The Rise of Dictators

Allied Powers (the Allies)

• Great Britain

• France

• U. S. S. R.

• U. S.

• China

• Many smaller nations

Axis Powers (bad guys)

• Germany

• Japan

• Italy

What do the future Axis Powers have in common before WW2?

• Germany, Japan, & Italy all turn toward totalitarian dictatorships utilizing fascism as a government style.

• Totalitarianism – A government style that exerts total control over the nation and citizen’s lives.

• Dictatorship – rule by one leader that is not accountable to the citizens. The leader makes his own law for the state.

• Fascism - political philosophy that emphasizes the importance of the nation or an ethnic group, and the supreme authority of the leaser over that individual.

Even one of the Allies uses this style of government: the U. S. S. R. (Soviet Union)

ItalyMussolini (Il Duce)

• Takes power in 1922 • Mussolini is named prime

minister and later seizes control of the government

• Hitler learns from Mussolini’s tactics for taking power (stormtroopers, elimination of political enemies, fervent nationalism, mass rallies).

• Italy becomes the first fascist state.

Mussolini• Promised to end Italy’s economic problems• Promises to re-establish the Roman Empire

• Used his “black shirts” to eliminate his political enemies. He holds mass rallies to make it appear all Italians support him.

Mussolini

• Italian economy improves• Italy invades and conquers small parts of North Africa but has

trouble defeating the small country of Ethiopia. Great ally Germany!

Germany

Economy in shambles. Money is worth nothing.

Political upheaval. Thousands of political parties.

Needs resources & farmland.

Germans (especially ex-German soldiers) blame German Jews for WW1 loss.

Believe they were sold out by German government who was controlled by Jewish money lenders.

Hitler Promises if Nazis are elected to power in Germany they will undoing the Versailles Treaty

• Restore German pride and power

• Restore pre- WW1 borders to include all ethnic Germans

• Stabilize the German economy

• Purify the German race

Focuses on these to gain popular support.

Sounds like FDR

Not focused on but racial & anti-Semitic beliefs are known by German public.

• Nazi Party rises to power through intimidation of other political groups and mass rallies.

• Strong proclamations by Nazis make German people believe they can return Germany to greatness.

• The Nazis take power legally through winning elections.

• Hitler named the Chancellor of Germany in 1933.

• Some Germans think Hitler can be controlled by the rest of President Hindenburg.

• Hitler assumes total control of German government by 1934 after he burns down German Parliament (The Reichstag Fire).

• He blames fire on communists & socialists. He asks the parliament to protect Germany by passing the Enabling Act which “temporarily” give Hitler dictatorial powers to deal with enemies.

• Hindenburg dies – Hitler proclaims himself Chancellor & president (Der Fuhrer).

Remember, FDR at same time was starting to strong arm our government and constitution (Court Packing Fiasco, NIRA, AAA). Always watch your leaders! Germany didn’t!

Hitler • Eliminates opposition using “brown shirts”

• Germany rearms and expands

• Germany pride and economy is restored

• “Non-Desirables” are eliminated from the political process

Hitler Youth created for early indoctrination into Nazi beliefs for racial pure German boys so that one day Hitler can get followers to do this:

1936 – 1939: Hitler begins reincorporating ethnic Germans into the German Reich. Quest for lebensraum.

1936 – the Rhineland is militarized

1938 – Anschluss with Austria

1938 – Suddetenland in Czechoslovakia is demanded by Hitler. After negotiation, Britain allows them to take it if Hitler promises to end all further German expansion. This is called appeasement and it does not work!

1939 – Germany takes over the rest of Czechloslovakia.

Germany could have been stopped by Britain & France at anytime before 1938 but because of war fears and no money because of the Great Depression, they do nothing.

The only thing stopping Hitler from moving into Poland is the U. S. S. R.

Hitler has a plan for that too!

Japan

Conditions in Japan in 1920s• Japan feels aleinated by the Allied nations of WW1. They are not

even invited to the Versailles Treaty talks.• Japan realizes that the western powers (U. S., Great Britain, &

France) want to restrict the growth of the Japanese Empire.• Japan learns that if it is going to build a strong empire that has land

and resources the Japanese people need for survival, it will probably have to go against the Western Powers to do it. (WHICH MEANS POSSIBLE WAR).

Conditions in Japan continued

• Because of international agreements forced on Japan in the 1920s, Japan agreed to limit its navy.

