Unit Objective Understanding the events that led to war
Japan invaded Manchuria, a northern region of China (1931): AS A LAUNCHING POINT FOR A FUTURE INVASION OF THE REST OF CHINA What did the world do about it? NOTHING
Italy invaded Ethiopia (1934): ETHIOPIA HAD BORDER DISPUTES WITH NEIGHBORING ITALIAN COLONY SOMALIA; MUSSOLINI WANTED TO TEST OUT HIS NEW MILITARY What did the world do about it?
Germany re-militarized the Rhineland (1936): BORDER AREA WITH FRANCE THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO REMAIN FREE OF ANY GERMAN MILITARY ACCORDING TO THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES What did the world do about it?
The Rhineland
Japan invaded China (1937)—What did the world do about it? Japan conquered most of the rest of Southeast Asia and the Pacific (late 1930s)—what did the world do about it?
Germany annexed Austria (1938): HITLER’S HOMELAND, USED TO BE PART OF THE GERMAN KINGDOMS What did the world do about it?
Germany annexed the Sudetenland (1938): PART OF CZECHOSLOVAKIA THAT HITLER CLAIMED HAD MANY GERMANS LIVING IN IT What did the world do about it?
The Sudetenland
Munich Pact (1938) Finally Britain and France decided to meet with Hitler, but they were not yet ready for war—as Hitler and Mussolini were increasing their militaries Britain and France had been reducing theirs Britain and France agreed to allow Hitler to keep what he had already taken in return for his promise to take no more while they started to build up their militaries
Germany took the rest of Czechoslovakia, a clear violation of the Munich Pact (1939) What did the world do about it? Japan joined Germany and Italy as an AXIS Power in 1939
Germany and the Soviet Union signed the Non-Aggression Pact in 1939 An unlikely pairing Surprising to the world because the Germans had feared Soviet invasion and now Hitler signed agreement not to go to war Shocking to Britain and France because they had been counting on the Soviets on the Eastern Front if war broke out
Germany invaded Poland (1939) SPARK THAT STARTED WWII Led to Britain and France finally declaring war