Outbreak of WWII Objectives: Describe how postwar conditions contributed to the rise of antidemocratic governments in Europe. Explain why Hitler was able to take over Austria and Czechoslovakia. Describe the early events of the war and why Britain was able to resist the Nazis.

Why It Matters After World War I, Europe was unstable. Fascists led by Benito Mussolini seized power in Italy, & Adolf Hitler and the Nazis took control of Germany. Meanwhile, Japan expanded its territory in Asia. As the Nazis gained power, they began a campaign of violence against Jews. When Germany attacked Poland, World War II began. The United States clung to neutrality until Japan attacked Pearl Harbor.

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THE RISE OF DICTATORS Treaty of Versailles & economic depression contribute to rise of antidemocratic governments in Europe/Asia Mussolini & Fascism in Italy Stalin takes over the USSR Hitler & Nazism in Germany Militarists gain control of Japan

Benito Mussolini & Fascism in Italy Italy developed the 1st major dictatorship in Europe. In 1919 Benito Mussolini founded Italy’s Fascist Party. Backed by the militia known as Blackshirts Fascism = kind of aggressive nationalism. Fascists believed that the nation was more important than the individual, & that a nation became great by expanding its territory and building its military. Anti-Communist.

Joseph Stalin and the USSR Under Lenin, the Russian territories were renamed the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in 1922. By 1926 Joseph Stalin had become the new Soviet dictator. In 1927 he began a massive effort to industrialize the country. Millions of peasants who resisted the Communist policies were killed. In 1917 the Bolshevik Party, led by Vladimir Lenin, set up Communist governments throughout the Russian empire. The Communists set up a one-party rule.

Adolph Hitler & Nazism in Germany After WWI, pol. & eco. chaos in Germany led to the rise of new political parties  The Nazi Party was nationalistic & anti-Communist. Adolf Hitler, a member of the Nazi Party, called for the unification of all Germans under one government. He believed certain Germans were part of a “master race” destined to rule the world, wanted Eastern Europeans enslaved, felt Jews were responsible for many of the world’s problems. In 1933 Hitler was appointed prime minister of Germany. Storm troopers intimidated voters into giving Hitler dictatorial powers. Storm troopers = Nazi paramilitary units HITLER! This 1914 painting is titled: “The Courtyard of the Old Residency in Munich.” The title of this undated painting: “House with a White Fence.” This painting, also from 1914, is titled “Ruins of a Cloister in Messines.” In his autobiography Mein Kampf, Hitler described how, in his youth, he wanted to become a painter, but his aspirations were ruined because he failed the entrance exam of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna.[3] Hitler was rejected twice by the institute, once in 1907 and again in 1908;[4] the institute considered that he had more talent in architecture than in painting. One of the instructors, sympathetic to his situation and believing he had some talent, suggested that he apply to Academies School of Architecture, but that would have required returning to secondary school, from which he'd dropped out of, which he was unwilling to do.[1]

JAPAN & MILITARISM Difficult economic times in Japan after WWI undermined the country’s political system. Many Japanese officers & civilians wanted to seize territory to gain needed resources. In 1931 the Japanese army, without the government’s permission, invaded the resource-rich Chinese province of Manchuria. The military took control of Japan. In 1931 the Japanese army, without the government’s permission, invaded the resource-rich Chinese province of Manchuria. The military took control of Japan. Link: Rape of Nanking genocide summary http://www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/genocide/nanking.htm

