Download Global Studies II - Valhalla High School

Global Studies II
Mr. Mintzes
Unit Outline - Between the Wars
1920 – 1939 – Attempts at Peace - Rise of Fascism
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Treaty of Versailles left Germany paying for much of the cost of WWI – as well as taking
the blame
League of Nations established to provide a forum for countries to meet in order to settle
disputes short of war – US did not join – absence of US weakened the organization
Other weaknesses of League – no military force to enforce its “orders” or demands on
violators of the League Covenant not to resort to war.
Attempts at keeping the peace:
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Washington Naval Conference – major powers met in Washington and agreed to limit
the size of navies an the size of war ships – treaty favored some of the western powers
over Japan – treaty also limited submarines and prohibited poison gas. First successful
disarmament conference in US history.
Locarno Treaty – 1925 – major European countries met to guarantee the borders of
Czechoslovakia, Germany, Poland, Belgium, etc., and the demilitarization of the
Rhineland – repudiated 1936 by Hitler.
Kellog-Briand Treaty - treaty eventually signed by 62 countries officially renouncing
war as an element of foreign policy. Sounded nice on paper and everyone had good
intentions, but no way to enforce the treaty.
London Naval Conference – reiterated the limitations on naval power and added some
other kinds of ships to the list of those limited by the Washington Conference
Rise of Fascism and Totalitarian Governments:
Italy – Benito Mussolini
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Many Italians felt they were short changed by the Versailles Treaty – that Italy should
have gotten much more than it did.
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High unemployment plagued Italy during the 1920s
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Benito Mussolini – a newspaper editor – founded the Fascist Party in 1919
gained power and popularity among unemployed veterans of WWI who felt cheated
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Fascism championed nationalism (the glory of ancient Rome) and militarism – worked to
replace the constitutional monarchy in Italy with a one party system
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October, 1922 – Mussolini, with 10,000 “Black Shirts” his armed fascist militia, march
on Rome. King fears civil war – asks Mussolini to become Prime Minister.
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establishes dictatorship – outlaws political parties – starts secret police – arrests critics of
his government – no strikes allowed
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Government controls all economic activity – controls the press and all radio broadcasting
complete censorship
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Indoctrination into the system begins with children – taught in school
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- individual exists only to serve the state
- duty of all boys to be trained to serve as soldiers
- duty of all girls to be mothers of next generation – raise large families to
increase the work force and provide more soldiers for armies
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Mussolini improved agriculture and modernized Italian industry – established centralized
order and control – “He made the trains run on time”
Established a cult – became “Il Duce”
Mussolini, like Hitler and Stalin, placed his picture, with strong patriotic & militaristic images
of himself on buildings and walls all over the country establishing himself as a cult figure.
Rise of Hitler and Nazi Germany:
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Impact of Treaty of Versailles
Germany loses territory to Allies and others
Germany loses all colonial possessions
Germany must pay reparations in money, coal, livestock, etc to France and others
Germany’s military sharply limited – no more than 100,000 men in Army, no air force,
small navy with no submarines
Germany must accept all the blame for WWI –
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Weimar Republic (called that because it made the capital at Weimar) replaced the Kaiser
at the end of WWI – agreed to Armistice and Treaty of Versailles – was blamed by
German people for country’s sufferings
German economy in 1920s was terrible – inflation rate in the 1000s% - higher
denomination bills printed on daily basis – money worthless.
- as economy began to improve by 1929 – worldwide depression hit Germany
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Adolf Hitler – Austrian born – served n German army in WWI – wounded and gassed in
trenches on Western Front
forms National Socialist (Nazi) Party in early 1920s – blames Allies for conditions in
Germany as well as Communist, Democrats, Socialists. – also singles out Jews, claiming
that Jewish conspiracy is also to blame.
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In 1923 Hitler and his “Brown Shirts” patterned after Mussolini’s Black Shirts stage a
“putsch” in Munich in attempt to take over Bavaria – put down by police
Hitler sent to prison – in prison he writes “Mein Kampf” (My Struggle) in which he sets
down his racist ideas, his claims that Germans are the Master Race and his plans for
world domination by Germany.
In early 1930s – through oratory and appeal to German nationalism, Nazi party gains
seats in Reichstag (legislature) Each election the Nazis gain seats
January, 1933 Hitler is made Chancellor of Germany
Hitler in Power:
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establishes total control over all aspects of daily life – establishes The Third Reich
- complete censorship of newspapers and radio – bans art & literature that contradict Nazi
values – bans books by noted Jews (Einstein, Sigmund Freud) - book burnings
- system of spies and informers who report on everyone – children encouraged to inform
on their parents – Hitler Youth formed to begin indoctrination of children at very
early age – training began at 6 years old – parents could not object or children
taken away
- Gestapo – state police – virtually unquestioned power to arrest anyone on any charge
Like fascist system in Italy , the government does not own the businesses – it does
control all aspects of economy, including agriculture and manufacturing
Nuremburg Laws passed to limit right of Jews – Jewish businesses and home soon seized
– Jews sent to concentration camps, along with Gypsies, retarded, crippled, etc.
