Transcript PreWW II

Prelude To A
War
Problems Around
The World
Threats to World Peace
 The Treaty of Versailles
and its punishing
provisions would create
hard feelings throughout
Europe and would prove
to be a roadblock to
lasting peace.
 What were the Versailles
Treaty provisions?
Joseph Stalin: “The Man of Steel”
 Stalin will come to
power in the Soviet
Union in 1924
 He tried to create the
model Communist
state.
 He “Purges” all
opposition- 1000’s
executed, millions die
during years of
deprivation
Modernizing the U.S.S.R.
Creating a Totalitarian State
 In 1927 Stalin abolishes
all free enterprise.
 All farmland would
become property of the
state.
 Forced industrialization.
 By 1939 the USSR was the
world’s third largest
industrial power.
A propaganda poster of 1934. It is
titled: 'Peasants can live like a
Human Being'.
The Rise of Fascism:
Fascist #1: Benito Mussolini
(Il Duce)
 Establishes the Fascist
Party in Italy in 1921, by
1922 controlled the
government.
 Turns Italy into a
socialist country.
 Unlike communism,
Mussolini did not try to
control the farms and
factories, but like the
USSR, Italy would soon
become a totalitarian
state.
Fascism vs. Communism
 Fascism- Dictatorship,
central control of private
enterprise, repression of
opposition, extreme
nationalism. Emphasizes
class division.
 Communism-Classless
society in which all
property and wealth is
controlled by the state.
 Both are totalitarian
Adolph Hitler (Der Führer) Fascist #2
 He joined the Nazi Party
in 1919.
 Hitler rose to power and
was eventually elected by
exploiting the following:
 Hardships of the
Depression
 Anger because of
Versailles Treaty
 Fear of Communism
 The prejudices against
Jewish people.
 His ideas established in
his book- “Mein Kampf”
Fascist #3Francisco Franco
 Spanish Civil War
 600,000 dead
 Francisco Franco
fights to overthrow
the monarchy
 Assisted by Hitler
and Mussolini
Picasso’s “Guernica” depicting the slaughter
at that town during the civil war
 Nationalist military
leaders take control.
Rise of Japan
 Starting in the 1800’s the
Meiji Restoration would
transform Japan into a
modern industrial
military power by
overthrowing the Shogun
feudal system.
 Defeat of Russia in 1904.
 Japan had small land area
that was becoming overpopulated and needed
(like, Hitler) more “living
space” and access to
natural resources.
Emperor Hirohito
 In 1931 Japan invades
resource rich Manchuria
Prime Minister Hideki Tojo
The World Response
 When the League of Nations failed to take any
action against Japan, this gave the signal to Hitler
and Mussolini that they could start aggressions:
 Hitler pulls Germany out of the League of Nations
(’33)
 In 1935 Hitler begins to rebuild the German
military violating the Treaty of Versailles.
 In 1935 Italy invades Ethiopia to re-establish the
Roman Empire.
 In 1936 Germany re-occupies the Rhineland.
 In 1936 Germany and Italy announce the signing
of the Rome-Berlin Axis Pact.
Failure of the League cont.
 The League of Nations
reacted to all these
episodes with threats,
but little else.
 When Italy invaded
Ethiopia all the League
did was impose some
boycott sanctions.
 The emperor of Ethiopia
appealed to the League
and warned, “It is us today,
it will be you tomorrow.”
American Anti-War Feelings
 In the early 1930’s -numerous books
written that stated US entry into WWI was
based on greed of bankers
 The Nye Committee (senate investigation)
would go on to document the large profits
made by manufacturers during the war.
 A 1937 poll would show that 70% of
Americans believed that the U.S. should
never have entered WWI.
 Beginning in 1935 Congress would pass a
series of Neutrality Acts designed to keep
America out of future wars.
Nazi Expansion In Europe
 March 12, 1938 -
Germany invades and
annexes Austria.
 Hitler then demands the
Sudetenland (a
predominantly German
area) back from
Czechoslovakia.
Munich Conference and
Munich Pact
 Hitler, Daladier,
Chamberlain
 This agreement would
turn the Sudetenland
over to Germany.
 In return, Hitler
promised no more
territorial demands.
 Chamberlain came home
and announced that they
had achieved “… peace
in our time.”
The Munich Pact
September 29, 1938
 GERMANY, the United Kingdom, France and Italy, taking into
consideration the agreement, which has been already reached in
principle for the cession to Germany of the Sudeten German
territory, have agreed on the following terms and conditions
governing the said cession and the measures consequent
thereon, and by this agreement they each hold themselves
responsible for the steps necessary to secure its fullfilment:
 (1) The evacuation will begin on 1st October.
 (2) The United Kingdom, France and Italy agree that the
evacuation of the territory shall be completed by the 10th
October, without any existing installations having been
destroyed, and that the Czechoslovak Government will be held
responsible for carrying out the evacuation without damage to
the said installations.