• They saw this as an opportunity to build up their navy in secret while the Western Powers were dismantling warships after WW1.

• The Washington Conference Naval Agreement limited battleships and battle cruisers. Japan built aircraft carriers instead.

• Before WW2, Japan had 10 carriers. The US and Britain had a total of 4 in the Pacific.

• After a while in the 1930s Japan quit abiding by the agreement and built battleships, cruisers, destroyers, & submarines.

Conditions in Japan continued• The Japanese economy was in

shambles. It relied on foreign trade which wasn’t happening during the Great Depression.

• Military leaders came to believe Japanese democracy was the cause of the problems because it create too weak of a government. (Couldn’t fix the economy & wouldn’t stand up to Western Powers).

• Radical nationalistic Japanese (backed by military) began terrorizing the public with assassinations of political & business leaders.

• The democratic government asked the military to take over temporarily to protect the country.

• Temporarily turned into permanent!

Japan Invades Manchuria, 1931• Japan desperately wants more natural

resources, markets for their factory goods, & land.

• Military leaders convince the government (which by this time is scared of the military) that invading Manchuria, or NE China, is the answer to their problems.

• Government gives the go ahead. Some historians refer to this as the actual start of WW2.

• Japanese brutally take over Manchuria.

• Also, military commanders assassinate Japanese Prime Minister and get rid of multi-party government (no democracy).

• By 1937, the military is in total control of Japan.

Japan Invades China, 1937• China begins a brutal invasion of

China.• Japanese goals in China were

much like Hitler’s goals to eliminate the Jews from Europe.

• The Rape of Nanjing has become the symbol of Japanese brutality.

• In this city, the Japanese killed 350,000 people using guns & rifles. 80,000 rapes. Women and children were not spared.

• The Japanese soldiers did this because they had been conditioned to believe the Chinese were lower life forms that did not deserve to survive.

• This is the beginning of the aims of the Japanese: to create the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. This is just a fancy name for a Japanese Empire.

Japan Begins Thinking of the Future

• In response to China, FDR stops allowing American companies to trade with Japan.

• In response to Japan’s invasion of Indochina, FDR seizes monetary assets of Japan in U. S. banks & cuts off oil shipments.

• Japan believed this was basically America declaring war on Japan and that Japan had no choice but to attack the U. S.

• Admiral Yamamoto came up with a plan to “win the decisive battle” by preemptively striking at the two largest American Navy bases, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and the Philippines.

Pearl Harbor before December 7, 1941

The Japanese hope is that the U. S. forces will be in complete disarray and would take years to regain strength. By this time, Japan would be too powerful to attack.

U. S. S. R.(Union of Soviet Socialist

Republics)or

Soviet Unionor

Russia

**All the same place**

USSRStalin (Steel Man) - 1924

• Born Loseb Vissarionovich Jugashvili in 1878• Stalin assumes control of the government upon

Lenin’s death in 1924

Stalin• Collectivization of

farms• Farmers who

argued against giving up their land were exterminated.

• Rapid industrialization

• Revolt against intelligentsia.

• Millions were sent to labor camps

Purges• Rid the country of all of his political

enemies.• Stalin was paranoid. He thought

anyone that was too popular or too powerful was out to get him.

• Popular politicians were killed by Stalin.

• In 1937, he slaughtered the leadership of the Red Army & Navy because he was scared they would lead a revolt against him.

• Oh yeah, he’d slaughter the families of the men he was executing as well.

• Furthermore, he would erase them from history!

• Hitler notices Russia’s military leadership is inexperienced.

20 million deaths are attributed to Stalin during his rule of the

Soviet Union!

He was our ally during the war!

War in Europe

The Nazi – Soviet Non-Aggression Pact

• Hitler’s true goal for WW2 is to conquer the Soviet Union for resources, food, & land.

• However, German generals warn Hitler they cannot fight Britain and France in the west and the Soviets in the east simultaneously.

• The Nazis and the Soviets sign a treaty in August 1939 stating non-aggression for the next 10 years.

• This shocks Britain & France because to Hitler, Germany’s ideological enemy is Russia. The pact ensures war

• This secures Hitler’s eastern flank from attack to avoid a two-front war.

• Historians believe Stalin signs this pact to simply stall the inevitable war between Germany & Russia.

