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Section 1: America and the World Section 2: World War II Begins Chapter Introduction Section 1: America and the World Section 2: World War II Begins Section 3: The Holocaust Section 4: America Enters the War Chapter Menu

America and the World How did events after WWI lead to dictatorships and American neutrality? Chapter Intro 1

The Rise of Dictators Dictators took control of the governments of Italy, the Soviet Union, Germany, and Japan. The Rise of Dictators, 1922–1933 Section 1

The Rise of Dictators (cont.) In 1919, Benito Mussolini founded Italy’s Fascist Party. Fascism was an aggressive nationalistic movement that considered the nation more important than the individual. Once in office, Mussolini worked quickly to set up a dictatorship. Italy Invades Ethiopia, 1935 Section 1

The Rise of Dictators (cont.) One of the new political parties in Germany was called the National Socialist German Workers’ Party, or the Nazi Party. The party was nationalistic and anticommunist, calling for Germany to expand its territory and not abide by the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. They were also anti-Semitic. Section 1

The Rise of Dictators (cont.) After Adolf Hitler’s first plan to seize power in Germany failed, he focused on getting Nazis elected to the Reichstag. By 1932, the Nazis were the largest party in the Reichstag. The following year, the German president appointed Hitler as chancellor. In 1934, Hitler became president, giving himself the title of Der Führer. Section 1

World War II Begins What steps led to war in Europe in the late 1930s? Chapter Intro 2

Path to War European nations tried to prevent war by giving in to Adolf Hitler’s demands. Section 2

Path to War (cont.) Europe’s leaders believed that a deal could be reached with Hitler and war could be avoided for three reasons: They wanted to avoid a repeat of the bloodshed of World War I. Some thought most of Hitler’s demand were reasonable. Many people assumed that the Nazis would be more interested in peace once they gained more territory. Section 2

Path to War (cont.) In late 1937 Hitler called for the unification of all German-speaking people, including those in Austria and Czechoslovakia. Hitler sent troops into Austria in March 1938 and announced the Anschluss of Austria and Germany. The Causes of World War II in Europe, 1935–1939 Section 2

Path to War (cont.) Hitler next announced German claims to the Sudetenland, an area of Czechoslovakia with a large German-speaking population. At the Munich Conference, on September 29, 1938, Britain and France agreed to Hitler’s demands, a policy that came to be known as appeasement. The Causes of World War II in Europe, 1935–1939 Section 2

Path to War (cont.) However, in March 1939 Germany sent troops into Czechoslovakia and divided the country. The Czech lands became a German protectorate. A month after the Munich Conference, Hitler demanded control of Danzig, a part of Poland. He also requested a highway and railroads across the Polish Corridor. The Causes of World War II in Europe, 1935–1939 Section 2

Path to War (cont.) On March 31, 1939, Britain announced that if Poland went to war to defend its territory, Britain and France would come to its aid. Poland refused to give in to Germany’s demands. Germany and the USSR signed a nonaggression pact on August 23, 1939. Section 2

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The Rise of Dictators (cont.) In Japan, difficult economic times helped undermine the political system. Japanese military leaders and their civilian supporters argued that seizing Manchuria was the only way Japan could get the resources it needed. The Japanese prime minister was assassinated when he tried to stop the war by negotiating with China. Japan Invades Manchuria, 1931 Section 1

The Rise of Dictators (cont.) Japan’s civilian government supported the nationalist policy of expanding the empire and appointed a military officer to serve as prime minister. Japan Invades Manchuria, 1931 Section 1

The Rise of Dictators (cont.) After the Russian Revolution, the Communist Party, led by Vladimir Lenin, established communist governments throughout the Russian Empire. In 1922 they renamed these territories the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). Section 1

The Rise of Dictators (cont.) By 1926, Joseph Stalin had become the new Soviet dictator. Family farms were combined and turned into collectives. Between 8 and 10 million people died during Stalin’s rule, which lasted until his death in 1953. Section 1

The War Begins After Poland and France fell to the Nazis, the British evacuated thousands of trapped troops from Dunkirk. Section 2

The War Begins (cont.) By October 5, 1939, the Germans had defeated the Polish military. The Polish army was outdated; plus, the Germans used a new type of warfare called blitzkrieg. Rather than risk their troops by attacking, the French preferred to wait behind the Maginot Line for the Germans to approach. Section 2

The War Begins (cont.) This decision proved to be disastrous for two reasons: It allowed Germany to concentrate on Poland first before turning west to face the British and French. Hitler decided to go around the Maginot Line, which protected France’s border with Germany, but not France’s border with Belgium. Section 2

The War Begins (cont.) As soon as the attack began, British and French forces raced north into Belgium. When the Germans reached France, the British and French were still in Belgium and could not move back quickly enough. The Germans began to drive them toward the English Channel. Section 2

Britain Remains Defiant Despite the bombing of London and other major cities, Britain’s Winston Churchill stood firm against the threat of Nazi invasion. Section 2

Britain Remains Defiant (cont.) On June 4, 1940, Winston Churchill delivered a defiant speech in Parliament, vowing that Britain would never surrender. The Luftwaffe and the Royal Air Force battled from June 1940 into the fall of 1940, an air battle that became known as the Battle of Britain. On August 23, German bombers accidentally bombed London. In return, the British bombed Berlin. Section 2

Britain Remains Defiant (cont.) Although the Royal Air Force was outnumbered, the British used a new technology called radar to detect the arrival of German planes. The British fighters inflicted more losses on the Germans than they suffered themselves, and on October 12, 1940, Hitler canceled the invasion of Britain. Section 2

