Semester 2

Week 1

Start of WWII

The Rise of Mussolini 1919, Mussolini founded Italy’s Fascist

Party. Fascism - aggressive nationalism Fascists believed:

the nation was more important than the individual

a nation became great by expanding its territory & building up its military

pledged to return Italy to the glories of the Roman Empire

Through intimidation & terror w/ his “Black Shirts”, Fascists gangs ousted elected officials in N’rn Italy

1922, thousands of Fascists marched on Rome

Fearing a civil war, King Victor Emmanuel III asked Mussolini to form a gov’t & become PM

Once in office, Mussolini worked quickly to destroy democracy & set up a dictatorship

Adolf HitlerHIS RISE

Hitler had fought & wounded in WWI

Germany’s surrender & signing of the Versailles Treaty left him & many other Germans hating the Allies & the German gov’t that accepted the peace terms

National Socialist German Workers’ Party, or the Nazi Party

11/1923, Nazis tried to seize power by marching on city hall in Munich, but the plan failed & Hitler was arrested

MEIN KAMPF While in prison, wrote

autobiography, Mein Kampf (“My Struggle”)

called for the unification of all Germans under one gov’t

claimed that Germans, particularly blond, blue-eyed Germans, belonged to a “master race” called Aryans

argued that Germans needed more lebensraum, or living space; called for Germany to expand east into Poland & Russia

Hitler’s prejudice was strongest toward Jews believed that Jews were

responsible for many of the world’s problems, especially for Germany’s defeat in WWI

Hitler as Der Furher focused on getting Nazis elected to the

Reichstag, the lower house of the German parliament

When the Great Depression struck Germany, many desperate Germans began to vote for radical parties, including the Nazis & Communists 1932, the Nazis were the largest party in

the Reichstag1933, appointed as chancellor, or prime

minister called for new elections; After the election,

the Reichstag, dominated by the Nazis & other right-wing parties, voted to give Hitler dictatorial powers

1934, gave himself the new title of Furher, or “leader.”

began to rebuild Germany’s military, in violation of the Treaty of Versailles

Formation of Axis PowersDuring the Spanish Civil

War, Hitler & Mussolini signed an agreement

Known as the Rome-Berlin Axis

9/1940, Japan aligned itself w/ Germany & Italy when signing the Tripartite Pact; group now known as Axis Powersrequired the countries to

exchange information about Communist groups

3/1938, Hitler sent troops into Austria & announced the Anschluss, or unification, of Austria & Germany

Shortly after Germany annexed Austria, Hitler announced German claims to the Sudetenland, an area of Czechoslovakia w/ a large German-speaking population

France threatened to fight if Germany attacked, & USSR also promised assistance

Hitler Takes Austria & the Sudetenland

Austria

the Sudetenland

Czechoslovakia

AppeasementMUNICH CONFERENCE 9/29/1938, GB & France

agreed to Hitler’s demands, a policy that came to be known as appeasement

Appeasement - policy of giving concessions in exchange for peace

They felt that if they gave Hitler what he wanted, he would be satisfied & war would be avoided

Czechoslovakia was informed that it must give up the Sudetenland or fight Germany on its own

3/1939, Germany sent troops into Czechoslovakia & broke up the country

FALSE BELIEFSEurope’s leaders had

several reasons for believing that Hitler could be satisfied & war avoided: 1. WWI; making many

leaders fearful of another conflict

2. Hitler’s demand to have all German-speaking regions back was reasonable

3. thought Nazis would be interested in peace when they got more territory

10/1938, wanted the Danzig; Baltic Sea port w/ 90% German population, to German control

Hitler’s demands on Poland convinced GB & French that appeasement had failed

3/31/1939, GB announced that if Poland went to war to defend its territory, GB & France would come to its aid

8/23/1939, Germany & USSR signed a nonaggression pactHitler had made the deal to free himself from war

against USSRThere was a secret deal between Germany & USSR to

divide Poland between them9/1/1939, Germany invaded Poland from the west &

the Soviets from the east; Poland falls in 5 weeks9/3, GB & France declared war on Germany,

starting of WWII

Hitler’s Demands of Poland

Germany Making its way to France After WWI, the French had built a line of

concrete bunkers & fortifications called the Maginot Line along the German border

Germans invaded the Netherlands, Belgium & Luxembourg 1st before going around the Line

GB & French forces raced into Belgium; this was a mistake

The Germans easily smashed through French lines, then raced west across N’rn France to the English Channel

GB & French armies trapped in Belgium 6/22/1940, Hitler accepted the French

surrender in the same railway car in which the Germans had surrendered at the end of WWI

Germany now occupied France; installed a puppet gov’t at the town of Vichy & made Marshal Philippe Petain the new gov’t’s figurehead leader

TAKE OUT A SEPARATE SHEET OF PAPER

NUMBER 1-5

PREPARE FOR QUIZ

1. This is aggressive nationalism?2. What did Hitler argue that Germany needed

more of?3. During what event during Hitler &

Mussolini sign into an alliance?4. This is a policy of giving concessions in

exchange for peace. 5. What did the French built at the German

border in the hopes that the Germans would not invade France again?

QUIZ