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In the United States, the horrors
of World War I were a distant
memory. However, in Germany
the memory of war grew into
anger and bitterness (due to
the Treat of Versailles). Many
Germans wanted revenge.
Japan had plans of world
domination as well… soon the
entire world will once again be
at war.
World War I left many countries
in political (government) and
economic (financial, $$$)
devastation.
Worldwide Depression – just as
the United States was going
through a depression, so were
many other countries of the
world, Germany was hit perhaps
the hardest; there was rampant
homelessness, food shortages
and their money was almost
worthless.
German ruins from WWI
 High War Debt Owed by Germany – For example: America loaned Germany
money to repay some of its war debts (the war reparations from the Treaty of
Versailles), but when the Stock Market crashed in 1929, America called in their
loans and Germany could not repay the other countries – to retaliate, France seized
part of Germany where most of the factories were located – unemployment and
hopelessness grew.
Poor Berlin Family
High Inflation – Germany was ordered to pay the war reparation but had no money
of their own, so they simply began printing more money. At first the solution
appeared to work, but after a few years inflation occurred (the value of the money
went down and the prices of goods went up). For example, a loaf of bread in
Germany in October 1922 = 163 marks, one year later in October of 1923 =
201,000,000,000 marks!
Massive Unemployment – In Germany, there were hungry people, no
jobs, high inflation, worthless money... the people were desperate.
Desperate people will listen to anyone that promises to end their
suffering.
Did WWI lead to WWII?
 Just Dance
With so many people without jobs, hungry and many homeless paired with political
instability of many of the European countries, fascist dictators were able to take
advantage and grab power.
Fascism is a political philosophy in which total power is given to a dictator and
individual freedoms are denied ~ nationalism and often, racism are emphasized
under fascist rule.
ADOLPH HITLER: GERMANY
Hitler gained political power and a large following through the 1920s. He was
a charismatic speaker who plotted to take over the government and built a
secret police force (the Gestapo). He created his own political party – the
National Socialist German Workers Party – Nazis for short. He was elected
chancellor (like president) of Germany. When elected, he declared a “state of
emergency” and took away rights of citizens ~ those who disagreed were
imprisoned or killed. Hitler wanted an all-powerful German Empire.
Hitler believed that those of pure German descent (especially those with
blonde hair and blue eyes) were superior to others in the world. This was
called Aryan Supremacy.
Hitler's Rise to Power
BENITO MUSSOLINI: ITALY
Mussolini used political unrest in Italy to grab power in the 1920s. He hated
democracy ~ he thought it “divided” the nation. Mussolini did not allow anyone to
criticize the government and controlled the army and the schools.
Mussolini Speech
HIDEKI TOJO: JAPAN
Tojo was the Prime Minister of Japan. At this time there was still an emperor in Japan
(Emperor Hirohito). Tojo led the military and supported fascist ideals. Japan’s goal
at this time was to invade Manchuria and beyond in pursuit of new land and natural
resources.
Tojo
In the early 1930s Germany, Italy and Japan were taking over new territories (ex.
Germany – Rhineland, Japan – Manchuria, Italy – Ethiopia). Hitler and Mussolini
formed an alliance know as the Rome-Berlin Axis, later Japan joined and they were
known as the Axis Powers.
 Germany led by Adolph Hitler
 Italy led by Benito Mussolini
 Japan led by Hideki Tojo
The Axis Powers continued to take over new territories.
In 1938, Hitler took over Austria and the Sudetenland (a part of Czechoslovakia).
Czechoslovakia did not want to give this land up, so France and Great Britain
protested. Hitler swore there would be no more aggression. Germany signed the
Munich Agreement and pledged to stop seeking new territories.
Hitler also signed a non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union (led by Joseph Stalin),
where the two countries promised each other that their plans to gain power would
not interfere with each other.
Munich Agreement
In 1939, Hitler broke his promise and invaded Poland. This invasion is said to be the
official beginning of World War II. The world’s democracies were horrified by Hitler’s
aggression. Great Britain and France demanded he withdraw from Poland. Hitler
refused. Great Britain, Canada (a British Commonwealth) and France declared war!
France was invaded by Germany and taken over by Hitler in 1940 (France became
Nazi Occupied).
At first, the Soviet Union – also known as the U.S.S.R. – sided with Hitler (Soviet
soldiers helped the Germans invaded Poland), but when Hitler broke the nonaggression pact that Stalin and Hitler had made by invading the Soviet Union (The
Battle of Stalingrad), the Soviet Union switched sides out of rage for Hitler and joined
the Allies.
 Great Britain led by Winston Churchill
 Canada
 Soviet Union led by Joseph Stalin
 United States (1941) led by Franklin
Roosevelt & Harry Truman
At the time when World War II began in Europe (1939), the United States was still in
the Great Depression. We took a stance of isolationism (meaning we wanted to
“isolate” ourselves and not get involved in other countries’ issues).
As time went on, there was a gradual change in American policy from
neutrality to direct involvement:
1.
The U.S. began as isolationists.
2.
The U.S. provided economic aid to the Allies through the Lend Lease Act (The
U.S. provided Great Britain with ammunition and old warships in exchange for
military bases in Bermuda and the Caribbean).
3.
Direct involvement in the war came after the United States was attacked by
Japan at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. *
A vast area of heavy fighting took place across Europe, parts of Africa and Asia. We
will discuss the war in two different areas (often called “theaters”).
The European Theatre: Allied forces including the United States, Great Britain, and
the Soviet Union fought the Axis powers across Europe in the Eastern Front, the
Western Front and the Mediterranean.
The Pacific Theatre (The War in the Pacific): Tensions were rising between the
United States and Japan due to Japanese aggression in East Asia ~ Japan had
invaded Indochina (present day – Vietnam and Cambodia). The U.S. was protesting
this invasion by cutting trade with Japan. This cut Japan off from the on thing it
needed – oil! The only way for them to get oil was to seize the Dutch East Indies
(present day Indonesia), but the U.S. navy stood in their way:
*On December 7th, 1941, Japan attacked the United States without warning at Pearl
Harbor, Hawaii. The United States declared war on Japan and in response Germany
declared war on the United States. The United States officially joined the Allies and
was now in World War II. This began the fighting against Japanese forces that took
place in the Far East and across many islands in the Pacific Ocean (“island
hopping”).
 America Enters WWII