Download Causes of WWII - Cobb Learning

Causes of WWII
• Background
– TOTALITARIANISM – Form of government in which
the government controls every aspect of life
– FASCISM – The importance of the State (nation)
overrides the importance of the individual
2 Fascist Leaders
• Benito “Il Duce” Mussolini of
Italy
– Angry about WWI peace
settlement
– Organized fascist groups
– Used thugs called “blackshirts”
to terrorize opposition
– Suspended elections and
established a Dictatorship
• Adolf “Der Fuhrer” Hitler of
Germany
– Angry about WWI peace
settlement
– Joined Nazi Party
– Sentenced to 5 years for trying
to overthrow government
– Wrote “MEIN KAMPF” (My
Struggle) while in prison
– Outlined Nazi philosophy
– Defined Germany’s problems
– Detailed plans for the nation
– Blamed Jews for problems and
loss of WWI
– Promised to rebuild German
empire and stabilize Germany
– Gained power and became
head of German state
Expansion
• Hitler wanted to expand
Germany’s borders to
include Germans living
in other nations
– Marched into the
Rhineland
– Annexed Austria
– Demanded Sudetenland
(East Czechoslovakia)
• European response
– Britain and France
(Allies) met with
Germany and Italy (Axis),
September 1938
– Britain and France chose
“APPEASEMENT” – Give
into demands to keep
peace
• Hitler moves again
– Took the rest of
Czechoslovakia
– Warned by Britain and
France not to invade
Poland
– Hitler invaded Poland,
September 1, 1939…
Europe went to war
The Lightning War
• Poland
– Germany used a
“BLITZKRIEG” (Lightning
War) to take Poland in 1
month
– Germany gave East
Poland to Russia per an
earlier deal
• Other Lands
– April 1940 – Hitler took
Denmark and Norway
– May, 1940 – Hitler took
Belgium and the
Netherlands
– June 14th, 1940 – Hitler
marched on Paris… Paris
fell in 3 days
• Britain
– Hitler turned on the only
power left…. Britain
– Sent German Air Force
(Luftwaffe)
– Battle of Britain
– 1000 planes a day
bombed Britain
– Lasted from December,
1940 to June, 1941
• Japan
– Followed the same steps
as the Axis powers in
China
– Joined the Axis powers
in April 1941
American Response
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Americans did not want to fight in Europe or Asia
Isolationism led to Neutrality Acts (mid 1930’s)
No weapons or loans to nations at war
Non-military goods (food and medicine) must be paid for in cash
and transported by that nation = “CASH AND CARRY”
1939 – FDR moved a built-up Pacific fleet to Hawaii (Pearl
Harbor)
1939 – Neutrality Acts changed to include weapons in “Cash and
Carry”
U.S. slowly helped
FDR “traded” old destroyers for naval rights
Wanted to “loan” war supplies to Allies
“LEND LEASE” Act
Passed by Congress in March 1941
Allowed FDR to help nations vital to U.S. security
The U.S. and Japan
• The U.S. and Japanese ties became strained
• The U.S. demanded that Japan stop taking
Asian lands… put economic pressure on Japan
• Japan decided their goals in Asia could not be
achieved as long as the U.S. had a powerful
fleet in the Pacific
Dec. 7th, 1941…”A day that will live in
infamy”
• 180 Japanese “Zeroes”
attacked just after 7:00
am
• “Kamikaze” suicide pilots
crashed into ships
• 18 Ships sunk or heavily
damaged
• 300 planes destroyed
• 2400 Americans killed
• 1200 Americans wounded
• FDR went to Congress….
America went to War!