FASCISM ON THE MOVE

1931-1939

I. GLOBAL DEPRESSION• A. Europe: still rebuilding from WWI; need to fix

up home countries-Britain, France, Italy, Germany

• B. USA: loaned European countries the $$ they needed to rebuild after WWI made US stock market increase

• C. 1929: US stock market crashed NO MORE US LOANS TO EUROPE

Democracy: have to get a majority to agree on every decision

Dictators: don’t ask anyone, just take action

II. DICTATORS TOOK CONTROL• Totalitarianism: gov’t controls all aspects of life• Fascism: people’s only loyalty must be to the state

(a.k.a. the dictator’s party)

THINGS THESE DICTATORS HAD IN COMMON:1. Require people to give up INDIVIDUAL FREEDOMS 2. PROPAGANDA: used to convince people sacrifices

are necessary… “Do your part”3. POLICE STATE: Dictator punishes those who

disobey4. Want to make their country a WORLD POWER

A. Emperor Hirohito/Japan

Territory he Wanted:

• Eastern Asia

• Pacific Islands

• Australia

“Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere” empire

Hirohito’s Actions• 1931:Invades Manchuria in

China-Blows up own railroad and blames it on Chinese as excuse to invade-Most resource-rich province in China-Gains coal, oil, iron

• 1937: Conquers ports in southern China-Control of trade in East Asia-League of Nations does not act

to stop Japanese aggression

B. Benito Mussolini/ Italy• Territory he wanted: -Mediterranean Sea Region (return to Roman Empire)

Mussolini’s Actions:

• 1936: Troops fight in Spanish Civil War

(Back up Spain’s fascist leader, gain combat experience, 80,000 men)

• 1939: Italy invades Albania

(tiny mountainous nation, gateway to Greece and rest of Mediterranean)

1935: Italy invades Ethiopia (a desert colony; poison gas, tanks, and bombers; show of force)

Joseph Stalin/U.S.S.R.• Territory he wanted: -Eastern European countries (Poland, Romania, etc) -Warm-water port (Black Sea)• Stalin’s Actions:• 1939: Took over Estonia

-Tiny Baltic nation-Buffer against Western influence-Naval ports

“Buffer Zone” for Soviet Union???

Adolf Hitler/ Germany

• Territory he wanted:

-Lands taken from Germany by Treaty of Versailles (end of WWI)

-Lands to East of Germany (Lebensraum=“living space” for Aryan race)

Hitler’s Actions• 1936: Troops occupied the Rhineland

-Forbidden by Treaty of Versailles

-Britain & France focused on Depression, fail to stop Hitler

• 1936: Troops fight in Spain’s Civil War

-Gain combat experience, practice strategy of “blitzkrieg” (lightning war)

• 1938: Announces “Union” with Austria

-Gave Austria option of voting to join Germany or be invaded

-Another German-speaking land

Actions to Get Territory (continued)

• 1938: Munich Conference

-Hitler, Mussolini, British and French (Allied) leaders (Chamberlain, Daladier)

-Allies: won’t stop Germany from taking Sudetenland (German part of Czecho-slovakia)

-Hitler: Sudetenland will be his last demand

“APPEASEMENT”-Appeasement: Allied

strategy for peace with Hitler: give in to demands, prevent war

-This is how the Allies reacted in response to Hitler’s aggression

-Chamberlain: “I believe it means peace for our time”…thought Hitler could be trusted

Actions to Get Territory• Germany Invades Czechoslovakia (’39)

-Uses bases in Sudetenland

-Britain and France: if you invade Poland, we’re declaring war

Non-Aggression Pact (’39): treaty btw. Germany and USSR (Hitler and Stalin)

1) Ger. and USSR not to attack each other

2) SECRET PART: Germany and USSR will both invade Poland and split it between the two countries

WORLD WAR TWO

• 1939 Hitler invades Poland, Allies declare war

• Allies=Britain, France• Axis Powers= Germany,

Italy, Japan

(Tripartite Agreement, 1937)• USA declared neutrality

ON SCRAP PAPER:

• Answer these questions…

1) What is Fascism?

2) What is Totalitarianism?

3) What do they both have in common?

4) Why are fascism and totalitarianism “un-American” ideas?

USA Reacts to Fascism’s Spread

• Neutrality Acts: passed by Congress 1935 and 1936-No US sale of weapons to warring nations-No US travel on ships of warring nations-No US credit to warring nations (must pay cash for goods; non-military items only)

• FDR and military: asked Congress for &1.3 billion military budget 1939-Wanted US to be prepared in case of attack

Threat from Japan

• Japan attacks China 1931-37: FDR approves small loans to China, urges boycott of Japanese silk

• Trade Embargo 1940: FDR bans shipment of iron, steel, oil to Japan

• Japan must conquer more colonies to obtain these resources

• Japan’s Admiral Yamamoto: USA is only threat to Japan’s goal of expansion in Pacific Ocean

Closer to War

• Sept. 1940 Destroyer-Landbase Deal: USA gives Britain 50 old destroyer ships, gets naval bases in Canada, Caribbean, South America

• Sept 1940 Selective Service Act: all men btw. 21-35 register for military draft, can only serve within W. Hemisphere

• Over 1 million men drafted and trained for service in Army, Navy, Marines

FDR: U.S. will be “Arsenal of Democracy”

• Jan. 6, 1941: “Four Freedoms” Speech: US must lend Britain weapons to fight war

• Britain now facing “the Blitz”: continued bombing by German air force

• US has to support all nations who want to fight to keep alive human freedoms

• Congress later approved “Lend-Lease Act” (1941), US economically at war with Germany