A Prelude to War

1. A Prelude to War Unit 14 The Interwar Years & World War II

2. Storm Brewing • Economic trouble and desperation in Europe • Some European nations still hadn’t recovered since World War I ended (1918) • Many of these nations had to rebuild (factories, homes, other structures) • Many were concerned about survival that they didn’t think about government and political platforms • Leaders would emerge to take advantage of the situation.

3. Germany after World War I • The depression crushes Germany • The Treaty of Versailles required Germany to: • Military, Territorial, and Economic stipulations • Reparations of more than 33 billion dollars. • In order to pay the reparations, Germany began to print more money • This made the currency less valuable (Inflation) • Germany was also forced to give up important economic territories (colonies) • These reasons led to the rise of dictators (rulers who have complete control)

4. The Rise of Fascism • Widespread economic despair paved the way for the rise of dictators • Strong leaders in Italy and Germany promised solutions • Germany –Adolf Hitler • Italy –Benito Mussolini • Fascism is the rule of a people by dictatorial government that is extremely nationalistic, imperialistic, and sometimes even racist.

5. Censorship and government control of news Strict discipline Strong military Fascism Extreme Nationalism Use of violence and terror Rule by dictator State control of economy Blind loyalty to leader

6. Totalitarianism 1919 -1939

7. Why did people support Hitler? • Hitler and the Nazi party promised people what they wanted • The Weimar Republic appeared to have no idea how to solve the problems of the Depression. • Hitler used the Jews and others as scapegoats, blaming all the problems on them. • To Germans at the time Hitler made sense, he united everyone by providing explanations for Germany's problems. • People in Germany were tired of their poor quality of life. • Hitler promised to make Germany proud again…it was exactly what people wanted to hear. • The Third Reich had begun Handout The Fuhrer Adolf Hitler

8. LIBERAL CONSERVATIVE D M R Neo Conservatism Communism Socialism Fascism *The LEFT essentially plays up the role of society, and the community as a whole. In Russian Communism the government controls industry… *The RIGHT essentially plays up the role of the individual… In Fascism, individuals dominating industry and military control the government.

9. THE RISE OF BENITO MUSSOLINI • Italy was troubled after WWI • Mussolini’s visit with the King: “Can I be Prime Minister? I will clean up the streets.” • Mussolini and the Matteotti incident: Parliament issues full power to Mussolini similarly to Hitler will after the fire. • When Benito Mussolini's Fascist Party came to power in Italy in 1922, he wanted to link his own regime's existence with the glories of the past Roman Empire. • Mussolini promised to end unemployment and gain land for Italy • To do so, the Fascists used force and terror to gain control of Italy • Censored free elections, free speech, and free press. • They even killed or jailed enemies • Mussolini was known as Il Duce.

10. What Happens to Lenin? • Before Lenin dies: A couple of things: • 1) Everyone assumes Trotsky is the successor… but Lenin feels he is egocentric. • 2) He wants Stalin to be removed from his post as Secretary General. • 3) Like Rome before, no successor=major instability • Lenin dies in 1924 • Despite the “trash talk” Joseph Stalin acted on his best behavior to ‘win over’ his colleagues. • Joseph Stalin emerges through an immense power struggle among Communist Party Leaders • Stalin launches “The Great Purge” • Stalin accused thousands of people of crimes against the government. (Trotsky- while forced to Mexico, did not escape the purge!) • Stalin ruled through terror and brutality • Many of the accused were exiled, sent to prison camps, or executed • The Soviet Union turned into a totalitarian regime. (Government that regulates every aspect of the lives of its citizens) Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili A.K.A. Joseph Stalin

11. FIRST LEADERS OF THE SOVIET UNION • Lenin • (1917-1924) • Chief Goal: to create a classless society with production in the hands of the people • Allows some private business; lets some peasants hold land • Standards of living rises for many workers and peasants • Shared • Became Communist Party Leader • Uses secret police to enforce Communist will • Wants to bring about a world wide Communist revolution • Stalin • (1924-1953) • Chief Goal: to make the Soviet Union into a modern industrial power with all production under government control • Sets up Five-Year Plans • Forces peasants to live on group farms • Standard of living falls for most workers and peasants

12. Stalin’s collectivization program called for peasants to give up their small farms and live on state-owned ones. • The government controlled prices and farm supplies and set production quotas. • Many peasants resisted by growing just enough to eat… • But Stalin’s policies were devastating • Stalin accused the peasants of being kulaks (rich peasants living very well while others starved) • The NKVD (formally known as the Checka, went round the villages confiscating food…Some reports state about 15 million people starving!

14. By the time his 62-year reign came to an end, Japan had risen like a Phoenix out of the postwar rubble to become one of the world's richest countries. It was in demonstrating this remarkable capacity for change that Hirohito truly became the living symbol of his people. Emperor Hirohito Emperor Hirohito was the longest-reigning monarch in Japan's history, ruling from 1926 until his death in 1989.

