The Road to War: 1919-1939 Honors US History 14.1

Definitions Nationalism – intense feeling of national pride and unity. Dictator – a single person who has all of the political power in a nation. Fascism – government system under the total control of a nationalist dictator and a single political party. Totalitarianism – a system in which the government controls the entire country (politics, economy, culture, etc.)

Totalitarianism Government establishes complete control of all aspects of the state (political, military, economy, social, cultural) Highly nationalistic (flags, salutes, rallies, uniforms) Strict controls and laws Military state (secret police, army, military) Censorship (opposing literature and ideas) Propaganda (media – radio, newspapers, posters) One leader (dictator); charismatic Total conformity of people to ideas and leader Terror and Fear

Totalitarianism *These theories, specifically Communism and Fascism, are completely different theories that are bitterly opposed; however they exhibit the same behaviour

Communism I am Joseph Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union from 1922-1953. What is Communism? LEFT WING based on theory by Karl Marx revolutionary idea of a political, economic and social system that creates a “classless society” state ownership and control of the means of production (no private ownership) Soviet Communism or “Stalinism”, was more of a totalitarian and military state combined with elements of communism

Chaos at the Helm Lenin dies in 1924 Effect of ’22 stroke Trotsky (Red Army) vs. Stalin (Gen. Sec. of the Communist party) Party members all given their jobs by Stalin…

The Purges Paranoid, Stalin kills off all opponents, real or imagined Order #00486 kills socially dangerous & their families The NKVD (Cheka) hunts down enemies Secret courts, immediate death The Purges

Rise of a Dictatorship Depression Starvation and Misery A need for leadership and change A need to feel pride again People support a charismatic leader A need for someone to blame for everything (scapegoat) Totalitarian Dictatorship One person takes control

Fascism What is Fascism? RIGHT WING intense nationalism and elitism totalitarian control interests of the state more important than individual rights maintain class system and private ownership Interesting Fact: Fascism name was derived from the fasces, an ancient Roman symbol of authority consisting of a bundle of rods and an ax

Unrest in Italy Italy did not receive the territory it wanted from WWI A depression started in the country The people became bitter and angry Some workers talked of turning to communism.

Italy – the Black Shirts Benito Mussolini becomes dictator of Italy Called “IL Duce” Promises Italians a new “Roman Empire” Invades Ethiopia

Nazism I am Adolf Hitler the leader (der Fuhrer) or dictator of Germany from 1933 to 1945. What is Nazism? extremely fascist , nationalistic and totalitarian based on beliefs of the National Socialist German Workers Party belief in the racial superiority of the Aryan, the “master race” belief that all Germans should have “lebensraum” or living space in Europe Violent hatred towards Jews and blamed Germany’s problems on them

Decadence of the Weimar Republic What problems did the Weimar Republic face?

The Versailles Treaty What was the problem with the treaty?

The Great Depression

Hitler considered himself superior, even though he was a drifter & failed artist during his youth. (Not even German Austrian) A corporal during WWI, he was devastated by Germany’s loss & blamed it on the Jews. He started his political career at age 30, joining the German Workers Party (As a spy for Weimar Republic) He was an excellent speaker and the Weimar Republic employed him to lecture soldiers on the dangers of communism and socialism. The Weimar Republic gave him the confidence to speak in front of crowds. Group had only 40 members Hitler fell in love with the ideas its leader Karl Drexler had about blaming Jews and Communists for Germany’s problems. Hitler told Weimar Republic this group posed no threat

When he is put in his jail cell he is ranting and raving about the “Jews did this the Jews did that”. His cell mate Rudolf Hess started to write all this down. It will become the book Mein Kampf

Divisions of Race To Hitler Aryans (Germanic) Culture Creating Middle (Non Germanic) Culture Maintaining Jews -Culture Destroying Untermenschen- undesirable elements like Jews: Gypsies , Jehovah Witnesses , Homosexuals , =Handicap, beggars,or those deemed “work shy” =Habitual Criminals. =Political Prisoners

Germany – Nazi Party Led by Adolf Hitler Called “Der Fuhrer” Claimed that Germans were the master race Hitler was a fantastic public speaker who was very charismatic for the German people. Nazis slowly took control over German Reichstag (Congress) Hitler named chancellor of Germany in 1933.

