World War II

By: Jenny LyPeriod 9

-The Great Depression reinforced the policy called isolationism. - FDR & Congress passed four Neutrality Acts to reinforce this. The four Neutrality Acts of the late 1930s represented an effort to keep the United States out of "foreign" wars.

1) Neutrality Act of 1935 - imposed a general embargo on trading in arms and war materials with all parties in a war. It also declared that American citizens traveling on warring ships traveled at their own risk. The act was set to expire after six months.

2) Neutrality Act of 1936- renewed the provisions of the 1935 act for another 14 months. It also forbade all loans or credits to belligerents. 

3) Neutrality Acts of 1937- U.S. ships were prohibited from transporting any passengers or articles to belligerents, and U.S. citizens were forbidden from traveling on ships of belligerent nations.

4) Neutrailty Act of 1939- It ended the arms embargo which (under the previous Neutrality Act of 1936) would have otherwise precluded the United States selling arms to France and Britain because they were involved in a war. 

American During the 1930’s

Adolf Hitler

Germany

The Rise of Dictators in Europe

Benito MussoliniItaly

Joseph Stalin Soviet Union

Totalitarian Government: A form of government that restricts personal freedoms and prohibits political opposition.

Totalitarian Dictator :The leader of a totalitarian government which does not allow political opposition and seeks to control all areas of society and citizens’ lives.

Totalitarian Governments & Leader

Totalitarian Governments & Leaders

◼ Benito Mussolini▪ Leader of Italy▪ Fascist

◼ Fascist Ideology▪ State over individual.▪ Uses power to control

property owners.▪ Citizens are expected to

support the government.▪ Everything serves the

government: businesses, schools, the media.

Totalitarian Governments & Leaders

◼ Adolf Hitler▪ Germany▪ Socialist (Nazi)

◼ Socialist (Nazi) Ideology▪ State over individuals and human

rights.▪ Control all aspects of German

society.▪ Redistribute wealth, welfare state,

nationalism & pride through propaganda.

▪ Sought ownership of key industries: banks, schools, Germany’s healthcare system, segments of the church.

Rise of Power Include:-Scapegoating Extreme Nationalism -Propaganda -Fear Tactics

Totalitarian Governments & Leaders

◼ Joseph Stalin▪ Soviet Union▪ Communist

◼ Communist Ideology▪ Workers unite to

overthrow capitalism.▪ Governments not

necessary, people share resources to survive.

▪ Welfare of state over individuals.

▪ State owned nearly all property; limited personal freedoms.

●1921 - takes control of the National Socialist Party (a.k.a. the Nazis)

●1923 - attempts Putsch (seizure of government) and fails; lands in jail, where he writes Mein Kampf

●1933 - becomes Germany’s Chancellor (begins passing restrictive laws for Jews) Germany leaves League of Nations – Dachau opens

● 1934 - German president dies; Hitler takes over •●1936 - Takes back the Rhineland (forbidden!) •●1937 - Hitler renounces Treaty of Versailles ●1938 - Munich Pact - gives Hitler Czechoslovakia ●1939 - Non-aggression Pact with USSR

Timeline of German Aggression

Countries Invaded By Germany

-Germany, France, and Great Britain were the signers.

-A treaty was signed agreeing to Hitler’s capture of Sudentenland in exchange for his promise not to invade anymore territories-This was known as appeasement which is the practice of giving aggressors what they want and hoping they will be satisfied and stop the aggressive behavior.

Meeting at Munich, 1938

Meeting at Munich, 1938

- Between 1937 and 1939 Japan tried to seize the rest of China. They were successful along the coast, but not in the countryside.

-In 1940 Japan allies with Germany and Italy to form the Axis Powers.

(German, Japan, & Italy)

Japanese Aggression

-Problems were rising with aggressive dictators in Europe and Japan however the United States continued to practice isolationism, the policy of: The U.S. staying out of any alliances that could drag it into war in Europe or Southeast Asia.

U.S. Policy: Isolation & Neutrality

-Hitler believed the German people needed lebensraum, which means “living space”. He achieved this goal by conquering the Soviet Union, use its land for the German people, and control its rich natural resources.

World War II Begins in Europe

-Hitler signed a non-aggression pact with Joseph Stalin which was an agreement that neither country would attack the other.

-Hitler saw it as a way to keep the USSR from attacking Germany-Stalin saw it as a way to provide the USSR with time to prepare for Germany’s inevitable invasion.

WWII Begins in Europe

-In September 1939 Hitler’s army invaded Poland. Germans used a strategy called blitzkrieg (meaning “lightening war”). This strategy involved striking fast and hard with tanks and airplanes, catching other nations off guard and allowed Germany to quickly overwhelm the nations it invaded.

WWII Begins in Europe

-On March 1941: Congress passed the Lend-Lease Act, which enables the president to send aid to any nation whose defense is considered vital to the United States’ national security. This enables the U.S. to aid Great Britain.

-One of the greatest dangers to the U.S. Lend-Lease policy was the German U-boats, which were submarines that traveled underwater that could sink ships that carried weapons and supplies to Great Britain.

-The United States had Liberty Ships, which were cargo ships that would be used for transporting U.S. goods to Great Britain to support its war effort against the Nazis.

The Lend-Lease Act

The U.S. Enters War: Pearl Harbor

-Japanese airplanes began bombings on the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor.-United States military detected incoming planes but they ignored the warning because they thought it was U.S. planes arriving from the mainland.-In less than two hours, the Japanese air attack sank or seriously damaged a dozen 12 naval vessels, destroyed almost two hundred 200 warplanes, and killed or wounded nearly three-thousand 3,000 people.

December 7, 1941 The U.S. Enters War: Pearl Harbor

December 8, 1941

-Both houses of Congress approved a declaration of war against Japan and later against Germany and Italy as well.

Ending of World War II -The war ended in Europe when Germany surrendered on May 7, 1945. Germany was defeated by the British and Americans in the South and West and by the Russians in the East. >This day was called V-E Day. V-E meant “victory in Europe.”

-Japain unconditionally surrendered to the U.S on September 2, 1945 after two atomic bombs were dropped by the U.S.A on Nagaski and Jiroshima in Japan in August 1945.