The Road To War

Germany’s Economic Troubles

• War takes a toll on German economy

• Treaty of Versailles very tough on Ger.– Territorial concessions, limited military,$32

billion in reparations

• They print more $ = leads to inflation…

• Widespread unemployment and political instability

• Weimar Republic – unable to deal with problems…

US Response: Econ. Troubles in World

• Isolationism– US doesn’t join the League of Nations– US wants to cut involvement in European

affairs.

• Insistence on payment of Reparations– US doggedly pursues repayment of debts that

US allies has amassed– Required FULL repayment

The Rise of Hitler• Born in Austria 1889• Dropped out of HS• Germany had been

sold out by the Weimar Republic

• Becomes involved in the Nazi party

• Prisoned in 1923 – Writes Mein Kampf

• Works hard to rebuild and organize Nazi Party

• 1934 he becomes chancellor, proclaims birth of the Third Reich

• Within a year he establishes a fascist state

U.S. Response: Rise of Hitler• FDR’s focus was on Domestic affairs

– New Deal, get the US out of the depression– Foreign affairs are secondary

• Concerned about Hitler

• Disarmament – US & 8 countries make treaties

• 9 power• 5 power• 4 power

Fascism in Italy• Like Germany – Italy had trouble

– Political and Economic problems

• Gov’t denounced as weak– Didn’t get land wanted from treaty– Social Change had been promised – didn’t happen

• Mussolini – a socialist wanted change for Italy– Unite Italy as a Fascist state

• Fascism appealed to Italians– Liked military, private property…– Feared the rise of communism.

Mussolini• 1922 leads “March on Rome”

– Defend capital from communist revolution

• Mussolini named prime minister– Increases his power once in office– Controlled all elections, took out opposition– New economy – cooperative system

• New economic policy doesn’t solve problems – Muss. Blames the rest of the world

• Negotiates treaty with Yugo.- gains Fiume• Invades Ethiopia – payback for 1896

U.S. Response: Mussolini• Passage of Neutrality Acts

– No sale of arms to aggressive nations– No Americans traveling on ships of warring

countries.– No loans to countries at war.

• Moral Embargo of goods to Italy– FDR asks not to trade essential items with

Italy…unsuccessful.

Dictator in Japan• Military leaders rise to power

– Dependant on world market…depression hurts– Instability in country…reputation of “second-rate

nation”

• These leaders sought to expand Japanese control in Asia.

• Military-controlled gov. imposed censorship, arrested gov critics and dismissed liberal professors from univ.

• 1931, Japan invades Manchuria • 1936 sign treaty with Italy & Germany

U.S. Response: Japan• No action taken – just a lecture

– Stimson Doctrine

• 1937 Japanese bombed innocent civilians in Shanghai– FDR delivers the quarantine speech

• Contain fascist – economic embargos

Hitler Violates Treaty• Hitler begins to expand German borders

– Rearms Germany and reoccupies the Rhineland (territory on France’s border)

• Turns attention to Austria, claiming it as part of Germany

• Hitler then turns to Czechoslovakia– Sudetenland, western border of Czech.– They belong to Germany…I will help them

• Up to this point Neville Chamberlain (Brit.) has appeased Hitler…worried about future

Hitler still on rampage• Demands Czech. surrender Sudetenland

to him.

• Sept. 28, 1938 a meeting @ Munich– Hitler and Chamberlain– Get Sudetenland - promise no more.

– Chamberlain – “peace in our time”