Dictators Threaten World Peace

Chapter 16-1

Nationalism Grips Europe & Asia• The seeds of new conflict

were sown as the results of WWI

• Peace had not brought prosperity but economic depression

• Adding fuel to the unrest was the rise of dictators who were driven by the ideal of nationalism

Failures of WWI Peace Settlement• The treaty of WWI, Treaty of Versailles, which was the war

to end all wars did not secure peace but caused resentment & anger

• Germany was forced to accept full responsibility for the war, was stripped of its overseas colonies & border lands, as well as the inability to maintain a military

• USSR also lost territory• The new democracies that emerged after WWI were

severely struggling with many collapsing causing many to turn to authoritarian types of government

Joseph Stalin Transforms the Soviet Union

• In the Soviet Union hopes for a democracy would collapse as Joseph Stalin would come to power establishing a Communist state

• Stalin would make agricultural & industrial growth the main economic goals of the state

• In addition he would abolish all privately owned farms in favor of collectives or government owned farms worked by hundreds of families

Joseph Stalin Transforms the Soviet Union

• Stalin’s goal was to transform the Soviet Union from a backwards rural nation to an industrial power

• He would introduce many plans, which were called “5 Year plans”, to direct industrialization

• All economic activity was placed under control of the government

• By 1937 the Soviet Union had become the worlds second largest industrial power, second only to the U.S.

Joseph Stalin Transforms the Soviet Union

• The cost of this rise in industrial power came at a great cost as anyone who opposed Stain or his plan was eliminated

• Estimates have between 8 & 13 million dead at the hands of Stalin

• Many of the deaths are attributed to starvation during the restructuring of the Soviet government

• By 1939 Stalin had achieved his goal of a Totalitarian government as he had complete control over the people who no had no rights

The Rise of Fascism In Italy• Like Stalin in USSR Benito

Mussolini was also busy establishing a Totalitarian government in Italy

• Mussolini would play on the fears of Communism & economic collapse to come to power

• By 1921 he had established the Fascist Party

• Fascism stressed national pride & would set the interests of the state above those of the individual

• Fascists believed that power must rest with a strong leader & a small group of devoted leaders

The Rise of Fascism In Italy• In October of 1922 Mussolini & his

followers, nicknamed Black Shirts, marched on Rome where he was named head of the Italian government by the king

• Mussolini would run a very efficient government, but at the cost of Italian lives

• He would crush anyone or anything that stood in the way of his Fascist regime

• He would take the name of “Il Duce” or the leader

The Nazis Take Over Germany• In Germany Adolph Hitler would rise

to power promoting the National Socialist German Workers Party or Nazi party

• Hitler dreamed of uniting all German speaking peoples under on flag, the German flag

• He would lay out his plan in his book Mein Kamph or my struggle

• His plan was based on a sense of extreme nationalism

• Hitler believed that his master race, blond haired blue eyed Aryans, were destined to rule the world

• All other races were considered inferior & were to only serve the “master race”

The Nazis Take Over Germany• Hitler believed that the only way for Germany to survive

was through national expansion• This was referred to as lebensraum • Hitler’s rise was a result of the Great Depression as

Germany was mired in deep financial debt & unemployment• Many of the unemployed would join his army known as the

Storm Troopers or Brown Shirts• Out of desperation the German people would turn to Hitler

as their last hope• By 1933 Hitler was in power establishing the Third Reich or

Third German Empire which he believed would last a thousand years

Militarists Gain Control In Japan• In Japan militaristic leaders were

vying for power• They to believed that japan

needed more living space• In a surprise attack Japanese

Military leaders launched an attack on the Chinese province of Manchuria

• The would protest the attack, but to no avail

• The Militarist would become stronger with the victory as many Japanese lauded the success in Manchuria

Aggression In Europe & Africa• With the attack by Japan on Manchuria & the lack

of response by the League of Nations Hitler responded by withdrawing from the League, as well as did Japan, & began a military build up in violation of the Treaty of Versailles

• A year later he would send troops into the Rhineland which was a DMZ

• Once again the League did nothing

Aggression In Europe & Africa• In Africa Mussolini began establishing his empire as he

attacked Ethiopia• By 1936 Ethiopia was under the control of Mussolini & the

Italians • The League responded by talking of collective resistance,

but in the end enacted an ineffective economic boycott• The Ethiopian King appealed to the League saying, “It is us

today”, “It will be you tomorrow”• He was very profound as Europe would soon be under siege

Civil War Breaks out In Spain• In Spain General Francisco Franco

would revolt causing revolts to break out all across Spain bring on a civil war

• Franco would be backed by Hitler & Mussolini while Western powers would remain neutral

• This fostered a close relationship between Hitler & Mussolini as the Rome-Berlin Axis would be formed

• By 1939 Franco was firmly entrench as the leader of Spain

• Another European country was now ruled by a Totalitarian government

The U.S. Responds Cautiously• Most Americans favored a policy of neutrality during this

period as the wounds of WWI were still in mind• The U.S. did sign the Kellogg-Briand Treaty, which basically

outlawed war, but provided no plan or consequences for those who violated the agreement

• Many Americans held the belief that the U.S. was dragged into WWI by the greed of business & bankers

• In the 1930’s a repot by Senator Richard Nye supported this idea making Americans more determined not to be involved in European affairs

American Neutrality• In an attempt to remain neutral

Congress passed the Neutrality Acts which outlawed the sale of arms or loans to warring nations as well as those involved in civil war

• Despite Congressional efforts to keep the U.S. out of the conflict FDR found ways around it

• When Japan launched a new attack on China in 1937 FDR sent supplies to China claiming that Japan had not formally declared war against China, thus the Neutrality Acts did not apply