15. Japan and Militarism • Japan had been a democracy during the 1920’s • When the Great Depression hit in 1929, many were speculating if capitalism was “right” for them • Militarists and extreme nationalists gained power • Many were unhappy over the loss of traditions, were unemployed, poverty stricken, and wanted glory • Therefore, Japan would end many democratic feelings, increase honor for Emperor Hirohito, and would seek to expand territory.

16. Dictators seek to expand territory • Japan will invade China (1931) • Italy will attack Ethiopia (1935-1936) • German Aggression in Europe (1935)

17. Japan invades Manchuria • The militaristic leaders of Japan wanted to build a Japanese empire. • Japan will seize the Chinese territory of Manchuria. • This infuriates the League of Nations since Japan is one of the official members. • So what happens? • Japan withdrew its membership from the League. • In 1937, the Japanese army will continue the invasion, moving further into the Chinese mainland. • One of the invasion points was the city of Nanjing (Nanking). • The invasion was so brutal it was referred to as “the rape of Nanjing”

18. Gendercide Gendercide: gender-selective mass killing • The total number of civilians and prisoners-of-war murdered in Nanking during the first six weeks of the Japanese occupation was over 200,000. • These estimates are not exaggerated by the fact that burial societies and other organizations counted more than 155,000 bodies which they buried • ...these figures do not take into account those persons whose bodies were destroyed by burning or by throwing them into the Yangtze River or otherwise disposed of by the Japanese. Murdered Chinese women and children are strewn across the steps of a Nanjing building.

20. As the twentieth century dawns, Japan begins to expand its imperial reach, responding to a perceived threat from expanding western nations, such as Russia and Britain.

21. In 1931, Japan invades and claims the rest of Manchuria.

22. Japan invades China in 1937, marching into French Indochina by 1940. In Europe, Adolf Hitler's armies now occupy much of central Europe, including France. The world is at war.

23. By 1942, at the height of its wartime success, Japan will have massed over five million troops, expanding its empire to include the Philippines and much of the Southwest Pacific.

24. Hideki Tojo • Prime Minister, Chief of Staff of the Army, and Minister of War from October 1941 until July 1944. • Tojo could almost be described as the dictator of Japan. • He was the principal director of all Japanese war operations. Back Page

25. Events in Japan1929 - 1940 1929 The Great Depression hits Japan • Japan takes control of Manchuria, China 1933 Japan withdraws from League of Nations 1934 Japan announces it will no longer submit limits on its navy 1936 Japan signs non-aggression pact with Germany 1937 Japanese troops kill hundreds of thousands of civilians in Nanjing, China 1940 Japan attempts to expand its power in Asia by proposing an economic alliance of Asian nations

26. European Advancements Back Page

27. Lebensraum • In Hitler's book, Mein Kampf, he detailed his belief that the German people needed Lebensraum ("living space", i.e. land and raw materials), and that it should be found in the East. • It was the stated policy of the Nazis to kill, deport, or enslave the Polish, Russian and other Slavic populations, whom they considered inferior, and to repopulate the land with Germanic peoples. • The entire urban population was to be exterminated by starvation, thus creating an agricultural surplus to feed Germany and allowing their replacement by a German upper class.

28. The Road to War • January 30, 1933 Hitler is appointed Prime Minister of Germany • 1933-5 Hitler violates terms of the Treaty of Versailles by increasing the size of the German army, navy, and air force. Germany also withdrew from the League of Nations. • 1935 Germany occupies the Rhineland (border of France and Belgium). Puts Military there. (Nothing Done) • 1936 Italy invades Ethiopia – Ethiopia will appeal to League of Nations but, no nation was willing to get involved (Risk another World War) • 1937 Japan opens up full scale invasion of China. U.S. government does nothing. Japanese airplanes sink the U.S. gunboat “Pane.” U.S. protests are met by Japanese apologies and compensation for damages. • 1938 - Spring Germany annexes Austria (makes Austria a part of Germany). (Nothing Done) Germany threatens a European war if Czechoslovakia does not hand over large portions of territory to Germany. (The Sudetenland) Hitler promises that this is his last demand. Allies agree. FDR refuses to involve the US in European problems.

29. So how was Hitler faring in his first five years on the job? Time Magazine’s, Man of the Year 1938!

30. Hitler and Mussolini sign the Rome-Berlin Axis 1936 Japan will soon follow, creating what we know as the Axis Powers

32. German Aggression in Europe and Appeasement • In 1938, Hitler invades Austria (Austria welcomes the unification) and then looks to the Sudetenland. (a region of Czechoslovakia-Czechoslovakia does not support annexation, but yet many Germans live there) • Obviously western democracies responded weakly to German aggression • Leaders will gather in Munich, Germany for a conference to discuss the happenings in Europe. • The conference was appropriately named… (The Munich Conference) • In an unbelievable decision, western democracies led by British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlin, agree to allow Germany to seize control of the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia. • This became better known as the Appeasement at Munich. • “Peace in our Time!” • Hmm. Seeing the pattern here, what will happen next?

33. The Road to War • 1939 – Spring Hitler breaks promise and takes over the rest of Czechoslovakia • 1939 – Aug 23 Stalin and Hitler surprise everyone by signing a non-aggression pact. • Hitler and Stalin would not attack each other. Why is this important? • Think back to WWI. • 1939 – Sep 1 Germany invades Poland. Soviet Union also invades Poland and the nation is divided between Germany and the Soviet Union per their pact. (The Nazi-Soviet Pact divided Poland between the two.) Two days later, Britain and France declare war on Germany.

