The Road to World War II The Result of a flawed peace settlement at Versailles, but also other causes, including the Great Depression

Decisive Steps Involving Germany, Italy, Japan, and the Future Allies With each step it became increasingly apparent that certain aggressive hostile nations would not curtail their ambitions through talk and negotiation The League of Nations was ineffective in dealing with these crises

First Step: Japan Seizes Manchuria, 1931 Taken from China U.S. Secretary of State Henry Stimson ( ): no gains made by force would be recognized League of Nations condemned aggression in 1932 – Japan withdraws from the league in 1933

Second Step: German Rearmament, October, 1933, Hitler withdraws from League of Nations March 1935, Hitler denounces Versailles Treaty related to German Rearmament; a month later league formally condemned Germany’s repudiation of Treaty obligations, but Hitler ignores league’s stance 1936, Germany sends troops into the Rhineland, demilitarized by Versailles Treaty

Rhineland, 1936 France and Britain did nothing – perhaps this was the last opportunity to avert war in Europe

Step 3 – Ethiopia, 1935 Ethiopia – an independent state in Africa 1934 – an incident at a desert post in Italian Somaliland Protests of Emperor Haile Selassie ( ) Ethiopia a member of League of Nations Italy invades Ethiopia in October 1935 Invasion with modern weaponry Italian King becomes Emperor of Ethiopia

League of Nations Invoked Economic Sanctions December 1937 Italy withdrew from the League 1936 – Mussolini signs a pact with Hitler establishing the Rome-Berlin Axis

Fourth Step: Japan, China and the Marco Polo Bridge, 1937 July, 7, 1937 – a skirmish turned a lull in the war between China and Japan into a full scale conflict again. Near Peking Junior field officers caused this to happen Peking and Shanghai fell to Japanese China appealed to League of Nations with no effect

5 th Step: Austria and Anschluss By 1938 Hitler had built his military capability to challenge the allies Austrians had desired unity with Germany beginning in 1919 Propaganda campaign in Austria for annexation In March, 1938, German military moved into Austria

Sixth Step: Czechoslovakia Dismembered, Czechoslovakia only eastern European state with a successful parliamentary democracy 3.25 million Germans lived there – Sudetenland Big Four Power Conference, September 1938 in Munich Sudetenland back to Germany “Peace in our Time” – Neville Chamberlin Spring 1939 German troops moved into Czechoslovakia

Days of Appeasement were over, however Britain and France guaranteed Polish Borders Britain began a peacetime draft

Final Step, Poland, September, 1939 Issue of Polish Corridor Danzig Summer of 1939 negotiations with Russians An Alliance between the totalitarian left and totalitarian right September1, Germany invades Poland September 3, Britain and France declare war on Germany – the 20 year truce comes to an end

The “Phony War” Between September 1939 and the Srping of 1940 Hitler is patient May 10, 1940, Germany Invades and Defeats France Hitler now the master of Europe Britain Remains And Hitler is still eager to expand to the east