Chapter 26 Sec 1

 Hitler believed that Germany was capable of building a great civilization but needed new lands.  Hitler looked to the Soviet Union for these new lands for his Third Reich, Aryan racial state.  Hitler wanted to revise the unfair provisions of the treaty of Versailles  Germany only wanted its rightful place among the European states

 On March 9, 1935, Hitler created a new air force  One week later he started a military draft that would boost his army to 550,000 troops.  Both are direct violations of Treaty  France, Great Britain, and Italy condemned Germany’s actions but did nothing because of their problems at home with the Great Depression

 If you knew no one was going to do anything to you or say anything to you about it, would you take something that wasn’t yours?

 Hitler knew that the western states would not use force to try to enforce the Treaty of Versailles.  So on March 7 th 1936, Hitler sent troops in the Rhineland. It was a DMZ, no weapons or fortifications.  France had the right to use force against any violation but would not act without British support  Britain did not support use of force and viewed the occupation as a reasonable action by a dissatisfied power. Britain had started the policy of appeasement 

 In October 1935, Mussolini’s forces invaded Ethiopia. Hitler gave him support  Hitler and Mussolini sent troops to help Francisco Franco in the Spanish Civil War  In October 1936, Mussolini and Hitler made an agreement recognizing their common political and economic interests. Began the Rome-Berlin Axis  In November 1936, Germany and Japan sign the Anti-Comintern Pact- common front against Communism

 In 1938, Hitler threatened Austria with invasion, forced Austrian chancellor to put Austrian Nazis in charge of the government  Allowed German troops to enter and help maintain law and order. Took a vote to see if Austria wanted to be annexed by Germany, over 99% yes vote to join Germany.  On March 13, 1938 Hitler annexed Austria to Germany

 On September 15, 1938, Hitler demanded that the Sudetenland be given to Germany.  At the Munich Conference, France, Britain, Italian, and German representatives met about Germany’s demands  They met all of Hitler’s demands and let German troops occupy the Sudetenland  Western appeasement was at its high point.  They believed that was all Hitler wanted and they had reached peace in their time

 In March 1939, Hitler invaded and took control of Bohemia and Moravia  Slovakia had become a puppet state for Nazi Germany  Western states finally react when Hitler demands part of Poland  Great Britain offers to protect Poland, but knows only Soviet Union was powerful enough to contain Nazi aggression.  Begins political and military negotiations with Stalin

 Hitler feared a two-front war  On August , Germany and Soviet Union signed the Nazi-Soviet Non-aggression Pact  Promised not to fight each other and Hitler promised Stalin control of eastern Poland and the Baltic states.

 The non-aggression pact gave Hitler the freedom to attack Poland  On September 1, 1939 Germany invades Poland  Two days later, Britain and France declare war on Germany

 Japanese soldiers dress as Chinese soldiers and blow up section of Manchurian railroad on September 18, 1931  Japan used this incident to justify taking all of Manchuria in a series of rapid military advances  China had many resources that Japan did not  By September 1932, Japan had renamed it Manchukuo  The world protested Japan’s seizure, Japan withdraws from League of Nations.  U.S. did not recognize the seizure but was unwilling to threaten force.

 China decided to appease Japan by allowing it to govern areas in northern China  As Japan moved southward, Chinese leader decides to end his military efforts against the communist and fight the Japanese  Japan wanted China to join New Order with Japan in the lead of Japan-Manchuria-China

 Japan wanted to seize Soviet Siberia for it’s rich resources  During the 1930’s, Japan started to cooperate with Nazi Germany, assumed they would launch a joint attack on Soviet Union and share its resources  After news of non-aggression pact, Japan had to rethink its plans. Now turns its attention to raw materials in that could be found in Southeast Asia.

 In summer of 1940, Japan demanded the right to exploit economic resources in French Indochina (Vietnam)  U.S warned if any action then they would apply economic sanctions  Japan needed oil and scrap metal from U.S.  After a debate, Japan launches an attack against U.S. and European colonies in Southeast Asia

 German Occupation of Rhineland   German Invades Sudetenland 