From Appeasement to War

Dictators took aggressive action in the 1930’s Japan: Military leaders conquered Manchuria and much of eastern China Germany: Hitler rebuilt Germany’s military and invaded the Rhineland Italy: Mussolini invaded and conquered Ethiopia (Africa)

Hitler goes against the Treaty of Versailles Think back to the end of WWI, Hitler is violating the treaty of Versailles by sending troops into the Rhineland and building up Germany’s army What did Western Nations do in response? They adopted a policy of appeasement/giving into the demands of an aggressor in order to keep the peace

Why did they give in to Hitler? Many people saw fascism as a lesser evil than the spread of communism Widespread economic depression Widespread pacifism: opposition to all war In the United States, Congress passed a series of Neutrality Acts aimed at avoiding involvement in a European war. One law forbid the sale of arms to any country at war.

Rome-Berlin Tokyo Axis By the mid-1930s, the antidemocratic aggressive powers formed an alliance. Italy, Germany, and Japan became the Axis powers. The Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis agreed to fight Soviet communism They also pledged not to interfere with one another’s plans for territorial expansion. Mussolini and Hitler

A civil war in Spain increased tensions. In 1931, a rebellion ousted the king of Spain. Reformers created a republic with a liberal constitution, and took land and privileges from the Church and old ruling classes. Conservative general Francisco Franco launched a revolt against the republic in 1936.

Sides in the Spanish Civil War Nationalists: were fascists and the right wing and supported conservative Franco Loyalists: Communists, socialists, and those wanting democracy. They also supported the republic.

The Spanish Civil War became a“dress rehearsal” for a wider European war. Hitler and Mussolini sent arms and forces to support Franco, while the Soviet Union sent soldiers to help the Loyalists. Nazi leaders used the war to test new bombers. More than 500,000 people died in the struggle. By 1939, Franco had won. He created a fascist dictatorship similar to those of Germany and Italy.

Franco’s Victory Speech https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX_-faiNTVU

Meanwhile, Hitler took aggressive steps to bring all German-speaking people into the Third Reich. One of Hitler’s goals was the Anschluss, or union of Austria and Germany. In 1938, German troops entered Austria. Although Hitler’s annexation of Austria violated the Treaty of Versailles, the Western democracies took no action.

Hitler Invades Vienna https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRSwWuVtHF4

What happens next….. Hitler next threatened to annex the Sudetenland. Britain and France protested, but they were unwilling to go to war. At the Munich Conference in 1938, British and French leaders gave in to Hitler’s demands. Hitler promised that he had no further plans to expand.

Europe rapidly plunged toward war. After gaining the Sudetenland, Hitler broke his promises and took the rest of Czechoslovakia. The democracies accepted that appeasement had failed. They pledged to protect Poland. In August 1939, Hitler and Stalin announced the Nazi-Soviet Pact. This was a shaky alliance, since neither Hitler nor Stalin trusted the other.

Hitler continues his expansion On September 1, 1939, a week after the Nazi-Soviet Pact, German forces invaded Poland. Two days later, Britain and France declared war on Germany. WWII had begun

Aggression in Europe and Africa to September 1939

Hitler Invades Poland News Reel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNOqSSP1o94