The Build-up to World War II

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The Build-up to World War II
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The 1920s

• The decline of democracy
• Italy under Mussolini (fascism)
• Russia under Stalin (totalitarian communism)
• Germany The Weimar Republic - hyper inflation
  in 1923 undermines the Govt

Stalin ?
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Hitler and the Nazis

• The Beer Hall Putsch Nov. 9, 1923
• A Nazi military coup is crushed
• Hitler spends 9 months in prison, writes Mein
  Kampf
• Political organizing
• 1929 12 of 550 seats in the Reichstag
• 1930 107 seats
• 1932 230 seats (the largest party)
• 1933 Jan. 30 Hitler becomes chancellor and
  seizes control of Germany through the Enabling
  Act

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• One of Hitler's Speeches

The subtitles are fuzzy, and the translations bad
at times, but focus more on how he is saying what
he is saying. Listen to the passion and power
with which he says it all.
An Election Speech
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Adolf Hitler

• Born April 20, 1889 (Charlie Chaplin was born
  April 16, 1889)
• His step-father was violent and abusive
• High school drop-out at age 16
• Aimless and directionless youth
• (tried art, but failed)
• WWI fought at Ypres and Passchendale
• Awarded Iron Cross (1st and 2nd Class) for bravery

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German Military Expansionism

• Germany
• 1933 walks out of disarmament talks
• 1934 Germany and Poland sign a non-aggression
  pact
• 1935 repudiates the Treaty of Versailles
• 1936 re-occupies the Rhineland
• 1930s Germany rebuilds its military and begins
  domestic projects for employment opportunities.
• By 1938 gt 50 of budget
• is spent on the military

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In Germany . . .

• The Nazis
• Outlaw other political parties
• Create concentration camps
• Strip Jewish people of their rights
• Total state control of society (Hitler Youth,
  propaganda)
• Under Govt control the economy improves
• Unemployment 1932 at 6 million, 1938 at 164,000

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Nazi Anti-Semitism

• Nazi Decrees denied Jewish people the right to
• Hold public office
• Be employed in the media
• Work in farming or high schools
• Citizenship
• To marry those of German blood

Hitler, filled with passion while speaking
publicly.
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The Nuremburg Laws

• Part of a campaign of terror
• Passed to strip the Jewish people of their civil,
  political and human rights
• Encouraged public attacks on Jewish people
• 1938 Nov. 9 Kristalnacht The Nazis attack
  synagogues and Jewish people
• (the night of broken glass)

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Fascism Elsewhere

• 1936 Under Mussolini Italy conquers Ethiopia (a
  member of the League of Nations)
• 1936 39 The Spanish Civil War
• Fascist Italy and Germany aid the Spanish
  Fascists to defeat the existing Left wing
  government.
• The World Powers do not intervene

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Asia Japans Quest for Empire

• 1931 Japan defeats Chinese forces and captures
  Manchuria (for resources)
• 1937 Japan attacks China near Peking (The start
  of WWII in Asia)
• The World Powers choose not to intervene

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German Conquests pre WWII

• March 1938 Germany forces the annexation of
  Austria (Anchluss)
• Sept. 1938 The Allies appease Czechoslovakia to
  Germany
• Aug. 1939 The Nazi-Soviet Non- aggression Pact
  signed between Hitler and Stalin

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Fascism

• Ideas
• 1. The State is absolute and supreme
• the individual is completely subordinate to the
  state
• 2. A destiny to dominate other nations/peoples
• 3. The cult of the leader
• (Only what Adolf Hitler, our Fuhrer commands
  allows, or does not allow, is our conscience.)
• 4. Glorification of War
• as a test of strength
• as proof of destiny

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Nazism

• Fascism
• Racial hatred and belief in racial superiority

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Buildup To War Timeline

• First Read pages 92-96 in Counterpoints.
• Second Take out a fresh sheet of lined paper and
  draw a timeline.
• Third Fill in the timeline with all of the
  events in which an act of aggression was
  committed by either Germany, Italy or Japan. When
  information is provided please include a one
  sentence summary for the event.
• Fourth If you finish early can you please work
  on question 5 on page 98. They are not for
  homework but will help reinforce todays material
  in preparation for the eventual WWII test.

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Thats It !!!