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Causes of World War II. Axis Philosophy and Aggression. Totalitarianism. The Axis nations were totalitarianism dictatorships.
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Causes of World War II Axis Philosophy and Aggression
Totalitarianism • The Axis nations were totalitarianism dictatorships. • Totalitarianism (or totalitarian rule) is a political system where the state holds total authority over the society and seeks to control all aspects of public and private life wherever necessary.
Totalitarianism • They Scorned: • Democratic ideals of civil liberties • The dignity of the individual • World peace • And they openly declared their intent to destroy democracy
Militarism • the belief that a government should maintain a strong military capability and be prepared to use it aggressively to defend or promote national interests.
Militarism • Spent vast sums of money on armaments • Devised new weapons and battle techniques • Built huge military organizations • And psychologically prepared their people for war • They proclaimed war a glorious adventure and the death of the fatherland the highest honor
Nationalism • ideology based on the premise that the individual’s loyalty and devotion to the nation-state surpass other individual or group interests.
Nationalism • Your country was more important than anything – including the individual. • Japanese Shinto teachings, Italian dreams of a revival of the roman empire, and the German “Master Race” doctrine – all fostered a narrow and bigoted nationalism • The axis nations considered themselves superior and destined to rule over ‘lesser peoples.’
Imperialism • belief in empire-building: the policy of extending the rule or influence of a country over other countries or colonies • domination by empire: the political, military, or economic domination of one country over another
Imperialism • The Axis powers embarked upon imperialism with the excuse that they lacked land and resources. • Japan expanded into Manchuria in 1931-1932 and China in 1937. • Japan wanted to create a, “Greater East Asian Co-prosperity Sphere.” • Italy invaded Ethiopia in 1935 and wanted to turn the Mediterranean Sea into an “Italian Lake.”
Imperialism • Germany remilitarized the Rhineland in 1936 and aided General Franco in the Spanish Civil War from 1936-1938. • Invaded and annexed Austria in 1938 • Occupied the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia in 1939