DICTATORSHIPS  ALLIANCES FORMED Rome-Berlin Axis = Hitler and Mussolini agree to cooperate on several international issues Japan allies itself with Germany & Italy when it signed the Anti-Comintern Pact with Germany  exchange info. about Communist groups Germany, Japan, & Italy become the Axis Powers -after both aiding General Francisco Franco in the Spanish Civil War – rebel Franco backed by spanish fascists, USSR helped government forces -English: The apparent flag of the Fascist National Party (Partito Nazionale Fascista) during the 1930s and 1940s. The symbol in the centre is a fasces - an ancient Roman symbol of "imperium" ("authority") that represented Roman heads of state or government as well as other important officials, and carried by their guards known as lictors. The black field represents the Italian Fascist official colour of black used by their Blackshirt paramilitary militia that was derived from the Italian Arditi elite soldiers' uniforms who wore black as a symbol of death as referring to a willingness sacrifice oneself's safety and even life in violent combat to achieve a cause. The flag can be seen flying alongside the national flag of Italy and flags of other countries during various ceremonies in the 1930s and 1940s. (Can be seen in a film of Hitler's March 1938 visit to Italy at this link [1] at 3:35. The flag can be seen flying atop of a building at 2:09 in this film: [2] Colour and design has been best guessed at, the white "bands" and other colours are based on a brief colour image of the flag in the film titled Der Führer-besuch in Rom und Neapel at this link [3] at 0:13, combined with images of other fascist flags and banners it appears to have golden yellow and silver. The flag can be seen in a still image of the 1940 Japanese trade mission to Italy as seen at this link: [4]. The book Fascism and theatre: comparative studies on the aesthetics and politics of performance by Günter Berghaus on page 90 describes the use of "the [Italian] tricolour and the black flag of Fascism" in 1934 that "were raised onto the façade of the entrance hall, where throughout the day they were protected by a guard of honour."

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Appeasement of Hitler Feb. 1938, Adolf Hitler threatened to invade Austria unless Austrian Nazis were given important gov. posts March 1938, Hitler announced the Anschluss, or unification, of Austria & Germany. Hitler claimed the Sudetenland, an area of Czechoslovakia with a large German-speaking population. Czechs strongly resisted Germany’s demand for the Sudetenland. France, the Soviet Union, & Britain threatened to fight Germany if it attacked Czechoslovakia. At the Munich Conference on Sept. 29, 1938, Britain & France, hoping to prevent another war, agreed to Hitler’s demands in a policy known as appeasement. In March 1939, Germany sent troops into Czechoslovakia, bringing the Czech lands under German control. Why GB & FR gave in: They hoped that they could give Hitler the Sudetenland in exchange for peace. Also, this bought Britain time to get ready for war. Some thought Hitler’s demand that all German-speaking regions of Europe be united with Germany was reasonable.

Appeasement Fails Hitler demanded the return of Danzig–Poland’s Baltic Sea port & also wanted a highway & railroad across the Polish Corridor  convinced GB & Fr that appeasement had failed (May 1939) Hitler ordered the invasion of Poland by the German army. Nazi-Soviet Nonaggression Pact: On August 23, 1939, Germany and the USSR signed a nonaggression treaty, with a secret agreement to divide Poland. Hitler & Stalin sign nonaggression pact = Germany & Soviet Union secretly agree to divide Poland between them, and that the Soviets could take over Finland & Baltic countries of Lithuania, Latvia, & Estonia

BLITZKRIEG IN POLAND 1939 Ger. & the USSR invaded Poland  GB & Fr declared war on Germany = start of World War II The Germans used a blitzkrieg, or lightening war, to attack Poland & quickly wiped out Polish army. (1940) German army attacked Norway & Denmark & within a month, overtook both countries Blitzkrieg = “lightening war” strategy tested with German invasion of Poland - use fast moving airplanes & tanks, followed by massive infantry forces to take enemy defenders by surprise & quickly overwhelm them

THE FALL OF FRANCE After WWI, the French built a line of concrete bunkers & fortifications called the Maginot Line along the German border. When Hitler decided to attack France, he went around the Maginot Line by invading the Netherlands, Belgium, & Luxembourg. (DUH!) Fr & GB forces quickly went into Belgium, becoming trapped there by German forces. “Miracle at Dunkirk” = about 338,000 British & French troops had evacuated Belgium through the French port of Dunkirk & across the English Channel, using ships of all sizes (1940) France surrendered to the Germans & Ger. installed a puppet government in Vichy, France under Marshal Philippe Petain. The “Phony War”/Sitzkrieg = “sitting war” – French forces stationed along Maginot Line waiting for German attack 1940 Hitler launches surprised invasion of Denmark & Norway 1940 Hitler sweeps through Netherlands, Belgium, & Luxembourg German forces go around Maginot Line and take France Why did france fall to germany? When Hitler decided to attack France, he went around the Maginot Line by invading the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. The French and British forces quickly went into Belgium, becoming trapped there by German forces. These forces escaped to Britain through the French port of Dunkirk and across the English Channel.

