World War II

Depression.Militarism.Quest for Empire

Outlawing War?

1928 The Kellogg-Briand Pact: 60 nations

signed the agreement to outlaw war Impossible to enforce

The Japanese move for empire

Japanese military became more influential in government in the 20s

Prime minister Osachi Hamaguchi was assassinated and it caused a power vacuum.

2 years later, the military dominated the Japanese government

You have insulted my honor

Japan controlled Korea and had a sphere of influence in China

Manchuria China = raw materials for Japanese Industry and Military

Needed an excuse for war Took Manchuria in a matter of weeks

The League of Nations reacts

The League condemned Japan’s actions Japan withdrew from the League Japan was encouraged to make more

claims for all of China and East Asia and the Pacific

By 1939 Japan controlled ¼ of China and all the seaports

Italy and the Ethiopian Powerhouse

Benito Mussolini came to power in Italy in 1922

Fascist dictator Goals: improve the Italian economy

and make a modern Roman empire Ethiopia became his target Triggered border dispute between

Ethiopia and Italian Somaliland

Help Us League!

Ethiopia appealed to the League of Nations to mediate the conflict with Italy

The League didn’t have an army Italy invaded a year later and took over the

country The League put economic sanctions on Italy Ethiopia became part of the Italian Empire

Where is Ethiopia

Anyways?

Teaching Moment: Axis Lessons Learned

Most countries didn’t intervene because they were afraid of war and had intense economic problems at home

Italy and Japan could continue acts of aggression without intervention

The Spanish Civil War

After WWI, political instability affected Spain 1923 coup d’etat Second Republic (commies) in 1931 Reforms to help the poor acquire land Workers received shorter hours, higher wages,

and unionization

Nationalists and Loyalists

The Conservatives Supported a Fascist party called the Falange

Used terrorism to keep the power of the army, landowners, and the church

Popular front: group of socialists and communists February 1936

Summer of 1936 Falange Uprisings cause the Spanish Civil War

Fascist rebels led by Francisco Franco called themselves nationalists

Supporters of the republic were called Loyalists

Neighbors help out

The Spanish Civil War became a minor European War

Germany and Italy supported a Fascist Spain

Germany and Italy sent military units to help the Nationalists

The Soviet Union helped the Loyalists with planes, technicians, and military advisors

If you won’t help cowardly nations, your people will

International Brigades – volunteers from Free nations in Europe and America

The French and British feared fighting would spread all over Europe

The Nationalists Win

Nationalists defeat the Loyalists in the Spring of 1939

Franco set up a Fascist Dictatorship Spain’s old ruling class, the clergy,

army, and landowners were restored to power

The Cost of the Spanish Civil War

War dead estimated between 500,000 to 1,000,000

Spain became more divided as the Civil War wore on.

Adolf’s Turn

1933 Hitler announces to the world he will rearm his country and leaves the League of Nations

March 1936; marched his troops into the neutral buffer zone under League of Nations control - the Rhineland - violating the Treaty of Versailles

October 1936 a union between Hitler and Mussolini called the Rome-Berlin Axis

Called themselves the Axis Powers Japan and Germany decided to work together and

signed the Anti-Comintern Pact to stop the spread of Communism - Italy signs later

1936 - hide their aggressions under the guise of fighting communism

Anschluss

Nazi Party was formed in Austria in the late 1920s 1930s, the conservative government was doing little to

prevent a Nazi takeover 1938 threats from Hitler and Mussolini encouraged the

government of Austria to include Nazis in their government Austrian chancellor had made an agreement with Hitler to join

Germany but regretted it. Wanted the citizens to vote on it - Hitler refused

Hitler took Austria with force 1938, Austria was made part of the Third Reich - violating the

Treaty of Versailles

Join or Die!! You are

German! And buy my book, 4 million sold

What am I smoking? I

think I want to be German. I can do acts of evil because I

have no facial features

Sudetenland

3 million Germans lived on the German border of the Western Part of Czechoslovakia called the Sudetenland

Includes a chain of mountains that provided a natural defense; heavily fortified

Many Germans living in Czechoslovakia wanted to join Germany, Nazi Party becomes strong

Riots break out, Czech Army declared martial law Hitler announced he would invade to protect the

German people living there Czechoslovakia would be defenseless against

Germany

I really shouldn’t have diced those Onions

before the Nazi Parade. Anyways… Heil!

