Causes of WWII

I. Economic Depression and Instability A. Depression: Countries were not prepared to defend themselves due to Depression in the 1930s B. Reparations: put Germany into an economic crisis; high unemployment; led to fascism

II. Failure of the Treaty of Versailles  A. Germany excluded from Treaty: 1. Hitler made it his responsibility to defy all of the charges made on Germany through the treaty. 2. He re-armed his nation, re-occupied the Rhineland (border of France), threatened neighboring countries, and built up a massive army.

III. Fascism &Totalitarianism A. Rise of fascism:  1. Nazi Germany - Hitler  2. Italy - Mussolini  Fascism is a political ideology under which the state is considered more important than the individual. It is characterized by a strong central government headed by a dictator with absolute power.

III. Fascism &Totalitarianism A. Rise of fascism:  1. Nazi Germany - Hitler  2. Italy - Mussolini B. Totalitarianism:  1. Soviet Union - Stalin  Totalitarianism is a political ideology under which the state maintains complete control over the people.

IV. Aggression & Expansionism A. Japan: invaded Manchuria 1931 (Northern China) B. Italy: invaded Ethiopia 1935 (Eastern Africa) C. Germany: annexed Austria and Czechoslovakia invasion of Poland (1939) marked the start of WWII

V. Appeasement A. Europe’s appeasement policy: France and Great Britain feared war B. Munich Pact (1938): agreed to let Hitler take the Sudetenland = region of western Czechoslovakia Hitler = viewed the West as weak

The Symbols of Appeasement After making his infamous “deal with the devil”, Chamberlain rushed back to England to declare that he had achieved “peace for our time.”

VI. Alliances A. System of alliances: set up after WWI; led to Axis and Allies Main Axis:Main Allies: GermanyBritain ItalyFrance Japan B. Non-Aggression Pact (Nazi-Soviet Pact) 1939: Germany and Soviet Union pledged to remain neutral if they were attacked and agreed to divide Poland (Hitler later broke the pact when he attacked in 1941, U.S.S.R. joined the Allies)

Germany and the USSR sign a non-aggression pact.

14

VII. Isolationism and the Failure of the League of Nations  A. American Isolationism: n 1. League of Nations: U.S. never joined, League was weakened n 2. Stimson Doctrine (1932): the U.S. declared it would not recognize any regime that was established by force 3. Reciprocal trade agreements (1934): increased trade with other countries; U.S. reduced tariffs if nations reciprocated 4. Nye Committee (1934): Senate investigation concluded that banking and manufacturing interests resulted in entry into WWI- led to isolationism 5. Neutrality Acts 1935, ‘36, ‘37: authorized the president to…prohibit all arms shipments and forbid all travel on ships of belligerents, prohibit loans to belligerents, prohiibit involvement in Spanish civil war 6. Panay Incident (1937): U.S. remained neutral even after ship was bombed by Japanese planes

16 p 7. “Quarantine” Speech (1937): after Japan’s invasion of China, FDR called for democracies to act together to contain aggressive nations p 8. America First Committee (1940): formed in response to FDR’s policies, isolationists warned of the danger of involvement in a foreign war p

Questions:  Do you think early U.S. involvement could have prevented a full-scale World War?  What did the Zoot Suit symbolize?

18

19

20

21 Hispanic men in Zoot suits wait to board a bus for a court appearance

22 Zoot Suiter in jail with tattered clothing after an attack

23 Soldiers cruising the streets of L.A. looking for Zoot suiters and holding pieces of “glad plaid” they captured from their mauled victims.

24 Angry servicemen roam the streets of Watts, CA, armed with clubs, pipes, and bottles. These men targeted all wearers of oversized clothing to avenge buddies who were attacked. June 11, 1943