Aggression, Appeasement, and War Chp. 18 section 1 pp. 468-472 Adapted from a presentation by Becca Sehnert 2012.

Aggression, Appeasement, and War

Chp. 18 section 1 pp. 468-472

Adapted from a presentation by Becca Sehnert 2012

Main Idea

During the 1930s, dictators undermined world peace.

Dictators Challenge World PeaceJapan on the Move

• Mussolini and Hitler thought desire for peace was weakness and responded with aggression

• Japan’s military and ultranationalists though Japan should be = to western powers

• So they seized Manchuria in 1931 and withdrew from the League of Nations

• This strengthened militarists and they over ran eastern China

• Westerners had no effect on the conquering

Dictators Challenge World PeaceItaly Invades Ethiopia

• Mussolini used his military for imperialist ambitions

• Looked at Ethiopia in NE Africa• In 1935, Italy invaded Ethiopia• Mussolini had more modern weapons• Ethiopia looked to the League of Nations for

help but they didn’t have power to enforce the sanctions and Italy conquered Ethiopia in 1936

Dictators Challenge World PeaceHitler’s Challenge

• Hitler found the western democracies to be WEAK!• So he built up the German military against the

treaty of Versailles• Then in 1936 he went into Rhineland• Germans HATED Versailles treaty and Hitler gained

popularity• Western democracies didn’t take action

• Uh oh!

• Then they adopted appeasement

Dictators Challenge World PeaceAppeasement and Neutrality

• Developed appeasement cuz – France was demoralized– Couldn’t move against Hitler

• British didn’t want to confront German dictator– They thought Versailles treaty was too harsh

against Germany

Dictators Challenge World PeaceAppeasement and Neutrality

• Britain and France liked Hitler cuz he fought against the spread of Soviet communism

• Pacifism spread and all people wanted was peace!

• USA congress passed Neutrality Acts cuz they didn’t want to get involded in the European war

Dictators Challenge World PeaceRome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis

• Germany, Italy, and Japan were known as the Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis

• They fought soviet communism– Agreed to not butt in about expansions

• Created anti-democratic powers

Spanish Civil WarFrom Monarchy to Republic

• 1936 Spanish civil war drew other European countries to fight• 1920s Spain was dominated by upper class, CC, and military• In 1931, king was forced to leave the country• Republic was set up with new constitution• Republican gov. passed controversial reforms• Took church lands and ended church control of edu• Gave some peasants land, women could vote, ruling class lost

powers• Public opinion was divided

– Leftists wanted radical reform– Conservatives backed by military, rejected change– Wanted peace!!!

Spanish Civil WarNationalists Versus Loyalists

• 1936 Francisco Franco led a revolt that started the civil war

• Nationalists joined Franco• Supporters of republic, aka Loyalists– Communists, socialists, supporters of democracy

• Hitler and Mussolini helped Franco• 37,000 volunteers joined the International

Brigades and fought against fascism• Gov. of Britain, Franco, and USA remained neutral

Spanish Civil WarDress Rehearsal

• Both sides committed atrocities• Took ~1 million lives• Worst horror…

– Germans air raid on Guernica• One April morning in 1937, German bombers dropped bombs on the market

square• Then they shot anyone on the streets who survived

– = total of 1600 innocent people killed!• Nazis said this was an “experiment” to see what their planes

could do» I call BS!

• 1939, Franco won and made a fascist dictatorship and scared people into following him

German Aggression Continues

• Hitler wanted all German-speaking people to be in the Third Reich

• Thought he had the right to conquer Slavs to the east

• “Nature is cruel, so we may be cruel, too…I have the right to remove millions of an inferior race that breeds liker vermin.”-Hitler

German Aggression ContinuesAustria Annexed

• 1938 Hitler wanted to make Anschluss» Austria and Germany

• Forced Austrian chancellor to appoint Nazis to cabinet

• Sent German army to make order• Made a speech at former residence of

Hapsburg leader• Hitler silenced those who opposed him

German Aggression ContinuesCzech Crisis

• Germany went after Czechoslovakia next• Czechoslovakia was one of 2 remaining democracies in

Eastern Europe• Britain and France didn’t want to start a war to save it,

wanted a peaceful solution• Sudetenland must be annexed to Germany said Hitler• Munich Conference in Sept. 1938

– British and French wanted appeasement– Caved in to Hitler and persuaded Czechs to surrender

Sudetenland peacefully– Hitler agreed not to expand territory further

German Aggression Continues“Peace for Our Time”

• British prime minister, Neville Chamberlain, said he made “peace for our time”

• Edouard Daladier said, “The fools, why are they cheering?”

• Winston Churchill had warned the government about the Nazi threat and said, “They had to choose between war and dishonor. They chose dishonor; they will have war.”

Europe Plunges Toward War

• Like Churchill said, Munich didn’t bring peace• Europe went to war• March 1939 Hitler took over Czechoslovakia• Appeasement failed• Promised to protect Poland from Hitler

Europe Plunges Toward WarNazi-Soviet Pact

• August 1939 Hitler announced a nonaggression pact with Stalin, Soviet leader

• Nazi-Soviet Pact bound Hitler and Stalin to peace• Secretly agreed to not fight if other went to war and divide up

Poland and E Euro• Pact was based on mutual need

– Hitler feared communism– Stalin feared fascism

• Hitler didn’t want to fight w/West. Democracies and soviet union at the same time

• Stalin wanted w. allies against Nazi control • He bought time to build army and got territory

Europe Plunges Toward WarInvasion of Poland

• Sept. 1, 1939, 1 week after Nazi-Soviet Pact• Germans invaded Poland• 2 days after, Britain and France declared war

on Germany• WWII began!

Why War Came

• Versailles divided the world- those who agreed and those who didn’t– Germany, Italy, Japan, and Soviet Union felt left out

• People debated why western democracies didn’t respond to Hitler with force– Hoped diplomacy and compromise would solve

problem• Historians say Britain and France could have

stopped Hitler in 1936 by aiding Loyalist Spain– Didn’t want to risk war

VOCAB

• Sanctions– Penalties

• Appeasement– Giving in to demands of aggressor to keep peace

• Pacifism– Opposition to all war!

• Anschluss– Union of Austria and Germany

REVIEW

• What Treaty ended World War I? – Treaty of Versailles

• What was the Economy in after WWI and before WWII? – A Depression

• What country did Germany invade to begin WWII? – Poland

• What type of government did the Soviet Union have after WWI

until 1992?

– Communism

REVIEW 2

• What was the leading political party in Germany by the middle

1930’s?

– Nazi

• What year did WWII Start?

– 1939

• What 2 countries were first to declare war on Germany in WWII?

– Great Britain and France

REVIEW 3

• Who was Prime Minister of Great Britain during WWII?

Winston Churchill

• Who was the Dictator of the Soviet Union during WWII?

Joseph Stalin

• Who was the Dictator of Germany during WWII? Adolf

Hitler