Appeasement

As tensions grew in Europe, Hitler held the Munich Conference on September 29, 1938

Attended by Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and Edouard Daladier the French Premier - accepted the demand that Sudetenland remain with Germany

Appeasement - giving something (land) for peace; the British and French were not ready to fight

After the Conference

Chamberlain “Peace in Our Time” French would not defend the

Czechs March 1939, the Germans

invaded Czechoslovakia Mussolini invaded Albania in April

1939 The League of Nations was

helpless

Is Ignoring the Problem Helping?

After Czechoslovakia, the French and British knew they were going to have to stand up to the fascists

Began to rearm their nations France and Britain made an agreement to protect

Poland if Germany attacked The French and British were trying to get the

Soviets to join them in an alliance against Germany

The Soviets did not trust the western powers Western Powers were fearful of communism

The Deal that Never Was

The Soviets wanted a deal with the west that guaranteed the independence of Poland, Finland, and the Baltic countries Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania

Wanted a military alliance with these Baltic countries

The Baltics didn’t want the Soviet Army in their countries to fight the Germans

No agreement reached

“Deal” or “No

deal?”

No Deal, Comrade! No

Deal!!

The Non-Agression Pact

The Soviets were negotiating with the Germans at the same time

August 1939 Germany and the Soviet Union would not attack

each other, remain neutral if the other went to war

Hitler wanted to make sure the Soviets would remain neutral, Soviets could have time to prepare

Secretly, the deal included dividing up Poland, Soviets had the Baltics and Bessarabia

Danzig and the Polish Corridor

World War II finally started when the Germans invaded Poland

Germany wanted the Port City of Danzig Poland and Germany had rights to use the busy port on

the Baltic Sea After the war, the Poles were given a strip of land (The

Polish Corridor) to get access to Danzig, this used to be part of German Prussia

Many Germans (6,000,000) still lived in the Polish Corridor

1933

World War II Officially begins

September 1, 1939, Hitler Annexed Danzig to the Third Reich

His Luftwaffe began a massive air strike on Poland Tanks cruised across the border and quickly made

it to the Polish capital of Warsaw; blitzkrieg Poles were attacked with the modern German

weaponry and total war Poles fought bravely Great Britain and France finally decided they

could no longer stand German aggression Declared war on Germany

The “Phony” War

German attack into Poland introduced the blitzkrieg or “Lightning Attack”; Attack with great speed and force

Poland surrenders in a month France moved its troops to its chain of fortifications

called the Maginot Line to prepare to fight Germanny The British landed on the Northern Coast of France and

the navy blockaded German ports Germans moved their troops to their fortifications they

had built at the Siegfried Line in the Rhineland A Couple attacks on British warships For the most part, there was an increase in troop

movement, and arms production, but no fighting The newspapers began to call this the “Phony War” in

western Europe

The Soviet Attack

The Soviet Army built up on the eastern border of Poland. They entered Poland in September 17, 1939

The Soviets took control of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia

November 30, 1939, the Soviets attacked Finland

Finns appealed to the League of Nations; Soviets expelled for being an aggressor nation

Finland loses in March 1940

Norway and Denmark

April 9, 1940, Germany invades Norway and Denmark

Nazi Collaborator Quisling Norwegian Nazi Party leader provided information to the Nazis before the war and aided the attackers

Germany gained outlets to the sea, good submarine bases and airfields

Shipping to Britain and France was in danger of attack

Great Britain knew now, that they were in danger, in the line of attack.

Winston Churchill became Prime Minister of Great Britain

The Low Countries

The Germans invaded the low countries (The Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg) on May 10, 1940

These countries were taken by the end of May

Put Germany in the position to go around the Maginot Line

German armored units pushed west to the English Channel and cut off the British troops on the coast from the main body of the French Army

The Bri