Aggressors on the March How does the world react to the expansion of Italy, Germany & Japan?

Hitler Expands the Reich : Hitler rebuilds German economy creating war & public works jobs 1935: Hitler announces he will no longer abide by the Treaty of Versailles He stops payment of reparations, rebuilds his army & threatens to take back German lands (lebensraum) - League of Nations condemns his actions #1 Saar Region After WWI, this German territory was governed by the League of Nations TOV states people in Saar would vote on their future The Nazis begin a propaganda campaign The people of the Saar vote to rejoin Germany (80% of vote) #2 The Rhineland The Rhineland was a demilitarized buffer zone between France & Germany 1936-Hitler occupies the Rhineland British & French urge appeasement, which is giving into an aggressor to keep peace Saar Region

Map Time! Please color area #9 (Germany/East Prussia) Purple Color Germany Box Purple and stripe the German Occupation Box - Purple Hitler has taken the Rhineland- please stripe area 5C in Purple Stripe purpleColor purple

#3 Annexation of Austria March 1938: Hitler annexes his homeland of Austria The Treaty of Versailles forbids the alliance of Austria and Germany France & Britain choose appeasement Hitler’s troops take the Rhineland Hitler says if Britain and France would have challenged him in the Rhineland, he may have backed down 1936: Hitler convinces Mussolini to sign an alliance with Germany called the Berlin-Rome Axis Becomes

Map Time! Hitler has taken Austria Hitler has taken Austria Please stripe area 16 purple Please stripe area 16 purple Stripe purple Austria is GERMAN!

#4 The Sudetenland Oct. 1938: Hitler threatens the invasion of the Sudetenland, a German speaking part of Czechoslovakia The Czechs ask France for help Hitler invades the Sudetenland, France & Britain prepare for war Mussolini suggests a conference between Britain, France, Italy, and Germany At the Munich Conference, Britain & France agree to let Hitler take the Sudetenland as long as Hitler respects Czechoslovakia’s new borders Six months later, Hitler invades Czechoslovakia Appeasement proves that France & Britain are not willing to risk war #5 Czechoslovakia

Map Time! Hitler has taken Czechoslovakia Please stripe area 14 purple Stripe purple

Mussolini Makes His Move Ethiopia & Albania Mussolini wants to gain land that Italy had missed out on in the past October 1935: Mussolini invades Ethiopia Sellassie: We need help! Chamberlain: Sorry, but we choose Appeasement Ethiopia asks for help, LON condemns the action, but is powerless to help British choose appeasement figuring if Mussolini has Ethiopia, there will be peace in Europe – Britain even allows Italian warships through the Suez Canal After Munich Conference, Mussolini invades Albania

Map Time! Please color Italy’s box orange in the legend and stripe Italian occupation orange Please color Italy’s box orange in the legend and stripe Italian occupation orange Please color Italy (18) & Libya orange Please color Italy (18) & Libya orange Mussolini takes Albania Mussolini takes Albania Please stripe area #20 orange Please stripe area #20 orange Stripe orange Ethiopia & Albania are mine!

Role of Appeasement Hitler & Mussolini know that the League of Nations is powerless and that Britain & France will choose appeasement British PM Neville Chamberlain thinks “he has brought peace with honor” “My good friends, for the second time in our history, a British Prime Minister has returned from Germany bringing peace with honor. I believe it is peace for our time”.

The Final Straw – #6 The Invasion of Poland 1939: Hitler demands Poland return the Danzig region Hitler claims Danzig is German land The Poles refuse and turn to Britain & France for help Britain & France start negotiating with the Soviet Union for help But Stalin was also secretly negotiating with Hitler The Soviet Union & Germany sign a non-aggression pact On September 1 st, 1939 – Hitler invades Poland – annexing W. Poland Stalin sends Soviet troops into Eastern Poland Britain & France declare war on Germany – WWII starts in Europe!

Map Time! Hitler has invaded Poland Hitler has invaded Poland Stripe the western half of #13 purple Color the Soviet Union (#25) Red Stalin has invaded Poland, stripe the eastern half of #13 in red Make sure to color your legend, solid red for Soviet Union, striped red for Soviet Occupation

Japan Seeks An Empire Military leaders soon win control of Japan during the depression However, unlike the Fascists they do not try to change the form of government and keep Emperor Hirohito as the head of state So the people of Japan support the military leaders The military leaders believe that expanding Japan’s empire will solve the economic problems Invasion of Manchuria Japanese businesses heavily invested in the Chinese province of Manchuria, which was rich in coal & iron In 1931, Japan invades Manchuria The League of Nations condemns the invasion. Japan quits LON Japan creates a puppet government and the province is considered its own country called Manchukuo

Map Time! Please color Japan (1), Korea (2), and Taiwan (3) red Japan has invaded Manchuria Please stripe area #4 in red Time to expand! !

Japan Invades China 1937: Hostilities erupt on the Manchuko/China border. Japan claims one of its soldiers is missing. Japan wants to enter China to search for him The KMT refuses the request, so the Japanese army opens fire on the KMT Marco Polo Bridge incident gives Japan a reason to invade China Chaing Kai-Shek’s Nationalist army is no match for the Japanese Army Japan captures Shanghai & Nanking, the capital of China Chiang Kai-Shek & Mao Zedong’s Red Army agree to join forces Japan then signs an alliance agreement with Germany & Italy forming the Axis Powers World War II has started in Asia!

Map Time! Japan has invaded part of China Japan has invaded part of China Please stripe eastern part of #7 up to the dotted lines Please stripe eastern part of #7 up to the dotted lines