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U.S. Isolationism
1) The Great Depression shattered notions
of American imperialism as the country
returned to the isolationism that had
defined U.S. foreign policy during much
of the 19th Century (1800s).
U.S. Isolationism
2) The intense concentration on foreign
policy practically vanished during the
1930s in the face of nation’s greatest
domestic crisis.
U.S. Isolationism
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Ex. – The protectionist and shortsighted HawleySmoot Tariff of 1930 virtually eliminated world
trade, ironically sinking Europe and American
deeper into the Depression.
U.S. Isolationism
4) Mired in the Depression,
many Americans now
viewed U.S. participation in
the First World War as a
catastrophic mistake. It
was obvious that the War
was a significant factor in
causing the Depression and
the rise of fascist dictators
only further proved that the
treaty of Versailles was a
colossal failure.
U.S. Isolationism
6) Reflecting America’s storm-cellar
isolationism, Congress passed the
Neutrality Acts to prevent U.S. involvement
in future European wars. The Act
stipulated that when the President declared
that there was foreign war, a series of
restrictions went into effect:
-No American could (A) legally sail on a
belligerent ship, (B) sell or transport war
supplies to belligerent nation, or (C) make
loans to a belligerent nation.
Rise of Fascism
1) Fascism = A form of dictatorship that values the
nation or race over the individual. Slightly
resembling Socialist economic systems, the
government often employs substantial control
over the economy to create a minimum standard
of living for all citizens.
Rise of Fascism
2) Totalitarianism = A form of dictatorship
that has total control over all aspects of
life and suppresses all forms of
opposition through state sponsored
terror and censorship.
Rise of Fascism
3) The destabilizing impact of World War I and the
monumental crisis of Great Depression
enabled a number of demagogic leaders to
establish fascist and totalitarian regimes
across Europe during the 1920s and 30s.
Rise of Fascism
4) After Vladimir Lenin died in 1924, Joseph
Stalin assumed control of the Soviet
Union and ruled the so-called
Communist nation with an iron fist.
Rise of Fascism
5) The potential of an Italian civil war enabled the
fascist party of Benito Mussolini to come to
power in 1922. Wealthy and powerful Italians
supported the right-wing fascists to prevent the
rise of the left-wing communist revolutionaries of
the lower classes.
Rise of Fascism
8) In Germany, Adolph Hitler masterfully
exploited skyrocketing unemployment and
the punitive Treaty of Versailles to awaken
German nationalism. He gradually assumed
control of the Nazi Party and was elected as
Chancellor in 1933.
Causes of World War II
A) Aggression by the totalitarian powers of
Germany, Italy, Japan (the Axis Powers)
Causes of World War II
B) Nationalism – all of the Axis powers firmly
believed in the supremacy of their nation.
This attitude often fueled their acts of
conquest.
Causes of World War II
C) Failures of the Treaty of Versailles – the punitive nature
of the treaty humiliated Germany and made it
economically unstable. Growing poverty and
unemployment fueled an angry and vengeful form of
nationalism to grow in the ranks of the Nazi Party.
Causes of World War II
D) Weakness of the
League of Nations –
acts of military
conquest by Germany,
Italy, and Japan clearly
violated several
international treaties,
but the League failed to
take any significant
action against these
belligerents.
Causes of World War II
E) Appeasement – Britain and France adopted a
policy of “appeasement” in order to avoid
another war. Allowing Hitler and Mussolini to
expand their empires only further fueled their
aggression and desire for conquest.
Causes of World War II
F) U.S. isolationism – Many
Americans believed that
the Great Depression was
partially caused by U.S.
involvement in the First
World War. This led many
to support an “isolationist”
foreign policy that kept the
nation out of European
affairs. Much like Western
European appeasement
policies, U.S. isolationism
only gave Hitler and
Mussolini greater
confidence to further
expand their empires
without consequence.
Soviet Non-Aggression Pact
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1) During the summer of 1939 the British
and French were desperately
negotiating with the Soviet Union in the
hopes of securing a mutual defense
treaty to halt Germany.
