Acts of Aggression Leading to WWII

Acts of Aggression: Why would one country want to take over another country? To Gain Power Gain that nations resources Expand for more room Regain what they had lost Get money

Soviet Union then turned to Finland and beat them. Joseph Stalin Soviet Union then turned to Finland and beat them.

Germany takes the Rhineland annexes Austria, takes the Sudetenland, occupies Czechoslovakia and finally invades (Western) Poland, the last straw and Britain and France declare war on Germany.

Italy invades Ethiopia and Albania.

Japanese Occupation of Manchuria Sept. 8, 1931 : Japan occupies Manchuria Province Japan than invades northern China, moves southward until it occupied most of the country.

The League of Nations responds to these acts of aggression by agreeing to watch the threatened countries and agreed to withhold trade with these aggressive countries. They told Hitler it was a bad idea to go against the League of Nations.

This drawing by the British Cartoonist David Low (20 March 1935) is titled 'Cause comes before effect'.   The cartoon shows Hitler's armies marching past him - but at the front are politicians such as Chamberlain, and Clemenceau, and they are saluting Hitler too.   They have rolled up the Versailles Treaty and carry a flag saying '10 years of lost opportunity'.   The message of the cartoon is that Hitler may be bringing war, but it is the politicians of France and Britain who are to blame - for letting him. He believed that the rest of Europe would protest his actions but they would never act.

Great Britain and France did not want to repeat the bloodshed of World War I. They believed, wrongly as it turned out, they could avoid another world war by appeasing Hitler with a few concessions (such as Austria and Czechoslovakia). Great Britain and France had not clearly understood that Hitler's goal of land acquisition was much, much larger than any one country. Chamberlain&Hitler1938

World War II has begun!