Transcript From Appeasement to War

From Appeasement to War
Chapter 14
Section 1
Aggressive Dictators
Throughout the 1930s, dictators took aggressive action
Yet, they met only verbal protests and pleas for peace from
Western powers (e.g., “slap on the wrist” response)
Example: When the League of Nations condemned Japan’s
invasion of Manchuria in 1931, Japan simply withdrew from the
League (What could the League do to Japan??)
A few years later, Japanese armies invaded China, starting the
Second Sino-Japanese War
Mussolini invaded Ethiopia in 1935 to show the world its fascist
supremacy and military strength against a weaker nation
Ethiopia was no match for Italy’s tanks, guns, airplanes, poison
gas, etc.
Asia
Manchuria
Aggressive Dictators
The League of Nations voted sanctions (economic
penalties) against Italy, but the League had no
military power to enforce its punishment of Mussolini
Hitler, too, defied the Western democracies by
building up the German military and sending troops
into the de-militarized Rhineland
Marching troops into the Rhineland violated the terms
of the Treaty of Versailles
The Western democracies denounced Hitler but
adopted a policy of appeasement
Appeasement
A policy of giving in to the demands of an aggressor
nation (e.g., Germany, Italy, Japan, etc.) in order to
keep the peace and avoid war
German Soldiers Marching Into the
Rhineland
Hitler and Mussolini
Rhineland (region between France and
Germany)
Under the
Treaty of
Versailles,
Germany was
forbidden to
have any
troops in the
Rhineland,
the area
between
Germany and
France.
Appeasement
Definition: to yield or concede to the belligerent demands of (a
nation, group, person, etc.), such as Hitler
Appeasement developed for a number of reasons, including
widespread pacifism (opposition to war or violence of any
kind)
The United States did NOT want to get dragged into another
European conflict like World War I
The USA responded with a series of Neutrality Acts whose
goal was to avoid involvement in a war, rather than to prevent
one
Neutrality Acts – 1) prohibited sale of weapons to warring
nations, 2) prohibited loans to warring countries, and 3)
Americans could not travel on ships of warring nations
(Remember the Lusitania in WWI??)
Leaders of the Axis Powers (Germany,
Italy, Japan)
While the Western
democracies sought
to avoid war,
Germany, Italy, and
Japan formed an
alliance called the
Axis Powers.
Spain
In Spain, a new more liberal government came into
power and passed reforms that upset conservatives
and military leaders
General Francisco Franco, who was opposed to the
new government, ignited a civil war (1936-1939)
Franco commanded the Nationalist (pro-Fascist)
forces
Hitler and Mussolini supported Franco, their fellow
fascist
The USSR sent troops to support the anti-fascists, or
Loyalists
Spain
The British, American, and French governments
remained neutral, although individuals from these
countries fought alongside the Loyalists
By 1939, Franco had triumphed and defeated the
loyalist forces
Spain became a fascist country like Italy and
Germany
Hitler and Germany used the Spanish Civil War as a
“dress rehearsal” for Germany and Italy who were
preparing for World War II
Spain
General Francisco Franco
German Aggression
German aggression continued throughout Europe
In 1938, Hitler forced the Anschluss, or union with Austria
because Austrians are German-speaking to become part of the
Third Reich
Next, Hitler demanded the Sudetenland
The Sudetenland was a part of Czechoslovakia where three
million ethnic Germans and German-speakers lived
At the Munich Conference (1938), which was held to discuss
the tense situation, British and French leaders chose
appeasement and allowed Hitler to annex the territory
In March 1939, Hitler broke his promise and took over the rest
of Czechoslovakia
Sudetenland
Sudetenland
Germany Adds Territory (“Anschluss”)
Nazi-Soviet Pact
Months later, Hitler and Stalin signed the NaziSoviet Pact (non-aggression pact)
1) They agreed not to fight if the other went to war
2) Stalin and Hitler secretly agreed to carve up
Poland after WWII began
This paved the way for Germany’s invasion of Poland
on September 1, 1939, which triggered the beginning
of WWII
Nazi-Soviet Pact
The Nazi-Soviet Pact stunned the world because it
was an agreement between arch enemies: Fascist
Germany and Communist Soviet Union
However, both sides were simply using each other to
buy time
In June, 1941, Hitler, without advanced warning,
broke the Nazi-Soviet Pact and invaded the Soviet
Union
Signing of the Nazi-Soviet Pact
August 23, 1939
Powerpoint Questions (13 points)
1. What country did Italy invade in 1935?
2. What was the response of the League of Nations
toward the aggressive countries in the 1930s?
3. What area did Japan invade?
4. What is appeasement?
5. How did Hitler defy the Treaty of Versailles?
6. What is pacificism?
7. Why did the United States pass the Neutrality Acts?
Powerpoint Questions (13 points)
8. Who was the fascist leader of Spain who ignited the
Spanish Civil War?
9. What is the term for the union of Austria and
Germany?
10. What part of Czechoslovakia did Hitler demand to
annex?
11. What were the key elements of the Nazi-Soviet
Pact? (2 points)
12. On what date did World War II begin?
The End