Download The Gathering Storm of Fascism and the Weak American Reaction

The Gathering
Storm and the
American Response
An Interactive Internet
Activity
The objective
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This Power Point takes you through a timeline of
events in the 1930s that lay out the road to
America’s direct involvement in WWII. Read each
slide carefully, and whenever you get to a blank
slide with a question or a task to perform labeled in
RED, minimize this file, go to the web, and dig up
the necessary information. Then, condense,
paraphrase, and put it into your own words.
May I suggest you use the Media Center Databases
(newspaper headlines from Newsbank might
impress us) and www.digitalhistory.uh.edu
1933 in the world
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Adolf Hitler appointed
Chancellor on January
30
Massive fire at the
Reichstag (Parliament)
building, February 28,
1933
Enabling Act passed on
March 23, 1933
What happened as a result of the Reichstag fire? (Also:
paste a photo of the fire here).
Why was the Enabling Act passed, and what
power did it give Hitler?
1933 in America
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March 4: Franklin D.
Roosevelt sworn in as
President of the United
States
“We have nothing to
fear but fear itself.”
1934 in the world
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Hitler begins a massive arms build-up, in
violation of the Treaty of Versailles
October 3: Italy invades Ethiopia for oil and
empire in Africa; it takes them nine months to
conquer it!
The League of Nations condemns this action,
but does nothing to stop oil shipments to Italy
through Suez Canal
Hitler and Mussolini believe that the
democracies are weak and powerless to stop
them.
1934 in America
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A special committee led by Senator Gerald Nye
begins Senate hearings into the involvement of
banks and corporations in financing WWI and
supplying arms to Allies; hearings continue for 3
years
The majority of Americans begin to believe that
weapons makers and bankers were primarily
responsible for getting the U.S. into WWI:
weapons makers are called “merchants of death”
Widespread isolationist sentiment develops
1935 in the World
• Hitler announces a plan to build a
500,000 man army, in violation of
the Treaty of Versailles
• Hitler and the Nazis announce the
Nuremberg Laws
What were the Nuremberg Laws?
1935 in America
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FDR reluctantly signs the first Neutrality
Act, preventing U.S. companies and banks
from selling arms or loaning money to
warring nations, forbid American travel to
belligerent nations
Best-selling book in U.S.: The Road to
War, 1914-1917; first in a long line of
books arguing that the U.S. was dragged
into WWI by banks and corporations
1936 in the world
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May 7: Germany remilitarizes the
Rhineland, which borders France
Berlin-Rome Axis created: alliance
between Germany and Italy
Spanish Civil War begins-“Dress rehearsal
for World War II”
Germany hosts the 1936 Summer
Olympics in Berlin: African American
runner Jesse Owens wins four gold
medals!
Find a photo of Jesse Owens from the
1936 Olympics and paste it here.
Rome-Berlin Axis: Hitler and
Mussolini
More on the Spanish Civil War…
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Mussolini and Hitler send troops,
weapons, and money to Fascist Francisco
Franco
Massive bombing of civilian populations
Loyalists supporting the democratic
government receive no help from U.S. due
to Neutrality Act!
What were the “Abraham Lincoln Brigades” in
the Spanish Civil War?
Francisco Franco
Famous Spanish painter Pablo Picasso’s most famous
painting was called Guernica. Here it is! Why did
Picasso make this painting, and what connection does it
have to this era of history?
1937 in the world
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Japan invades China, murdering 300,000
in The Rape of Nanking. The U.S. sends
loans to China but does not get militarily
involved.
Hitler declares his desire for lebensraum,
or living space for his “master race.” He
announces his intention to get it through
territorial expansion.
Find at least two photos of the Rape of Nanking, and summarize
some important facts about this brutal time period.
1937 in America
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70% of Americans polled believed that the
U.S. should have stayed out of WWI and
felt it was a mistake.
FDR signs the 1937 Neutrality Act, which
allows arms sales to warring countries on
a “cash and carry” basis
FDR gives is famous “quarantine speech”
What did FDR mean by “cash and carry” and “quarantine?” Why
couldn’t he openly aid our friends?
