AGGRESSORS INVADE NATIONS

1931 Japan invades Manchuria

1. Why did the Japanese invade Manchuria? To solve economic problems (Raw materials) Protect Japanese business interests To solve economic problems (Raw materials) Protect Japanese business interests

1935 Mussolini (Italy) invades Ethiopia

2. Why did Britain & France take no action against Italian aggression? To Keep Peace To Keep Peace

1935 United States Congress passes first of three Neutrality Acts Foreign Entanglements

3. Why did isolationists want these laws passed? Didn’t want the U.S. engaged in another war in Europe. Didn’t want the U.S. engaged in another war in Europe.

Isolationism Policy that prevents the USA from becoming involved in “foreign entanglements” To Keep Peace Policy that prevents the USA from becoming involved in “foreign entanglements” To Keep Peace

4. Why was the U.S. Isolationist? 1. Great Depression (problems at home) 2. Perceptions of WWI a. WWI did not seem to solve much b. People began to think that we’d got into WWI for the wrong reasons (greedy American businessmen!) 3.Opposition to war (Pacifism)

This led to policies of “Appeasement” 1.Appeasement: give dictators what they want and hope that they won’t want anything else 2. Begins with Japanese invasion of Manchuria, Italian invasion of Ethiopia, and continues with Hitler.

Third Reich Hitler’s version of a new German Empire to rule Europe

1936 German Troops move into the Rhineland Demilitarized by Versailles

5. What are some effects of appeasing Hitler after his invasion of the Rhineland? Hitler is encouraged to speed up military & territorial expansion Hitler is encouraged to speed up military & territorial expansion

1937 Japan invades China

6. What were the immediate results of this invasion? Chinese retreated & set up a new capital Chinese guerillas continue to fight. Chinese retreated & set up a new capital Chinese guerillas continue to fight.

Austria Czechoslovakia Germany 1937 Hitler plans to absorb Austria & Czechoslovakia into the Third Reich. Return of German Speaking Lands - “Lebensraum” Gain Back lost territory = Sudentenland (now part of Czech Republic)

1938 Munich Conference held

7. Why was the Munich Conference unsuccessful? Czechs were not invited Chamberlain believes he could preserve peace by giving in. Czechs were not invited Chamberlain believes he could preserve peace by giving in.

1939 Franco becomes Spanish Dictator

8. How did other countries help Franco’s Nationalist forces bring about the collapse of Republican resistance? Western Democracies remained neutral Hitler / Mussolini aided Franco Western Democracies remained neutral Hitler / Mussolini aided Franco

1939 Germany & Russia sign a nonaggression pact

9. Why did Stalin sign an agreement with Fascist Germany, once a bitter enemy? Wanted to avoid war with Germany - Doesn’t last long. Wanted to avoid war with Germany - Doesn’t last long.

Axis Powers Japan Italy Germany Japan Italy Germany