STEPS TO WORLD WAR II

Rise of Fascism in Italy Japanese expansionism Treaty of Versailles Rise of Fascism in Italy Rise of Hitler Japanese expansionism Nationalism MAJOR CAUSES OF WORLD WAR II Economic Depression Militarism Appeasement Anti-Communism

TREATY OF VERSAILLES Germany lost WWI, was punished deeply in Treaty of Versailles Winning nations addressed territorial adjustments, reparations, armament restrictions, war guilt and the League of Nations Treaty punished Germany left bitter feelings Germany forced to accept blame and pay millions in reparations to Britain and France Italy disappointed – denied territory promised by Britain and France

RISE OF FASCISM IN ITALY Fascism – totalitarian form of government: Glorifies the state Has one leader/one party All aspects of society controlled by government No opposition or protests are tolerated Propaganda and censorship are widely practiced Mussolini came to power and helped found political ideology of Fascism. He sided with Axis powers in 1940

WORLDWIDE ECONOMIC DEPRESSION After WWI many European economies were unstable The boom in the U.S. helped sustain worldwide trade 1929 – stock market crash in U.S. –Great Depression spreads throughout world Falling economies & unemployment had people turning to powerful leaders & governments who promised success with military buildup & conquest of territory

JAPANESE EXPANSIONISM Japan invades north China & Manchuria for raw materials Invade Eastern China along coast Sino-Japanese war 1937, Japan attacks China Russo-Japanese War –Japan goes to war against Soviet Union for dominance in Korea and Manchuria Japan first Asian nation to defeat European nation

ANTI-COMMUNISM Communism-all means of production are controlled by the government Property, media and all aspects of society are controlled by government 1930’s –rise of totalitarian regimes – most choose fascism over communism Hitler exploits people’s fear of communist takeover of Germany – he rises to power in 1933

APPEASEMENT Appeasement – act of giving into an enemy’s demands in hope of avoiding another war Hitler violates Treaty or Versailles, builds an army, unites Germany and Austria, refuses to pay reparations 1936 - Hitler takes Rhineland in – Allies do nothing 1. 1938- Hitler takes over the Sudetenland 2. British & French agree to Hitler’s demands

MILITARISM Militarism – Glorification of war, a nation strengthens its military and stockpiles weapons in preparation for war Militarism is incorporated into all levels of society, including education of the youth Germany, Italy bring on the build up of militaries

Nationalism – belief in superiority of one’s nation over all others In extreme it leads to major conflicts between nations Hitler, Mussolini, and Japan’s Tojo stressed their nations' ability to dominate all others in the years leading up to WWII Nazi flag, Italian fascist logo, Japanese Imperial Army flag