FASCISM ON THE RISE

I. YEARS BETWEEN THE WARS A. Europe: still rebuilding from WWI; need to fix up home countries -Britain, France, Italy, Germany B. USA: loaned European countries the $$ they needed to rebuild after WWI  made US stock market increase C. 1929: US stock market crashed  NO MORE US LOANS TO EUROPE Democracy: Long Recovery...vote on decisions Dictators: Quick Recovery…no voting, ACTION!

II. DICTATORS TOOK CONTROL Totalitarianism: gov’t controls all aspects of life Fascism: people’s only loyalty must be to the state (a.k.a. the dictator’s party) THINGS THESE DICTATORS HAD IN COMMON: 1. Require people to give up INDIVIDUAL FREEDOMS 2. PROPAGANDA: one-sided info to convince citizens to sacrifice freedoms… “Do your part” 3. POLICE STATE: Spies, censorship, punishment 4. Want to make their country a WORLD POWER

A. Emperor Hirohito/Japan Territory he Wanted: Eastern Asia Pacific Islands Australia “Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere”  Needs Resources!

Hirohito’s Actions 1931:Invades Manchuria in China -Blows up own railroad and blames it on Chinese as excuse to invade -Most resource-rich province in China -Gains coal, oil, iron 1937: Conquers ports in southern China -Control of trade in East Asia -League of Nations does not act to stop Japanese aggression

B. Benito Mussolini/ Italy Territory he wanted: -Mediterranean Sea Region (return to Roman Empire)

Mussolini’s Actions: 1936: Troops fight in Spanish Civil War (Back up Spain’s fascist leader, gain combat experience, 80,000 men) 1939: Italy invades Albania (tiny mountainous nation, gateway to Greece and rest of Mediterranean) 1935: Italy invades Ethiopia (a desert colony; poison gas, tanks, and bombers; show of force)

Joseph Stalin/U.S.S.R. Territory he wanted: -Eastern European countries (Poland, Romania, etc) Stalin’s Actions: 1939: Took over Estonia -Tiny Baltic nation -Buffer against Western influence -Naval ports

“Buffer Zone” for Soviet Union???

Adolf Hitler/ Germany Territory he wanted: -Lands lost after WWI (revenge for Treaty of Versailles) -Lands to East of Germany (Lebensraum=“living space” for Aryan race)

Hitler’s Actions 1936: Troops occupied the Rhineland -Forbidden by Treaty of Versailles -Britain & France focused on Depression, fail to stop Hitler 1936: Troops fight in Spain’s Civil War -Gain combat experience, practice strategy of “blitzkrieg” (lightning war) 1938: Announces “Union” with Austria -Gave Austria option of voting to join Germany or be invaded -Another German-speaking land

Actions to Get Territory (continued) 1938: Munich Conference -Hitler & Mussolini met British and French (Allied) leaders -Allies: Germany can have Sudetenland (German part of Czechoslovakia) -Hitler: No more invasions (Sudetenland will be his last demand)

“APPEASEMENT” -Appeasement: Give in to demands, prevent war (Allied strategy for peace) -Better to appease Hitler than to fight him -Chamberlain: “I believe it means peace for our time”…thought Hitler could be trusted

Actions to Get Territory 1939: Germany takes Czechoslovakia -Britain and France: promise to declare war if Hitler invades Poland -Lesson Americans learned about Hitler? 1939: Non-Aggression Pact: alliance 1) Ger. and USSR won’t attack each other 2) SECRET PART: Germany and USSR will both invade Poland, each take half Lesson Americans learned about Stalin?

WORLD WAR TWO 1939: Germany Invades Poland, WWII Begins Allies=Britain, France Axis Powers= Germany, Italy, Japan (alliance) USA: declared neutrality Should USA be worried about events in Europe? Why/Why Not?

ON SCRAP PAPER: Answer these questions… 1)What is Fascism? 2) What is Totalitarianism? 3) What world event do you think made people give up their rights to fascist dictators during the 1930s? 4) Why are fascism and totalitarianism “un- American” ideas?

USA Reacts to Fascism’s Spread U.S. President: Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) Only President to serve 4 terms ( ) “New Deal”: gov’t programs to solve Great Depression Led America through WWII

Initial Reaction: Neutrality Neutrality Acts: passed by Congress 1935 and No US sale of weapons to warring nations -No US travel on ships of warring nations -No US credit to warring nations (must pay cash for goods; non-military items only) FDR and military: asked Congress for $1.3 billion military budget Wanted US to be prepared in case of attack

The Great Debate: Intervention or Isolation? Intervention: William Allen White’s Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies (CDAAA) Over 600 local branches  promoted all-out American support of Britain, short of war Isolation: Committee to Defend America First (CDAF or “America First”) Promoted focus on U.S. defenses and domestic problems  we will stand alone, not help Britain Celebrity support (Charles Lindbergh, former President Herbert Hoover), union support, big business support

Threat from Japan Aid to China : Japan attacked China, FDR approves small loans to China, urges boycott of Japanese silk Trade Embargo 1940: FDR bans iron, steel, oil exports to Japan Japan prepares attack plan to sweep through Southeast Asia (land, resources) U.S.A.: only country strong enough to stop Japanese expansion in Pacific

Closer to War Sept Destroyer-Landbase Deal: USA gives Britain 50 old destroyer ships, Britain gives USA naval bases in Canada, Caribbean, South America Sept 1940 Selective Service Act: Over 1 million men drafted and trained for service in Army, Navy, Marines All men btw register for military draft, can only serve within W. Hemisphere

FDR: U.S. will be “Arsenal of Democracy” Jan. 6, 1941: “Four Freedoms” Speech: US must lend Britain weapons to fight war Britain now facing “the Blitz”: continued bombing by German air force US has to support all nations who want to fight to keep alive human freedoms Lend-Lease Act (March 1941): U.S. will loan weapons to Britain, also to Soviet Union later (June)

Threat From Germany April 1941: FDR orders Navy to help British track German subs in Atlantic Summer 1941: Navy to guard British ships getting Lend-Lease supplies Fall 1941: German subs begin attacking American ships in Atlantic (3 attacked, 100 Americans died) Congress Revises Neutrality Acts: armed U.S. ships to carry weapons directly to Britain

“THE BLITZ” Hitler’s attack on Britain

Coventry, major British factory town, 1941

Londoners sleeping in subway tunnel for protection, 1941