World War II

Chapter 17
 Overview

League of Nations failed to keep the

peace after World War I.
Dictators in Europe and Militarists in
Japan
1930s democratic nations of Europe
stood against Nazi Germany.
World War II lasted from 1939-1945
United Nations born from this war to
keep the peace.
 Dictatorship vs. Democracy

Japan moved against China and into

East Asia.
Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany also
started to make moves.
League of Nations did nothing to stop
it.
 Japan Aggression in Asia

Japan must obtain raw materials from

other countries to run their industries.
1920s and 1930s Japan developed
long-range plan to acquire the raw
materials.
Plan was to conquer East Asia, but
mostly China.
 September 1931, Japanese seized
Manchuria and renamed Manchukuo
and gave it independence in 1932.
Japan really controlled the government
No one objected
 1937, Japan opened full-scale attack on
China.
Forces quickly overran northern part of
the country
Captured the capital Nanking.
General and head of China, Chiang Kai-
shek, refused to surrender.
Moved the Nationalist forces into
western China and set up new capital.
 War for China lasted from 1937-1945
League of Nations condemned Japans
aggression and gave aid to China.
United States and Soviet Union didnt
not send military force against Japan.
Japan continued for China and in 1940
moved into northern Indochina.
 Spanish Civil War

1931, Spanish people changed

government from monarchy to a
republic.
Government was liberal and proposed
many political and economic reforms.
Nationalists in Spanish army opposed
new government.
 General Francisco Franco led revolt
against republic in 1936.
Had support of right-wing elements in
Spain, wealthy businesspeople, high-
ranking religious leaders, and Spanish
Fascists.
Franco promised to defend Spain from
communism and socialism.
 Thousands of loyalists and volunteers
from other countries joined the
Republican armies to fight against
Franco and the Nationalists.
Mussolini and Hitler wanted a
Nationalist victory in Spain and sent
planes, troops, and weapons to Franco.
Republican forces didnt receive much
aid.
 Soviet Union was the only country to
send aid to Republicans, but they
couldnt hold against the Nationalists.
March 1939, rebels captured capital
city of Madrid. Franco became dictator
of Spain.
Falangist Party remained in power until
Francos death in 1975.
 Fascist Aggression in Africa

Mussolini wanted to rebuild the Roman

Empire.
First step was to invade Ethiopia in
October 1935.
Ethiopia had few modern weapons to
defend.
Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia
pleaded with League to send help.
 League asked people to not sell food
and war materials to Italy until it
withdrew from Ethiopia.
Many nations ignored this.
Italy took over Ethiopia in May 1936
 Nazi Aggression in Europe

Hitler promised to tear up the Treaty of

Versailles.
1935, started actions that violated the
terms.
Began to draft men into German army
Organized air force
No one took steps to stop this!
 Into the Rhineland
1936, Hitler sent troops into the Rhineland.
Border between France and Germany
supposed to be demilitarized.
Hitler ordered troops to withdraw if French
showed any signs of opposition.
French wanted to do something, but
Britain wouldnt back them up.
Nothing was done and Hitler controlled the
area.
 Into Austria

Hitler annexed Austria in 1938

This added to Germanys size and
power.
The Anschluss or union of Germany
and Austria was prohibited by the
Treaty.
No country took any action, again.
 Into Czechoslovakia

Small democratic nation created in

1918
1933, Hitler sent Nazi agents to stir up
riots against the Czech government.
1938, Hitler demanded that
Sudetenland Germans be given rights
to decide to stay with Czechoslovakia
or unite with Germany.
Threatened to invade.
 1938, conference held between Prime
Minister Neville Chamberlain of Britain,
Premier Edouard Daladier of France,
Hitler, and Mussolini.
The Munich Conference gave
Sudetenland to Germany, and Hitler
had to promise to not take over any
more territory in Europe.
 British and French leaders often
followed policy giving to dictators in
order to avoid a war.
This appeasement is what caused
World War II.
Showed the dictators that democratic
nations were weak and frightened to
stop them.
 March 1939, Hitler broke promise and
took over Czechoslovakia.
Britain and France finally ended
appeasement policy and resisted
further Nazi aggression.