Transcript File - Mallard Creek High School

The Coming of WWII
DICTATORS DESTROY PEACE
“How many people look up to him
with a touching faith! As their
helper, their savior, their
deliverer from unbearable
distress-to him who rescues…the
scholar, the clergyman, the
farmer, the worker, the
unemployed, who leads them…”
Who is
this
quote
about?
How did dictators rise to power?
 Hard feelings left from WWI
 Germany hated the Treaty of Versailles
Blamed for war, had to pay for it and had to demilitarize
 Other countries felt bitter as well
 Italy, Russia, Japan
 bitter feelings about the Treaty of Versailles led to creation
of totalitarian governments - a single party or leader
(dictator) controls government, economy and social aspects
 bitter nations realized the League of Nations was long on words but
short on action
 couldn’t back up its policies
 big weakness: U.S. is not a member

Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union (Russia)
 Stalin replaced Lenin as
communist dictator in
Russia
 Stalin was ruthless
 began the Great Terror
purged the Communist
Party of
traitors…millions killed
 fear kept Stalin in power
Death solves
all problems no man, no
problem.
Benito Mussolini in Italy
All within the
state,
nothing
outside the
state,
nothing
against the
state.
 Began the Fascist Party
that promoted extreme
Italian nationalism and
promised to make Italy
great again
 highly militaristic
 anti-communist
Adolf Hitler in Germany
“What luck
for rulers,
that men
do not
think.”
 Set up the Third Reich (3rd
Empire) in Germany
characterized by Nazi rule
under Hitler
 controlled the Nazi Party
that promoted German
ethnic unity


hated communists and Jews
(Anti-Semitic)
spread hatred toward Jews
Emperor Hirohito of Japan
 Did not set up a totalitarian




government in Japan , kept
monarchy
set up a militaristic type
government instead
highly nationalistic
attacked Manchuria even
though Japan had agreed to
disarm at the Washington
Naval Conference
left the League of Nations
Hitler Causes Problems
 Violated Treaty of Versailles by…
 building up Germany’s army and navy (militarism)
 moving troops into the Rhineland (militarism)
 tested some of his new military technologies during the Spanish
Civil War (militarism)
 In response, U.S., France and Great Britain used
appeasement (granting concessions to a potential
enemy in the hope they will maintain peace)
 Why give into Hitler?


memories of WWI
economic troubles (Great Depression is still going strong)
The Munich Pact
 Great Britain and France
gave Hitler the
Sudetenland to preserve
peace . . . he promised
not to conquer any other
European territories
(appeasement)
 Hitler will violate this
agreement
 lesson learned: can not
trust Hitler
Appeasement Fails…War
 Hitler violated the Munich Pact by taking all of
Czechoslovakia…appeasement is not working
 Great Britain and France will take action and agree
to protect Poland which is Hitler’s next move
 Non-Aggression Pact was signed between
Russia and Germany in which both agreed
not to attack one another and agree to attack
Poland from two directions
 September 1, 1939: Germany attacks Poland

war declarations begin
Axis Powers vs. Allies
 Axis Powers: Germany, Italy
and Japan
 Allies:


Originally France and Great
Britain
Later Russia, U.S. and China
“Phony War”: for 8 months
nothing happens
Hitler’s Success
 Easily took Poland, then Denmark and Norway
 Then turned to Netherlands, Belgium and Luxemburg
 Took France in just 35 days
 successes frighten U.S. and led us to help Allies by
sending supplies
 Germany used a mixture of total war (attacking
civilians and economic resources) and blitzkrieg




“lightning warfare”
emphasized speed and power to penetrate deep into an
enemy territory
tanks and planes come in first, then motorized vehicles
and infantry
highly effective German technique