Objective I can explain how the rise of totalitarianism, aggressive Axis expansion, and the policy of appeasement led to World War II.

Japanese Aggression  Japan was looking for growing room.  Japan looked to China’s northern province of Manchuria as an area in which to expand.

  1. What other country is similar to Japan in looking for growing room?  2. Where did Japan look to expand? Partner Questions

  Japanese industrialists wanted its rich deposits of iron ore and coal.  The Japanese army seized Manchuria in 1931 and established a pro-Japanese government there. Japanese Aggression

  3. Why did the Japanese occupy Manchuria?  4. What vocabulary term describes this occupation? [Previous Unit] Partner Questions

  Protests were made at the League of Nations, but it took no action that would stop Japan. Japanese Aggression

LEAGUE OF NATIONS: THEY CONDEMNED THE JAPANESE TAKEOVER OF MANCHURIA. JAPAN RESPONDED BY QUITTING THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS. NOTHING ELSE WAS DONE, SO JAPAN AND HITLER LEARNED THAT THEY COULD CONQUER OTHER LANDS WITHOUT ANY CONSEQUENCES FROM THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS. SET UP TO KEEP THE PEACE AND AVOID FUTURE WAR. THE UNITED STATES DID NOT JOIN, EVEN THOUGH IT HAD BEEN PRESIDENT WILSON’S BRAINCHILD. HE FAILED TO GET THE SENATE TO RATIFY THE TREATY. SINCE THE U.S. DID NOT OFFICIALLY JOIN, THE LEAGUE WAS WEAKENED FROM THE START.

  5. Why was the League of Nations weakened?  6. Did the League of Nations take any military action to stop Axis expansion? Partner Questions Failure of the League of Nations to take any actions to stop Axis expansion.

  Relations between Japan and China were strained.  A minor incident in 1937 quickly developed into open warfare.  Chinese and Japanese soldiers exchanged fire at a bridge near the Chinese city of Beijing.  Although outnumbered, the Japanese army was well- equipped, well-trained, and efficient.  Japanese soldiers swept through parts of China, torturing and killing thousands. Japanese Aggression

THE JAPANESE USED INDISCRIMINATE BOMBING TO TERRORIZE CHINA. THEY WERE NEVER SUCCESSFUL IN CONQUERING THE WHOLE COUNTRY. IN 1937 JAPANESE ARMIES INVADED CHINA BEGINNING A STRUGGLE THAT ENDED ONLY WHEN JAPAN WAS DEFEATED BY THE UNITED STATES IN 1945.

  Benito Mussolini sought prestige for Italy by setting up overseas colonies.  Mussolini decided to begin his dream of a new Roman Empire by colonizing Africa.  Ethiopia was one of the few independent nations of Africa. Italian Expansion

  7. Where did Mussolini look first to expand the Italian empire? Partner Question

 Italian Expansion  In 1935, Italy invaded Ethiopia and quickly conquered it. ETHIOPIA LACKED THE MODERN WEAPONS THAT ITALY POSSESSED.

  When Haile Selassie, the Emperor of Ethiopia, appealed to the League of Nations for help, the League voted only for sanctions against Italy. Italian Expansion ROYAL FAMILY OF ETHIOPIA AT TIME OF ITALIAN INVASION.

SELLASSIE TRIED TO APPEAL TO THE LEAGUE FOR INTERVENTION IN ETHIOPIA. HE ARGUED THAT IF THE LEAGUE IGNORED HIS APPEAL IT WOULD PUT ALL SMALL, POORLY ARMED COUNTRIES AT RISK.

  No one took military action against Italy.  Britain’s and France’s policy for Mussolini was the same as their policy for Hitler: Italian Expansion

  8. Why do you think the League of Nations would not help Ethiopia? [Think Appeasement] Partner Question

Abyssinia [Ethiopia]: An American Journalist with the Fascist Armored Column Approaching Addis Ababa [Capital], April 18 th, 1936 Until noon we had made excellent progress, but as we were making another long ascent our progress was blocked by a jam which we thought contained a few dozen cars. Actually, we were in a traffic snarl that involved 800 trucks, stretching over twenty-five miles and lasting no less than twenty-three hours! The news broadcast reported that Dessye [City] was occupied by the Italians [it had been occupied on April 15 th ] but the Ethiopian Government in Addis Ababa denied it, so all listeners were cautioned to reserve their judgment. It was true, however, that the Abyssinian [Ethiopian] position seemed rather difficult. Then came an account, just north of Korem where a large force of Ethiopians had gallantly attacked the Italian army, and presumably halted their advance toward the south. We did some quick figuring. There was no doubt of it. The location of the fighting was exactly where we were, and without having the vaguest notion of it, there we sat, in the midst of a sanguinary [gory] battle, on the way towards a city which the Italians had not captured yet! Oh, the folly of it! Summarize the primary source above with your partner.

Examples of Industrialization & Remarkable Idea

Violations of the Treaty of Versailles

  9. Give two examples of Hitler and Nazi Germany defying [disobeying] the Treaty of Versailles. Partner Questions

The Italian Campaign in Abyssinia (Ethiopia): Retreat of the Emperor’s Army to Korem, April 4-5 th 1936 Colonel Konovaloff Pg. 513 Eyewitness to History Abyssinia: An American Journalist with the Fascist Armoured Column Approaching Addis Ababa, April 18 th, 1936 Herbert Matthews Pg. 516 Eyewitness to History