WWII is coming fast…

 The Treaty of Versailles wasn’t fair…  The world-wide Great Depression made matters far worse  When people get desperate they are more willing to believe that a single person can solve their problems, dictators often seem like easy answers.  After WWI…this process began to emerge in Europe and Asia

 In 1919 Benito Mussolini started the Fascist Party  Fascism believes that the country is more important than the person.  Mussolini pledged to take Italy back to the glory days of the Roman Empire.  His nickname was il Duce which means “the leader.”

“Mussolini may have done many brutal and tyrannical things; he may have destroyed human freedom in Italy; he may have murdered and tortured citizens whose only crime was to oppose Mussolini; but ‘one had to admit’ one thing about the Dictator: he ‘made the trains run on time.’”

 Joseph Stalin became the leader of the USSR in  He imposed communism ruthlessly and forcefully killing 8-10 million Russians.

 "Comrade Stalin, having become General Secretary, has concentrated enormous power in his hands: and I am not sure that he always knows how to use that power with sufficient caution. I therefore propose to our comrades to consider a means of removing Stalin from this post and appointing someone else who differs from Stalin in one weighty respect: being more tolerant, more loyal, more polite, more considerate of his comrades."

 Born to very poor parents in Austria  Very good in school, very serious, very religious and considered becoming a monk  Wanted to be top of class, didn’t make it…and completely stopped trying  Only class he liked – History…and he loved German military history  Dropped out of high school  WWI occurred and he was happy…but refused to fight for Austria and instead moved to German and volunteered to fight for them

 Adolf Hitler admired Mussolini and how he came to power.  Hitler began to associate with the National Socialists German Workers Party. Better known as the Nazi Party.  Hitler was arrested in 1923 for trying to start a revolution.  He was copying Mussolini’s March on Rome  While in jail, he wrote his autobiography titled Mein Kampf (my struggle).  After prison, he became Chancellor in 1933 and President in 1934.

 In Mein Kampf, Hitler describes what he considers to be the master race.  Blonde hair and blue eyes were considered superior over everyone else.  This master race was called Aryans.  He believed that Aryans needed more living space. That is one of his many reasons for invading Europe.

 Being an island, Japan lacks many resources  In the Depression other countries raised tariffs and it crushed Japan because they rely on many imports  The military and the people blamed the political system and corrupt politicians  The military took over the government and believed the only way Japan could prosper is if they controlled more of Asia  1931 – Japan invaded Manchuria, China for its resources

 The United States was still in the Great Depression.  They did not want to get involved in a costly war with Europe.  Congress would pass two Acts to remain neutral: 1. Neutrality Act of Neutrality Act of 1937  The U.S. sold materials to other countries based on the cash and carry policy.

 Hitler wanted to unify all German-speaking people.  Both Austria and Czechoslovakia spoke German.  If Hitler were to take these countries, he would gain: 1. Food Supplies3. More men to fight 2. Land4. More natural resources  In March of 1938 Hitler invaded Austria declaring Anschluss (means unification).

 Hitler set his eyes on the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia, but the Czechs were resisting  France promised to fight for the Czechs, and Britain had promised to help the French  Representatives from Britain, France, Italy, and Germany agreed to meet in Munich, 1938  At the Munich Conference the sides agreed to give Hitler the Sudetenland, but it had to be the end of Hitler’s demands  Appeasement – trying to make peace through bribery

 Only a month later, Hitler declared he wanted Danzig—a German city given to Poland after WWI  Now no more appeasement—if Poland got invaded, France and Britain announced they would go to war.  August 23 rd, 1939 Germany and the USSR signed the Nazi-Soviet Nonagression Pact agreement.  This was done by Hitler so that he wouldn’t have to fight a war on two fronts.  September 1st, 1939, Germany invades Poland and thus starting WWII.

 It only took a month for the Germans to take Poland  Germany was using a new type of warfare called Blitzkrieg – meaning “lightning war”  It combined several new technologies -- Overhead bombing coordinated with tanks to break through opposing forces quickly. Paratroopers and radios connected the forces for lightning fast speed.  The polish army rode horses and had lances… so they had a fighting chance.

 France and Britain were prepared for an invasion from Germany.  After WWI, France had built a wall of concrete bunkers and various fortifications on the German border named the Maginot Line.  What is wrong with the Maginot line?

 Hitler knew of this wall and decided to invade France through Belgium.  Britain and France didn’t expect Germany to attempt to go thru the Ardennes Forest  Hitler easily won Belgium and turned toward France.  June 22nd 1940, Hitler accepted the surrender of France.

 In 1940 Winston Churchill became the new Prime Minister in England.  Germany wanted to invade England, but you know, it’s an island...so they had to first beat them through the air.  To invade England Germany had to win air control over the English Channel  The German Luftwaffe (airforce) began dropping bombs on England.

 From August 23rd until September 6 th Germany bombed London during daylight.  From September 7th - November 3rd, Germany sent 200 bombers every NIGHT except for one.  The British had developed an advanced radar system…so they could protect themselves with air fire and getting civilians into safe places  By the end of 1940, Hitler called off his invasion of England.