THE BUILD-UP TO WAR

Global Depression and Rising Tensions

Essential Questions To what extent was WWII inevitable? To what extent was America’s

involvement in WWII inevitable? To what extent did WWII force America

into the position of world superpower? To what extent did WWII end the Great

Depression?

Japan in Trouble Island nation dependent upon imports

for many raw materialsMakes it beholden to the whims of other

countries Saw conquest as the surest means of

securing materialsChina and Southeast Asia

Japanese Aggression Military spending ramped up

Helped ease depression in JapanAllowed for Japan’s expansion into Asian mainland

Took Manchuria in September 1931Clear violation of the Open Door policy and

covenant of the League of NationsEstablished puppet government

League of Nations passed a resolution, effectively did nothingIllustrated weakness of LoN, made it powerless

Italy Benito Mussolini took power in

1922 Fascist dictator

Fascism – the idea that people should glorify their nation and race through an aggressive show of force

From Italian word fascio, or bundle of rods, the symbol is meant to show strength in unity

Spain Spanish Civil War

Francisco Franco led fascist movement in Spain

Though the US sided with opposition Loyalist forces, the Neutrality Acts prevented interference

Franco established military dictatorship in 1939

Germany As a reaction to deplorable economic

conditions and resentment over Treaty of Versailles, Nazi party is born

Adolf Hitler gains control over German legislature in 1933

Charts course towards militarism and oppressive anti-Semitism

Appeasement Hoping to avoid open conflict with

Germany, the British and French adopted a policy of appeasementAllowed Hitler and Mussolini to get away

with relatively small acts of aggression and expansion

Italy invades Ethiopia Looking to prove fascism’s power,

Mussolini invades Ethiopia League of Nations protests, but does

nothing to stop Italy

Germany on the Move 1936 – Hitler invades the Rhineland,

demilitarized by the Treaty of Versailles 1938 – Sudetenland

German-speaking portion of Czechoslovakia, Hitler felt he had the right to take it over

Munich Conference In 1938 Russia, Germany, Britain, France, and Italy

met in Munich to decide what action, if any, to take concerning Germany’s aggression in Czechoslovakia. This conference came to be known as the Munich Conference. While there, the allies decided to enact a policy of appeasement, wherein they would allow Germany to erase the boundaries of the Versailles Treaty without taking military action. However, it was also agreed that the sovereignty of Poland would be protected, and thus a line was drawn that Germany would not be allowed to cross without risking full scale war.