College Prep American Studies

The Rise of Hitler

Adolf Hitler was an Austrian born WWI veteranWhen WWI broke out, Hitler joined the German ArmyAfter the war, he stayed in Germany and became an extreme nationalistBy 1921, Hitler gained control of the National Socialists German Workers’ Party or Nazi PartyThe Nazis blamed the Jews and anyone else who was not part of the Aryan (Germanic) race for WWI and the troubles facing Germany in the 1920s and 1930sBy 1933, Hitler had power over the German legislature- Reichstag and the militaryHe was called the Fuhrer (supreme leader) of the Third Reich (German Empire)

Rise of Mussolini in ItalyWWI veteran who feared the increase in the socialist party in ItalyBy 1919 socialists were gaining political majorities in parliamentPlaying on the fear of a communist revolution in Italy, Mussolini came to power as the leader of the anti-communist party- The Fascists- Il DuceMussolini became prime minister in 1922Mussolini dreamed of building an Italian empire- beginning in the MediterraneanItaly invaded Ethiopia in October of 1935 while the League of Nations did nothing

The Fascists and the Nazis

Fascists Nazis Leader was a WWI veteran -

Mussolini Far-right aggressive nationalist

movement The nation and the race were more

important than the individual- wanted to regain the power of the Ancient Roman Empire

Gangs with black shirts intimidated any opposition with physical violence

Aggression equals action, Peace equals weakness

Bans on freedom of assembly, freedom of the press, no opposition to the government was tolerated

Anti-Semitic Aggressive nationalists

Leader was a WWI Veteran- Hitler

Far-right aggressive nationalist movement

The nation and the race were more important than the individual – The Third Reich

Storm Troopers intimidated any opposition with physical violence

Aggression equals action, Peace equals weakness

Bans on freedom of assembly, freedom of the press, no opposition to the government was tolerated

Anti-Semitic Aggressive nationalists

Spanish Civil War In 1936, Spanish Army General Francisco Franco

tried to overthrow the new Spanish government Italy and Germany supported Franco Britain, France and the United States abided by

non-intervention agreements 580,000 people died Italy sent 100,000 soldiers and air pilots who

bombed without opposition Germany ran bombing runs from the Air On April 26, 1937 German and Italian planes

bombed the small town of Guernica and killed more than 100 civilians- depicted in Pablo Picasso’s famous painting

Franco’s nationalists won the Spanish Civil War

The Munich Pact: Appeasement- making concessions to an aggressor in order to keep the peace

March 1938, Hitler proclaimed that Austria was part of Germany and sent troops to Vienna

September, 1938- The Munich Pact: Britain and France allow Hitler to take over the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia with Hitler’s promise that he will make no other territorial advances in Europe

Hitler had claimed he was taking only the German speaking Czech. land

“Peace for our time”- British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain

War is declared

March 14, 1939- Hitler takes over the rest of Czechoslovakia

August 23, 1939- Germany signs a nonaggression pact with the Soviet Union

September 1, 1939- Germany invades Poland blitzkrieg- lightening war

September 3, Britain declares war on Germany, France, Australia, new Zealand, India, and Canada follow

Japanese Imperialism

Economic success, militarism, population increase, and the need for raw materials led to Japanese expansion

In 1931, Japan attacked Manchuria In 1932, a puppet government is established in

Manchuria League of Nations condemned the Japanese aggression Japan withdraws from the league Japan continues its invasion of China In 1936, Japan signs a military agreement with Nazi

Germany In 1937, Japan takes Shanghai and Nanjing- the “China

Incident” F.D.R. suggests a silk boycott; U.S. economists become

increasingly nervous of Japanese aggression in China

United States Foreign Policy 1930- Good Neighbor Policy

(isolationism) 1935-1937 - Neutrality Acts:

1. Prohibit the sale of weapons to nations at war

2. Prohibit travel by American citizens on ships of warring countries

3. “cash & carry”- all American goods had to be purchased in cash and transported by the purchasing nations

American Foreign Policy

1938- F.D.R. asks congress for $300 million in military spending

1939- F.D.R. asks congress for 1.3 billion in military spending

1940- Roosevelt places an embargo on the sale of aviation fuel, iron, steel, and rubber to Japan

1940- F.D.R. gives Great Britain 50 “extra” destroyers for which the British grants the U.S. permission to establish naval bases in British Bermuda, Newfoundland, and British Guiana

Selective Service Act of 1940- first peace time draft in U.S. history. All men between 21-35 were to serve in the military for one year.

1940- Lend Lease

January, 1941- provided war supplies to Britain without any payment in return.

“If your neighbor’s house in on fire, you don’t sell him a hose. You lend it to him and take it back after the fire is out.”

Authorized the president to aid any nation whose defense he believed was vital to American security.

By the end of the war, the United States had loaned or given away more than $49 billion worth of aid to 40 nations.

Main Flow of Lend-Lease Aid (width of arrows indicates relative amount)

Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 14

Moving America closer to war April, 1940- German air attacks took Denmark &

Norway May , 1940- Germany took the Netherlands, Belgium,

and Luxembourg May, 1940- Germany went through Belgium into

France June, 1940- Germany occupied Paris July, 1940- With France secured, Germany began

bombing British ships in the English Channel September, 1940- Japan joined with Germany

and Italy to form the Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis Roosevelt extended the embargo against Japan and

froze Japanese assets in the United States Sept. 1940- May, 1941- “The London Blitz”

Germany conducted nightly bombings of British cities

The Atlantic Charter

Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill met on a warship off the coat of Newfoundland in August of 1941.

1.Set military strategy and goals for the war

2.Set goals for after the war including the goal of self-determination

3.outlined the future United Nations

Pearl HarborDecember 7, 1941 November, 1941- Japanese negotiators proposed a list of

proposals to the US two were particularly unacceptable to the US

1. Restore trade with Japan2. Withdraw support for China November 26, 1941 Sec of State Hull gave the Japanese envoys

a note that was statement of refusal of the November proposals December 6, 1941- FDR made a personal appeal to Emperor

Hirohito which stated that both nations had a “sacred duty to restore traditional amity and prevent further death and destruction in the world”

No response was received FDR believed that the Japanese attack was going to be in British

Malaya or in the Philippines “Black Sunday” December 7, 1941- 3,000 Americans died, many

aircraft were destroyed, battleship fleet was virtually wiped out December 8, 1941- FDR asked Congress for a declaration of war

called 12/7/41 a “day which will live in infamy”