1. The Rise of Dictators and WWII 1929-1945
Section 1: Steps to War

2. Warm-Up
How did the Great Depression impact American society? Where else did economic depressions occur?
What did the Treaty of Versailles do to Germany? Explain.

3. What’s going on in europe & Asia during the depression years?
Growing anger over how things were left after World War I.
Rise of Dictators in Italy and Germany
Aggressively taking over their neighbors in Europe & Asia.

4. Review: The Great Depression
The Great Depression led to anger and resentment as people all over the world lost their jobs, investments and savings. People began to doubt that democracy was a safe form of government.
German reparation payments lead to depression
“Hoovervilles” were slums outside American cities
Free food and coffee for the unemployed during Depression (US)

5. Review: The Great Depression
The American Great Depression CAUSES a GLOBAL Great Depression--especially in Germany because Americans were providing loans for the German government to offset reparations. After 1929, America stops. Germany suffers greatly.
German reparation payments lead to a German depression

6. Basic Terms Ideology- A set of beliefs or ideas.
“He has a democratic ideology.” -He believed in democracy.
Capitalism- An economic system where the means of production (factories, companies, farms, etc) are owned by private individuals who motivate workers with capital (money).
Ideally, it is supposed to have little to no government interference.
The idea is that profit motivates workers to work hard.
In historic reality, the government usually end up intervening in most capitalistic economies

7. Basic Terms Continued
Communism- It’s supposed to be a political and economic system where the community owns the means of all production (factories, farms, companies, etc).
Often times in socialism, the government redistributes taxes to help the poor or pay for government programs
There can be Social Democracies (Finland, Norway, Sweden)
where both socialism and democracy can exist.

8. Basic Terms Continued Fascism
A political ideology and form of government in which...
One ruler has most or all of the power (consolidated power)
The military helps the ruler establish and keep power
The ruler punishes and kills citizens who disagree with their ideologies
The ruler identifies a “scapegoat” for their societies problems (ex: Hitler’s scapegoat were the Jews)
Obsession with nationalism, reducing the power of the average citizen, and controlling the media/press/news

9. The World after World War I

10. The Rise of Dictators
Dictators (absolute rulers) seized power in Italy, Germany, Japan, Soviet Union after World War I
Germany was treated severely after WWI (stripped of territory, forced to disarm, pay reparations)
Worldwide Depression also hit – many people looked to new leaders to solve problems
The MAJOR Dictators: Benito Mussolini in Italy; Adolf Hitler in Germany; Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union

11. The bad guys
Italy
Facism
Totalitarianism
Dictator

12. Benito Mussolini (Italy)
Preached a government called Fascism – includes intense patriotism & nationalism
Very much linked to racism and cultural superiority

13. More bad guys Adolf Hitler Germany Nazi Party HUGE WAR DEBT
MASSIVE UNEMPLOYED
INFLATION
Nazi Party

14. Germany Before WWII Hitler was a decorated war hero
Angered by the Treaty of Versailles
Forms an alliance with Mussolini
Intense Fascism nd believes in superiority of Aryan race

15. Adolf Hitler (Germany)
Leader of the Nazi Party
Spoke about German and Aryan racial superiority
Wanted revenge for Germany’s loss in World War I

16. Germany Before WWII
In 1923 Hitler and the Nazi party to take over the German government by force.
They fail, and Hitler is tried for treason.
Hitler serves thirteen months in prison and writes Mein Kampf while there.
Hitler gains more of a following in Germany, the people like his ideas.
Hitler could have been sentenced to death for this treasonous act. However, the judges liked him and took pity on him. He was sentenced to serve nine years in Prison, but was let out after only 13 months. His time in prison was not wasted. He plotted how he was going to gain control over Germany, and make into the country of his dreams. The Nazi party had only grown while he was imprisoned. He was also a very charismatic speaker.

17. Germany Before WWII In 1933 Hitler becomes the Chancellor
The Enabling Law is passed which allows Hitler to make laws without having to have them approved by anyone, including the Parliament.
Hitler now comes to power legitimately. He has a lot of control over what laws are passed, and how the country was run. Once the Nazi’s gained control over Parliament, there was not stopping Hitler. All he needed was for the current President to die, which he did in Now there is no one to stand in Hitler’s way.

18. Concentration Camps
In first Concentration camp is opened at Dachau.
It used to jail members of the Communist party.
Trade unions became banned
Jews were banned from working in government.
Nuremburg Laws
Jews were banned from marrying Aryans, and sexual relations between Jews and non-Jews was forbidden. Jews also lost their right to German citizenship.
The first concentration camps were not used as death camps. They were used to house people who did agree with the Nazi party rhetoric. It is not until later that Hitler thinks of a much more ghastly use for these prisons.

19. Concentration Camps During the War
By 1942
Extermination of Jews in concentration camps.
The solution to the “Jewish Problem”
The first extermination camp was set up at Belzec in Poland
The War had begun in Europe, the US stays out of it for now.
Many Jews starved inside Ghettoes, and were unable to get any medical help of any kind.
Blitzkrieg means lighting war. It was a military strategy used by Hitler in WWII where many bombs are exploded over an area before the infantry arrives. It causes much destruction, and may times caught his enemies off guard.

20. 1936 Olympics Germany hosted the Olympics.
Hitler’s plan was to use the event to spread Nazi propaganda.
His plans were spoiled when a black man, Jesse Owens, won four gold medals.
To Hitler blacks were an inferior race.
Hitler was extremely upset that a man of an “inferior” race was able to beat his finely honed athletes. The Olympics did not go the way he needed them to in order to use the event for propaganda. Hitler needed his athletes to win in order to show the world how much better the “perfect” race was.

