the rise of totalitarianism and the path to wwii
TRANSCRIPT
The Rise of The Rise of TotalitarianisTotalitarianis
m and the m and the Path to WWIIPath to WWII
TotalitarianismTotalitarianism Single party Single party
dictatorshipdictatorship Full state control of Full state control of
the economythe economy Uses police and spies Uses police and spies
to enforce state policyto enforce state policy Strict censorship of Strict censorship of
mediamedia Requires Requires
unquestioning unquestioning obedience to a single obedience to a single leader or authorityleader or authority
Regulates every aspect Regulates every aspect of its citizens’ livesof its citizens’ lives
The Soviet UnionThe Soviet Union
Josef StalinJosef Stalin 1878 – 1953 (life)1878 – 1953 (life) 1922 – 1953 (reign)1922 – 1953 (reign) CommunistCommunist Ruthless Soviet Ruthless Soviet
leader who may have leader who may have killed as many as 60 killed as many as 60 million of his own million of his own people as part of his people as part of his campaign to install a campaign to install a totalitarian regime totalitarian regime and industrialize the and industrialize the Russian economyRussian economy
ItalyItaly
FascismFascismExtreme
nationalism which glorifies militarism and the law and order brought by a strong dictator
Teaches that the state is more important than the rights of the individual
Anti-communist!
Benito MussoliniBenito Mussolini 1883 – 1945 (life)1883 – 1945 (life) 1922 – 1943 (reign)1922 – 1943 (reign) Fascist ruler of Fascist ruler of
Italy Italy from 1922-1943, from 1922-1943, Nicknamed “Il Duce”Nicknamed “Il Duce”
Used his “Blackshirts” Used his “Blackshirts” to suppress political to suppress political opposition to his opposition to his party’s leadership and party’s leadership and created the “Young created the “Young Fascists” to Fascists” to indoctrinate children indoctrinate children into the party’s into the party’s militaristic beliefsmilitaristic beliefs
JapanJapan
Japanese Japanese militarismmilitarism
Between WWI & WWII, Japan’s military gained increasing influence over the government, especially after the Manchurian Incident
Japanese politicians who objected to imperial militarism started to have “accidents” leading to fear to voice opposition
Emperor Emperor HirohitoHirohito
1901 – 1989 (life)1901 – 1989 (life) 1926 – 1989 (reign)1926 – 1989 (reign) Emperor of JapanEmperor of Japan Declared that his reign Declared that his reign
would be dedicated to would be dedicated to Showa (enlightened Showa (enlightened peace)peace)
Historians remain Historians remain divided on how large a divided on how large a role Hirohito had in role Hirohito had in the day-to-day the day-to-day running of Japan in the running of Japan in the years before WWIIyears before WWII
The Manchurian Incident
The Chinese province of Manchuria had abundant natural resources which Japan needed to fuel its imperial ambitions
In 1931, the Japanese military faked an attack by Chinese troops on its forces in Korea to create an excuse for invading Manchuria and seizing these resources
The The Rape of Rape of NanjingNanjing
December 1937 Angered by Chinese
resistance, Japanese forces were given free rein over the captured city of Nanjing
Japanese soldiers raped, tortured, and killed over 200,000 civilians in one of the worst war crimes in modern history
Hideki TojoHideki Tojo 1884 – 1948 (life)1884 – 1948 (life) Prime Minister of Prime Minister of
Japan Japan from 1941 – 1944from 1941 – 1944 Army General who was Army General who was
appointed head of Japan’s appointed head of Japan’s militarist government by militarist government by Hirohito and given the Hirohito and given the responsibility of carrying responsibility of carrying out Japan’s war effortout Japan’s war effort
Ordered the attack on Ordered the attack on Pearl Harbor and Pearl Harbor and approved of the approved of the mistreatment of prisoners mistreatment of prisoners of war in the Philippines & of war in the Philippines & BurmaBurma
GermanyGermany
The The Weimar Weimar RepublicRepublic After WWI, the new German
government was burdened with trying to pay off the war reparations required by the Treaty of Versailles
The US attempted to help by extending Germany loans through the Dawes Plan, but after the Great Depression struck in 1929 the German economy collapsed once again
These economic problems, coupled with German anger over the other unfair conditions of the Treaty (loss of territory, forced demilitarization) created an opportunity for extremists to seize power
