 One of Europe’s first dictatorships arose in Italy. In 1919 Benito Mussolini found Italy’s Fascist Party. By 1922, Mussolini would seize power and he worked quickly to setup a dictatorship.  Vladimir Lenin established communists governments throughout the Russian Empire. In 1922, they renamed these territories the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.  Lenin died in 1924 and Stalin replaced him after a power struggle. Stalin began to industrialize the country and proved to be a very brutal dictator.

 Adolf Hitler joined the Nazi Party shortly after World War I.  In 1923, Hitler and the Nazi Part tried to seize power in Germany which failed. While in prison, Hitler wrote Mein Kampf (My Struggle).  By 1932, the Nazis were the largest part in Reichstag which led to Hitler being named Chancellor the next year. Hitler also moved quickly to establish a dictatorship in Germany.  In 1934 Hitler became president, which gave him control over the military. He then gave himself the new title of Der Fuhrer, or “The Leader.”

 Military leaders seized power in Japan during the 1920’s.  In 1931, the Japanese army invaded Manchuria, a resource-rich region of northern China.  The Japanese lacked natural resources and had population issues.  World War II Started in Asia in 1937 when the Japanese invaded the rest of China.

 The United States followed a policy of Isolationism.  The United States passed three neutrality laws during the late 1930’s.  Roosevelt was an internationalist who believed the United States should be more actively involved in events in Europe and Asia.

 In 1935 Hitler began to defy the Treaty of Versailles that had ended World War II. Germany started to build a new air force and draft men into the military.  Hitler called for the unification of German speaking people into one nation.  Hitler occupied the Rhineland in  Hitler sent troops into Austria in March 1939.

 Hitler then announced German claims to the Sudetenland, and area of Czechoslovakia.  At the Munich Conference, Britain and France gave into Hitler’s demands that came to be known as appeasement.  In March 1939, Hitler invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia.  Hitler then demanded territory in Poland. France and Great Britain said an attack upon Poland would mean war.

 Germany signs a non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union in August, 1939 which shocks the world.  Hitler invades Poland on September 1, Great Britain and France declare war on Germany. World War II begins in Europe.  The Germans develop a new type of warfare called the blitzkrieg or “lightning warfare.”  By October 5, 1939, the Germans had defeated the Polish military.

 The Germans do not attack western Europe during late 1939 and early The lull in the fighting is known as sitzkrieg or “phony war.”  On May 10, 1940, Hitler launched a new blitzkrieg on western Europe.  The British are able to save over 330,000 troops at Dunkirk. The miracle at Dunkirk was a military blunder by the Germans and saved a substantial British force to fight another day.

 On June 22, 1940, the French surrender to the Germans. The British are now alone to face the Nazi threat in Western Europe.  Winston Churchill becomes the new Prime Minister of Great Britain and rallies the British people to resist the German threat to their country.  Hitler then prepared for an invasion of Great Britain.

 Against overwhelming odds, the Royal Air Force (RAF) is able to inflict heavy losses on the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain.  Hitler calls off the invasion of Great Britain. Winston Churchill

 The Fall of France 1940 The Fall of France 1940 RAF “Battle of Britain”

 The Holocaust was the deliberate extermination of European Jews and others that the Nazis considered inferior.  By the war’s end, the Nazis were responsible for mass murdering 12 million people, including 6 million Jews.  We will watch a video dealing with the Holocaust on Friday.

 After Hitler and the nazis came to power, they passed Nuremberg Laws that took citizenship away from Jewish Germans and banned marriage between Jews and other Germans.  Kristallnacht was a series of attacks that were led by the Nazis against the German population in Germany.

 Jewish rights in Germany are eliminated by the Nazis.  The Gestapo began rounding up Jewish citizens and took away their property and businesses.  After the Nazis seized territory in Europe, they began targeting the Jewish populations in those countries.  In Poland, Jews were either sent to the ghettos or concentration camps.

 On January 20, 1942, Nazis leaders met at the Wannsee Conference and established the “final solution” to the Jewish question.  The Nazis established extermination camps where they planned to eliminate the Jewish population and other “undesirables.”

 1. How did the Nazis come to power in Germany?  2. What event was the height of appeasement by Great Britain and France towards Germany?  3. What was blitzkrieg?  4. What event started the war in Europe?  5. What was the “miracle at Dunkirk?”  6. What was the result of the “Battle of Britain?”