Rallies – mass rallies (many at Nuremburg) help to create a cult around the Fuehrer
(Hitler) – Hitler a powerful orator – urges expansion of Germany for lebensraum (living
space)
all German soldiers and officers must swear allegiance not to Germany but to Hitler
forms the SS – his elite Aryan soldiers blindly loyal to Hitler
Like Mussolini, Hitler was almost always seen or pictured in uniform. Rallies, like the one at
right, served to stir the militaristic and nationalistic emotions of the German people.
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Aggression, Appeasement, Militarism and Expansion put world on road to WW II
Japanese Militarism:
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Militaristic dictator takes over Japanese government – Emperor still the leader but
government run by Prime Minister Tojo
Japanese economy growing – new industries make it most powerful economy in Asia
- few natural resources – needed to fuel industries – in particular Japan needed oil
- will get raw materials by conquering China and rest of East Asia
Japan develops long range plan – East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere
1931: Japan invades Manchuria province of China) – pretends to grant independence but
control government and export the raw materials
1937: Japan invades China – capture capital of Nanking – commits terrible atrocities on
Chinese people
Chiang-Kai-shek – Chinese leader – falls back – sets up new capital at Chungking –
fights on until end of WWII in 1945
League of Nations protests, but Japan does not stop military action – US gives aid to
China to help fight Japan
1940: Japan invades Vietnam (French Indochina)
Prime Minister
Tojo
Emperor
Hirohito
German and Italian Militarism – Spanish Civil War:
Germany:
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Hitler secretly rebuilds the German military – air force training schools masquerade as
“glider clubs” – in exchange for manufacturing assistance Russia allows German pilots to
train in Soviet Union
- denounces military restrictions of Treaty of Versailles – builds new battleships and
submarines
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mid 1930s find Britain and France still weak from the Depression and still feeling the
effect of WWI – neither want to go to war again
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1935: Germany re-occupies the Rhineland – the demilitarized zone on the French border.
France does not resist – Germany now has large reserves of iron and coal
1938: Germany annexes (takes over) Austria (Anschluss) without a fight – welcomed in
by Austrians – unification was prohibited by the Versailles Treaty – ignored by Hitler –
no resistance from French and British
1938: Czechoslovakia – millions of German live in the Sudetenland near the German
border – Hitler claims they are being mistreated by the Czechs – wants to enter and take
over for Germany
- September, 1938, French and British meet with Hitler in Munich – Hitler threatens war
if they try to stop him – promises that this will be the last “conquest”
- British and French appease him (policy of Appeasement) – too afraid of war
- Chamberlain returns to England and promises “Peace in our Time”
Appeasement is seen as one of the major causes of WWII – British & French fear of
war allowed Hitler to expand and to gain strength and to feel as if he would never be
stopped.
1939 (March): Hitler goes against the agreement reached in Munich and takes over the
rest of Czechoslovakia – French and British vow to resist any further action in the future.
September 1, 1939 – claiming an attack by Polish troops, Germany invades Poland –
World War II begins.
Italian Militarism:
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1935: Italy invades Ethiopia – country borders Italian Somaliland
- Ethiopians heroically resist but cannot defeat modern army
- Ethiopian emperor Halie Selassie asks the League of Nations for help
- asks that League members ban sales of food and war material to Italy – most ignore
request – Ethiopian annexed by Italy in 1936
Spanish Civil War 1936-1939:
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Francisco Franco leads a military revolt against the democratic government in Spain
Franco is a Fascist – gets help in the Civil War from Germany and Italy
Loyalist government gets some help from Soviet Union and from American volunteers
(Abraham Lincoln Brigade)
Vicious civil war goes on for three years – becomes a “proving ground” for tactics used
later in WW II – German pilots learn new techniques (saturation bombing of cities–
strafing troops and refugees, dive bombing, air to air combat)
Loyalist lose in 1939 – Franco sets up Fascist dictatorship in Spain – rules until 1975
Axis Alliances:
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1936 – Hitler and Mussolini agree to form the Rome-Berlin Axis
1939 – Hitler and Stalin sign a non-aggression pact – agree that neither country would
attack the other – safe from a 2-front war, Hitler can now plan war against France and
England.
1940 – Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis formed
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