Events Leading to War

Allies and Axis Powers

Germany under the Fuhrer

Manchurian Incident

Japan invades China

Rome Berlin Axis Anschluss

Czechoslovakia Sudetenland Appeasement-

Munich Agreement

Nazi-Soviet Pact September 1,

1939 The Phony War

Allies and Axis Powers

Allies

Great Britain France Canada China U.S. (from 1941) USSR (from

1941)

Axis

Germany Austria Japan Italy USSR (until

1941)

Germany under the Fuhrer

After Hitler became Fuhrer of Germany in 1934, he began to dismantle Versailles.

He came good on his promise and began not paying for war damages.

In 1936, he began to deploy soldiers into the “demilitarized zone” (the Rhineland), as well as rearm Germany, he started training 1 million troops.

France and Britain did nothing. They feared another costly war.

The Manchurian Incident

The Chinese asked for the League of Nations to do something. The League told the Army to withdraw, but it did not.

The invasion of Manchuria positioned the Japanese as a major military power in South-East Asia.

Between 1933 and 1936, the USSR felt threatened by the Japanese and asked China to support them if there were a war. (Comintern Pact)

Japan Invades China

The Japanese respond by signing an Anti-Comintern Pact with Germany in 1936.

In July 1937, the Japanese invade China and attack Beijing with a million soldiers. They loot, rape, torture, murder and cause pointless destruction. Millions of Chinese civilians died.

Rome-Berlin Axis

In 1936, Hitler and Mussolini became allied through the Rome-Berlin Axis.

Hitler also wanted to re-establish the Anschluss with Austria, but the Treaty of Versailles forbade it. However, because of Britain’s concern over events in China, Hitler took a gamble that they would do nothing and on March 12, 1938 he began invading Austria.

Czechoslovakia and the Sudetenland

Following the Anschluss, Hitler set his sights on Czechoslovakia.

There were Germans living there, mostly in the Sudeten province near Germany.

There were also an abundance of natural resources there.

It was only a matter of time before Hitler set his sights on the entire country

Appeasement- The Munich Agreement

In September 1938, Britain, France, Italy and Germany met to discuss Hiter’s aims in Munich.

Hitler said he would only take the Sudetenland. The other three agreed to this.

Chamberlain went back to London claiming “Peace in our time!”

Nazi-Soviet Pact

On August 23, 1939, Hitler and Stalin signed the Nazi-Soviet Pact.

September 1, 1939

Hitler invades Poland. The world is shocked. Chamberlain is appalled.

Lil Hitler

The “Phony War”

When Hitler invaded Poland, Britain and France delcare war on Germany.

The do not immediately act, they waited to see if Hitler would do more.

He didn’t do more for three months. This becomes known as the “Phony war”.