“The Blitzkrieg” in Poland“Lightning War”• Uses speed and disruption

rather than brute force.• Allowed commanders more

freedom.• Coordinated air power, tanks,

and highly mobile infantry via radio

• Created massive disruption for armies fighting with WW1 tactics.

• Style appealed to Hitler because it allowed awesome military advances even though Germany’s manpower was far below countries like France & Russia.

• Invented by a German general named Heinz Guderian.

• Deceptive strength - most of German Army still relies on horses and wagon behind the front lines.

War in Europe!!!• Great Britain

and France pledged support for Poland.

• On September 1st 1939, Germany, then the USSR invade Poland, setting off World War II.

Outmanned, and with inferior technology, Poland falls in about three weeks.

The Polish government never surrenders, and the Poles have a strong resistance movement.

The Maginot Line

• System of bunkers and anti-tank and anti-infantry emplacements along the border of France and Germany.

Maginot Line (cont.)

Impressive! It was designed to fight a WW1 style conflict.

Problem – this is not WW1!

Maginot Line (cont.)

Germany uses blitzkrieg techniques and just drive around it making it one of the biggest wastes of money in history!

The Battle of France

• Ends “Sitzkrieg” (period from the end of Sept 1939 to May of 1940). During this time, Germany was getting ready. The French & British felt safe behind the Maginot Line.

• May 10,1940, Germany quickly invades and conquers Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxemburg and invades France.

• Allied forces, led by France and Great Britain fought bravely, but were overwhelmed by the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) and the Blitzkrieg.

Dunkirk May 25 – June 4, 1940

• Due to Germany’s rapid advance, British and French forces are cut off from reinforcement and have to be evacuated.

The Miracle of Dunkirk• Under constant

attack by the Luftwaffe, over 330,000 men are evacuated in just nine days during Operation Dynamo.

• This is one of the great “What Ifs…” of world history.

Fall of France• After Dunkirk,

the Nazis continued to advance rapidly through France.

• The French government surrendered on June 22, 1940, after 43 days of fighting.

It took 6 weeks to capture Paris and force the surrender of France. France had 4 million men in its army. Who could stop the Germans!

• Vichy France set up by Germans to give a small amount of autonomy if they followed Nazi policies (especially on deporting Jews to concentration camps.)

• Vichy France collaborated with the Germans, while Free France, led by Charles de Gaulle, resided in Great Britain and continued to fight.

Occupied France

• Hitler never invaded Britain for four reasons:1. German Air Force ensured him he could force Britain to leave the war by bombing British cities.2. Germany had no history of amphibious landings3. Hitler idolized the British Empire and considered German and British people the same race.4. Winston Churchill, the new British Prime Minister scared the bejeezus out of Hitler. Convinced British would fight to the death.

• During “The Blitz” Nazi aircraft bombed British cities.

Battle of Britain September 1940 – May 1941

You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: it is victory, victory at all costs,

victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be. (First speech as Prime Minister in House of

Commons, 13 May 1940) Winston Churchill

If this long island story of ours is to end at last, let it end only when each one of us lies choking in his own blood upon the ground.

(May 1940: addressing government ministers in response to suggestions of

negotiating with Hitler) Winston Churchill

We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the

fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender. Winston

Churchill (June 1940, after Dunkirk evacuation.)

Churchill gave the British the will to resist at all costs and keep fighting until victory!

The Royal Air Force Spitfire

•This plane and the pilots who flew it saved England but they paid a heavy price. 1/5 of all British pilots died in the 9 month air battle.•20,000 British citizens killed and 70,000 wounded.

“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”

Winston Churchill (on RAF pilots in Battle of Britain).

Britain Survives• The battle of Britain

marked the first military failure for Hitler.

• This convinced America that Britain could survive the war.

• British morale was strengthened.

• Britain was a major stronghold for later Allied operations.

• During the battle, the British cracked German military radio codes.

Back in the “neutral” U. S. A

• Congress passes the Neutrality Acts. We can’t trade with any warring nation.

• Cash and Carry – we’ll sell, but you haul it.

America First Committee

• Group of Influential Americans determined to keep America out of the war in Europe

• Charles Lindebergh

The fall of Poland and France kills US neutrality and increases aid to Britain

• Churchill – “Britain is going broke”

• Roosevelt asks the American people: “If your neighbors house was on fire, you don’t sell him your hose, you lend it to him.

Lend Lease - This increases the American role in the growing conflict.