The Tragedy of Appeasement

The War Unfolds

Focus Question

In a short response of one to three sentences, describe the tests you took over the last two days

Totalitarian states

Soviet Union (Stalin) Dominated by the Communists

Italy (Mussolini) Dominated by the Fascists

Germany (Hitler) Dominated by the Nazi Party

Japan (Military Leaders)

Rise of Nazi Germany

Nazism built on a strong sense of German destiny All Germans should live in one country▪ Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ein Fuhrer ▪ One People, One Country, One Leader

Germans (Aryans) a “Master Race”, destined to rule

To thrive, Germans needed living space (Lebensraum)

Nazi rise to power

Attempted abortive putsch in 1923 Armed revolt did not work Ideas outlined in Mein Kampf (My Struggle)▪ Use democratic means to suborn

democracy Played on desperation of the German people

“Stabbed in the back by traitors” Promised economic stability Promised greatness

Gained popularity

Use of simple arguments and nationalist imagery Continued to gain seats in the Reichstag By 1932, the Nazis were the largest party in

the Reichstag Nazis demanded Hitler be appointed

Chancellor (Head of Government)

Seized control

Reichstag fire, February 1933 Used as an excuse to take power Banned left-wing political parties Passed the Enabling Act, giving

the cabinet legislative power Rival political parties eliminated German Army bought into the regime

Night of the Long Knives (June 1930) Potential disloyal Nazis purged

Expansion

Slowly overturned Versailles Reoccupied the Rhineland (1936) Rebuilt German army

Kristallnacht and the Nuremberg Laws Slow Process of eliminating German Jews Stripped Jews of civil rights and privileges Forced Jews into ghettos

Expansion Anschluss (unification) of Austria (1938) Turned sights on the Sudetenland

Appeasement

Largely German district in Czechoslovakia Germany demanded the region Czechoslovakia refused

Conference held in Munich in 1938 Britain and France agreed to the transfer “Peace in our time”

Promise Broken

March 1939: Germany annexed the rest of the country

August 1939: Nonaggression Pact with USSR Secret agreement to divide Poland Shocked the world

September 1, 1939: Germany invasion of Poland

U.S. Reaction

As war threatened, many became concerned Fear of U.S. involvement Senate hearings on World War I

War blamed on arms manufacturers Took steps to prevent

the U.S. involvement

Neutrality Acts

Designed to keep U.S. from war

1935: No arms sales to belligerent nations 1936: No loans or credit to belligerent nations 1937: U.S. could not ship goods to

belligerents

Tied the hands of the U.S.

FDR’s efforts

FDR and his cabinet recognized the threat Prepare the U.S. for involvement

Quarantine Speech 1937 Cash-and-Carry 1939 Lend-Lease 1940

German invasion of Poland, September 1, 1939 World War II begins

Atlantic Charter August 1941

Pearl Harbor

Japanese attack brings U.S. into the war U.S. sets strategy in motion

Initial outrage against Japan Determined to defeat Germany first

Summary

If you had to describe today’s lesson to an absent classmate, explain what you feel would be the most important thing to understand.