Rise of Dictators

World War II and the Holocaust

Begin
While Americans stay neutral

Failures of the Versailles Treaty

Japan disappointed in getting nothing

needed U.S. trade. The US could not keep
trading after the Stock Market crashed.
Italy was not given Fiume and Triest. It had
unstable governments. The depression
began early for Italy
Germany had the most problems:
Reparations It had to pay England and
France for the cost of World War I
Military limits It could only have
100,000 men in its army, no air force,
and no large ships
Occupation France occupied the Rhur,
the Rhineland, and the Saar areas that
border France and Germany. France
controlled industry and resources in
these areas until they got paid.
Money crisis In 1923 Germany was
broke and could not pay back loans to
the US. They let their money (the mark)
float. This caused the worst inflation in
world history.

Stalin Transformed the USSR

After Lenins death in 1923,
Josef Stalin grabbed power
He purged, or killed, 10
million Russian enemies,
including Leon Trotsky and
most of the USSRs generals
He began command reorganization of Russia with
his Five Year Plans people
either produced as much as
he demanded, or he killed
them.
USSR was second only to
the US in industrial output by
1937. 50,000 Americans
moved to Russia to get jobs.

United Streaming Video Am in the 20th century WWII

The road to war-- Russia

Mussolini takes Italy

Background Socialist and Nationalist. He

had been a supporter of Lenins until World
War I broke out. He joined the Italian Army,
but was disappointed by how Italy was
treated after the war. Italy also had an
unstable government.
1922 Brown shirts, or Fascists marched
on Rome and took over the national
government
They also Marched in Fiume and took it
over, against League of Nations orders
The problems of disunity threatened Italian
success Labor Unions and Political parties
were pulling the country apart.
Unity was the main concern to put
Fascism in power in Italy.
(United Video Streaming Men of our Times
Mussolini (First 14:23)

Adolf Hitler-- Background

Twisted Austrian
boyhood
Failed Artist
Brave soldier in World
War I
Upset veteran 1918-23
Gifted politician, speaker,
and propagandist
Founder of the the Nazi
Party

United Streaming Video Men of our Time Hitler

First 10 minutes

Adolf Hitler comes to power

The more problems Germany had, the more

successful the Nazis became.
The Beer Hall Putch 1923. Hitler tried to copy
Mussolinis March on the Bavarian capital of
Munich. He was arrested and sent to prison for
treason
While in prison he wrote, Mein Kampf (My
Struggle) his plan for making Germany great.
During most of the 1920s the Weimar government
(non-Nazi) was successful, but following the
beginning of the depression, the Nazis seemed to
offer answers to Germanys deepening economic
crisis.
In 1933 the Nazis won the election election took
power from President Paul von Hindenberg
A fire destroyed the Reichstag and Hitler was given
Emergency Powers
Der Fuhrer ist Deuchland, Deuchland ist der
Fuhrer Hitler became an absolute dictator and the
German people loved him.
(UnitedStreamingVideo Men or our Time Hitler 20
minutesReorganization of the Nazi Party Private
Life)

Civil War in Spain

Spain held elections
Socialists won (1936)
Francisco Franco and the
Fascists fight a civil war
to take control of Spain
Weapons of World War II
are tested.
France and England help
the Nationalists,
Germany and Italy help
the Fascists Thousands
of Spanish civilians die.

Background to Japanese
Imperialism

Japan a traditional culture and the Code

of Bushido (the Samurai warrior). This
belief system is based on duty (damayo)
a belief that an ordered society must be
one based on honor
Japan emerged from a feudal society in
the late 19th century, knowing they must
compete or be destroyed
Japan helped the allies in World War I, but
got nothing for it. It depended on trade
agreement with the US to get industrial
products.
Japan was hurt by the depression The
US stopped selling it the stuff it needed for
its industry.
Warriors took control of the Japanese diet,
including Tojo (left) in 1930. They believed
that Japan must get colonies to compete
with European and US industry.
United Streaming Video America in the
20th century WWII The

Common themes
Totalitarianism-Control of
the press, silencing all
opposition, absolute rule
Promises of economic
success and cultural
dominance (command
leadership)
Charismatic leadership
Violence against all
opposition
Territorial greed

