February 24 th, 2016 PDN: What is aggression?

Answer: Hostile or violent behavior or attitudes toward another; readiness to attack or confront. Aggressive actions were met with verbal protests and pleas for peace. Mussolini, Hitler, and Japanese viewed desire for peace as a weakness and responded with further acts of aggression.

Topic 9 World War II

OBJECTIVES Describe how the Western democracies responded to aggression. Explain the significance of the Spanish Civil War. Understand how German aggression led Europe into World War II.

OPENING OBJECTIVE Identify how the Western democracies responded to aggression.

9.1 Aggression, Appeasement, and War 1931, Japan seizes Manchuria. – League of Nations condemn aggression. – Japanese withdrew from League of Nations. 1937, Japanese armies overran eastern China – Met with western protest but nothing else.

Italy Invades Ethiopia 1935, Italy invades Ethiopia. – Ethiopian King Haile Selassie asked League of Nations for help. – League voted sanctions against Italy for violating international law. – League members agreed to stop selling weapons or other war materials to Italy but did not include Petroleum. – By 1936, Italy conquered Ethiopia, League had no power to enforce Sanctions.

Hitler Violates the Treaty of Versailles Hitler also tested the League of Nations and found it to be weak. – First, he built up the Germany military, defying the Treaty of Versailles. – Then, he sent troops to demilitarized areas of Germany (Rhineland) bordering France. Western democracies denounced Hitler’s moves but took no real action. – Adopted appeasement or giving in to the demands of an aggressor in order to keep the peace.

Reasons for Appeasement France was demoralized (political division). British had no desire to take on Hitler. Both the French and British saw Hitler’s fascism as a defense against a worst evil… Soviet communism. Great Depression weakened the energies of Western democracies. Pacifism pushed governments to seek peace. – Opposition to all war.

U.S. Remains Neutral Congress passed a series of Neutrality Acts while all of this was going on. – Forbade the sale of arms to any nation at war. – Outlawed loans to warring nations. – Prohibited Americans from traveling on ships of warring powers.

Formation of the Axis Powers Germany, Italy, and Japan were encouraged by the apparent weakness of the western democracies. Axis Powers agreed to fight Soviet communism. Agreed to not interfere with each other’s plans for expansion.

OBJECTIVE REVIEW Identify how the Western democracies responded to aggression.

NEW OBJECTIVE Explain the significance of the Spanish Civil War.

The Spanish Civil War Early 1900s, Spain was a monarchy controlled by a landowning upper class. Most Spaniards = poor peasants. 1931, unrest against old order forced the king to leave Spain. Republic was set up with a new, more liberal constitution.

Continued… Republican government passed a series of controversial reforms. – It took over some Church lands – Redistributed some land to peasants – Ended some privileges of the old ruling class.

Continued… Communists and liberals demanded more radical reforms. Conservatives and the military rejected the changes. 1936, Francisco Franco led a revolt that touched off a bloody civil war. – Franco’s Nationalists rallied conservatives to their side.

Other Countries Get Involved Hitler and Mussolini sent arms and forces to support Franco. The Soviet Union sent soldiers to fight against fascism alongside the Spanish loyalists. – Britain, France and the US remained neutral, but individuals from each nation fought alongside the loyalists.

A Bloody War 500,000 deaths Innocent lives were taken as well. – Guernica, April 1937 – Germans attacked during market day killing nearly 1,000 civilians.

Continued… To Nazi leaders, the attack on Guernica was an experiment to identify what their new planes could do. The Spanish Civil War was a “dress rehearsal” for World War II because it allowed to new tactics and weapons to be tested. By 1939, Franco had triumphed. Once in power he created a fascist dictatorship similar to Hitler’s and Mussolini’s. – Killed and jailed enemies and used terror to promote order.

OBJECTIVE REVIEW WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR?

February 26 th, 2016 PDN Describe the early acts of aggression of Germany, Italy, and Japan.

NEW OBJECTIVE Understand how German aggression led Europe into World War II.

German Aggression Continues Hitler took steps to gain “living space” in Eastern Europe. – “I have the right to remove millions of an inferior race that breeds like vermin.” – Also had economic and military reasons for going East. – Wanted access to natural resources of Eastern Europe. Boost production of military equipment. – New markets for German products

Germany Annexes Austria Anschluss – Union of Austria and Germany – Violated Versailles Treaty – War Scare, opposition was silenced. – Western Democracies once again did nothing.

The Czech Crisis Germany next turned to Czechoslovakia. Hitler insisted that 3,000,000 Germans in Sudetenland, a region in western Czechoslovakia, be given autonomy. – Britain and France refused to step in, chose appeasement. – Hitler increased his demands asking for Sudetenland to be annexed to Germany. Assured French and British he had no further plans to expand Germany.

The Munich Pact Returning from dealing away Sudetenland to Hitler at the Munich Conference, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain told cheering crowds that he had achieved “peace for our time.” – “Saved Czechoslovakia from destruction and Europe from Armageddon.”

Continued… British politician Winston Churchill criticized the Western Democracies appeasement approach. He warned of an oncoming World War but was ignored.

World War II Begins In March 1939, Hitler broke his promise and gobbled up the rest of Czechoslovakia. – Appeasement had failed – Democracies promised to protect Poland (Hitler’s next target).

The Nazi Soviet Pact August 1939, Hitler stunned the world by announcing a pact with his enemy, Joseph Stalin. Secretly agreed not to fight if the other went to war and to divide up Poland and other parts of Eastern Europe between them. – Stalin tried to prevent the Soviet Union from fighting against Germany.

Germany Invades Poland September 1, 1939 a week after the Nazi Soviet Pact, German forces invaded Poland. – Two days later Britain and France declared war on Germany. – World War II had begun.