21. Germany Before WWII Kristallnacht (The Night of Broken Glass) 1938
This was the beginning of the Holocaust, the extermination of millions of Jews.
Jewish shops, homes, and Synagogues were attacked.
Thousands of Jews were arrested and sent to concentration camps

22. Joseph Stalin (Soviet Union) Bad Guy (But we actually fight on the same side
Communist leader (Russia went Communist after WWI)
Controlled every aspect of people’s lives
Eliminated all competition to him in order to stay in power

23. Even more bad guys Prime Minister of Japan, Tojo Hideki Militarism
Wants Pearl Harbor
Dominate all of the Pacific & Eastern Asia

24. Dictators Expand Territory
1931 – Japan attacks Manchuria in northern China
Japan wanted more natural resources for its growing population (Manchuria is rich in natural resources)

25. Italy invades Ethiopia
1935 – Italy invaded Ethiopia in Africa
Mussolini wanted new areas to expand his empire in Africa

26. Germany Begins Conquests
1936 – Hitler moves troops into the Rhineland (German region near the French border)
WWI treaty said no German troops here
French Gov’t and League of Nations – TAKE NO ACTION

27. German-Italian Alliance
Germany and Italy formed the Axis Powers
Now – two dictators with stated goals of expansion are good friends
Axis Powers help Spain’s Fascist military overthrow its elected government (Spanish Civil War)
Mussolini and Hitler

28. Hitler begins his own Conquests
1938 – Hitler and the Germans invade Austria (most Austrians spoke German and welcomed becoming a part of Germany)
But…Hitler and the Germans were expanding – and the WWI treaty told them not to…

29. The Sudetenland After taking Austria – Hitler wanted more
His next desire is the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia
The Czechs didn’t want to give this area to Germany – nor did France and Russia

30. War Escalates in Europe
1938 – Germany claimed the Sudetenland, a part of Czechoslovakia where some German speaking people lived.

31. “Appeasement” at Munich
The British step in to offer a peace and avoid war
British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain meets with Hitler in Munich, Germany
They agree to give Hitler the Sudetenland
Hitler has to promise he is done seeking territory

32. Reactions to Munich
Neville Chamberlain, the British Prime Minister who came up with the agreement, said that he had achieved “peace in our time”
Winston Churchill, the future Prime Minister, said: “Britain and France had to choose between war and shame. They chose shame. They will get war, too.”

33. Britain and France gave into Germany hoping that it would avoid warfare. This was known as appeasement.
Soviet poster of the 1930's by Kukryniksy on the Munich agreement.

34. World War II 1939 –Nazi-Soviet Pact
Hitler and Stalin agreed not to attack one another.
Agreed to divide Poland and Eastern Europe amongst themselves.
September 1, 1939 – Germany invaded Poland without having to fear of a Soviet attack.
Britain and France declared war on Germany.

35. Hitler breaks his promise: Germany Starts the War
After being given Sudetenland – Hitler takes the rest of Czechoslovakia
Hitler signed a Non-Aggression Pact with Stalin and the Soviet Union (they agree to not make war on each other) – now France and Britain have lost an ally in Stalin
Immediately after – Germany invaded Poland (France & Britain declare war on Germany) WWII officially begins

36. World War II 1939 – Blitzkrieg German for lightning war
Hitler wanted to defeat Poland in six weeks to focus on France
New and inexperienced Polish army is unprepared
Poland is defeated by the Germans

37. World War II 1940 – Germany conquers: Denmark Belgium Holland Norway
France
Each country was conquered within days

38. World War II
1941 – Germany launched a surprise attack on the Soviet Union. The U.S. decided to extend Lend-Lease aid to the Soviets as well.

39. The good guys Great Britain France Winston Churchill Prime Minister
Charles de Gaulle
Government in exile in Britain when Nazis take over France

40. U.S. & FDR Neutrality Acts 1930s Why? Cash and Carry Policy 1939
Tries to cling to isolationism.
Banned arms sales or loans to countries at war
Warned U.S. citizens not to travel on ships of countries at war.
Cash and Carry Policy 1939
Sends aid to allies.
Finally: Lend Lease Act Passed 1941
Allies in trouble
Fear of war spreading to US

41. Japan
Japan felt that they had the right to start an overseas empire, like Britain and France.
In 1931, Japan seized Manchuria, China, for its valuable coal and iron.

42. Japan The League of Nations failed to help China.
1937, Japan began an all out attack on China,
Eventually conquered Korea and French Indo-China. In
Japan

43. US & Japan
U.S. Freezes Japanese investments after invasion of Indochina
Being first peace time draft in history
FDR wins 3rd term
Japan pretends to be our friend
Japanese Ambassador in U.S. at time of attack on Pearl Harbor.

44. The u.s. is attacked!

45. Pearl Harbor
On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Approximately 2,400 Americans were killed and most the Pacific fleet was destroyed.
The U.S. declared war on Japan the following day, officially entering World War II.

46. Closing: The Rise of Dictators
Dictators mostly because they…
Inspired extreme nationalism after global embarrassment (Treaty of Versailles)
Took advantage of their citizen’s FEARS after the Great Depression
Established a massive military, censored (blocked) free media/press and spied on their citizens
Created MORE FEAR by killing citizens who disagreed with them