Rise of Hitler Hitler becomes complete dictator of Germany. Starts to rebuild the German military which creates jobs for German people. Seizes Jewish assets to gain funding for eventual war. Sends army to reclaim areas lost during WWI for Germany.

Nazi Military State SA (Sturmabteilung): Stormtroopers "brown-shirts" early private Nazi army that protected leaders and opposed rival political parties GESTAPO: the Secret State Police SS (Schutzstaffel): Defense Corps “black shirts”, an elite guard unit formed out of the SA Lebensraum (living space): concept that emphasized need for territorial expansion of Germany into east Wehrmacht: German army HJ (Hitler Jugend): Hitler Youth Einstazgruppen: Nazi Death Squad; mobile killing units untermenschen-Inferior People

The “Stab-In-The-Back” Theory German soldiers are dissatisfied.

Hitler Demonizes the Jews Hitler proclaimed that Jews had stabbed Germany in the back - causing it to lose WWI. Said Jews were scheming to take over the world. Fed anti-Semitism which already existed in Europe.

Persecution of the Jews Nuremberg Laws Took citizenship away from Jews Highly restricted their rights Forced to wear the yellow star Put into ghettoes and concentration camps Kristallnacht - 1938 “Night of the Broken Glass” Nazis destroy Jewish businesses

Imperial Dreams in Japan Japan had long been jealous of the empires of the white, European countries. Why shouldn’t the Japanese have their own empire in the Pacific? Japan adopted the ways of the West and built up their industry and military during the Meiji period after first American contact. Led by General Tojo (military) and Emperor Hirohito (spiritual).

The Manchurian Crisis, 1931

Japan Invades Manchuria, 1931

Japanese Invasion Japan invades China and Korea as well as a number of islands in the Pacific.(1931) Japan is a series of islands with little natural resources. Japan needs resources (oil, metal) for their war efforts Rape of Nanking Japanese terrorize Nanking, China

Japanese Atrocities against the Chinese Japanese soldiers raped Chinese women and often killed them. Japanese killed Chinese for no reason. Japanese conducted vivisection experiments on Chinese people.

Rape of Nanking

Rape of Nanking

A Weak League of Nations

International Agreements Locarno Pact – 1925 France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy Guarantee existing frontiers Establish DMZ 30 miles deep on East bank of Rhine River Refrain from aggression against each other Kellogg-Briand Pact – 1928 Makes war illegal as a tool of diplomacy No enforcement provisions

The Ineffectiveness of the League of Nations No control of major conflicts. No progress in disarmament. No effective military force.

Italy Attacks Ethiopia, 1935 Emperor Haile Selassie

Germany Invades the Rhineland March 7, 1936

The Spanish Civil War: 1936 - 1939 Francisco Franco

The Spanish Civil War: 1936 - 1939 National Front [Nationalists] The Popular Front [Republicans] Carlists [ultra-Catholic monarchists]. Catholic Church. Falange [fascist] Party. Monarchists. Anarcho-Syndicalists. Basques. Catalans. Communists. Marxists. Republicans. Socialists.

The Spanish Civil War: 1936 - 1939

The Spanish Civil War

The Spanish Civil War: 1936 - 1939 The American “Lincoln Brigade”

“Guernica” by Pablo Picasso

The Spanish Civil War: A Dress Rehearsal for WW II? Italian troops in Madrid

The Austrian Anschluss, 1938

The “Problem” of the Sudetenland

Appeasement: The Munich Agreement, 1938 British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain Now we have “peace in our time!” Herr Hitler is a man we can do business with.

Czechoslovakia Becomes Part of the Third Reich: 1939

German Expansion to WWII