1. From Appeasement to War
WWII Ch 14.1

2. Aggression Goes Unchecked
Japan on the move~
Japan wants an empire equal to the western powers.
1931 Japan seizes Manchuria
League of Nations condemns Japan’s aggression
Japan with draws from the League.
1937 Japanese armies overrun much of eastern China despite protests from the west.

4. Aggression Goes Unchecked
Italy invades Ethiopia~1935
Mussolini desires to pursue his own imperialist ambitions.
Memories of previous defeat in Ethiopia (1896) still linger.
1935 Italy invades Ethiopia who is no match for Italy’s military
tanks, guns, poison gas, & planes.

5. Italy invades Ethiopia~1935 cont
Ethiopian King Haile Selassie appeals to the League of Nations for help.
League imposes sanctions on Italy for violating international law.
Sanctions were not enforced

7. Spanish Civil War~1936 Spain moves from a monarchy to a republic.
New government makes controversial changes
redistributing wealth & giving more rights to women.
Civil war erupts between the republic & conservative nationalist group (Francis Franco)
Several European countries take sides
Hitler & Mussolini – Nationalists
Stalin- Republic

8. Spanish Civil War~1936 cont.
Hitler experiments with new military technology
both sides commit atrocities
millions of people are killed
1939 Franco is successful, Spain becomes a fascist dictatorship.

10. Road to War Austria is Annexed ~ March 1938
Hitler desires a union between Germany & Austria (Anschluss)
Austrian Chancellor forced to appoint Nazis to key govt. positions
German army is sent in to “preserve order”.
Opposing Austrians are silenced
no opposition from western democracies

11. Road to War cont. Czechoslovakia ~ September 1938
Hitler insists that 3 mil. Germans in the Sudetenland be given autonomy
Britain & France unwilling to go to war
want a peaceful solution
Hitler increases his demands, & wants Sudetenland to be annexed to Germany

12. Road to War cont. Munich Conference
Britain and France choose appeasement & agree to Hitler’s demands
Hitler Promises that he has “no future plans for expansion”.
March 1939 Hitler invades Czechoslovakia.

15. The Plunge Toward War Nazi-Soviet Pact ~ August 1939
Hitler and Stalin sign a “Non-Aggression Pact”
Both agree to not attack each other
To divide Poland and other parts of Eastern Europe between them.

17. The Plunge Toward War Invasion of Poland ~ September 1939
Hitler uses a massive “Blitzkrieg” (lightning war to attack Poland
Within two days (9/9/39), Britain & France declare war on Germany.
Poland is conquered by the end of September.