Chapter 16World War Looms

1930’s in Europe

Dictators Threaten World Peace• Russia• Bolshevik Revolution-Vladimir Lenin

– Democracy fails, Communism state establishedUnion of Soviet Socialists Republic, Soviet Union,

1922 Joseph Stalin takes control in 1924-all economic activity placed under state control-establishes great industrial power by 1937-responsible for 8 to 13 million deaths1939 – totalitarian govt. firmly establishedgovt. suppresses all opposition

• Italy• Unemployment, strikes, some communist led• Middle and upper class demand stronger leadership in govt• Benito Mussolini

– Powerful speaker– Played on communist fears– Established Fascist Party – stressed nationalism, state interests above

individual, strong central leader w/small group of devoted party members

1922 appointed head of govt. by Italian KingIl Duce – “the leader”

• Germany• Economic depression, low public morale, loss of national pride• Loss of land and colonies, disarmed military

• Adolf Hitler - Jobless soldier

– joins National Socialist German Workers’ Party, NAZI party

– Powerful public speaker, quickly became party leader

– Born in Austria, wanted to unite all German-speaking people

– Wanted racial “purification” • Aryan race – blond haired, blue-eyed• – Master Race

NAZI Party - Nazism• Based on extreme nationalism and racism• Master Race – Aryans• National Expansion – believed Germany

needed more land • German people desperate – looked to Hitler as

their last hope• 1933 - Hitler appointed chancellor,

dismantled Germany’s democratic Weimar Republic

• Third Reich - – Third German Empire

HITLER AS A SOLDIER IN WWI

• MEIN KAMPF• My Struggle • BOOK BY HITLER ON

HIS POLITICAL VIEWS. IN THE BOOK HE BLAMED JEWS AND COMMUNISTS FOR ALL OF GERMANY'S PROBLEMS

Cover page of German editions of Mein Kampf, written in 1924 while Hitler was imprisoned for staging a revolt

NAZI propaganda depicting the ideal Aryan member of the Master Race

Japan • Military leaders take control of imperial govt.• 1931 Militarists seize control of Manchuria

(Chinese Province)• League of Nations investigates, condemns

Japan, Japan withdraws from League• League does nothing

• Who’s watching this situation?– Hitler– Mussolini

Spain• Civil War• 1936 Francisco Franco rebelled against

Spanish republic• Western democracies remained neutral• Soviet Union sent equipment• Hitler and Mussolini backed Franco’s forces

– Alliance formed – Franco’s forces win, Fascist dictator in control

American Isolationism• Initially FDR was comfortable reaching out to

other countries• FDR recognizes the Soviet Union, agreed to

exchange ambassadors• Congress wanted isolationism• 1935 Neutrality Acts

– Outlawed arms sales or loans to • nations at war• in civil war

– Said since Japan hadn’t officially declared war on China, U.S. could still send arms and supplies to China