Also part of the pact was
agreement to divide Poland between them.
Why? By securing eastern border Hitler was
now free to move against other countries.


Why did USSR join? Because Stalin was
nervous because Brit & Fr refused to ally with
USSR.
Clouds of War Video Clip 3:36
from America in the 20th century
How would you interpret this cartoon
Invasion of Poland
Sept 1939 Hitler
invades Poland.
 Used blitzkrieg
tactics & Luffwaffe
bombarded Polish
cities.
 Brit & Fr were
pledged to defend
Poland & declared
war on Germ 2
days later.

Japanese Militarism
In 1930s Japan began its territorial
expansion.
 Expansion was necessary due to growing
pop & lack of resources for
industrialization.
 Japanese military leaders felt this
dependence on foreign supplies made
Japan vulnerable.
 Military leaders were independent of the
civilian gov.
 Military victories in China, Russia,
Manchuria & Korea had elevated the
military’s standing with the emperor.

Japanese Invasion of Manchuria
Next target was the rest of Manchuria
which was rich in resources and would
provide living space for Japanese.
 Japan installed a puppet-regime
 Renamed Manchuria “Manchukuo”
 Japan argued that Manchuria was
essential for Japan’s long-term security.
 The LON condemned Japanese agression.
 Japan withdrew from the LON

Japan Video Clip
00.51
US Responds to Japanese Aggression
US protested Japanese aggression &
worried that it would close the “Open
Door” policy.
 FDR refused to recognize the new regime
in Manchuria.
 When Japan used base in Manchuria to
attack the rest of China FDR lent money to
China for military supplies.
 Urged Americans to boycott Japanese silk.
 Support for China came from missionaries,
business interests and the public.

The China Incident
In 1937 Japan attacked Nanjing and
Shanghai killing 1000s of civilians.
 Japanese played down the slaughter
calling it the “China Incident” when in
reality it was full scale war.
 One senator referred to Japanese actions
as “disgraceful” and barbarous”
 Yet the US did little more than protest the
matter.
 Japanese were to Asia what Germans
were to Europe.

American Neutrality

In response to Italy’s invasion of Ethiopia & the
Spanish Civil War the US Congress passes the
Neutrality Acts.
– These prohibited the sale of US weapons to
nations at war
– Required also that countries at war pay cash for
non-military goods


FDR was reluctant to sign acts but 1937 Gallup Poll
indicated that 2/3 of Americans felt WWI was a
mistake.
However FDR asked Congress to increase military
spending which it did.
Analyze the following
cartoons & propaganda.
What does his cartoon convey?
The End…