The Rise of the Axis Powers and the Road to World War II 1920 – 1939 (Chapter 31)

Terms to Know Totalitarian Fascism Nazism Government with complete control over peoples lives Fascism Political movement based on extreme nationalism and militarism Usually led by a single party and one leader with ultimate power Nazism Germany’s fascist movement Included a belief in racial superiority

Aspects of Fascism Focused on extreme nationalism with loyalty and sacrifice for your state Loyalty to a leader who brought order and structure Often had unique uniforms, salutes, and would hold large rallies Similarities to Communism 1 political party with a dictator (no democracy) Both denied individual rights and put the state first Differences to Communism Fascists didn’t want a classless society Fascists were usually nationalists, while Communists were internationalists

Italy Becomes a Fascist State

Italy’s Struggles after WWI Did not gain large amounts of territories from the Treaty of Versailles Rising inflation and unemployment caused the people to be upset Felt their democracy was not doing enough to fix the country’s problems, looked for a strong leader

Benito Mussolini Newspaper editor, politician and founder of the Italian Fascist Party (1919) Promised to improve the economy and rebuild the military “Black Shirts” attacked Communists and Socialists Gained support of the middle class, aristocracy, and industrialists Promised to return Italy to the time of the Roman Empire

Il Duce October 1922 Il Duce (“the leader”) 30,000 Fascists marched on Rome King Victor Emmanuel III appointed Mussolini Prime Minister to avoid further violence Il Duce (“the leader”) After gaining power, Mussolini takes near complete control Outlawed all political parties (except the Fascist) Censored the radio and newspapers Took control of the economy

Italy invades Ethiopia Italy failed to take over Ethiopia in the 1890s October 1935, Italy invades with a modern army of tanks, planes, and machine guns Ethiopia’s emperor Haile Selassie asked for help from the League of Nations League condemned the attack, but did nothing to stop it Great Britain allowed Italy to use the Suez Canal to move troops into Ethiopia Wanted to avoid fighting (appeasement)

Militarism Takes Control of Japan

Japan Shifts Attitudes 1920s Japan Democracy was growing 1922 – treaty to respect China’s borders 1928 – signed the Kellog-Braind Pact that was to outlaw the use of war After the Great Depression starts People blamed the government for economic problems Military took over the government, but kept Emperor Hirohito in charge as the face of the government Planned to expand the empire for new markets, raw materials, and room for its population

Japan invades China 1931 – Japan takes control of Manchuria (northeast province of China) League of Nations condemned the invasion, but did nothing Japan withdrew from the League in 1933 July 1937 – Japan invades China Rape of Nanjing Jiang Jieshi’s army forced to retreat Mao Zedong’s Communists fight a guerilla war against the Japanese

Rape of Nanjing (these pictures are graphic, feel free to skip!)

Hitler and the Rise of Nazism in Germany

Paintings Hitler

Nazism 1919 – National Socialist German Workers’ Party formed (Nazi Party) Wanted to overturn the Treaty of Versailles Wanted to fight Communism Created a private army called the Brown Shirts Hitler becomes a leader of the Nazi Party Beer Hall Putsch (Nov. 1923) Hitler leads attempt to overthrow the government Fails and sent to prison for 5 years (serves 9 months)

Mein Kampf Hitler explains his beliefs and goals in a book he writes in prison Aryan Race Claimed Germans were the “Master Race” and should rule the world All “non-Ayrans” were inferior and should be destroyed Treaty of Versailles Wanted to gain back all of Germany’s lost territories Lebensraum (“living room”) Claimed Germany was overcrowded Would take over Eastern Europe and Russia Third Reich

Hitler Gains Power After his prison term, Hitler took back control of the Nazi Party When the Great Depression starts, the German economy further collapsed and support of the Nazi Party grew January, 1933 – President von Hindenburg makes Hitler Chancellor of Germany After Nazis win a parliamentary election, Hitler turns Germany into a totalitarian state

Hitler becomes der Furhrer Hitler’s SS (Schutzstaffel) and Gestapo force German peoples into obedience SS = Hitler’s private army Gestapo = private police force Both groups arrested and murdered rivals to the Nazis and Hitler Hitler takes economic control and cuts unemployment Hitler forced propaganda to create a loyal nation Controlled the press, radio, literature, and art Burned books that didn’t fit Nazi beliefs Prevented churches from speaking bad about Nazism Schoolchildren joined the Hitler Youth or League of German Girls

Nazi Propaganda

Book Burning

Hitler Youth

1936 Berlin Olympics

Hitler begins terrorizing the Jews Nazis blamed the Jews for many of Germany’s problems (anti-Semitism) 1933 – Nazi party begins to strip rights from the Jews 1935 – Nuremburg Laws Took away legal rights to Jews and other minorities November 9, 1938 – Kristallnacht The “Night of Broken Glass” Nazis attacked and arrested Jews in large numbers Jewish owned homes and businesses were destroyed

German Aggression

Hitler Breaks the Treaty of Versailles March 1935 – Hitler begins make his army larger League of Nations does nothing March 7, 1936 – Germany invades the Rhineland France and Great Britain begin practicing appeasement Appeasement = giving into the demands of an aggressor to avoid war October 1936 – Germany and Italy create the Rome-Berlin Axis November 1936 – Germany, Italy and Japan create the Axis Powers (Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis)

Spanish Civil War July 1936 – Francisco Franco leads a Fascist revolution to overthrow the republican government Hitler and Mussolini send troops, tanks, and planes to help Franco’s forces in the 3 year civil war Western Democracies supported the Republican side, but did not send any help (except the Soviet Union) Franco’s fascist forces win in 1939

Germany continues to expand March 1938 – Germany annexes Austria (Treaty of Versailles prohibited this) September 1938 – Germany demands that the Sudetenland be given to Germany Sudetenland was a German speaking section of Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia asked France to help

German Expansion to 1938

Munich Conference September 29, 1938 – France, Great Britain, Germany, and Italy meet to discuss the Sudetenland and Czechoslovakia Hitler promised to not take any more of Czechoslovakia if he got the Sudetenland Great Britain’s Prime Minister again follows the idea of appeasement and gives in “I believe it is peace in our time.” March 1939 – Germany annexes Czechoslovakia

Munich Conference Every body say “appeasement”!

Heading toward war Mussolini seized Albania Hitler looks to take over Poland Great Britain and France threaten war if Germany invades Poland August 23, 1939 – Germany and the Soviet Union sign a nonaggression pact This would keep the Soviet Union from joining the war and prevent a two-front war September 1, 1939 – Germany invades Poland