Download The Road to World War II

The Road to World War II
Warm up;
Explain what the
cartoonist
suggests Hitler is
doing?
Who are the
other people in
this picture and
what does the
cartoonist think
of them?
1.The Versailles Treaty
Revenge and bitterness
A Weak League of Nations
The Ineffectiveness of the
League of Nations
 No control of major conflicts.
 No progress in disarmament.
 No effective military force.
International Agreements
Locarno Pact – 1925
 France, Germany, Great Britain,
Italy



Guarantee existing frontiers
Establish DMZ 30 miles deep on East
bank of Rhine River
Refrain from aggression against each
other
Kellogg-Briand Pact – 1928
 Makes war illegal as a tool of
diplomacy

No enforcement provisions
2.The “Stab-In-The-Back” Theory
Big Lie – Hate and the Master Race
3.The Great Depression
And Fascism
4.War memories and
Appeasement
Appeasement: The policy of making
concessions to an aggressor in order to
avoid war
Germany: Aggressor
France & Britain: Appeasers
(countries trying to avoid war)
January 1933: Hitler became
Chancellor of Germany
1. Germany breaks the Treaty of
Versailles, builds offensive
weapons
RESPONSE: NOTHING
Japan Invades Manchuria, 1931
U. S. Neutrality Acts:
1934, 1935, 1937, 1939
America-First Committee
Charles Lindbergh
Italy Attacks Ethiopia, 1935
Emperor
Haile
Selassie
2. Germany Invades the
Rhineland
March 7, 1936
RESPONSE:
NOTHING
Rome-Berlin Axis, 1936
The “Pact of Steel”
The Japanese Invasion
of China, 1937
3.Germany invades Austria - 1938
RESPONSE:
NOTHING
4. The “Problem” of the
Sudetenland (German speaking region
of Czechoslovakia)
Response: Britain threatens war –
The Munich Conference
Appeasement: The Munich Agreement,
1938
Hitler promises the Sudetenland will be the
last land Germany will invade. Chamberlain
backed down from promise of war and chose
to give Hitler the Sudetenland (to appease
him) in exchange for his promise not to
invade other countries.
Now we have “peace in our time!”
Herr Hitler is a man we can do
business with.
British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain
Czechoslovakia Becomes Part of
the Third Reich when Germany
invades the rest of the country:
1939
RESOPNSE: NOTHING
Chamberlain’s job is on the line.
British government in turmoil,
Churchill to become prime minister.
The Nazi-Soviet
Non-Aggression Pact, 1939
Foreign Ministers
von Ribbentrop & Molotov
Stalin
Hitler
The non-aggression pact was surprising. Hitler and Stalin were seen as natural
enemies.
When Hitler talked of taking over new land for Germany, many thought that he
meant Russia.
Hitler also hated Communism, the form of government in Russia
Poland Attacked: Sept. 1, 1939
Blitzkrieg [“Lightening War”] – aggressive
and coordinated strike with soldiers, tank
units, and air support
Britain and France declared war on
Germany, but did nothing to help the
Poles.
The Soviets invaded eastern Poland on
September 17, 1939, splitting Poland
with Germany
Germany claimed its first victims at sea 10
minutes after Britain declared war
(9/03/39).
The War in the Atlantic was the sustained
attack at sea by German U-Boats
(submarines) mines, airplanes, and surface
raiders.
Despite agreeing to aid Poland, after
declaring war, Britain and France did
nothing. This time was called
“sitzkrieg” or phony war
German Troops March into Warsaw
Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis, 1940
The Tripartite Pact
Axis Leaders
Germany Adolf Hitler
Entered War – Sept 1, 1939
Italy
Benito Mussolini
Entered War – Sept 1, 1939
Japan
Emperor Hirohito
(influenced by Hideki Tojo)
Entered War – Dec 7, 1941
Allied Leaders
Great Britain
Winston Churchill
Entered War – Sept 1, 1939
France
Charles DeGaulle
Entered War – Sept 1, 1939
Allied Leaders
• Soviet Union Josef Stalin
Entered War – June 22, 1941
• United States Franklin Roosevelt
Entered War
– Dec 7, 1941