34. The Massacre in the Woods • Stalin’s evil reign continues… • The NKVD (The New Checka,) will shoot some 10,000 Polish officer POW’s in Katyn Forest. • Most of these men would eventually lead Poland after the war… • They never got a chance • The incident was denied until 1991, when Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin apologized for the incident

35. The World at War Axis Powers • Germany • Italy • Japan Allied Powers • Britain • France • Soviet Union (Later on) • China • U.S. (later on) • 41 other nations

38. A View of the World After WWI

39. German Blitzkrieg • Blitzkrieg= lightning warfare • In less than a month, Poland fell to Germany and the Soviet Union • In 1940, Germany conquered Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. • However, France was well equipped with the “the best” defense system the world had seen… The Maginot Line.

40. FRANCE“THE IMPENETRABLE COUNTRY” • The Maginot Linewas such an impressive piece of construction that people from around the world visited it. • However, the Maginot Line had two major failings – it was obviously not mobile and it assumed that the Ardennes (the forest area) was impenetrable. • The German Army attacked through the Ardennes • One million men and 1,500 tanks crossed the seemingly impenetrable forests in the Ardennes. • Once the Maginot Line had been isolated it had little military importance. • In 1940, France too would fall victim. • It took less than two weeks! • By June of 1940, Germans had entered Paris. • Many of the french surrendered after the government signed its surrender with Germany – few had to be captured in battle. • One in seven French divisions was a fortress division - so the Maginot Line took out 15% of the French Army. Though not a huge figure, these men may have had an impact on the advance of the Germans or at least got evacuated at Dunkirk to fight another time. 

42. VICHY FRANCE • Charles De Gaulle managed to escape to England just before the armistice was signed by the French government handing France to the Nazis. From England, he spent the next 4 years organizing increasing French resistance and calling for support from French colonies. • He proclaimed himself the leader of the Free French (later the Fighting French) forces. De Gaulle found himself with a French navy, air force, and army, which were under the general command of the British. During World War II (1939-1945), Nazi Germany defeated France in 1940 and occupied the northern part of the country.

43. OPERATION: SEALION Britain holds on primarily because the Luftwaffe bombed London instead of focusing on the RAF Airfields The bombing terrified Londoners but it gave the RAF time to recover. The Battle of Britain • Even though France fell to the Germans, The British didn’t have intention of quitting. • “We shall defend every village, every town, and every city” • This was the quote by new British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill • The decision surprised everyone. Hitler did not really have intentions of taking Britain… • Hitler was aware that the strength of Britain was the RAF (Royal Air Force) • Hitler focused his attention on defeating the RAF with his own air force called the Luftwaffe • The Luftwaffe unleashed massive bombing attacks on Britain (London) • Despite constant bombing, the British did not surrender

44. Luftwaffe Messerschmitt_ME109 A.k.a. - “The Butcher”

45. German Home-front • Anti Semitism- Hostility toward or prejudice against Jews • Nuremberg Laws – created a separate legal status for German Jews, eliminating their citizenship and many civil an property rights. • The Nuremberg Laws defined a person as Jewish based on ancestry blood rather than religious beliefs • Kristallnacht- “Night of the Broken Glass” • Nearly 100 Jews killed, and thousands of Jewish businesses and places of worship were destroyed.

46. Turning Points in the War • Entry of the United States (1941) • Battle of Stalingrad (1942 – 1943) • El Alamein (1942) • Battle of The Coral Sea and Midway (1942) • Invasion of Italy (1943) • Invasion of Normandy (1944)

47. Tojo made plans to invade the Dutch East Indies- a source of oil- • Tojo believed one thing stood in their way- The United States Navy • On December 7th, 1941, Japanese warplanes bombed the huge American naval base at Pearl Harbor • Before the day was over, about 2,400 Americans-both servicemen and civilians died. Many of the American warplanes and ships were destroyed or damaged • “A date which will live in infamy” • -FDR • The United States declares war on Japan • Germany and Italy declare war on the United States Entry of the United States (1941)

48. American Home Front • Enormous task of mobilization; men and women volunteered for service • Factories converted; “victory gardens” planted; scrap drives and recycling to collect materials • Some negative effects of patriotism • Japanese Americans placed in internment camps during the war

49. THE EASTERN FRONT • OPERATION BARBAROSSA • THE LENINGRAD SEIGE

50. OPERATION BARBAROSSA • While Hitler conquered Western Europe, Stalin and the Soviet army expanded its territory in Europe • Hitler feared Soviet ambitions and didn’t trust Stalin’s intentions • Hitler also wanted Soviet wheat and oil fields • Non-Aggression Pact? • Broken! • As a result, Hitler invaded the Soviet Union in 1941 • June 1941, Hitler’s invasion of the Soviet Union had initial successes • Major goals of Leningrad and Moscow not reached before harsh Soviet winter • Soviet armies had time to rebuild and would fight back