THE ROAD TO WAR WORLD WAR II BEGINS

Essential Question: What caused World War II?

In the 1930 s, events throughout the world led to conditions that started World War II High unemployment, desperation, and feelings of betrayal led to the rise of totalitarian dictators

Fascist dictators Mussolini and Hitler threatened to conquer new territories for Italy and Germany

Extreme nationalism and a need for raw materials led to a desire to expand in Japan under Hideki Tojo

By the 1930 s, the world was moving towards another war but few nations were in a position to prevent war Britain and France were the leaders of the League of Nations, but both wanted to avoid another bloodbath like World War I

The USA was focused on the Great Depression and wanted to avoid foreign affairs

Japan, Italy, and Germany aggressively expanded in Africa, Asia, and Europe

In 1936, Germany, Italy, and Japan formed an alliance called the Axis

In 1931, Japan invaded Manchuria in order to seize its iron and coal mines

In 1937, Japan conquered northern China, then murdered about 300, 000 unarmed soldiers and civilians during the “Rape of Nanking”

HOW DOES THE WORLD RESPOND TO THIS BLATANT AGGRESSION BY THE JAPANESE? ᆒThe League of Nations officially condemned the Japanese invasion, but took no military action ᆒJapan’s response? They withdrew from the League of Nations and continued to take over Manchuria ᆒBy 1934, Japan was issuing threats, warning other nations to not try to assist China in its conflict with Japan This cartoon shows what Japan now thinks of the various peace treaties it had signed in the past

THE RAPE OF NANKING ¯The Japanese took over the Chinese capital city of Nanking, driving out Chinese forces ¯Nearly 500, 000 Chinese civilians were trapped in Nanking ¯Starting in December 1937 and ending in January 1938, the Japanese Army embarked on a six-week reign of terror: torturing, raping, mutilating, and murdering as many as 300, 000 Chinese civilians (including children and babies)

JAPANESE ATROCITIES

JAPANESE MILITARY CULTURE Japanese soldiers followed the Samurai’s warrior code called “Bushido”; it demanded unquestioning loyalty to the divine emperor Death in battle was seen as a duty and was welcomed

Surrender was unthinkable for the Japanese soldier: they felt that citizens or soldiers who surrendered were less than human and deserved nothing but humiliation, torture, and death Part of Japanese Army training was often the killing of helpless prisoners to drive away any feelings of humanity As a Japanese soldier put it: “Our training turned human beings into murdering demons. ”

THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR A fascist leader in Spain, Francisco Franco, started a rebellion against Spain’s government Hitler and Mussolini sent weapons, planes, and troops to assist Franco Hitler and Mussolini saw this as an opportunity test their newest weapons (and help a fellow fascist, too) For this reason, the Spanish Civil War is called a “dress rehearsal” for World War II

BOMBING OF GUERNICA “Condor Legion” was the code name for the Luftwaffe in Spain. Some of Germany’s leading pilots in World War II sharpened their skills in the Spanish Civil War, especially in the art of divebombing (as you can see from the ruins of Guernica)

GUERNICA

In 1935, Mussolini began his campaign to create a new Roman Empire for Italy by invading Ethiopia The Italian army easily defeated the Ethiopians

The spears, swords, and antique guns of the Ethiopians were no match for Italian airplanes, tanks, guns, and poison gas Ethiopian soldiers defending their country from the Italian military

How did the League of Nations respond? The League of Nations condemned Japanese and Italian aggression but did nothing to stop the attacks in an effort to maintain peace in the world

The failure of the League of Nations to stop Italy or Japan encouraged Hitler to expand Germany as well In 1935, Hitler defied the terms of the Treaty of Versailles and expanded the size of the German military In 1936, Hitler moved his army to the Rhineland (which was supposed to be demilitarized)

Both times, the League of Nations refused to take action against Hitler in order to avoid war

XAt this point, the German military was not yet strong enough to defeat France, if it came to war XHitler’s move to reoccupy the DMZ of the Rhineland was a blatant violation of the Treaty of Versailles

XHitler took a risk, but he was correct in guessing how badly the French (and their allies) did not want war XThe horrors and endless slaughter of World War I were still fresh on the minds of the French; they were not willing to fight over the Rhineland WORLD WAR I SOLDIERS

HITLER’S AGGRESSIVE EXPANSION CONTINUES In 1938, Hitler annexed Austria Next, Hitler demanded that the western border of Czechoslovakia, an area known as the Sudetenland, be given to Germany

HITLER’S AGGRESSIVE EXPANSION CONTINUES The Sudetenland contained many ethnic Germans; Hitler wanted all Germans (and the land they lived on) to be ruled by Germany The Czechs asked Britain and France for help

Britain’s Neville Chamberlain, France’s Edouard Daladier, Germany’s Adolf Hitler, and Italy’s Benito Mussolini Where is the Czech representative? In 1938, leaders from England France met with Hitler and Mussolini at the Munich Conference in order work out an agreement to avoid war

Germany was allowed to keep the Sudetenland when Hitler promised to stop expanding This so-called “peace for our time” came at the expense of Czechoslovakia, but the democratic nations wanted to deter Hitler’s aggression without provoking it

THE FAILURE OF APPEASEMENT As one historian put it: “Munich was surrender on an installment plan. It was like giving a cannibal a finger in hopes of saving an arm. ” Within weeks, Hitler told his generals to prepare plans for taking over the rest of Czechoslovakia British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain after the Munich Conference, declaring that he gained “peace for our time. ”

THE FAILURE OF APPEASEMENT Britain and France used appeasement with Hitler: they gave in to his demands in order to avoid war Six months after the Munich Conference, Hitler broke his promise and annexed ALL of Czechoslovakia A GRIEVING CZECH WOMAN GREETS NAZI TROOPS MARCHING INTO PRAGUE

THE FAILURE OF APPEASEMENT The League of Nations, led by Britain and France, still did nothing. However, they promised that ONE MORE aggressive move by Hitler would lead to war Hitler did not believe them

In 1939, Hitler demanded that western Poland be returned to Germany, but he did not want to provoke a war with the Soviet Union before he was ready to do so (one of Hitler’s long-term goals was taking over the USSR)

Stalin and Hitler agreed to the Nazi-Soviet Non -Aggression Pact, promising never to attack each other

Secretly, Germany and the USSR agreed to divide Poland

On September 1 st, 1939, Hitler ordered the German military to attack Poland

HITLER’S PLAN FOR POLAND ØIn a speech to his military leaders, Hitler leaves no doubt as to his intention with Poland: “Kill without pity or mercy all men, women, and children of the Polish race or language. ” ØHe also said in a public speech: “I shall strike lightning with the full force of a mechanized army, of which the Poles have no conception. ”

WORLD WAR II BEGINS On September 3 rd, 1939, Britain and France declared war on Germany World War II had begun

WHAT WERE THE CAUSES OF WORLD WAR II? Many factors played a part in the outbreak of World War II, but it can be broken down to FOUR MAIN CAUSES: 1. The conditions of the Treaty of Versailles 2. The aggression of totalitarian dictators 3. The failure of the League of Nations