Each of these countries had

missed the race for colonies in the
19th century and each leader felt his
country deserved land.
Each appealed to their nations self
awareness and sense of history:
Russia empire and historical project
(Communism)
Italy the New Rome
Japan Asian co-prosperity sphere
Germany lebensraum (living room)
and volks politik (peoples party)

Road to War- Japan (0:51)

Adolf Hitler- April 20,1889

Hitler was born in Austria.
He was cold,
Served in WW I
Won the Iron Cross.
He was gassed in WW I,
Artist
Anti-Semitism-hatred of
Jews
Mein Kampf My Struggle
- Autobiography of Hitler
Fuhrer - leader

Master Race
Hitler believed that:
the German people were the master race descents of the Aryans.
the Germans were superior to others races.
Jews were inferior people and that the Jews
were the underlying cause all of Germanys
problems.
although other races would resist this process,
the Aryan race had a duty to control the world.

Anschlusse
Hitlers used this
term to describe his
desire to conquer and
unify other lands.
Communists were
blamed for the
burning of the
Reichstag.

Early Aggression
Japan invaded Manchuria
(northern China) in 1931
Mussolini invaded Fiume
in1923 and Ethiopia
1935-36
Hitler violated the
Versailles Treaty and sent
his Army into Sudetenland
and the Rhineland in
1935-36. He also began a
German military build up:
creating a large army and
an air force, in violation of
the Versailles Treaty

War comes to Europe

Austria was annexed
(Anschluss) 1938. It was almost
Voluntary annexation the
allied did nothing to stop it.
Czechoslovakia and
appeasement 1938:
Neville Chamberlain and Peace
in our time Allies did nothing
when Hitlers troops rolled into the
Sudatenland, or the rest of
Czechoslovakia
England told Hitler that England and
France would declare war if
Germany invaded any more
countries.

Polandthe cradle of World

Germany and USSR signed
pact in 1938,
War II Non-aggression
agreed not to invade each

other.
In 1938 Hitler invaded the
Danzig corridor, thinking the
allies would not respond.
Poland thought they could
defeat Germany.
The three week war
Germany destroyed the Polish
military.
Declarations of war click in
England and France declared
war on Germany and Italy.
The U.S. stayed neutral.

Non aggression Pact

Adolf Hitler

Joseph Stalin

Americans cling to
Isolationism
Americans are suffering
a depression see no
gain from World War I
Americans blame
Europe for the
Depression
Henry Ford and Charles
Lindbergh stress take
care of America First
Most Americans are
isolationist.

The Blitzkrieg
Sitzkrieg 1939-40 the Phony
War for six months Germany did
not attack anyone. England and
France did not attack Germany
In early 1940, Germany attacked
and quickly conquered: Denmark,
Norway, Netherlands, Belgium,
Luxembourg
Germany used a system of
mechanized attack, especially
against civilians.
Lack of Allied preparedness
England and France could not
help the European countries
defend themselves.
America did nothing

Germany seizes France

Failure of the Maginot Line Germany

did not attack France directly, instead
they went through Belgium.
Hitler used new technology, especially
bomber planes and tanks
Refugees were used as a weapon
France fell in 6 weeks
The English army was caught at
Dunkirk civilians had to rescue 1
million soldiers
Charles DeGaulle lead the Free French
from England
France was divided Germany
occupied the north and a Vichy Nazi
government controlled the south
American did nothing

United Streaming Viedo Men of our Time Hitler Invasion in Europe

Maginot Line

Europe before 1939

Blitz Bombs Britain

Germany tried to conquer

England by bombing it, especially
towns and cities.
The US secretly aided England
by giving them asecret weapons
RADAR
The RAF (Royal Air Force), kept
most of the German bombers
from destroying their country.
Germany used Total War killed
civilians to push England to
surrender
The British resolved to survive 1
million slept in the Subway and
200,000 children were sent to
America and Canada

Winston Churchill
New Prime Minister
of Britain ( England)
We shall never
surrender

Blitz Bombs Britain (cont.)

America began to take notice, although
resistance to war continues among most US
citizens. Ed Murrow broadcast his radio
show from London every night, presenting
the horrors of war to American citizens.
The US began a Lend-Lease program
loaning and leasing planes, ships, and tanks
to England, but it did not commit troops.

