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The Mexican Revolution

The Mexican Revolution was brought on by a tremendous disagreement among the Mexican

people over the dictatorship of President Porfirio Diaz. Diaz stayed in office for thirty one years.

During that span, power was concentrated in the hands of a select few; the people had no power to

express their opinions or select their public officials. Wealth was concentrated in the hands of the few,

and injustice was everywhere, in the cities and the countryside alike.

Early in the 20th Century, a new generation of young leaders arose who wanted to participate in

the political life of their country, but they were denied the opportunity by the officials who were

already in power. This group of young leaders believed that they could assume a role in Mexican

politics once President Diaz announced publicly that Mexico was ready for democracy. Although the

Mexican Constitution called for public election and other institutions of democracy, Diaz and his

supporters used their political and economic resources to stay in power indefinitely.

Francisco I. Madero was one of the strongest believers that President Diaz should renounce his

power and not seek re-election. Together with other young reformers, Madero created a new political

party, which he represented in presidential elections. Madero was a supporter of democracy and he

wanted to make the government follow the law. The success of Madero's movement made him a threat

in the eyes of President Diaz. Shortly before the elections of 1910, Madero was captured and

imprisoned. Learning of Diaz's re-election, Madero fled to the United States in October of 1910. In

exile, he issued the ''Plan of San Luis,'' a manifesto which declared that the elections had been a fraud

and that he would not recognize Porfirio Diaz as the legitimate President of the Republic.

Instead, Madero made the daring move of declaring himself President Pro-Temp until new

elections could be held. Madero promised to return all land which had been confiscated from the

peasants, and he called for universal voting rights and for a limit of one term for the president. Madero's

call for an uprising on November 20th, 1910, marked the beginning of the Mexican Revolution.

In Chihuahua, Mexico Madero was able to persuade Francisco “Poncho” Villa to join the

revolution. Though he had no military experience, Villa proved to be excellent strategist, and he earned

the allegiance of the people of northern Mexico. In March of 1911, Emiliano Zapata, another local

revolutionary led an uprising of the peasants. At the same time, armed revolt began in many other parts

of the country. These revolts, and the national anger which inspired them, defeated the army of Diaz

within six months. The decisive victory of the Mexican Revolution led Porfirio Diaz to resign as

President and he fled to exile in France, where he died in 1915. With the collapse of the Diaz regime,

the Mexican Congress called for national popular elections, which resulted in the victory of Francisco I.

Madero as President.

1.Who was Porfirio Diaz?

2.Why were the Mexican people unhappy?

3.Who was Francisco Madero?

4.How did the Mexican Revolution start?



5.Who are Poncho Villa and Emiliano Zapata?

6.How did the revolution end?

In 1911, counterrevolutionary revolts crushed under General Victoriano Huerta. This led to a

dependency on the disloyal army. In 1913, Madero was overthrown and killed, along with vice

president, in a coup d'état headed by the army's commander-in-chief, the same General Victoriano

Huerta.

With Madero dead, Huerta seized power. This seizure of power was supported by the wealthy

aristocracy, who saw this as an effort to restore the Diaz system. Local leaders redirected their efforts,

this time fighting against the new government and accusing Huerta of plotting Madero's murder in

cahoots with the U. S ambassador. Leaders such as Villa, Zapata, Carranza and Obregón led the

fighting against Huerta. Pressure from the United States combined with the assaults of the rebels,

eventually led to the fall of Huerta.

In an attempt to restrain the slaughter, the governor of the northern state, Venustiano Carranza,

formed the Constitutional Army to create a new constitution. He managed to create the Constitution of

1917. The Constitution addressed foreign ownership of resources, an organized labor code, the role of

the Roman Catholic Church in education and land reform. Education itself was to be free and without

religious involvement. One other important clause was one that protected the rights of the workers,

giving them the right to strike and eight hour work days.

The Carranza government also did not last or enforce many of the reforms in the Constitution of

1917. In 1920, General Álvaro Obregón, who had served as Minister of War and of the Navy, revolted

against him along with two other leading generals. Carranza was assassinated on May 21, 1920;

Carranza had already had Zapata killed in an ambush in 1919.

Obregón assumed power and by bringing peace to the country proved to be not only a capable

military man, but also an able politician. Under Obregón's control, an artistic and creative renaissance

took place in Mexico: mural and fresco techniques from Pre-Columbian cultures were revived and

honored. He was responsible for the creation of a number of unions. Obregón sought reelection in 1928,

an illegal act under the Constitution of 1917, and was in fact reelected, but was assassinated by a

Catholic extremist before taking office.

