1. The Rise of Dictators and World War II Aggression

2. TOTALITARIANISM (a govt. that has total control over its people)
Communism
government owns the businesses and land
Soviet Union
Shared
Characteristics
extreme
nationalism
one strong leader
one political party
strong military
secret police
censorship
propaganda
indoctrination
(teaching young
people accepted
ideas of the govt.)
Fascism
individual people own the businesses and land
Germany, Italy

3. Absolute Dictators – Methods of Control
Dictators often used propaganda tools to maintain power (books, radio, the press, films)
People were forbidden from criticizing their government

4. Nazi Propaganda

6. Benito Mussolini (Italy)
Preached a government called Fascism – movement emphasizing loyalty to the state and its leader
Deeply anti-Communist; strong support for Italian corporations
Deep desire to make Italy a great world power
Active Secret Police would jail political opponents
Linked to racism and cultural superiority
Mussolini called himself “IL DUCE” (The Chief)

7. Adolf Hitler (Germany)
Joined politics after WWI – wanted to avenge Germany’s loss
Organized Nazi Party; tried to seize power in 1923 – but was arrested
While in prison – wrote Mein Kampf
Spoke about Germany racial superiority (German Aryans were superior; all others – like Jews, Slavs, Gypsies – were inferior)
Stated German need for Lebensraum – living space

8. Hitler in Power
During 1920s-30s – a severe depression in Germany, Civil War broke out
Politicians in Germany believed they could use Hitler – so the German president named him Chancellor in 1933
Once in office, he used fear effectively to allow the Nazis to win a majority in Parliament (Reichstag Building Fire)
Rule became known as “The Third Reich”

9. Hitler’s Policies Banned all political parties
Created a black-uniformed, secret police unit called the SS (Schutzstaffel)
Massive building program put millions to work – ending the Depression in Germany

10. Hitler’s War on the Jews and other races
Nazi beliefs stressed the “purity” of the Aryan race
Policies enacted to “purify” the German race (sterilization of undesirables like mentally ill and disabled)
Anti-Semitism (hatred of the Jews) was a major part of Nazi beliefs
Jews were used as scapegoats (blamed for Germany’s problems) – especially blamed for Germany’s economic problems after WWI
Nuremberg Laws deprived Jews of their citizenship
Nazis first attempted isolating Jews in ghettos, then resorted to official, blatant attacks on Jewish homes and synagogues

11. The Road to
War:

12. The Versailles Treaty

13. A Weak League of Nations

14. The Ineffectiveness of the League of Nations
No control of major conflicts.
No progress in disarmament.
No effective military force.

15. The “Stab-In-The-Back” Theory German soldiers are dissatisfied.

16. International Agreements
Locarno Pact – 1925
France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy
Guarantee existing frontiers
Establish DMZ 30 miles deep on East bank of Rhine River
Refrain from aggression against each other
Kellogg-Briand Pact – 1928
Makes war illegal as a tool of diplomacy
No enforcement provisions

17. The Great Depression

18. Movements Toward War
We need to understand the “Aggressiveness” in four countries/events to discover how and why the war began
*Japan
*Italy
*Spain
*Germany

19. New Government for Japan
Japan seemed peaceful and had a democratic government in the 1920s
However, few in government could control the military (who reported directly to the emperor)
When hard economic times hit Japan (caused by the Depression), the military installed a new government that was centered around the Emperor – who the military would rule in the name of

20. Goals for Japan’s Militarists
Expand empire overseas
Improve economy through imperialism
Begin a Pacific Empire that included China
BENEFITS OF THE EMPIRE ARE…
Could access much needed raw materials
Could have an empire that included billions of people to trade with
New empire would give “living space” for rising population

21. Japan Invades Manchuria, 1931

22. Japan’s invasions
1931 – Japan invaded Manchuria (Northeastern China - rich in natural resources)
League of Nations protested action, but did nothing to stop Japan
Japan left League of Nations in 1933
1937 – Japan invaded China (captured Beijing and Nanjing – where thousands of civilians were killed) – “Rape of Nanjing”

23. Manchuria

24. Mussolini’s Discontent
Mussolini saw the League of Nations do nothing to stop Japan
Envious of Britain & France’s Africa holdings
Invasion of Ethiopia in 1935 – the spears and swords of Ethiopia no match for tanks, guns, and planes of Italy
League of Nations – no action taken to stop Italy

25. Germany Prepares
1935 – Hitler announces that Germany will start to rearm their military
1936 – Confident by lack of response, Hitler ordered troops to re-conquer the Rhineland (Buffer zone between Germany and France)

27. German-Italian Alliance
Germany and Italy form the Axis Powers in 1936
Now – two dictators with stated goals of expansion are good friends
Japan soon joined the alliance as well
Mussolini and Hitler

28. Spanish Civil War
Gen. Francisco Franco (Fascist) revolted against the elected government in 1936
Civil War lasted for three years
With Italy and Germany’s help – Fascists won in Spain by 1939

29. La Guernica

30. Hitler Expands Empire
1938 – Hitler and the Germans invaded Austria (most Austrians spoke German and welcomed becoming a part of Germany)
But…Hitler and the Germans were expanding – and Versailles told them not to
Britain and France do nothing

31. The Sudetenland After taking Austria – Hitler wanted more
His next desire is the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia
Small area of Western Czech where many German-speakers lived
The Czechs didn’t want to give this area to Germany – nor did France and Russia

32. “Appeasement” at Munich
The British step in to offer a peace and avoid war
British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain meets with Hitler in Munich, Germany
They agree to give Hitler the Sudetenland
Hitler has to promise he is done seeking territory

33. Appeasement: The Munich Agreement, 1938
British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain
Now we have peace in our time! Herr Hitler is a man we can do business with.

34. Reactions to Munich
Neville Chamberlain, the British Prime Minister who came up with the agreement, said that he had achieved “peace in our time”
Winston Churchill, the future Prime Minister, said: “Britain and France had to choose between war and shame. They chose shame. They will get war, too.”

35. Hitler breaks his promise: Germany Starts the War
After being given Sudetenland – Hitler takes the rest of Czechoslovakia
Hitler signs a Non-Aggression Pact with Stalin and the Soviet Union (they agree to not make war on each other) – now France and Britain have lost an ally in Stalin
Immediately after – Germany invades Poland (France & Britain declare war on Germany) WWII officially begins

36. Hitler breaks his promise: Germany Starts the War
After being given Sudetenland – Hitler takes the rest of Czechoslovakia
Hitler signs a Non-Aggression Pact with Stalin and the Soviet Union (they agree to not make war on each other) – now France and Britain have lost an ally in Stalin
Immediately after – Germany invades Poland (France & Britain declare war on Germany) WWII officially begins
The Non-Aggression Pact was publicly a peace treaty, but in reality just a ploy by Hitler and Stalin to divide up Eastern Europe