1938 in the world
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Mar. 28: Germany annexes Austria peacefully
in the Anschluss (union) without a single shot
fired!
Sept. 29-30: Munich Conference: Great
Britain, France, Italy, and Germany sign a
pact allowing Hitler to annex the Sudetenland
region of Czechoslovakia- Hitler promises
that he will make no further demands for
territory... Oops- big mistake.
Nov. 9-10: Kristallnacht
Why did Austria actually welcome Hitler? Find
two photos of the “Anschluss” and paste them
here.
Why was British Prime Minister Chamberlain blamed for
“appeasement?” What does this word mean in reference to
Munich?
British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and
Hitler at Munich
What was Kristallnacht? Write a summary and find two
pictures.
1938 in America
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Isolationist, anti-war organizations form: America First
Committee, led by Charles Lindbergh
Congressman Louis Ludlow proposes a constitutional
amendment requiring a national vote before war!
75% of Americans do not want to allow more Jewish
exiles into the US
FDR asks Congress for $300 million in new military
spending
FDR plans for annual production of 50,000 planes
Louis/Schmeling Rematch 1938
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Who were Louis and
Schmeling?What
was the background
to this fight? Who
won? Was there any
nationalistic
significance?
Insert a picture(s)
of Louis and
Schmeling or the
fight
Why was Charles Lindbergh America’s most famous
celebrity? What were his beliefs about the war?
Who was Henry Ford, and what political views did he express
during the 30s and 40s?
Please carefully examine each of the next 5 slides, which
each have a photograph. Study them closely, and type in
what you think is going on in each picture.
1939 in the world
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Mar. 15: Hitler takes over the rest of
Czechoslovakia, in violation of the Munich
Pact
Aug.: Hitler and Stalin sign a non-aggression
treaty, agreeing to divide up Poland
Sept. 1: Germany invades Poland; World War
II begins.
Sept. 3: Great Britain and France declare war
on Germany, fulfilling treaties
Sept. 17: Stalin marches into Poland from the
east- he and Hitler divide it.
Find a photo from the invasion of Poland.
What is the message of this cartoon?
1939 in America
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FDR submits a $1.3 billion defense
budget; “Hitler and Mussolini were
madmen who respected force and force
alone”
Neutrality Act of 1939 passed: allowed
sale of weapons to Britain, France, and
China on a “cash and carry” basis
1940 in the world
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May 10: German Blitzkrieg (lightning war) begins in
Europe
Winston Churchill becomes British Prime Minister
Within ONE MONTH, Denmark, Norway, Holland,
Belgium, and Luxembourg all fall to Nazis.
June 22: France surrenders to Hitler.
July 10: Battle of Britain begins. “The Blitz” unleashed
on London and other major cities.
Japan, Italy, and Germany sign Tripartite Pact,
creating the “Axis”
Hitler takes Paris
Sir Winston Churchill takes charge!
The Blitz in London
The Blitz Continues
The tubes
1940 in America
• July: FDR promises Americans that he will not
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send your boys to any foreign wars”
July: “Destroyers for bases” deal gives 50
destroyers to Britain for eight bases
Sept.: Selective Service Act passed: first
peacetime draft ever; 16 million registered
FDR wins reelection
Dec. 29: FDR calls upon Americans to become
“the arsenal of democracy”
1941 in the world
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June 22: Germany invades the
Soviet Union
Oct. 18: General Hideki Tojo
becomes the Premier of Japan
German U-boat sinks U.S. destroyer
Ruben James
Hideki Tojo
1941 in America
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Mar.: Lend-Lease Act is passed: FDR given the power
to sell or lease arms to Britain and Soviet Union;
Germans use U-boats to attack ships
July 26: FDR freezes trade with Japan, including oil
Aug.: FDR and Churchill create the Atlantic Charter:
the vision for the free world!
Dec. 7: Japan bombs U.S. base at Pearl Harbor,
Hawaii.
U.S. and G.B. declare war on Japan, Germany and Italy
declare war on the U.S.
What were the “Four Freedoms” guaranteed in
the Atlantic Charter written by FDR and
Churchill?
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Freedom of
Freedom of
Freedom from
Freedom from
Pearl Harbor: Day of Infamy 12/7/41