Ch. 15 S. 4 – Aggressors Invade Nations

Japan Seeks Empire

- Militarists took charge when the Great Depression sparked crisis

- Japan moved toward democracy in 1920’s, joined League

- Constitution had flaws – civilian gov’t had little control of military

- Militarists answered to emperor, used him as face of their rule – people loved emperor, went along for the ride

- Militarist policy called for foreign expansion to fix economy – Planned for Pacific Empire that included China

Emperor Hirohito Hideki Tojo – militarist prime minister

Japanese Invasion of China

- 1931 - Japan targeted Manchuria, a region of China, for their first conquest

- Japanese exploited Manchurian resources, colonized territory

- Japan staged attack on their own railroad, blamed China, launched full-scale invasion in 1937

- Members of League of Nations (LON) protested, took no action – Japan quit League, ignored protests

- Japanese ravaged northern cities & capital, Nanjing – slaughtered tens of thousands in “Rape of Nanjing”

ITALIAN INVASION OF ETHIOPIA - 1935

- League of Nations did nothing to stop Japan’s invasion of Manchuria – This encouraged other dictators to get aggressive

- 1898 – Ethiopia defeated an invading Italian Army – Mussolini promised to avenge the defeat (militarism/nationalism!)

- Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie went to League of Nations to Protest – they condemned Italy, but had no army to stop him

Haile Selassie at League of Nations

Hitler’s Aggression before the war:

- Annexed Austria unopposed by Austrian forces

- invaded Sudetenland - region of Czechoslovakia w/ German population

- Britain & France continued appeasement policy

- Hitler then took the rest of Czechslovakia

1936 - Hitler Remilitarized the Rhineland

THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR

SPAIN - stayed out of WWI:

- internal disputes, economic crises of 1920’s bring down the Monarchy

- new liberal, democratic gov’t tried to pass radical reforms

opponents - Church, army, wealthy - formed fascist party called THE FALANGE PARTY

Falange - def - from the word “Phalanx”- (1)a group of people brought together for a certain purpose (2) a battle formation formed by troops

- Nationalists (Falange party) vs. Republicans (those who wanted Democracy or Communism)

CIVIL WAR

- Francisco Franco - Falange leader

- Civil war = ideological struggle - Fascism vs Democracy/Communism

- Hitler/ Mussolini helped Fascists

- Stalin, some American volunteers helped Republicans

- 1939 - Falange won - Fascist dictator Franco ruled until 1975

PROXY WAR - def. - a war instigated by a major power that does not itself become involved

Spanish Civil War - A proxy war between Hitler & Stalin

Proxy War Today – ISIS (Sunni Arab states) vs Iraq/Syria (Shi’iteStates backed by Iran)

Guernica - Pablo Picasso

Guernica - Pablo Picasso

- The Spanish Republican gov’t commissioned Picasso to do a painting for the World Fair in Paris, 1937

- the painting became famous for its anti-war message

- it brought the world’s attention to the horrors of the Spanish Civil War, German atrocities

APPEASEMENT - def - to give in to demands in order to avoid a conflict

1. Britain & France wanted peace at any price

2. Economic problems - Br. & Fr. not ready for war

3. Br. /Fr. felt sorry for Germany - guilty over harsh treaty of Versailles

4. Br./Fr. feared Stalin more - hoped Hitler would act as a barrier to Communism

Why not take out Hitler earlier?