Transcript The Rape of Nanking

The War in Europe
Appeasement & Aggression
Hitler Makes a Move
 1933:
Hitler
removes
Germany from
the League
of Nations
Hitler Makes a Move
 1935:
Hitler
violates the
Treaty of Versailles
–Massive arms
buildup
–Occupation of the Rhineland
Hitler Makes a Move
 League
of
Nations
does
NOTHING!
Hitler Makes a Move
 1937:
Hitler
met with top
military
advisors
Hitler Makes a Move
 Wanted
the
land of
neighboring
nations
 Austria & Czechoslovakia
 Risky move…why?
Hitler Makes a Move
 Austria:
–Initially formed after World
War I
–Population: 6 million
–Majority of population was
German
Hitler Makes a Move
 Czechoslovakia:
–Sudetenland; western border
region of Czechoslovakia
–3 million German-speaking
people in region
Hitler Makes a Move
 1st
target: Austria
 Most Austrians supported
unification with Germany
 1938: Germany entered Austria;
faced NO opposition
 Official union
Hitler Makes
a Move
 Czechoslovakia
& Sudetenland:
 Hitler’s goal 
annexation; more
land & natural
resources
Hitler Makes a Move
 Claimed
that
Sudeten
Germans
were being
abused by the Czechs  Hitler’s
justification for the annexation
Hitler Makes a Move
 The
Munich
Agreement:
–France & Great
Britain
–Allowed Hitler to have
Czechoslovakia as it was his
“last territorial demand”
Hitler Makes a Move
 Chamberlin
(Great Britain’s
Prime Minister) believes peace
has been made
 Not peace, but
APPEASEMENT; giving in to
avoid war
Hitler has Lied?!?!
 Hitler
goes back on his word…
WANTS MORE LAND!
 Next…on to Poland…
 Large German-speaking
population
 Hitler accuses the Polish of
abusing Germans
Hitler Keeps on Moving
 What
could happen if Hitler
attacked
Poland?
 Hitler’s
Predicament?
Hitler Keeps on Moving
 Attack
on Poland had the
potential to:
–Spur conflict between
Germany & Soviet Union
–Provoke war with France &
Great Britain who had
promised to protect Poland
Hitler Keeps on Moving
 Was
Hitler bluffing??
 Big Problem??
 Two-Front War..?
Hitler Keeps on Moving
 Germany
&
Soviet Union:
 Nonaggression Pact (1939)
–Signed by Hitler & Stalin
–Surprising move on Stalin’s
part – WHY?
Hitler Keeps
on Moving
 Hitler
& Stalin
also signed a
secret pact
promising to
divide Poland
evenly
Hitler Keeps on Moving
 Hitler
invades
Poland &
utilized
Blitzkrieg, or “lightning war”
 Sudden & massive attack that
combines air and ground forces
World War II Begins
 France
& Great Britain declare
war on Germany
 Hitler takes most of Western
Poland; Stalin invades from the
east & takes over
 World War II has begun…
U.S. Response
 Neutrality…
 Pressing
for
peace
 Planning for
war