Chapter 21Leading up to War

1922-1941

The Rise of Dictators in Europe

• Europeans turned to strong leaders because of the bad economy

Communism in the Soviet Union

• In 1917, a revolution broke out in Russia• The Communist party took control of Russia• Changed the name to the Union of Soviet Socialist

Republics (U.S.S.R.)• Joseph Stalin became the leader in

1924• He was cruel, killing over 10 million

citizens during his rule (1924-1953)

Fascism in Italy

• Economy was weak in Italy after WWI• People turned to Benito Mussolini for change and hope• 1919 he started the Italian Fascist Party• Fascists support the rule of a dictator• He became prime minister in 1922

Nazism in Germany• The National Socialist Party (NAZI party) took over to

“solve” the problems• 1933 Adolf Hitler becomes chancellor, or leader• Reminded people that Germany had to pay for WWI• He said Germans were better than other people• He said Germany should rule

the world• He referred to Germans as the

master race

• Stated that there were groups who were lower than Germans

• He blamed Jews and Communists for Germany’s problems

• 1935 Hitler said that Jews could no longer be citizens• Children could not go to school• Jews were forced to wear yellow badges (Star of David)

The Road to War

• 1936 Hitler decided to move Germany’s borders• His army crossed into an area between France and

Germany called the Rhineland• France and Great Britain did nothing• They followed a policy of appeasement• 1938 Germany took control of Austria• Hitler then demanded that Czechoslovakia hand over the

Sudetenland• France and Great Britain signed treaties to protect

Czechoslovakia

• The leaders of France and Great Britain met with Hitler in 1938 (Munich Conference)

• They allowed Hitler to keep the Sudetenland

Sudetenland

War Breaks Out Again

• Hitler’s next target was Poland• Hitler and Stalin agreed to attack Poland and divide it up• September 1, 1939, Germany attacked Poland

• Great Britain and France declared war on Germany• 1940 Germany invaded Denmark, Norway, the

Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France

Belgium

German Advances from 1939-1942

Maps of German Conquests

Japan Rises to Power

• Military leaders took control of Japan in the 1930s• They developed a plan called militarism • Japan needed natural resources for its industries• 1931 Japan invaded Manchuria in north China to get

coal and oil• 1932 Japan set up a puppet state in Manchuria• 1937 Japan attacks China• The U.S. did not send military help

to China

Japan’s Control over China

• Japan wanted to control all of eastern Asia for the natural resources

• The most important resource was oil• European countries had many colonies in Asia that

controlled the natural resources• Japan was becoming friendly with Germany and Italy• All three signed an anti-Communist pact

From Isolation to Pearl Harbor

• Most Americans did not want alliances with other countries for fear of war

• The U.S. passed several laws from 1935-1937 to keep it out of war

• Many Americans wanted the U.S. to practice isolationism• Congress passed a cash-and-carry policy so that nations

could buy goods that they could pay cash for• President Roosevelt believed that the U.S. should help

other countries stand up to bullies

End of Isolation

• President Roosevelt became the first President to run for a third term

• He promised to keep the U.S. out of war• 1940 he was reelected• FDR asked for the first peacetime draft in U.S. history

• In 1940 Winston Churchill, leader of Great Britain, asked the U.S. for help against Nazi Germany

• Britain did not have enough money to buy weapons

Winston Churchill

• FDR asked Congress to pass a lend-lease plan• This would allow FDR the power to lend or lease

supplies to allies of the U.S.• 1941 Congress passed the lend-lease plan• The U.S. had to ship supplies to Britain• German submarines attacked American ships• October 1941, German subs sank a U.S. Navy ship

killing 115 sailors

Pearl Harbor

• In September 1940, Japan became an ally of Germany and Italy

• Japan continued to expand in Asia• FDR stopped trade with Japan (1941)• He banned oil shipments to Japan• Japan and U.S. began talks in November 1941• Japan was also planning to attach Pearl Harbor (naval

base in Hawaii)

The Attack

• December 7, 1941, Japanese pilots headed toward Pearl Harbor

• Japanese plans destroyed 19 American ships• Over 2,400 Americans were killed• December 8, 1941, Congress declared war on Japan• December 11 Germany and Italy declared war on the

U.S.

FDR’s speech

Images of Pearl Harbor

Deployment of attacking Japanese aircraft

183 aircraft of the first attack wave were launched from the six Imperial Japanese Navy

At approximately 7:15 A.M. the second wave of aircraft was launched and 170 more aircraft were on their way to Pearl Harbor.

Shattered by a direct hit, the USS Arizona burns and sinks, December 7, 1941

Aerial view of the USS Arizona Memorial

Damage at Pearl Harbor

Attack on Pearl Harbor

Roosevelt signs the Declaration of War

Events Leading to WWII

• October 1922 – Mussolini gains power in Italy• September 1931 – Japan invades Manchuria• January 1933 – Hitler becomes leader of Germany• July 1937 – Japanese move farther into China• March 1938 – Munich Conference is held• August 1939 – Nazi-Soviet Pact signed• September 1939 – Germany invades Poland