1. How did Huerta take control of the government? How did the Huerta government fall?

2. Who was Venustiano Carranza?

3. Why was the creation of a constitution important to Mexico?

4. What are some things that the constitution granted?



Mustafa Kemal

The Ottoman Empire was destroyed after WWI. In Turkey this brought a call for independence.

The person in control of Turkey was the sultan; a harsh, corrupt ruler who did not care about the people

of his country.

Mustafa Kemal wanted to free Turkey from oppressive rule. He said, “This nation has never

lived without independence. We cannot and shall not live without it. Either independence or death."

Mustafa Kemal emerged as the national liberator of the Turks when was in its last days. Already a

legendary hero of many battles, he became in 1919 the leader of the Turkish emancipation. With a small

and ill-equipped army, he repelled the invading enemy forces. He even had to contend with the Sultan's

troops and local bands of rebels before he could gain complete control of the Turkish homeland. By

September 1922, he had received one of history's most difficult triumphs.

Within a few weeks, the Turkish mainland was completely liberated, the armistice signed, and

the rule of the Ottoman dynasty abolished. In 1923, the Republic was proclaimed and Mustafa Kemal

was unanimously elected President of the Republic.

As the national struggle ended, the heroic leader proclaimed:" Following the military triumph we

accomplished by bayonets, weapons and blood, we shall strive to win victories in such fields as culture,

scholarship, science, and economics," adding that “the enduring benefits of victories depend only on the

existence of an army of education."

The New Turkey's ideology was, and remains, "Kemalism", later known as "Atatürkism". Its

basic principles stress the republican form of government, secular administration, and nationalism, a

mixed economy, and most importantly modernization. Atatürkism introduced to Turkey the process of

democracy. This was the first Muslim nation to become a Republic; Turkey has served since the early

1920s as a model for Muslim and non-Muslim nations in the emerging world.

Atatürk as Kemal became known means “Father of the Turks.” He was given that name because

of his love for his country and for liberating its people. When he finally gained control he began to

reform Turkey. The most important goal was to Westernize, which means begin to make Turkey a

modern industrial nation. He encouraged people to wear western clothes, this would help them

westernize more rapidly. He also encouraged incorporating western ideas into government, the economy

and civil rights.

He also made many cultural reforms. With faith in the importance of women in society, Atatürk

launched reforms to give Turkish women equal rights and opportunities. The new Civil Code, adopted in

1927, abolished polygamy and recognized the equal rights of women in divorce, custody, and

inheritance. The entire educational system from the grade school to the university became

coeducational. He gave women the same opportunities as men, including full political rights. In the mid-

1930s, 18 women, among them a villager, were elected to the national parliament. Later, Turkey had the

world's first female Supreme Court justice. He died in 1938, but it still hailed as the Father of modern

Turkey.

1. Who is Mustafa Kemal?

2. What does Atatürk mean?

3. What were some of his reforms?



The Rise of Fascism

Between the First and Second World Wars, fascist parties emerged across Europe. The

main idea of fascism was to destroy the will of the individual in favor of the “people.” Fascists

wanted a unified society, but they were not concerned with eliminating private property or class

distinctions. Instead, fascists pushed for another identity, one rooted in extreme nationalism,

which often relied on racial identity.

Fascism is a division of totalitarianism. A totalitarian ruler rules absolutely, attempting to

control every aspect of citizens’ lives. Fascists are a little different because they rely heavily on

nationalism. Their particular brand of nationalism is racism. This means that all the power was in

the hands of one militaristic leader. There are a few countries in which fascism rose, in Russia

under Stalin, Italy under Mussolini and Germany under Hitler.

1. Define fascism.

2. Define totalitarianism.

Italy: The First Fascist State

Italy was going through many problems after World War I. Italy had 600,000 deaths and

received nothing in the Versailles Treaty. The lack of acknowledgement by the Allies, coupled

with Post-war problems like national debt, high unemployment, poverty, anger, strikes, riots, and

demands for land reform caused Italy to need a change.

Italy was the first state to have a fascist government. The founder of this government was

Benito Mussolini, who created the Nationalist Fascist Party in 1919. Mussolini recalled the

glories of the ancient Roman Empire, in contrast to the defeat and poverty of the new 20th

century. The members of the party, known as Blackshirts, fought against the violent movements

of Socialists and Communists on the Left. This won them wide support among all of whom

feared disorder. By 1921, the party seated its first members in the Italian parliament.