Appeasement
 The actions of Britain
and France are referred
to as appeasement.
 The leader of Britain’s
opposition party,
Winston Churchill was
quoted…
 March 15, 1939 –
Germany invades and
occupies the rest of
Czechoslovakia.
“Britain and France
had a choice between war
and dishonor. They chose
dishonor. They will have
war.”
-Winston Churchill
Chamberlain declaring
“peace in our time”
The need for “lebensraum”!
 Hitler will now turn his
attention to the east.
 What problems could
this cause him?
 August 23, 1939 Hitler
announced the signing of
a nonaggression pact
with the Soviets. (both
sides agreed not to fight
each other)
The Blitzkrieg
 Sept. 1, 1939 – Germany
invades Poland by land
and air.
 Sept. 3, 1939 – Britain
and France declare war
on Germany.
 Poland would fall before
Britain and France had
a chance to make a
difference.
 The USSR would also
invade Poland from the
east to take its share of
the land.
The “Sitzkrieg”
 France believed that they
were safe behind the Maginot
Line
 This is the ‘phony war’ or
‘sitzkrieg’ because nothing
would happen through the
winter of 1939-’40.
 The Soviet Union invades
Finland (after having
already occupied the Baltic
states of Estonia, Latvia and
Lithuania).
Blitzkrieg in the West
 April 9, 1940 – Germany
invades Denmark and
Norway, and follows with
attacks on the Netherlands,
Belgium and Luxembourg.
 Britain and France would
now send troops into Belgium.
 This attack was anticipated
by Germany, who cut off and
surrounded the allies, driving
them to the seacoast.
Dunkirk: Hitler’s First Major
Mistake
 The evacuation of the allied
troops at Dunkirk by the
British navy is considered to
be one of the major miracles
of the war
 The British army escapes
along with several thousand
French troops
The Fall of France
 While the Germans
invaded France from
the north, Italy now
enters the war and
Invades France from
the south.
 Within a month France
had fell.
 (French General
Charles de Gaulle
escapes he becomes the
leader of “Free France”
while in exile.)
The Battle of Britain
 After the fall France,
only Britain is left to
fight in Europe. The
Battle of Britain was
an air campaign
 Continual bombing in
an attempt to knock
out the RAF (Royal Air
Force) and destroy
Britain’s will to fight.
“Never has so much been owed
by so many to so few”
 Use of RADAR and the
efforts of the RAF fighter
pilots hold off the
Germans
 Hitler orders that targets
be switched from military
sites to the cities (Major
mistake #2).
 This gives the RAF time
to rest and train new
pilots.
 Hitler would calls off the
planned invasion of
Britain indefinitely.
The U.S. Response
 Even though we had
proclaimed neutrality, the
Axis powers would view the
U.S. as neutral in name only.
 Cash-and-Carry (1939) –
selling arms to nations as long
as they paid cash and carried
them in their own ships.
 FDR would slowly begin to
prepare for the war that was
becoming more and more
inevitable.
 Who were we selling to?
Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis
 Tripartite Pact
(1940) – Japan joins
the Axis of Germany
and Italy.
 FDR’s response:
Destroyers for Bases
Deal
The American Response
 FDR asks Congress to increase spending on the military.
Years of isolationist policies and the depression had left
America very weak
 In 1940 Congress would dramatically increase defense
spending
 Passes the first peacetime military draft in American
history (over one million men drafted in the first year)
 1940 FDR wins a third term
“The Arsenal of Democracy”
 By 1940 Britain had no more cash to buy arms. FDR offers
a new plan called ‘lend lease’ (1941).
 Under this plan the president could lend or lease arms to any
country whose defense was vital to the United States.
 What countries would that be?
Operation Barbarossa
 June 22, 1941 –
Germany invades the
“If Hitler invaded Hell, I
Soviet Union.
would be prepared to
work with the devil
 The U.S. would give himself.”
supplies to the
Winston Churchill
Soviets just as we did
the British.
 Churchill defended giving aid
to Stalin and the Communists
by saying…
Atlantic Charter
 This agreement signed by
FDR and Churchill would
spell out the reasons for
fighting WW II – even though
the U.S. was not in the war
yet.
 Later, the Atlantic Charter
would become the basis of a
new document called “A
Declaration by the United
Nations”
 Through the summer and fall
of 1941 the U.S. and Germany
will be fighting an undeclared
naval war.
Japanese
Expansion
 By 1941, only the U.S. islands in
the Pacific kept Japan from
having total control of the
region.
 In the summer of 1941 the U.S.
will cut off the oil trade with
Japan because of its actions in
the Pacific.
“… a date that shall live in
infamy.” Dec. 7, 1941
 The Japanese fleet
attacks the American
fleet at Pearl Harbor,
Hawaii.
 The raid would:





sink 18 ships,
destroy 350 planes,
kill over 2000
fuel tanks not destroyed.
US aircraft carriers (the
most important ships in
the battle of the Pacific)
would be out of port.