Miracle at dunkirk, winston churchill, maginot line, battle of Britain

BRITAIN REMAINS DEFIANT – “KEEP CALM & CARRY ON” Hitler thought that GB would negotiate peace after FR surrendered He did not anticipate the bravery of the British people & their prime minister, Winston Churchill (replaced Neville Chamberlain responsible for appeasement). June 4, 1940, Churchill delivered a defiant speech that rallied the British people & alerted the U.S. to Britain’s plight. To invade GB (an island), Germany had to defeat the British air force. Battle of Britain: the German air force, the Luftwaffe, launched an all-out air battle to destroy the British Royal Air Force. After German bombers bombed London, the British responded by bombing Berlin, Germany. British Royal Air Force outnumbered, but used radar. GB resisted invasion. “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.” Had to defeat GB by air because otherwise ships invading GB across the English Channel would be shot down by GB air force (and had few transport ships_\ THE SKILL OF A FEW HUNDRED PILOTS SAVED GB FROM INVASION The Royal Air Force was greatly outnumbered by the Luftwaffe, but the British had radar stations and were able to detect incoming German aircraft and direct British fighters to intercept them **Winston Churchill delivered a defiant speech, which rallied the British people. The British air force bombed Berlin, Germany, after the Germans bombed London. The British hid in subway tunnels when the German’s bombed London. Although the Royal Air Force was greatly outnumbered by the Luftwaffe, the British had radar stations that were able to detect incoming German aircraft and direct British fighters to intercept them. With the fall of France, Britain stood alone against the Nazis, but Winston Churchill, the new British prime minister, declared Britain would never surrender. Hitler’s plan: destroy the Royal Air Force (RAF) & invade Britain 1940 Luftwaffe, Germany’s air force, bombs airfields/aircraft but then turns to London/cities RAF outnumbered, but uses radar & German code-cracking machine named Enigma Stunned by British resistance, Hitler switches focus to the Mediterranean & Eastern Europe in 1941 -> Battle of Britain taught Allies that Hitler’s attacks could be blocked

REVIEW: WWII Dictators and their régimes Mussolini – Italy - Fascism In 1919, Benito Mussolini founded Italy’s Fascist Party. Fascists believe that the nation is more important than the individual. They believed a nation needed a strong government led by a dictator and that a nation became great by expanding its territory and building its military. Fascism was also strongly anti-communist. Backed by the Blackshirts (a militia), Mussolini took over Rome. Once he had established himself he became known as “Il Duce.” Stalin – USSR – Communism In 1922 the scattered communist governments of Russia became the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, they gained loyalty by ruthless suppression and punishment. Lenin died in 1924. In 1926 Joseph Stalin had become the new ruler of the USSR. A year later he began a movement to industrialize the USSR (the five year plans) and any who opposed were eliminated, including 8-10 million peasants. Hitler – Germany – Nazism (National Socialist German Workers’ Party) Many felt Germany was being punished by the Treaty of Versailles with economic and political chaos. The Nazi Party was strongly anti-communist and nationalistic. In November of 1923 the Nazi Party tried to seize power in Munich, Germany. The plan failed and Hitler was arrested. He wrote a book denouncing the Jews as the cause of Germany’s woes. He also talked about a master race of Aryans. He became “fuhrer,” or supreme leader, in 1934, after being given dictatorial powers. Within a year he began to build rapidly industrialize and build Germany’s military. Militarists – Japan – Nationalist/Military Limited economic growth and corrupt politics led the Japanese military to seize control and invade Manchuria without cause or permission. The Prime Minister tried to negotiate for peace and was assassinated. Japan still had a civilian government but they answered to the military and appointed military men as Prime Minister. Benchmark specification – causes of WWII – build-up of dictatorships.