Although the fascists were just starting out and had limited representation, Mussolini

demanded that King Victor Emanuel III give him and several other fascists some positions in

government. To rally support, Mussolini organized his parliamentary thugs to march to Rome

and seize power. Rather than cause a fight between the army and the fascists, the king named

Mussolini Prime Minister.

Mussolini faced very little opposition to his consolidation of political power. He took

over parliament in 1922. When he did take over Mussolini limited the power of parliament,

banned labor unions, abolished rival political parties, set up a secret police, and used the Black

Shirts to intimidate opponents. He also used propaganda. He was called "Il Duce" (the Leader),

and propaganda photos and documentary films, music, education, television, and parades to help

his image. In addition he rejected Democracy, Capitalism, Liberalism, Free Trade, Marxism, and

just about everything else, “only the Duce can solve your problems.”

1. What were some problems in post-war Italy?

2. What did Mussolini do when he received all political power?



Italian Foreign Policy

By 1926 Italy was transformed into a fascist totalitarian regime. To rally the people in a

nationalistic cause, Italy started to focus on expansion, mainly in North Africa. Mussolini shifted

to a form of aggressive nationalism. An example of this was Corfu, an island he conquered in

1923. He soon set up a puppet regime in Albania and in reconquered Libya. It was his dream to

make the Mediterranean "mare nostrum” (our sea).

Italy controlled countries in Africa but had failed several times to colonize Ethiopia. In

October 1935 Mussolini sent the Italian Army into Ethiopia. The League of Nations condemned

Italy's aggression. They made an attempt to ban countries from selling arms, rubber and some

metals to Italy.

Over 400,000 Italian troops fought in Ethiopia. The poorly armed Ethiopians were no

match for Italy's modern tanks and airplanes. The Italians even used mustard gas on the home

forces and were able to capture the capital of the country, in May 1936, forcing Emperor Haile

Selassie to flee to England. Adolf Hitler had been inspired by Mussolini's achievements and once

he gained power in Germany he sought a close relationship with Italy. In October 1936 the two

men signed a non-military alliance.

1. Why did Mussolini turn to an imperialist?

2. How did Mussolini influence Adolf Hitler?

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERhitler.htm



Fascism in Germany

Immediately following World War I, a revolt occurred that left Germany in a mess. But because

of the large number of Germans favored democracy and this was the beginning of the Weimar Republic.

The Weimar Republic was in trouble from its inception. With the unsteady government many

new political parties began to form. Corporal Adolf Hitler was ordered in September 1919 to investigate

a small group in Munich known as the German Workers' Party. In 1920 the party was renamed the

Nationalist Socialist German Workers’ Party, or the Nazis. Hitler joined the party and would slowly rise

to the head of the party.

In 1923 things became bad in Germany. They could no longer pay reparations to the Allied

countries. On 8th November, 1923, the Bavarian government held a meeting with about 3,000 officials.

Adolf Hitler and armed storm troopers entered the building. Hitler jumped onto a table, fired two shots

in the air and told the audience that the Munich Putsch or (Beer Hall Putsch) was taking place and the

National Revolution had begun. It was a failed attempt and Hitler was sent to prison, however it was in

prison that Hitler’s true voice would be heard and published in his book Mein Kampf or My Struggle.

This book would be the key to his success after prison.

1. How did Hitler become a member of the Nazi Party?

2. What was Mein Kampf?

The Nazi Party

By May of 1926, Hitler was released and had defeated any rivals within the Nazi Party and

assumed the title of supreme leader (Führer). From the years 1926-1929, the Nazi Party was relatively

small and quiet. On October 29, 1929, the Wall Street stock market crashed with disastrous worldwide

effects. The whole world suffered, companies bankrupted, banks failed and people lost their life savings.

Unemployment soared; poverty and starvation became real for everyone. Governments seemed

powerless to help. Adolf Hitler knew his time had come.

Hitler had a large support base with the peasants and workers. He used the uncertainty of the

government to gain more power by claiming he could do it better. By the 1930 Reichstag (legislative

house) election the Nazi’s were beginning to gain substantial support. The election gave them 107 seats

in the Reichstag, which made them Germany’s second largest party. In 1932 Hitler decided to challenge

Paul von Hindenburg the current president, for his seat. Hitler was defeated. But two years later, Hitler

used Germany’s suffering to his advantage. Hitler became chancellor in 1933, and concentrated power

to the Nazi Party. The German leaders seriously underestimated Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party.