Hitler Betrays Stalin

Despite previous promises, Hitler

began an invasion to the East
Leningrad and Stalingrad the Russian
war of attrition Hitler tried to grab
Russian oil and destroy the Russians
will to fight. 1 million civilians died in
Stalingrad.
United Video Streaming Men of our
time Hitler-attacks on England and
Russia
U.S. extended Lend-Lease to Russia
German Wolf packs attacked American
ships delivering supplies to England
Japanese ships attacked Americans in
the Pacific, sinking a Navy ship, the
Panay.
The US still did not declare war.

Germany made two mistakes;

Failure to conquer England (Britain)
Bombing of London (civilians)
Invading Russia- violating the non-aggression
pact.
Germany invades Russia- Estonia, Latvia, and
Lithuania.
Russias climate stopped Germany.
Scorched earth policy of Russia

Hitler, Germans, and AntiSemitism

Anti-Semitism hatred of
Jews is very old in all
parts of Europe and even
in the U.S.
Jews are less than 2% of
the German population
Many, including Henry
Ford, believed in a world
Jewish conspiracy
Hitler wanted a
scapegoat someone to
blame Germanys
problems on

Action against Jews

1935 Nuremberg Laws limited Jewish

participation German Jews were
stripped of their citizenship
1938 Krystalnacht the Night of
Broken glass Germans attacked and
burned Jewish neighborhoods.
Many Jews tried to leave, but they had
no where to go the US would not let a
refugee ship, SS St. Louis dock. Its
passengers went back to Europe to be
killed.

Nuremburg Laws

These laws were against

all Jews.
Jews could not vote
Jews could not get an
education.
Jews could not own
property.
Jews must obey a
curfew
Jews must wear the Star
of David.

Kristallnacht
Night of Broken Glass
On the night of
November 9, 1938
violence against
Jews broke out
across the Reich.

Three steps to the Holocaust

1. Relocation-- All Jews are forced to

move to ghettos and work as slave labor
2. Concentration Jews were put in
prisons and worked as slave labor while
they were starved.
United Streaming Video Men of our Time
Hitler Slave Labor (2:13)
3. Extermination People were killed and
used as a natural resource. Weird medical
experiments were performed on them and
their body parts were used for industrial
purposes.
The Holocaust was not just a German
action other Europeans helped, especially
the French and Polish. Italy resisted
exterminating Jews.

Other victims of the Holocaust

There were 11 million victims
killed in the Holocaust. Only 6
million were Jews. All of
Hitlers enemies were subject to
the torture and murder. This
included:
Gypsies (Roma)
Freemasons
Homosexuals
Activist Catholics (Pope John
Paul II)
Communists and Socialists
Jahovas Witnesses
Blacks,Mexicans, and other
mongrel races

America did nothing

The Nye Committee forced through

Neutrality Acts preventing the US from
helping China, England or France.
The Dyes Report forced though
Immigration restrictions so that most
escaping Jews could not come to the US
Americans were Isolationist and saw Jews
as a threat to freedom (re: Charles
Caughlin, Henry Ford, Charles Lindbergh)

America moved toward war

Axis Alliance Italy,
Germany, Japan was seen
as a threat, but Americans
clung to peace
1940 U.S. lent and loaned
England Arms

Kennedy, our ambassador,

criticized the act
Edward Murrow (CBS News)
reported This is London
nightly stories about the
bombing.
Public Opinion began changing
in 1940, but most Americans
still wanted nothing to do with a
war.

America begins a build up

1940 1 million
men drafted to
serve in the
Western
Hemisphere
FDR was elected
for a 3rd term
The Lend-Lease
Act March 1941
weapons were
traded to England
for the use of bases

Roosevelt and Churchill-- the

Atlantic Charter--1941
Unofficial alliance
between England
and the U.S.
Charter for
Democracy
Polish resistance
fighters as well as
France and Charles
DeGaulle are left
wondering what
their role in the
post-war world will
be

Japan continued
its
expansion
1937 More invasions of China the
Rape of Nanking
July 1941 Invasion of Indochina
(Vietnam)
U.S. reacts to Japan invasion of
Indochina
Cuts all trade
Freezes assets
Shuts down Panama Canal

The Final Break

Peace talks on trade Nov- Dec. 1941
Dec. 7 Pearl Harbor
U.S. Congress declared war on
Japan, Dec. 8, 1941
Germany and Italy declared war on
the U.S. Dec. 1941

United Streaming Video Am in the 20 th Century---WWII Road to War- Path

to infamy