Adolf HitlerAdolf Hitler 1889 – 1945 (life) 1933 – 1945 (reign) Austrian immigrant to
Germany Head of the National
Socialist German Workers (NAZI) Party
Had spent time in prison for treason after attempting to seize power in 1923, but was elected to the office of Chancellor of Germany in democratic elections in 1933
The Third ReichThe Third Reich Hitler quickly moved
to eliminate all political opposition, cementing the Nazi Party in power and establishing himself as “Fuhrer” (leader) of the new German empire (or Third Reich) he intended to build across Europe
The The Nuremberg LawsNuremberg Laws 29 laws signed into law 29 laws signed into law
in 1935 by Hitlerin 1935 by Hitler Legally defined Jews as a Legally defined Jews as a
separate “race”separate “race” Prohibited marriage or Prohibited marriage or
sexual relations between sexual relations between Jews and GermansJews and Germans
Denied Jews German Denied Jews German citizenship rightscitizenship rights
Jews could not serve in Jews could not serve in government, certain government, certain other professions such as other professions such as medicine or teachingmedicine or teaching
The The Night of Broken Night of Broken Glass or Kristallnacht Glass or Kristallnacht
Retaliation for the Retaliation for the murder of a German murder of a German embassy official by a embassy official by a Jewish gunmanJewish gunman
““Kristallnacht”: Hitler Kristallnacht”: Hitler allowed mob attacks allowed mob attacks against Jewish against Jewish neighborhoods to go neighborhoods to go unpunishedunpunished
November 9 & 10 1938November 9 & 10 1938 91 Jews killed, 25000+ 91 Jews killed, 25000+
arrestedarrested 200 synagogues 200 synagogues
destroyeddestroyed
Hitler Violates the Treaty of Versailles
Began to rebuild the German military, both by increasing its size and by developing new weaponry
Moved troops back into the demilitarized zone along the Rhine River
France & Britain, while disturbed by Hitler’s moves, took no action
The Axis Powers September 1940September 1940 Created with the signing of Created with the signing of
the Tripartite Pact, the Tripartite Pact, formally formally joining Italy, Germany, joining Italy, Germany, and Japan in a military and Japan in a military alliancealliance
Each power expected to Each power expected to control its own sphere of control its own sphere of interest – Germany would interest – Germany would dominate Northern and dominate Northern and Europe and Russia, Italy Europe and Russia, Italy would dominate the would dominate the Mediterranean and Africa, Mediterranean and Africa, while Japan would have sway while Japan would have sway in East Asia and the Pacificin East Asia and the Pacific
German German ExpansionismExpansionism
In March of 1938, In March of 1938, Hitler annexed his Hitler annexed his homeland of homeland of Austria into Austria into GermanyGermany, thereby , thereby uniting most uniting most Germanic peoples of Germanic peoples of EuropeEurope
His next goal was to His next goal was to add German speaking add German speaking areas in Poland and areas in Poland and CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia
The The Munich Munich ConferenceConference
When Hitler demanded that When Hitler demanded that Czechoslovakia return Czechoslovakia return territory (the Sudetenland) territory (the Sudetenland) that it had been given as that it had been given as part of the Treaty of part of the Treaty of Versailles, the Czechs Versailles, the Czechs called on Britain and called on Britain and France for protectionFrance for protection
Britain arranged for a Britain arranged for a conference with Germany conference with Germany in fall of 1938 in fall of 1938 (Czechoslovakia was not (Czechoslovakia was not invited to attend) to reach invited to attend) to reach a peaceful resolution to the a peaceful resolution to the Sudetenland crisisSudetenland crisis
Peace for Our Peace for Our TimeTime Britain and France Britain and France
agreed to allow Hitler agreed to allow Hitler to take the to take the Sudetenland from Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia; Hitler, Czechoslovakia; Hitler, in turn, promised that in turn, promised that he would engage in no he would engage in no further territorial further territorial aggression in Europeaggression in Europe
British Prime Minister British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain Neville Chamberlain returned home declaring returned home declaring to the British public that to the British public that ““I believe it is peace for our time” (it wasn’t!)