1. How did the Wall Street crash help Hitler rise to power?

An old comrade of Hitler's sent a telegram to President Hindenburg regarding his new

chancellor. Former General Erich Ludendorff had once supported Hitler and had even participated in the

failed Beer Hall Putsch in 1923.

"By appointing Hitler Chancellor of the Reich you have handed over our sacred German

Fatherland to one of the greatest demagogues of all time. I prophesy to you this evil man will plunge our

Reich into the abyss and will inflict immeasurable woe on our nation. Future generations will curse you

in your grave for this action." - General Erich Ludendorff



Adolf Hitler Becomes Dictator

Adolf Hitler, the new Chancellor of Germany, used the rules of democracy to legally establish

himself as dictator. Hitler's plan was to establish a majority of elected Nazis in the Reichstag which

would become a rubber stamp, passing whatever laws he desired while making it all perfectly legal.

The burning down of the Reichstag happened on February 27, 1933. The Reichstag Fire was

blamed on the Communists, and Hitler used this event to obtain Hindenburg's signature to suspend a

number of constitutional civil liberties. This would allow the Nazi government to take swift and harsh

action against the communists. On his first day as chancellor, Hitler manipulated Hindenburg into

dissolving the Reichstag and calling for the new elections.

After the new elections, the Nazis began a systematic takeover of the state governments

throughout Germany. Armed SA and SS thugs barged into local government offices to throw out

legitimate office holders and replace them with Nazi Reich commissioners. Hitler proposed the Enabling

Act, which gave him dictatorial powers for four years. With his new powers Adolf Hitler becomes

dictator of Germany in March 1933.

1. How did the Reichstag fire help Hitler?

2. What was the Enabling Act?

The Consolidation of Nazi Power

This was the birth of the Third Reich in German history. When Hindenburg died in 1934, Hitler

had abolished the Presidential Office and merged it with his own to become the official Chancellor of

Germany.

In May 1933, the Nazis ordered the abolition of the independent labor unions. Both strikes and

lockouts were forbidden. Later during the spring of 1933, the Nazis banned all other political parties

making the Nazi Party the only legal party. Hitler put big business under government control. The

government had also outlawed freedom of the press and held a massive book burning. The Germans

burned all books with "UnGerman" ideas. Some writers were Einstein, Freud, Hemingway, and Karl

Marx. The formation of the Gestapo (secret state police) hunted down enemies and opponents of the

government. Some were jailed and shot on suspicion alone. 1933 also saw the birth of the first

concentration camps for enemies of the state.

Hitler had a plan to rebuild Germany. To deal with the Depression Hitler launched large public

works including the construction of superhighways (autobahns), and established a labor service to

provide jobs. He also built houses and replanted forests.

Hitler also focused on rearming Germany, in violation of the Versailles Treaty. The need for

hardware stimulated the economy and started to end unemployment. Because of this Germany was the

first country to rise up from the depression.

1. What did Hitler do to rebuild Germany?



2. How did Hitler violate the Versailles Treaty?

The Night of Long Knives

By 1934 Adolf Hitler appeared to have complete control over Germany, but he constantly feared

that others wanted his power. To protect himself, Hitler used the tactic of divide and rule and

encouraged other leaders such as Goering, Goebbels, Himmler and Rohm to compete with each other for

senior positions.

Rohm was particularly hated because as leader of the Sturm Abteilung (SA) he had tremendous

power and had the potential to remove any one of his competitors. Hitler was aware that Rohm and the

SA had the power to remove him and decided to stop it.

In June 1934, Hitler, accompanied by the SS, arrived at Wiesse, where he arrested Rohm. During

the next 24 hours 200 senior SA officers were arrested, however many were murdered. Fearing Rohm’s

strength, he was also shot by SS soldiers.

Hitler called the purge of the SA the Night of the Long Knives. In his speech Hitler explained

why he had not relied on the courts to deal with the conspirators:

"In this hour I was responsible for the fate of the German people, and thereby I become the

supreme judge of the German people. I gave the order to shoot the ringleaders in this treason."

The Night of the Long Knives was a turning point in the history of Hitler's Germany. Hitler had

made it clear that he was the supreme ruler of Germany who had the right to be judge and jury, and had

the power to decide whether people lived or died.

