The Road to World War II

Ch. 17

• Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini had practiced totalitarianism.– Gov’t controls every aspect of a nation.– Suppresses & silences all opposition.

• Stalin (USSR) practiced Communism, while Hitler (Germany) & Mussolini (Italy) practiced fascism.– The nation is most important.– The leader has supreme authority.– No respect for individual rights & freedoms.

Stalin & the USSR• 1924-Lenin died, Josef Stalin took over as

Premier of USSR.• Began series of Five-Year Plans to modernize

USSR.– Forced farmers to combine properties into huge

collective farms owned & controlled by gov’t.• Forced peasants of their lands.• Confiscated most of food produced, causing millions to

starve; millions more sent to labor camps in Siberia.

– Pursued rapid industrialization with forced building of factories, high production goals.

• Money went to production, standard of living dropped sharply.

• Stalin purged gov’t.– Removed any opposed to him from power.– Great Purge began in 1934-show trials, all found

guilty; executed or sent to gulags (labor camps).– Removed most of top gov’t officials not loyal to

him, removed all top military leaders.• By 1939, Stalin had complete unopposed

control of USSR.

Mussolini & Italy• 1919-Benito Mussolini formed Fascist Party.– By 1922, Mussolini, called Il Duce, & his Black Shirts

had beaten all opposition & were most powerful group in Italy.

– Forced king to name him Prime Minister.• To preserve order, Mussolini suspended

elections, outlawed other political parties, created dictatorship.– Work programs, military buildup pulled Italy out of

Depression.• October 1935-Italy invaded Ethiopia.– By May 1936, Ethiopia fell to Italy.

Hitler & Germany• 1919-Adolf Hitler joined National Workers’

Party, which became National Socialist German Workers’ Party, or Nazi Party.– Unhappy with Treaty of Versailles, especially war-

guilt clause.– Obsessed with German nationalism & racial

superiority.• 1923-Nazis tried to overthrow gov’t in Munich

Beer Hall Putsch; failed, served 9 months in prison.– In prison, wrote Mein Kampf, or My Struggle;

outlined Germany’s problems & his solutions.• Blamed German Jews for WWI defeat.

• When Depression struck, Nazis promised to stabilize Germany.

• 1932-Nazis became largest political party in Reichstag (Congress).– 1933-Hitler becomes Chancellor (2nd in command).– Used Brown Shirts, or Nazi thugs, to suppress

opposition to Hitler.• 1933-Reichstag burned; Communists blamed.– Parliament gave Hitler dictator’s powers.– President Hindenburg died 1934, Hitler takes total

control.• Called Der Fuhrer (“The Leader”).

• Germany began rearming, in violation of Treaty of Versailles.

• Hitler claimed Germany needed lebensraum (living space) & planned to expand.– 1936-Miliatrized Rhineland(treaty violation).– Signed alliance with Italy-Axis Powers.– 1938-Anschluss-annexed Austria into German

Empire.– 1938-Hitler annexed Sudetenland, part of

Czechoslovakia.– England, France did not want war; PM Neville

Chamberlain used appeasement.• Giving in to an enemy to keep peace.• Germany expanded, no opposition.

Axis Propaganda

Spanish Civil War• Civil War in Spain over control of gov’t.– Liberal gov’t called the Republicans V. Nationalists,

led by General Francisco Franco.• Nationalists formed their own gov’t (military

dictatorship).

– Germany, Italy sent planes, tanks, troops to help Franco & Nationalists.• 1937- German Condor Legion bombed town of

Guernica, killing hundreds of civillians.

– USSR sent troops to aid Republicans.• Thousands of foreigners joined at International Brigade.

• 1939-war ended; Franco won, ruled Spain until 1975.

Condor Legion

Start of World War II• 1939-England realized appeasement would fail,

began war preparations.– Hitler signed Nonaggression Pact with Stalin.

• September 1, 1939-Hitler invades Poland.– England, France allied with Poland, declare war

Sept. 3, 1939.• In Poland, Hitler perfected blitzkreig (lightning

war) tactics.– Fast, overwhelming combined air & land attack.

• Poland fell to Nazis in 4 weeks.– Roundup of Polish Jews and undesirables began.– Stalin seized eastern half of Poland, per treaty.

• After Poland, period of peace called sitzkreig (phony war). – French fortified series of defenses called Maginot

Line; protected only Franco-German border.• April 1940-Nazi blitzkreig Demark, Norway.– May-attack Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg.• Luxembourg fell 1 day, Netherlands fell 5 days, Belgium

fell 3 weeks.

• May 1940-Nazis attack France around Maginot Line.– British & French driven back to English channel.– Evacuation at Dunkirk-340,000 British evacuated

by sea.

