The Rise of the Dictators The Great Depression to World War II: 1929-1945 The Rise of the Dictators

The World after World War I

What’s going on in europe & Asia during the depression years? Growing anger over how things were left after World War I. Rise of Dictators in Italy and Germany Aggressively taking over their neighbors in Europe & Asia.

The bad guys Italy Facism Totalitarianism Dictator

More bad guys Adolf Hitler Germany Nazi Party HUGE WAR DEBT MASSIVE UNEMPLOYED INFLATION Nazi Party

Even more bad guys Prime Minister of Japan, Tojo Hideki Militarism Wants Pearl Harbor Dominate all of the Pacific & Eastern Asia

Not really sure – kind of guy Joseph Stalin Communism USSR – Union of Soviet Socialist Republic Mass Murderer

The good guys Great Britain France Winston Churchill Prime Minister Charles de Gaulle Government in exile in Britain when Nazis take over France

Germany Before WWII Hitler was a decorated war hero Angered by the Treaty of Versailles Forms an alliance with Mussolini

Germany Before WWII In 1923 Hitler and the Nazi party to take over the German government by force. They fail, and Hitler is tried for treason. Hitler serves thirteen months in prison and writes Mein Kampf while there. Hitler gains more of a following in Germany, the people like his ideas. Hitler could have been sentenced to death for this treasonous act. However, the judges liked him and took pity on him. He was sentenced to serve nine years in Prison, but was let out after only 13 months. His time in prison was not wasted. He plotted how he was going to gain control over Germany, and make into the country of his dreams. The Nazi party had only grown while he was imprisoned. He was also a very charismatic speaker.

In 1933 Hitler becomes the Chancellor Germany Before WWII In 1933 Hitler becomes the Chancellor The Enabling Law is passed which allows Hitler to make laws without having to have them approved by anyone, including the Parliament. Hitler now comes to power legitimately. He has a lot of control over what laws are passed, and how the country was run. Once the Nazi’s gained control over Parliament, there was not stopping Hitler. All he needed was for the current President to die, which he did in 1934. Now there is no one to stand in Hitler’s way.

Concentration Camps In 1933 -first Concentration camp is opened at Dachau. It used to jail members of the Communist party. Trade unions became banned Jews were banned from working in government. Nuremburg Laws Jews were banned from marrying Aryans, and sexual relations between Jews and non-Jews was forbidden. Jews also lost their right to German citizenship. The first concentration camps were not used as death camps. They were used to house people who did agree with the Nazi party rhetoric. It is not until later that Hitler thinks of a much more ghastly use for these prisons.

1936 Olympics Germany hosted the Olympics. Hitler’s plan was to use the event to spread Nazi propaganda. His plans were spoiled when a black man, Jesse Owens, won four gold medals. To Hitler blacks were an inferior race. Hitler was extremely upset that a man of an “inferior” race was able to beat his finely honed athletes. The Olympics did not go the way he needed them to in order to use the event for propaganda. Hitler needed his athletes to win in order to show the world how much better the “perfect” race was.

Germany Before WWII Kristallnacht (The Night of Broken Glass) 1938 Jewish shops, homes, and Synagogues were attacked. Thousands of Jews were arrested and sent to concentration camps This was the beginning of the Holocaust, the extermination of millions of Jews.

War Escalates in Europe 1936 – German troops occupy the Rhineland, bordering France and Belgium. 1938 – Germany annexed Austria. Both of these actions violated the Versailles Treaty.

War Escalates in Europe 1938 – Germany claimed the Sudetenland, a part of Czechoslovakia where some German speaking people lived.

A Sudetenland woman weeps tears of joy when German troops enter the territory. They hoped the Nazis would end the depression in their country However, this worried Great Britain and France who feared another war

War escalates in europe 1938 –Munich Conference Hitler promises to take all of Czechoslovakia Promises not to take any more land Great Britain & France threaten war with Hitler if he invades another country.

Britain and France gave into Germany hoping that it would avoid warfare. This was known as appeasement. Soviet poster of the 1930's by Kukryniksy on the Munich agreement.

World war II 1939 –Nazi-Soviet Pact Hitler and Stalin agreed not to attack one another. Agreed to divide Poland and Eastern Europe amongst themselves. September 1, 1939 – Germany invaded Poland without having to fear of a Soviet attack. Britain and France declared war on Germany.

World War II 1939 – Blitzkrieg German for lightning war Hitler wanted to defeat Poland in six weeks to focus on France New and inexperienced Polish army is unprepared Poland is defeated by the Germans

After Hitler invades Poland: He moves on

World War II 1940 – Germany conquers: Denmark Belgium Holland Norway France Each country was conquered within days

World War II 1941 – Germany launched a surprise attack on the Soviet Union. The U.S. decided to extend Lend-Lease aid to the Soviets as well.

Concentration Camps During the War 1942 Extermination of Jews in concentration camps. The solution to the “Jewish Problem” The first extermination camp was set up at Belzec in Poland The War had begun in Europe, the US stays out of it for now. Many Jews starved inside Ghettoes, and were unable to get any medical help of any kind. Blitzkrieg means lighting war. It was a military strategy used by Hitler in WWII where many bombs are exploded over an area before the infantry arrives. It causes much destruction, and may times caught his enemies off guard.

U.S. & FDR Neutrality Acts 1930s Why? Cash and Carry Policy 1939 Tries to cling to isolationism. Banned arms sales or loans to countries at war Warned U.S. citizens not to travel on ships of countries at war. Cash and Carry Policy 1939 Sends aid to allies. Finally: Lend Lease Act Passed 1941 Allies in trouble Fear of war spreading to US

Japan Japan felt that they had the right to start an overseas empire, like Britain and France. In 1931, Japan seized Manchuria, China, for its valuable coal and iron.

Japan The League of Nations failed to help China. 1937, Japan began an all out attack on China, Eventually conquered Korea and French Indo-China. In Japan

US & Japan U.S. Freezes Japanese investments after invasion of Indochina Begin first peace time draft in history FDR wins 3rd term Japan pretends to be our friend Japanese Ambassador in U.S. at time of attack on Pearl Harbor.

On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the U. S On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Approximately 2,400 Americans were killed and most the Pacific fleet was destroyed. The U.S. declared war on Japan the following day, officially entering World War II. Pearl Harbor

The u.s. is attacked!