1. What was the purpose of the Night of Long Knives?

2. Why was this event a turning point in German History?

Prelude to War

This work is the intellectual property of MrHubbshistory.com.

Content copyright 2009-2012. MrHubbsHistory. All rights reserved.

In 1933, Hitler began to rebuild the German military. This was a clear violation of the Treaty of

Versailles. Many European countries including Great Britain and France did not object because they

feared another war. Later the year, Germany withdrew from the League of Nations.

Meanwhile Spain had established a parliamentary democracy in 1931. In 1936 a group of army

officers under the leadership of General Francisco Franco took control. A civil war broke out. Germany

and Italy were quick to support Franco’s troops. In 1939 Franco was able to capture Madrid and install a

dictatorship in Spain.

Back in Germany in 1935, Hitler continued his policy of restoring Germany. His first action was

taking back the Rhineland. In 1937 Germany signed an alliance with Japan. In early 1938 Hitler annexed

Austria, and moved to reclaim the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia. The Munich Conference of 1938,

which included Hitler, Mussolini, and Neville Chamberlain of Great Britain discussed more terms of

expansion. Hitler was given the Sudetenland; in return for the land Hitler was to stop his expansion. This

policy is known as appeasement, to give in to demands to avoid a war. This policy of appeasement

worked for one year and in 1939, Hitler claimed the rest of Czechoslovakia.

The rest of Europe was shocked but did nothing to remove the Nazis from Czechoslovakia. In

March 1939 Italy invaded Albania. But the Western powers did not help Albania; instead they signed

nonaggression pacts with Greece, Turkey, Romania, and Poland. These agreements stated that if any

country were to be attacked, they would all go to war.

The Germans signed the “Pact of Steel” uniting Germany and Italy in May 1939. Germany also

signed the Nazi-Soviet Pact in august 1939. They determined how Eastern Europe would be split among

them. Germany would take Eastern Poland and Lithuania, and Russia would get the remainder of

Poland, Finland and the Baltic States.

With a secure agreement with Russia, German forces marched into Poland on September 1,

1939. Two days later, Britain realized that diplomacy had failed and declared war on Germany, with

France following suit. World War II had begun.

1. Why did the Western Powers allow Germany to rearm itself?

2. What happened at the Munich Conference?

3. What was the Nazi-Soviet Pact?

4. Why was it so important?

Hitler’s Anti-Semitism

"Once I really am in power, my first and foremost task will be the annihilation of the Jews. As

soon as I have the power to do so, I will have gallows built in rows - at the center of the city in Munich,

for example - as many as traffic allows.”

"Then the Jews will be hanged indiscriminately, and they will remain hanging until they stink;

they will hang there as long as the principles of hygiene permit. As soon as they have been untied, the

next batch will be strung up, and so on down the line, until the last Jew in Munich has been

exterminated. Other cities will follow suit, precisely in this fashion, until all Germany has been

completely cleansed of Jews."

–Adolf Hitler

Hitler was an anti-Semite. Anti-Semitism is the hatred for the Jews. For Hitler life was a constant

struggle, a struggle between individuals, people, and races. In the eyes of Hitler the Jews were

responsible for all social vices including prostitution and white-slave traffic. Hitler adopted the crude

simplistic outlook on life: the Jews are the source of all evil in this world. Hitler found a purpose in life,

cleansing Germany of the Jews. Hatred of the Jews became his obsession, his creed, faith and religion.

In Mein Kampf, Hitler argued that the German (he described them as the Aryan race) was

superior to all others. "Every manifestation of human culture, every product of art, science and technical

skill, which we see before our eyes today, is almost exclusively the product of Aryan creative power."

Hitler warned that the Aryan's superiority was being threatened by intermarriage. If this

happened world civilization would decline: "On this planet of ours human culture and civilization are

bound up with the presence of the Aryan. If he should be exterminated or subjugated, then the dark

shroud of a new barbarian era would enfold the earth."

According to Adolf Hitler, Jews were responsible for modern art, pornography and prostitution.

Hitler also alleged that the Jews had been responsible for losing WWI. He claimed that Jews, who were

only about 1% of the population, were slowly taking over the country.

Once Hitler was in power he began to make the Jews his permanent target and planned to make

life so unpleasant for Jews in Germany that they would leave. The first major instance of this was the

Nuremberg Laws. This was a set of laws to single out the Jew:

1. A citizen of the Reich may be only one who is of German or kindred blood, and who,

through his behavior, shows that he is fit to serve the German people and the Reich.

