Download 1930`s Political Ideologies Democracy viewed as weak, indecisive

1930’s Political Ideologies
Democracy viewed as weak, indecisive
Fascism: (Bundle of Sticks) can’t break them
Begins in France spreads to Europe
Established in Italy under Mussolini, 1922
Germany
Fascism attractive in Germany after WW1 to challenge struggling Weimar Republic1. Democracy was seen as a problem, not a solution.
Weimar viewed as weak and dysfunctional
Viewed human existence and nations in perpetual war/struggle
Hitler offers clear solution to this vision through remilitarization and conquest
2. Europeans feared Soviet style communist takeover
Fascism/Nazism was the answer
Fascist nations by 1939- Italy, Germany, Austria, Spain, Bulgaria, Japan, Romania
Nazism
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Nazi short for National Socialists
Builds upon racist rhetoric of 1920s Austria
Aryans (Anglo-Saxons) considered most highly evolved humans
Jews (and others) considered racially inferior
Jews blamed for conspiring to control world through international finance“Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion”
Hitler also viewed communism as a Jewish conspiracy
Communism
1848 Karl Marx, German philosopher creates communist ideology
1017, Lenin leads working class revolution in Russia
Solution: overthrow capitalism (business owners) and establish
government/worker control of economy
Democracy/Capitalism
Britain, US, France
Pre-war US Diplomacy, Japan, and Pearl Harbor
US isolationist during 1930s
Examples:
Neutrality Act of 1935 imposed an embargo on trading arms with warring countries
Neutrality Act of 1936 banned loans to warring countries
US Intervention
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Hitler invades Poland Sept. 1, 1939
2 days later Britain/France declare war on Germany
“Phony War” ensues- lack of military action
April 1940, Germany launches Blitzkrieg or lightening war
Invasion of Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, Belgium, Luxembourg, France
Nazis sign nonaggression pact with the Soviet Union, 1939- Soviets
neutralized
Britain and US left remaining
1940 The London Blitz, 6 months of German bombing of London, killing
50,000 leaving 500,000 homeless- over 100 tons of high explosives
Neutrality reconsidered
Intervention #1- congress passes the Lend Lease Act, 1941
Provides arms to maintain British survival (later to Soviets after German
invasion June, 1941)
US effectively enters war
Intervention #2 The Atlantic Charter- joint declaration between FDR and
Winston Churchill
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Pearl Harbor
Dec. 7, 1941
Marks official US WWII Involvement
Japanese Imperialism
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Japan became imperial power; developed racist attitude against Asian
neighbors
Invades Manchuria, China 1930- no action taken by League of Nations
Launch full scale invasion in 1937 known as the Rape of Nankinghorrific atrocities
Deaths disputed- 50,000-400,000
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Japan refuses to accept responsibility or apologize to this day
Japan/China relations today- not good
Japan signed Tripartice Pact, 1940 Alliance of Japan, Germany, Italy
Prime Minister Hideki Tojo started war preparations Sept, 1941
US aware, didn’t know when
Dec. 7 Japan attacks
Killed 2,400 US Americans
Destroyed 8 battleships, 3 cruisers, 200 airplanes
Reasons for Japanese Attack
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Demoralize US
Incapacitate US as Japan pursued oil elsewhere in south Asia
Draw US into war in Pacific to keep it out of Europe
Outcome
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Bolstered US determination to fight
Tactical failure; no damage to repair facilities, oil reserves, aircraft carriers
Declaration war signed Dec 8
2 days later Germany declared war on US
“I am afraid we have awakened a sleeping giant” Admiral Isoroku Yamamto,
Japan
War Mobilization
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WWII does more than end Great Depression
Economy takes off, full employment
Inflation, not depression era deflation, was a problem
GDP; 1940 $99 billion
1945 $211 billion
Production increased dramatically- the “sleeping giant” was awakened
100 largest corporations got 2/3 of all military contracts
86,000 tanks/296,00 airplanes built
Kaiser takes 17 days rather than 1 year for ship construction
War created demand for 7 million jobs
Most jobs filled by women as welders, riveters, drill press operators, blast
furnace cleaners
Scientific developments spur postwar economy- nuclear, plastics, chemicals,
synthetics
Sets in place historically unprecedented postwar economic growth
Financing
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Revenue Act of 1942 raised taxes on all Americans- 43 million
Americans pay income and/or payroll taxes
War bonds- patriotic act; also kept inflation low. Why” 7 bond drives
oversubscribed
African Americans
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Energized civil rights movement, black activism
Double “V” campaign; victory over Nazism abroad, victory against
racism at home
FDR’s FEPC (1941) staved off “March on Washington”
Totalitarianism abroad questioned segregation at home
Support for War
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US overwhelmingly supports war effort
High morale
Moral war (the good war) freedom over totalitarianism
Most sacrifice little; war viewed as a good time
Background:
Axis Powers and leaders
Germany- Hitler
Italy- Mussolini
Japan- Tojo
Allies and leaders
Great Britain -Churchill
US- FDR
Soviet Union- Stalin
Mobilization in Europe
1939-41
 Invasion of Poland
 1939-1940 “phony war”
 1940 Hitler launches Blitzkrieg, controls Poland
 June 22, 1941: Hitler attacks Russia in Operation Barbarossa, ending the
nonaggression pact
 Largest attack in military history
1942
 German armies pushed deep into Soviet territory near Moscow and
Leningrad
 Hitler started North Africa offensive- capture Suez Canal
1943 Turning Point
 Soviets halt German advance and win Battle of Stalingrad (present-day
Ukraine
 Germans lost 333,000; Soviets 550,000
 Allies (mostly US) defeat Germans in North Africa fulfilling FDRs promise to
Stalin for second front
 Italy withdrawals
 Allies attack German forces through Italy- Europe’s “soft underbelly”
1944
 Soviets push Germany out of Russia by mid 1944
 D-Day; June 6, 1944. 1.5 million troops cross English Channel to beaches of
Normandy, France; aka Operation Overlord
 Allies bomb German military and industrial installations- level Dresden,
Cologne, Berlin, causing 1 million casualties- many civilian
 Germans counterattack in the Battle of the Bulge, December. 1944. Germans
defeated after 10 days fierce fighting
1945
 FDR dies April 12, 1945 from cerebral hemorrhage, Truman takes over
 Germans surrender May 8, 1945; V-E Day
War in the Pacific
1941
 Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941
 Within 3 month Japan invades; Guam, Hong Kong, Wake Island, Burma,
Philippines, Malaya
 Grim situation
1942
 Summer 1942, us launches “island hopping” campaign
 May 7-8 Battle of Coral Sea protects Australia
 In June, Battle of Midway inflicts major damage on both sides
1943-44
 1943 Battle o Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands
 1944 Reconquest of Philippines- Japan incurs major losses
1945
 To attack Japanese mainland, US needed islands Iwo Jima (Feb.) and
Okinawa (April)
 Japan fiercely defends islands; 14,000 US killed
 US bombing of mainland killed over 330,000 civilians, crippled economy
 Japan starts suicide kamikaze missions and refuses to surrender
 Aug. 6 and 9. US drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
respectively.