THE EVENTS AND ATTITUDES IN THE INTERWAR PERIOD THAT LED TO WWII Quick Review : Setting the Stage for War

Events and attitudes in the Interwar Period helping to cause WWII 1. Problems with the Treaty of Versailles 2. Problems with the League of Nations 3. Appease- ment 4. Expansion/ aggression by totalitarian powers 5. Isolationism and pacifism 6. Nationalism

1. Issues with the Treaty of Versailles Back to Versailles again! Conditions leveled on Germany creates tension  Between Germany and other European nations (especially the Allies)  “War Guilt” clause = problematic! Germany goes into debt because of high reparation payments  Economy further hurt by global economic depression  The people blame democratic government in place (Weimar Republic)  This anger helps Hitler and the Nazi Party gain power and popularity

2. Problems with the League of Nations League of Nations: Does it do what it set out to do? PROBLEM: League of Nations does not get its most important potential member to join  The United States = DOES NOT JOIN!  Hurts the international reputation of the LoN League also required 100% agreement to do anything League of Nations is supposed to prevent future wars  LoN does not want another WWI  Because of this, the LoN sometimes is not assertive enough in international relations

3. Appeasement What did you see in the cartoon that might help us understand appeasement? What is appeasement? A diplomatic policy of making political or material concessions to an enemy power in order to avoid conflict Other European countries will try to “appease” Hitler, Mussolini, and Hirahito/Tojo

3. Appeasement Why do Britain, France, etc. think appeasement is a good idea in dealing with Hitler?  GB and France = afraid of war  For France especially, it’s a geographic thing  Britain also had some issues of their own with the punishments placed on Germany  Britain = thinks Versailles was too harsh on Germany  Many felt Hitler was just grandstanding and making demands he wouldn’t actually follow through with Leads Chamberlain (British PM) to sign the Munich Agreement Hitler said he would only take the Sudetenland and if Czechoslovakia falls apart, then he would govern it. The other three agreed to this.

4. Aggression by Totalitarian Powers Germany, Japan, and Italy all pursue aggressive, expansion-oriented policies in the Interwar Period Germany Expands military Takes Austria (via Anschluss) and Sudetenland Will later invade Poland Japan Needs more room, raw materials Invades Manchuria (1931) Starts Sino-Japanese War (1937) Conflict with USSR (1938) Italy Still angry about lack of territory from Treaty of Versailles Invades Ethiopia in 1935 Wants a grand Roman-esque empire

5. Isolationism and Pacifism See this especially from the U.S. Why does the U.S. isolate itself from what is going on in Europe/Asia in the Interwar Period? 1. Americans are disillusioned about international involvement 2. U.S. in the midst of the Great Depression - Can’t really afford to be in a war right now 3. Problem of geography and distance - Conflict in Europe seems distant U.S. wants to remain neutral - Does not want to have to send its men and its soldiers to fight a “European war”

6. Nationalism What is nationalism?  The belief in the superiority of one’s own nation over all others Extreme nationalism = the real problem Extreme nationalism will pit countries against each other  can lead to major conflicts between nations

6. Nationalism Where do we see this extreme nationalism? Hitler’s Germany, Mussolini’s Italy And Hirahito’s/Tojo’s Japan

7. Economic depression After WWI, many European economies were unstable. The 1929 stock market crash in the U.S. and the Great Depression spread throughout the world Unemployment rises as economies tumble down  This leads to the rise of totalitarian states