2. Marriages between Jews and subjects of German or kindred blood are forbidden.

3. Extramarital intercourse between Jews and subjects of German or kindred blood is forbidden.

4. Jews are forbidden to fly the Reich and national flag and to display the Reich colors.

5. They are, on the other hand, allowed to display the Jewish colors. The exercise of this right

enjoys the protection of the state.

Germans were also encouraged not to use Jewish doctors and lawyers. Members of the SA put pressure

on people not to buy goods produced by Jewish companies. Many Jewish people who could no longer

earn a living left. The number of Jews emigrating increased after the passing of the Nuremberg Laws in

1935. Under this new law Jews could no longer be citizens of Germany.

1. Define anti-Semitism.

2. What are the Nuremberg Laws?

3. How did they affect the German Jews?

Kristallnacht

"Once the hatred and the battle against the Jews have been really stirred up, their

resistance will necessarily crumble in the shortest possible time. They are totally defenseless,

and no one will stand up to protect them."

-Adolf Hitler

The pressure on Jews to leave Germany intensified. Hitler, Goebbels and Heydrich organized a

new program designed to encourage Jews to emigrate. Kristallnacht took place on 9th-10th November,

1938. This was presented as a spontaneous reaction of the German people to the news that the German

diplomat had been murdered by a young Jewish refugee in Paris.

During Kristallnacht or the Night of Broken Glass, over 7,500 Jewish shops were destroyed and

400 synagogues were burnt down. Ninety-one Jews were killed and an estimated 20,000 were sent to

concentration camps. The only people punished for the crimes of Kristallnacht were members of the SA

who had raped Jewish women because they had broken the Nuremberg Laws on sexual intercourse

between Aryans and Jews.

After Kristallnacht the numbers of Jews wishing to leave Germany increased. It has been

calculated that between 1933 and 1939, approximately half the Jewish population of Germany left the

country. A higher number of Jews would have left but anti-Semitism was not restricted to Germany and

many countries were reluctant to take them. These two incidents were not the only anti-Semitist

reactions. The worst one was yet to come, the Holocaust and the murder of 6 million Jews.

1. What happened during Kristallnacht?

2. What happened after?





Prelude to War

Japanese Expansion

Japan controlled Korea since the late 1800’s. Japanese troops had been located in this area to

exercise trade with Manchuria for raw materials and finished goods. The Japanese Army wanted more of

Manchuria’s resources and didn’t want to pay for them. In 1931, the Japanese army began to attack

Chinese troops in Manchuria. When the war was halted with the influence of the League of Nations,

Manchuria was in Japanese hands. The Japanese army controlled all of Manchuria.

The second Sino-Japanese War had begun. Large-scale fighting did not begin until 1937, when

Japanese units were attacked. Japan seized the major coastal cities, and much of the countryside. The

Chinese units, plagued by lack of supplies, corruption, and poor training, fell back on a wide front.

In December 1937, Japanese units were on the outskirts of Nanking. The Chinese Army put up a

token defense, and its leaders fled. The city would be punished harshly when it surrendered. As many as

300,000 Chinese soldiers and civilians would be executed, and rape, theft, and abuse were rampant. This

was known as the Rape of Nanking. Here is an account of the atrocities:

“Those suffered most from the barbarity were women. They were not only raped by the

Japanese, they were often brutally killed by the Japanese after the rape. "Sometimes (Japanese) cut off

their breasts to reveal their white ribs; sometimes Japanese pierce through their lower body with

bayonets, let them cry in pain! Sometimes they sticks wooden sticks, reed pipe or carrots into their lower

body and stir, until they are dead, Japanese soldiers clap their hands and loudly laugh alongside"

Another account:

"The bodies in the villages, piled up in tens or hundreds, laid in ditches, ponds, fields or among

haystacks. The horror of the scenes is hard to describe. Especially women..., their faces were dark, teeth

fell, cheeks broken, blood in their mouth, their breasts had been cut off, chest and abdomen had been

pierced through, intestines dragged on the ground, lower abdomens had been kicked at, their bodies had

been bayoneted randomly."

By 1938, Chinese and Japanese troops were fighting in stalemate. This stalemate would continue

until the Japanese would advance against the Allies in 1941.

1. Why did Japan want to control Manchuria?

2. Explain some of the atrocities that occurred during the Rape of Nanking in 1937?

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