Soviet Non-Aggression Pact
2) In late August, the Soviet
dictator Joseph Stalin
shocked the Western
world by announcing a
non-aggression treaty
with Hitler. The two
dictators agreed to split
Poland and resolved not
to attack one another.
(They were not military
allies)
Soviet Non-Aggression Pact
3) Stalin believed that the non-aggression
pact protected the Soviet Union (Russia)
and ensured that Hitler would attack the
Western European democracies (Britain,
France, and others
Soviet Non-Aggression Pact
4) Stalin believed that the war between fascism
and democracy would leave all of Europe
vulnerable to the Soviet Communist state.
However, Stalin correctly suspected that
Hitler would eventually turn on him and the
non-aggression pact bought valuable time.
Soviet Non-Aggression Pact
5) When neighboring Poland refused to
return German territory that was taken
under the Treaty of Versailles, the Nazi war
machine blazed across the border at dawn
on September 1, 1939
Soviet Non-Aggression Pact
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6) Britain and France were finally pushed over
the brink and were forced to declare war on
Germany. The Second World War had
finally begun. However, the allies were
powerless to aid Poland as it was besieged
by German forces in the west and Soviet
forces in the east.
The Fall of France
1) Defenseless Poland fell to Nazi and Soviet
forces after only three weeks of fighting in
the fall of 1939. A temporary calm settled
in the winter of 1939 /1940 as Hitler
prepared for a knockout blow to France.
The Fall of France
3) Hitler’s military masterfully employed what
became known as the German “Blitzkrieg”
(German for “lightening war”). This strategy
involves quickly overrunning enemies with
sudden and surprise attacks with relentless
pursuit to prevent their organization of an
effective defense.
The Fall of France
4) France was forced
to surrender by
late June of 1940.
Most British
forces were able
escape in a last
minute evacuation
form the French
port of Dunkirk.
The Fall of France
5) Only Britain remained in Hitler’s
warpath across Europe and the crisis
brought forth the sound leadership of
Winston Churchill as Prime Minister.
The Fall of France
6) The Axis Powers formed in September
of 1940 when Japan joined the fascist
alliance between Germany and Italy.
The Lend Lease Act
1) The Battle of Britain represented the series
of bombings and intense air battles
between the German Luftwaffe and the
British Royal Air Force (RAF) between
August 1940 and May 1941.
The Lend Lease Act
2) Hitler believed that an invasion of the British
Isles would be unsuccessful without gaining
air superiority over the RAF. The German
Luftwaffe continuously bombed England for
over nine months in an attempt to eliminate the
RAF and to terrorize the civilian population.
The Lend Lease Act
3) The British Prime Minister Winston Churchill
famously declared, “the Battle of France is over.
I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to
begin…Let us therefore brace ourselves to our
duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British
Empire and its Commonwealth last for a
thousand years, men will say, ‘This was their
finest hour.’”
The Lend Lease Act
4) Continual German
bombings forced
British civilians to seek
refuge in their storm
cellars, basements, and
newly constructed
bomb shelters.
Thousands of civilians
in London descended
into the subways for
protection as their city
burned above.
The Lend Lease Act
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5) The desperate British
could no longer afford
the demands of the Cash
and Carry policy and U.S.
neutrality policies
seemed to be helping
Hitler to defeat our ally.
The Lend Lease Act
6) The Lend Lease Act was passed by Congress in
March 1941 to “lend” unlimited U.S. war supplies
to the British on the condition that they would be
returned after the war. Roosevelt compared it to
“lending a garden hose to a next-door neighbor
whose house is on fire.”
The Lend Lease Act
7) Roosevelt tried to calm the fears of isolationists
by claiming that the United States would be,
“the Great Arsenal of Democracy,” and that we
intended to “send guns, not sons.”
The Lend Lease Act
8) However, this
strongly represented
an economic
declaration of war
against the Axis
powers of Germany,
Italy, and Japan.