Chapter 16 Section 1 and 2 Notes

Dictators Threaten World Peace The failures of the Treaty of Versailles and world economic troubles causes new democratic governments in Europe to flounder and dictators to come to power in parts of Europe.

Joseph Stalin Democratic government in Russia gave way to civil war resulting in the establishment of a communist state, officially called the Soviet Union. Joseph Stalin took control of the country after the death of Lenin. Stalin abolished private owned farms and set up collectives, or large government owned farms. Stalin established a series of “five year plans” to direct industrialization. All economic activity was placed under government control. By 1937 the Soviet Union was the world’s second largest industrial power. Stalin purged anyone who threatened his power. 8 to 13 million people were killed in the purges and millions more by famine. By 1939 Stalin had firmly established a totalitarian state in which individuals have no rights and the government suppresses all opposition.

Benito Mussolini Benito Mussolini established the Fascist Party in Italy in 1921 Fascism stressed nationalism and placed the interest of the state above those of individuals. In 1922 Mussolini and his supporters marched on Rome. The Italian king appointed Mussolini head of the government. Mussolini began calling himself Il Duce, or “the leader”. Mussolini gradually extended Fascist control to every aspect of Italian life. He made the country efficient but he did so by crushing all opposition and making Italy a totalitarian state.

Adolf Hitler In 1919 Hitler joined a struggling group called the National Socialist Workers Party, better known as the Nazi Party. Hitler was a powerful public speaker and organizer and quickly became the leader of the party. In his book Mein Kampf (My Struggle) Hitler set forth the basic beliefs of Nazism. Nazism was based on extreme nationalism, racial purification and national expansion. Hitler believe Germans or “Aryans” were the “master race” and all other races were inferior. He believed Germany needed lebensraum, or living space to expand. The Great Depression led to Hitler and the Nazis gaining more supporters. In 1933 Hitler was appointed chancellor (prime minister). Once in power Hitler quickly dismantled the democratic government and turned Germany into a totalitarian state.

Japan Nationalistic military leaders, or militarists gained influence in Japan. They believed Japan needed more living space for a growing population. The militarist launched a surprise attack against the Chinese province of Manchuria, that was rich in natural resources. The League of Nations condemned the action but Japan quit to league and militarist took firm control of Japan’s government.

Aggression in Europe and Africa Germany withdrew from the League of Nations in 1933 and in 1935 began to rebuild its military. This was in direct violation of the Treaty of Versailles. A year later Hitler sent troops into the Rhineland, a demilitarized buffer between France and German. France did nothing to stop the military buildup and Hitler realized that he could continue his aggressive demands. Meanwhile Mussolini set out to build a New Roman Empire. He invaded the African country of Ethiopia. The League of Nations responded with an ineffective economic boycott.

Civil War Breaks Out In Spain In 1936 General Francisco Franco led a rebellion against the Spanish Republic. Civil War broke out in Spain. Germany and Italy supported Franco with troops, weapons, tanks and fighter planes. In 1939 Franco achieved victory and established himself as a Fascist dictator.

United States Responds Cautiously During the 1930s the United States remained neutral and followed a policy of isolationism. Congress pasted a series of Neutrality Acts that outlawed arms sales or loans to nations at war. In the second half of the 1930s Neutrality began to breakdown as Roosevelt began supplying arms and supplies to China to fight against Japan.

War in Europe On March 12, 1938 the German army marched into Austria unopposed. The U.S. and rest of the world did nothing. On September 30, 1938 the Munich Agreement was signed turning over the Sudetenland (part of Czechoslovakia) to Germany. Hitler claimed this was his last territorial demand. Winston Churchill warned against this policy of appeasement, or giving up principles to pacify an aggressor. On March 15, 1939 German troops invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia. The rest of the world did nothing. Hitler turned his eye to Poland next. Britain and France both promised to aid Poland. Hitler was worried about a two-front war with Russia.

On August 23, 1939 Stalin and Hitler signed a nonaggression pact, committing never to attack each other. Hitler and Stalin signed a second secret pact agreeing to divide Poland between them. On September 1, 1939 the German army and Luftwaffe, or air force attacked Poland. The German’s used a new strategy called blitzkrieg. Blitzkrieg, or lightening war, made use of new military technology such as fast tanks and powerful aircraft to take the enemy by surprise and advance quickly. To days after the German attack on Poland France and Britain declared war on Germany. Russia invaded eastern Poland. The blitzkrieg strategy worked perfectly and within a month Poland was defeated and World War II had begun.

For several months after the war started France, Britain and Germany remained idle. The period was called sitzkrieg(“sitting war”), what some newspapers began to call the phony war. After occupying eastern Poland Stalin began to annex the Baltic States and then invaded Finland. Hitler invaded Denmark and Norway, and then the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. Hitler then made a surprise attack against France through the Ardennes forest which the French and British though was impassable. German forces advanced quickly and trapped 400,000 British and French troops at Dunkirk. About 330,000 troops were carried to safety from Dunkirk across the English Channel to Britain. Within less than two month France surrendered to the Germans.

Hitler next turned his attention to Britain Hitler next turned his attention to Britain. Before he could invade Britain he needed to control the skies. German launched a massive air war against Britain, at first concentrating on destroying airfields and aircraft. Then to Luftwaffe began targeting cities. The air war raged for several months with heavy tolls on both sides. The RAF, the Royal Air Force fought back brilliantly against the Germans. Aided by the new technology of radar British aircraft began to weaken the German Luftwaffe. Eventually Hitler was forced to call off the invasion plan of Britain indefinitely. However German planes continued to bomb British cities and British bombers attack German cities causing heavy civilian losses on both sides.