1. Road to World War II

2. Causes of World War II
WWI was not the “war to end all wars.”A series of problems stemming directly from WWI led to World War II.
resentment in Germany over Treaty of Versailles
failure of the League of Nations to maintain world peace
global depression & intense nationalism led to the rise of dangerous, aggressive dictators
So several consequences of WWI, the way it ended, and the years after led to conditions in Europe that set the stage for dangerous, aggressive governments to gain power in several important nations.

3. Underlying Causes of World War II
Nationalism: extreme pride in one’s nationality or country
Imperialism: a nation expands own power by forcing other nations to submit to its rule
Militarism: building up & using a strong military to promote national interests
The dictatorships that arose in Germany, Spain, Russia, Italy, and Japan gained power from the ideas and policies above. They took advantage of the fears, anger, bitterness, desires of their peoples to gain power.
SO these terms should all be familiar to us already. When did we talk about these before?
All of these “isms” directly contributed to the rise of totalitarian governments and to the outbreak of WWII (JUST like they contributed to the outbreak of WWI.)

4. Road to World War II
Totalitarian Dictatorships: Leaders control all aspects of society
Prior to WWII, each dictator took advantage of economic problems in their countries by:
Promising simple solutions to their nation’s problems
Rebuilding national pride (often using propaganda)
Providing scapegoats (targets for anger & blame)
Absorbing power, taking away individual rights, and crushing opposition
So what IS a totalitarian government?

5. More characteristics of totalitarian regimes
state controls access to information, monopolizes all communication systems
state systematically indoctrinates its citizens
Use of propaganda enables leaders to strengthen their hold
promotes mass solidarity
prepares citizens to accept war
used particularly to “teach” the youth
**regime = a system of government, usually authoritarian

6. Types of Totalitarian Governments: FAsCISt
Characteristics of fascist regimes
- highest value is the nation
- own nation is superior to any other
- see war as a glorious experience
- massive military build-up; use war to expand nation’s territory & power
- use violence to crush opponents
- strongly opposed to communism
- believe strong have natural right to dominate weak; Social Darwinism
- believe a single, all-powerful leader best leads nation to greatness
But there are different TYPES of totalitarian regimes. Three
Nationalism
Unity of All Social Classes
All-Powerful Leaders
Extreme Militarism
Fascists were extreme nationalists who believed that the highest value was the nation. They took this belief to extremes, claiming that their nation was superior to others. Fascists were also strongly opposed to communism.
Fascists felt a single national party should unite all classes. They also believed that the strong had a natural right to dominate the weak. They opposed worker unions and strikes.
Fascists believed that a single all-powerful leader could best represent the national will and lead the nation to social and economic success.
Fascists used violence to defeat their political opponents and prepared to use war for national expansion. Fascists saw war as a glorious experience.

7. Soviet Communism under Josef Stalin
-all means of production (land, labor, capital) = state-owned & controlled -communism based on military rule. -forced labor created wealth for a few, -lives of most people change very little or get worse -cult of the leader: all-knowing, all-seeing Father of the People -Young people encouraged to report members of own families for ‘anti-Soviet’ views
-everyone works, everyone receives from government (gov owns everything); total economic equality: no one gets ahead, no one starves either (IN THEORY)

8. Dictators The Fascists The Communists Benito Mussolini- Italy
Adolph Hitler- Germany
Francisco Franco- Spain
The Communists
Joseph Stalin - USSR
Mao Zedong- China

9. Joseph Stalin 1924 Country: Soviet Union
Type of Government: Communism (dictatorship)
Goals and Ideas:
Crushed opponents
Held absolute authority; suppressed resistance
Brought his country to world power status but imposed upon it one of most ruthless regimes in history
New Economic Policies (NEP)
Collectivization: exported seized goods and gained enough capital to finance a massive industrialization drive
Rapid industrialization: three 5-year plans
The Great Purges: KGB = secret police killed thousands of army officers and prominent Bolsheviks who opposed Stalin
Stalin = VERY paranoid
Feared the growing power of Nazi Germany
Increasingly paranoid & dangerous.

10. Benito Mussolini 1922 Il Duce Country: Italy
Type of Government: Fascism (dictatorship)
Goals and Ideas:
Centralized all power in himself as leader (total control of social, economic, and political life)
Ambition = restore the glory of Rome
Invasion of Ethiopia
Alliance with Hitler’s Germany
Il Duce

11. Adolf Hitler 1933 Country: Germany
Type of Government: Nazism (dictatorship)
Goals and Ideas:
Inflation and depression weakened the democratic government in Germany and allowed Hitler to rise to power
Believed the western powers had no intention of using force to maintain Treaty of Versailles
Anti-Semitism: persecution of Jews
Extreme nationalism: National Socialism (aka Nazism)
Aggression: German occupation of nearby countries
Lebensraum: unite all German speaking nations
Anschluss: German union with Austria

12. Hideki Tojo Country: Japan Type of Government: Militarism
Goals and Ideas:
Japan had an emperor but the military had taken control of government
Emperor Hirohito could not stand up to the powerful generals but he was worshipped as a god by the people
Industrialization of Japan, leading to a drive for raw materials – how do you get raw materials? IMPERIALISM
Invasion of Korea, Manchuria, and China ( League of Nations did nothing)
Hideki Tojo, Military Leader of Japan
Hirohito, Emperor of Japan

13. Asia China Japan Ineffective Manchu dynasty
Sun Yat-sen Nationalists united the country
Japan
Shoguns
Trade and colonies (raw materials)