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Chapter 34
Origins of World War II
1
• Italy: Invaded Ethiopia, 1935and aided fascists in the
Spanish Civil War. In 1936 Spanish General Franco started a
military rebellion to overthrow the elected government.
The nationalist(Franco) backed by Italy and Germany
defeated the Republicans(the elected government) backed
by the Soviet Union. It was a practice run for WWII. In
1936. Germany: Also aided fascists in Spain, 1936; forced
political union with Austria, 1938; demanded the
annexation of a region of Czechoslovakia called the
Sudetenland , 1938. Japan; invaded Manchuria, 1931:
captured the Chinese city of Nanjing, followed by the
conquest of Chinas’ major cities, 1937; conquered French
Indochina, Formosa, Korea and several Pacific Islands,
1937-1939.
2
• France and Britain were following a policy of
appeasement, hoping that if they gave into Hitler’s
demands for a small piece of land, he would be
satisfied. Both countries were still feeling the effects of
World War I and wanted to avoid another war. The
signed the Munich Pact in September 1938 between
Italy, France, England and Germany in which the
Sudetenland was given over to Germany. This pact was
a hope to avoid WWII. It represents the policy of
appeasement, giving in to your enemies to avoid a
conflict. Many people opposed giving in most notably
Winston Churchill.
3
• Barely six months after signing the Munich Pact, in
which Hitler disavowed an further territorial demands.
Germany spurred by their Nazi beliefs, form of Fascism
based on the idea of the racial superiority of the Aryan
Nordic people, invaded Czechoslovakia. This action
caused Britain and France to warn Hitler that any
further aggression would lead to war. Soon after, Hitler
signed the a Nonaggression pact with the Soviet Union
to secure his eastern front. Finally, in September of
1939, German forces invaded Poland using Blitzkreig,
translated from German as lightening war it was an all
out mechanized sudden attack on an enemy. Two days
later Britain and France declared war on Germany.
4
• In the 1930’s the United States did little to halt the growing crisis in
Europe. Some examples of Isolationism are: They refused to take part in
an oil embargo against Italy in response to the invasion of Ethiopia; The
Neutrality Act of 1935 prevented Americans from supplying arms to
nations at war; Neutrality Acts of 1936 and 1937 strengthened the first
act; in his “Quarantine” speech in 1937 Roosevelt expressed the need to
quarantine aggressor nations, but took no action. Once war broke out in
1939, the United State began to inch away from Neutrality. The Neutrality
Act of 1939 favored Britain and France; Lend –Lease Act of March 1941
allowed the United states to lend not sell arms to Britain; Atlantic Charter
of August 1941, negotiated by Roosevelt and Churchill set forth goals for a
better post war world, thereby expressing U. S. interest in the war’s
outcome without committing any troops. Finally, when Japan attacked
Pearl Harbor in December 1941, The United States declared war on Japan.
Three days later Germany declared war on the United States.
5
• On December 7, 1941, the Japanese brought
more that 300 aircraft to attack Pearl Harbor, a
U. S. Naval Base on the island of Hawaii,
home of the U. S. Pacific fleet. The surprise
attack left 18 American warships and 300
military aircraft destroyed or damaged and
caused more than 3,500 U. S. casualties. The
next day, Roosevelt asked Congress to declare
war on Japan, bringing the nation into WWII.