1. Aggressors on the March Chapter 31 Section 4

2. Japan In the 1920s, started as a democracy but will change to a more Militarist style of government. Japan’s militarists wanted to solve the country’s economic problems by foreign expansion. They planned for a Pacific empire that included a conquered China.

3. Japan Invades Manchuria Japan’s focus was in China’s northeast province, Manchuria. It was rich in iron and coal. Japanese attack on Manchuria was the 1st direct challenge to the League of Nations. Many league members protested but it had no power to ENFORCE its decisions.

4. Mussolini Attacks Ethiopia The League’s failure to stop Japanese encouraged Mussolini to plan aggression of his own. Mussolini ordered a massive invasion of Ethiopia in October 1935. Now Mussolini built a Fascist empire in Africa. Again the League condemned the attack, its members did nothing. Britain and France were hoping by giving into Mussolini in Africa to keep peace in Europe.

5. Hitler Defies Versailles Treaty Hitler’s big goal was to undo the Versailles Treaty. Remember the treaty limited the size of Germany’s army…well Germany’s army got bigger. The League’s failure to stop Hitler convinced him to take on even greater risks.

6. The treaty had forbidden German troops to enter a 30 mile wide zone on either side of the Rhine River, known as the Rhineland. This formed a buffer zone between France and Germany. On March 7, 1936 German troops moved into the Rhineland. Stunned, the French were unwilling to risk war. The British urged Appeasement, which was giving into an aggressor to keep peace. Hitler took advantage and continued to advance closer to the French Border.

7. Axis Powers Hitler’s growing strength convinced Mussolini that he should seek an alliance with Germany. In October 1936, the two dictators (Hitler/Mussolini) reached an agreement to be on the same side. A month later Germany made an agreement with Japan…Germany, Italy and Japan came to be called the Axis Powers.

8. Rome-Berlin Axis, 1939 The “Pact of Steel”

9. United States Many Americans resisted accepting the nation’s new position as a world leader. Isolationism - the belief that political ties to other countries should be avoided won wide support. In 1935, Congress passed three Neutrality Acts. This was to keep United States out of another foreign war.

10. Failure to Halt Aggression Instead of taking a stand against Fascist aggression in the 1930s, Britain and France repeatedly backed away, hoping to keep peace. With the United States staying neutral, there was really no one to stop the Axis Powers. The whole world waited to see what would happen next and war appeared inevitable.