American Neutrality Most Americans did not want to get involved in another European war, despite Roosevelt’s emphasis on internationalism. Section 1

American Neutrality (cont.) Isolationist ideas became stronger in the early 1930s for two reasons: In 1934, all of the debtor nations except Finland announced they would no longer repay their war debts. The Nye Committee documented the huge profits that arms factories had made during the war, creating the impression that these businesses influenced the decision to go to war. Section 1

American Neutrality (cont.) Worried that the actions of Italy and Germany might lead to war, Congress passed the Neutrality Act of 1935. Later, they passed the Neutrality Act of 1937, which required the countries at war to pay cash and to send their own ships to pick up any nonmilitary supplies. The Neutrality Acts, 1935–1937 Section 1

American Neutrality (cont.) Germany, Italy, and Japan became known as the Axis Powers, although they did not formally become military allies until September 1940. FDR supported internationalism and authorized the sale of weapons to China after Japanese forces launched a full-scale attack. Section 1

America Enters the War How did the United States become involved in World War II? Chapter Intro 4

FDR Supports England President Roosevelt favored changes in American neutrality laws, although Americans remained divided about the war and American involvement. Section 4

FDR Supports England (cont.) Soon after the war began, Roosevelt called Congress into a special session to revise the neutrality laws. Under the Neutrality Act of 1939, warring nations could buy weapons from the U.S. only on a “cash-and-carry” basis. He used a loophole in the neutrality act to send 50 old American destroyers to Churchill in exchange for the right build American bases on British-controlled Newfoundland, Bermuda, and islands in the Caribbean. Section 4

FDR Supports England (cont.) A heated neutrality debate took place during the 1940 presidential election campaign. There were three committees with different viewpoints: The Fight for Freedom Committee The Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies The America First Committee Section 4

Edging Toward the War In 1940 and 1941, the United States took more steps to provide aid to Great Britain. Section 4

Edging Toward the War (cont.) By December 1940, Great Britain had run out of funds to wage war against Germany. Roosevelt proposed the Lend-Lease Act, which allowed the United States to lend or lease arms to any country considered “vital to the defense of the United States.” After Hitler invaded the Soviet Union, this act also helped them. Section 4

Edging Toward the War (cont.) Because the United States was still technically neutral, Roosevelt could not order the U.S. Navy to protect British cargo ships. Instead, he developed the idea of a hemispheric defense zone. He then ordered the U.S. Navy to patrol the western Atlantic and reveal the location of German submarines to the British. Aiding Britain, 1939–1941 Section 4

Edging Toward the War (cont.) In August 1941, Roosevelt and Churchill agreed on the text of the Atlantic Charter. By late September, an additional 15 anti-Axis nations had signed the charter. In early September 1941, a German U-boat fired on an American destroyer. Another U-boat sank the Reuben James, killing 115 sailors. As the end of 1941 drew near, Germany and the U.S. continued a tense standoff. Section 4

Japan Attacks The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor led the United States to declare war on Japan. Section 4

Japan Attacks (cont.) As German submarines sank British ships in the Atlantic, the British began moving warships from Southeast Asia, leaving India and other colonial possessions vulnerable to the Japanese. FDR applied economic pressure to hinder Japanese aggression. Section 4

Japan Attacks (cont.) In July 1940 Congress gave the president the power to restrict the sale of strategic materials to Japan. Furious, the Japanese signed an alliance with Germany and Italy, becoming a member of the Axis. Section 4

Japan Attacks (cont.) In 1941, Roosevelt began sending lend-lease aid to China in hopes of enabling the Chinese to tie down the Japanese and prevent them from attacking elsewhere. This strategy failed, and Japan sent military forces into southern Indochina. Section 4

Japan Attacks (cont.) Roosevelt froze all Japanese assets in the United States, reduced the amount of oil being shipped to Japan, and sent General Douglas MacArthur to the Philippines to build up American defenses. The Japanese then planned a series of attacks, including in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Congress voted in favor of declaring war on Japan. Section 4

Japan Attacks (cont.) On December 11, Germany and Italy both declared war on the United States. Section 4

Causes of the Rise of Dictators Italy Mussolini’s Fascist Party believed in the supreme power of the state. In 1922 Mussolini threatened to march on Rome; the king appointed Mussolini as the premier. VS 1

Causes of the Rise of Dictators (cont.) Germany Hitler’s Nazi Party believed in an all-powerful state, territorial expansion, and ethnic purity. Hitler believed that Germans needed more living space and called for Germany to expand east into Poland and Russia. Germany invaded Poland in 1939, France in 1940, and the USSR in 1941. VS 2

Causes of the Rise of Dictators (cont.) Japan Military leaders pushed for territorial expansion. Japan attacked Manchuria in 1931. Japan invaded China in 1937. Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941. VS 3

Effects (cont.) World War II Leaders of France and Britain tried to appease Hitler by allowing territorial growth. Britain and France declared war on Germany following the invasion of Poland. The United States sent aid to the Allied forces through the lend-lease program and cash-and-carry provision. VS 5

Effects (cont.) World War II France was defeated by the Nazis, who occupied the country in 1940. The United States declared war on Japan in 1941, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. VS 6

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fascism a political system headed by a dictator that calls for extreme nationalism and racism and no tolerance of opposition Vocab1

collective a farm, especially in communist countries, formed from many small holdings collected into a single unit for joint operation under governmental supervision Vocab2

internationalism a national policy of actively trading with foreign countries to foster peace and prosperity Vocab3

appeasement accepting demands in order to avoid conflict Vocab6

blitzkrieg name given to sudden violent offensive attacks the Germans used during World War II; “lightning war” Vocab7

strategic materials materials needed for fighting a war Vocab18