Shaping World War II Peace Dissolves WWI ended

Shaping World War II

Peace Dissolves ● WWI ended in 1919 with the Treaty of Versailles ○ Britain, France, and the United States had a real say in most of the important decisions on who would pay for the war ○ Made Germany pay war reparations and take full responsibility for WWI ○ Gave little support and credit to Italy and Japan; fought for the Allies ● President Woodrow Wilson called this war, “a war to end all wars” and yet it left behind bitterness, anger, frustration, and despair ● 1920 s: countries moved towards democracy or totalitarianism ○ A government in which a single party or leader controls the economic, social, and cultural lives of its people ○ More extreme than a dictatorship ● Why did totalitarian regimes take hold before WWII? ○ DESTRUCTION, REVENGE, DEPRESSION, DESPERATION

Strict Regimes in the Soviet Union and Italy The 1917 communist revolution in Russia inaugurated the first totalitarian state. The communist leader Vladimir Lenin created the beginnings of a totalitarian system of control to maintain power. His programs resulted in civil war, starvation, famine, and the death of millions of Russians.

Stalin Rules the Soviet Union ● “Man of Steel” ● Suspicious, cruel, ruthless, tyrannical ○ Killed whoever he wanted, whenever he wanted ● Tried to transform the Soviet Union into: ○ ○ an industrial power State-run collective farms ● 1930 s, Great Terror ○ ○ Purged the Communist Party of real or suspected traitors Either be killed or imprisoned in labor camps, Gulag ● How did he stay in power? ! ○ Fear and massive propaganda

Propaganda: Good vs. Bad

Mussolini Establishes an Italian Dictatorship ● Although Italy was on the winning side, it did not get everything it wanted from the war ● Postwar economic depression created unemployment ● Communism started to appeal to people ● Benito Mussolini ○ ○ 1919: founded the Fasci di Combattimento (Fascist Party) ■ Right-wing organization that promised to restore efficiency and order and make Italy great again Fascism appealed to many looking for strong leadership and restored national pride

Mussolini Establishes an Italian Dictatorship ● Black Shirts ○ ○ Followers of Mussolini Fought in the streets against socialists and communists ● Fearing revolution, the Italian king asked Mussolini to form a government ○ ○ Consolidated control over the government and the army within a few years Outlawed political parties, took over the press, secret police ● He was never as powerful as Stalin though. . .

Germany and Japan Change Leadership After WWI, Germany became a democracy. The Weimar Republic struggled throughout the 1920 s to establish a functional democracy. However, Germany was beset by severe economic troubles in the 1920 s, including runaway inflation. Anger over the Treaty of Versailles and internal disunity also plagued the young government. The Weimar Republic’s ship of state was slowly sinking.

Emergence of Nazis ● The worldwide Great Depression hit the Weimar Republic hard, worsening problems ● National Socialist German Workers’ Party (Nazi Party) ○ ○ Anti-democratic party threatened the republic Hated socialicials, communism, or any others that promoted class interests or workers’ rights above German ethnic solidarity ● Adolf Hitler ○ ○ Leader of the party in 1930 s Son of a Austrians Failed artist Wounded and decorated WWI soldier

Emergence of Nazis ● Joined the small party after the war and soon gained control ● Imprisoned after an attempted rebellion ○ ○ Wrote a book Mein Kampf ■ Stated his explanations for the problems facing Germany ■ Criticized political programs, ideologies, communists, Jews ■ anti-Semitic ● Prejudice against Jewish people ■ Became a national bestseller

Hitler Rules a German Dictatorship ● Promised Germany would rise again from the reparations and economic depression ● Recognizing the power of Hitler’s party, the president of the Weimar Republic appointed Hitler chancellor of Germany in 1933 ● Over the next two years, he became president as well as chancellor, consolidated his power, and ruled without the German parliament challenging him

Hitler’s Economic Success

“For everyone has to obey orders. We have obeyed orders … And I must demand this of every German: You, too, must be able to obey orders, … We shall educate our People to do this and ignore the obstinacy or stupidity of individuals. Bend or breakone or the other. We cannot permit this authority, the authority of the German People, to be challenged…” Adolf Hitler, May 1, 1937

Militarism Gains Support in Japan 1920 s ● Increased democracy and peaceful change ● Reduced power of the military ● Passed laws to give ALL men the right to vote ● Legalized trade unions ● Diverse political parties

Militarism Gains Support in Japan 1930 s ● Military leaders argued that expansion throughout Asia would gain natural resources and new markets ○ Solve Japan’s economic troubles and guarantee future security ● Was not a true totalitarian dictatorship ○ Had no charismatic leader ● Continued as a nominal constitutional monarchy headed by aloof emperor ○ The military had the real power ● Had strong control over the life of the people and ended most democratic freedoms

The Japanese Empire Expands ● Course of aggressive military expansion ● Extreme nationalists encouraged Japanese domination of the region ● Attacked Manchuria in 1931 ○ ○ Region northeast of China Created a puppet state: Manchukuo

The Japanese Empire Expands ● Controlled domestic and foreign policies ● Controlled natural resources ● 1937: Japan moved against China ○ Manchukuo ○ Gaining control over major Chinese railroad links and coastal areas Janjing: Japanese soldiers acted with brutality known as the “Rape of Nanjing”

Dictators Move to Gain Territory In the 1930 s, the Italian and German dictatorships resorted to acts of aggression similar to those of Japan in Asia. Throughout the decade, neither the League of Nations nor democratic nations succeeded in stopping the aggression.

Weakness of the League of Nations ● Never really recovered from America’s refusal to join ● Had no: ○ ○ Standing army Real power to enforce ● Couldn’t help the worldwide depression ● When aggressive nations began to come out, it had no real power to stop them

Hitler Challenged the Peace ● Hitler focused on restoring Germany’s strength and nullifying the Treaty of Versailles ● 1933 -1936: ○ ○ ○ Rebuilt the economy Dramatically enlarged the army, navy, air force Reunified Germanic people into one Reich, or state Lebensraum: living space Sent troops into Rhineland ● The League failed to respond to all of these things

Mussolini Challenged the Peace ● 1935: Italy invaded Ethiopia ○ The emperor of Ethiopia appealed to the League of Nations for support ■ They failed ■ Ethiopia fell

● Spanish Civil War, 1936 -1939 Dictators Support War in Spain ○ ○ ○ Bloody conflict Fascists winners Nationalists rebelled against Spain’s democratic Republican government ● Hitler and Mussolini sent military and economic aid to the Nationalist leader ○ ○ General Francisco Franco Used this conflict to test out some of their new military technology ● The Soviet Union gave support for the Republi side with $$ ○ France, Britain, and the U. S. remained largely on the sidelines ■ Supporting, but giving no aid

What is happening in this image?

Aggression Meets Appeasement ● Appeasement: policy granting concessions to a potential enemy in the hope that peace can be maintained ○ Only brought on the fascist leaders to become more bold, adventurous, and aggressive ● Why did France and Britain appease the fascist powers? 1. Terrors of WWI a. Don't want another war 2. Some leaders thought that the Soviet Union posed a greater threat than Germany a. Strong Germany would be a buffer 3. Questioned the resolve of their own people and allies

Aggression Meets Appeasement ● FDR was worried about the rise of dictators in Europe and Asia ● Wanted to mend fences with America’s neighbors ○ Good Neighbor policy with Latin American nations ■ Emphasized trade and cooperation ■ Withdrew troops from several nations ■ Agreed not to intervene in Latin America and to consult if faced with danger ○ Soviet Union ■ Restoring diplomatic relations ● He still was wary about allying too closely with the communist nation