Molotov-Ribbentrop Molotov-Ribbentrop PactPact
August 1939August 1939 Germany and the Soviet Germany and the Soviet
Union signed a non-Union signed a non-aggression (agreement aggression (agreement not to fight – NOT an not to fight – NOT an alliance)alliance)
This was shocking to the This was shocking to the rest of the world because of rest of the world because of Hitler and Stalin’s mutual Hitler and Stalin’s mutual dislike and distrust of one dislike and distrust of one anotheranother
This removed the Soviet This removed the Soviet Union as a potential ally for Union as a potential ally for Britain and France if a war Britain and France if a war with Germany broke outwith Germany broke out
American Isolationism
Following WWI, Americans began to overwhelmingly support isolationism, or avoiding involvement in international disputes by limiting non-trade contact with foreign states
The The Kellogg-Briand Kellogg-Briand PactPact
19281928 International International
agreement that agreement that essentially banned essentially banned warwar
Signed by nearly every Signed by nearly every free nation in the worldfree nation in the world
Nations agreed to limit Nations agreed to limit the size of their navies the size of their navies & other offensive arms& other offensive arms
There was, however, no There was, however, no way to enforce the pact, way to enforce the pact, so it wasn’t effectiveso it wasn’t effective
Europe Refuses to Pay
In 1934, all European nations in Europe (except Finland) who had war debts to the US announced that they were broke (due to the Great Depression) and would not repay what they owed
The Nye Committee
Congressional committee created in 1934 to investigate the role that arms manufacturers had in involving US in WWI
The committee’s report implied that certain businesses had profited from the war, leading many American’s to believe that they had been tricked into getting involved in WWI
Neutrality Acts 1935 Act: Made it illegal for
the US to sell weapons to any nation at war
1937 Act: “Cash and Carry” – any non-military supplies sold to nations at war had to be paid for in cash and carried away on their ships
1939 Act: After WWII started, policy was amended to allow arms sales to Britain, but still under “cash & carry” terms
Roosevelt’s Internationalism FDR wasn’t an
isolationist Supported the idea that
trade between nations increases prosperity for all and decreases the chances of war
Not supported by the American public
FDR had to be careful not to push the idea too far due to the popularity of isolationism
The Quarantine Speech
October 1937 FDR called for a
“quarantine” (political and economic sanctions) against any “aggressor” nations who disregard international law or attack their neighbors unprovoked
Angered many American isolationists because it involved the US in the foreign affairs of others
US and European Jews
1933 – 39: 350,000 Jews left Germany, most sought to flee Europe altogether
Many applied for visas to emigrate to the US, but were denied due to US immigration quota laws and rising nativism in US
Destroyers for Bases Deal
Spring 1940: FDR agreed to trade 50 surplus US Navy destroyers to Britain (who needed them to protect shipping) in exchange for allowing the US to build naval bases in British-controlled territories
Isolationism Debate
Fight for Freedom Committee: some people wanted the US to take an active role in the war
Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies: some wanted the US to increase aid to the Allies but not get involved in the fighting
America First Committee: some opposed ANY involvement in the war
FDR’s “Four Freedoms” Speech
January 1941 Roosevelt argued
that the US & Britain were natural allies because they both stood for:
Freedom of speech Freedom of worship Freedom from want Freedom from fear
Lend-Lease Act March 1941 US declared that it
would lend or lease (since it couldn’t sell due to the Neutrality Acts) weapons to nations considered “vital to the defense of the US”
US went on to send $40 billion in weapons to Allies over the course of WWII
Hemispheric Defense Zone
To help protect British shipping, FDR declared the entire Western Atlantic to be part of the Western Hemisphere and thereby under the protection of the US per the Monroe Doctrine
FDR then ordered the US Navy to patrol this part of the Atlantic, leading to several deadly encounters between US destroyers and German U-boats
The Atlantic Charter
August 1941 FDR met with British
Prime Minister Winston Churchill to lay out a post-war plan for economic prosperity
Many question whether or not this is where FDR promised Churchill that he would find a way to get the American people to support the US entering the war
US Embargo of Japan
US cut off Japan’s access to critical war materials such as steel and oil (both of which Japan bought almost entirely from America) to put pressure on Japan to make peace with China and Britain
Japan considered this an act of war and began to plan an attack on US military facilities in Hawaii and the Philippines