Nazis in Norway

Nazis in the Netherlands

• June 22-France surrenders to Nazis in Paris.– France put under control of General Philippe

Petain and Vichy gov’t.• Collaborators-Cooperated & worked for Nazis.

– Many French joined Underground, or resistance fighters against Nazis; led by Charles de Gaulle.

• August 1940-Battle of Britain began.– German Luftwaffe (air force) bombed, fought

English, tried to gain control of skies.– Began bombing London, Prime Minister Winston

Churchill ordered bombing of Berlin.– The Blitz (bombing of London) lasted the rest of

WWII.

• Royal Air Force fought bravely to defend England.– Had two advantages – radar, cracked German

codes.• British civilians fought fires, skywatched, kept

working in war industries.• Winter 1941-Hitler ended Battle of Britain;

realized he couldn’t take skies, continued bombing major cities at night.

• Battle of Britain-20,000 Londoners killed, over 70,000 wounded.

Japan• Mid-1800s Japan opened up to western

influence.– Quickly modernized, built large military.– Adopted constitutional monarchy.

• Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895), Russo-Japanese War (1094-1905) proved Japan had capable military.– Took control of Korea, Manchuria.

• Fought for Allies in WWI.– Signed Kellogg-Briand Pact in 1928.

• 1920s-series of recessions hit Japan.– High tariffs limited Japanese goods in foreign

markets.– Many blamed politicians.

• Nationalists demanded return to tradition, end of western influence in Japan.

• Also had population explosion in 1900s.– Did not have enough land to feed large & growing

population.– Looked to Manchuria as solution to problems.

• 1931-Japanese troops in Manchuria took over several cities.– China withdrew.

• Japan gov’t tried & failed to stop army; army took all Manchuria by 1932.– Called the Manchurian Incident, shocked Japan

gov’t & worlds; no control over military.• Manchuria, now called Manchukuo, under

control of former China emperor Henry Pu-yi.– Puppet state-”independent” nation under control

of another gov’t.– Japan began to colonize.

• League of Nations protested, did not try to stop Japan.

• Military assassinated Japan Prime Minister Osachi Hamaguchi, exerted control over gov’t.

• 1937-Japan began invasion of China.– Took control of capital of Beijing.

• Chinese Nationalist Army, under General Chiang Kai-Shek, could not stop Japan.– Rape of Nanking-Japan killed 100,000 civilians.– USSR sent military aid to China, later US & UK will

help.

• China was in civil war, but invasion united enemies.– Nationalists under Chiang Kai-Shek vs.

Communists under Mao Zedong.• Late 1930s-Japan expanded into SE Asia,

Pacific.– Vietnam, Dutch East Indies (needed oil).

• 1940-Japan joined Axis Powers.– Also signed nonagression pact with USSR.– Only USA stood in way of Japanese Pacific.

USA Goes to War• USA was isolationist.• 1935-Congress passed Neutrality Acts.– US could not trade, loan money to warring

nations.– Later, new Act allowed cash and carry-Could sell

non-military goods to warring nations, provided they paid cash and transported goods themselves.

• Neutrality Acts tried to keep USA out of conflicts, but promoted aggression in warring nations.– USA would not help allies or nations under attack.

• When WWII started, many, including FDR, tried to find ways to help UK.– Neutrality Acts changed to send arms to UK,

France.• America First Committee tried to block all aid

to UK, said US would get pulled into war.– 800,000 members, including Lindbergh.

• 1940-FDR won third term as president.• Passed Lend-Lease Act 1941.– Would lend/lease war materials, vital supplies to

US allies, nations important to US defense.• During WWII, US gave/lent $50 billion of supplies to 40

nations.

Pearl Harbor• Starting 1940, US reduced trade w/Japan, saw

Japan as threat.– After invasion of Indochina, cut off oil supplies.

• October 1941-General Hideki Tojo became Prime Minister in Japan; supports war w/USA.

• While diplomats negotiated peace, Japan navy steamed to Hawaii.– Goal-destroy USA Pacific Fleet, take over Pacific

before USA could rebuild.– USA had broken Japan codes, knew attack was

coming, didn’t know where.

• Sunday a.m., December 7, 1941, Japanese planes attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.– Lasted less than 2 hours.

• 2,400 killed, 1,200 wounded, 200 US planes destroyed, 18 ships damaged or sunk; Japan lost 18 planes.

• Dec. 8, FDR gave “Day of Infamy” speech, asked for war with Japan.– Within hours, war was declared.

• Dec 11-Germany, Italy declared war on USA.• America was now involved in WWII.