Aggression Paves the Road for War
Weakness of League of Nations GERMANY 1933-1936: Hitler rebuilds G’s economy, navy, army, air force 1936: sends G troops into Rhineland H wants living space “Lebensraum” --- ITALY 1935: Italy invades Ethiopia, who asks LoN for help (does almost nothing) – Ethiopia falls Weakness of League of Nations
Weakness of League of Nations SPAIN Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939 fascists led by Francisco Franco & helped by Hitler & Muss rebelled vs. repub. govt --- JAPAN 1931: est. puppet state in Manchuria (NE China) 1937: moves vs. China brutal “Rape of Nanjing” Weakness of League of Nations
Appeasement FR & GB policy of 1930s Grant concessions to potential enemy to try to maintain peace Why? WWI so bad = no more war USSR>>> Germany & strong G would buffer against Soviets Resolve of own ppl/ allies? US isolated (Depr, etc.) Appeasement
Appeasement Brings War Spring 1938: H annexes Austria (Anschluss) Fall 1938: H wants Sudetenland (lots of ethnic Gs) Appeasement Brings War FR & GB sacrifice Sudetenland (& Czech.) to appease Hitler MUNICH PACT PM Chamberlain: “peace for our time”
The Ducktators https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsBG34TSJJ4
The Outbreak of WWII
Failure of Appeasement Spring 1939: H absorbs rest of Czechoslovakia GB & FR sign alliance guaranteeing Poland H + Stalin = Nazi-Soviet Nonaggression Pact (Aug 1939) Public: don’t attack Private: invade & divide Poland Failure of Appeasement
Sept. 1, 1939: blitzkrieg hits Poland from 3 directions (“lightning war”) USSR invades east GB + FR do nothing Arrival of War
WWII Begins Axis: Germ – Ital – Japan Allies: GB – FR – (eventually) USSR, USA, China G goes West, eventually to FR Large # of British troops escape but FR falls in 35 days Churchill “fight on the beaches” speech G turns to GB, fight in air – Battle of Britain (summer 1940) WWII Begins https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkTw3_PmKtc