Ch 16.1 Notes: Dictators threaten World Peace

1. How the failures of WWI's Peace of Paris set the stage for WWII:

• Germany resented the treaty
• blamed them for starting the war
• They were stripped of their valuable colonies and border territories
• the shaky and new Democratic gov there: the Weimar Republic, wouldn't pay reparations
• inflation and depression hit Germany hard
• New nation of Germany had no tradition of Democracy- didn't really value it
• Depression hit, riots broke out and they turned to Dictatorships as a way out

2.  How did the Soviet Union rise up and how did Joseph Stalin transform it?

• Civil War in Russia resulted in the establishment of a communist state called the Soviet Union
• Stalin took control 1924
• He made agricultural and industrial growth a priority
• all privately owned farms were taken over and organized inbto Collectives
• He set up 5 year plans to direct industrialization
• The state took over all industry
• By 1937 they were the second largest industrial producer
• To gain total cooperation of the population, no freedoms allowed
• 8-13 million dissenters were exterminated
• Millions more died in famines
• They became a totalitarian state:
• the government had complete control over the people

3.  What was Fascism and how did it come to take root in Italy?

•     After WWI, Italy was torn by riots of communists, unemployment, inflation, violent strikes
• middle and upper classes called for a strong leader to restore order
• Benito Mussolini appealed to them and to a wounded national pride
• He promised order, a restored economy and a return to the glory of ancient Rome
• Oct 4, 1922: his followers (Fascisti)
  
• those who stress nationalism and put the interests of the state over those of individuals
• marched on Rome in black uniforms (black shirts) and challenged the government
• the army and gov officials sided with Mussolini and the King appointed him to head the government
• "Il Duce" (the leader) put all industry under a 'syndicate' system
• directing all production, costs wages and profits

4.  How did the Nazis take over Germany?

• After WWI, Hitler was one of many jobless soldiers drifting around G
• Joined one of the new political parties: Nazis
• National Socialist German Workers' Party
• Hitler was a great public speaker and rose to head the party quickly
• Called himself Der Furher (The Leader) and promised to restore order, jobs, food
• His basic plan of fascism ws outlined in his book: Mein Kampf (My Struggle)
• He aimed to
• unite all German speaking peoples
• enforce racial purification to the Aryan Model
• set up a plan to make all slavic peoples into slaves
• expand the living space of Germans
• By 1932, Nazis were the strongest political party in Germany
• Before the next election, he arranged for someone to attempt to burn down the Reichstag (gov building) and told the Germans they needed the Nazis to protect them!
• Then he arranged to get appointed as Chancellor (Prime minister)
• and immediately held an emergency vote to grant himself full dictatorial powers.
• to pass the vote; his Nazis barred others from entering until after the vote.

5.  How did Militarists gain control in Japan?

• In a coalition government with moderates, they pushed for expansion
• in a surprise attack, they took the Chinese province of Manchuria 1931
• renamed it Manchuko
• The League of Nations condemned Japan who quit the league
• the success of the attack put the Military in control of Japan
  

6.  Trace the rise in aggression in Europe and Africa from 1933 to 1936

• 1933- Hitler pulled Germany out of the League of Nations
• 1934- G invaded the Rhineland (DMZ)
• Nobody stopped him
• 1935-Mussolini attacked Ethiopia
• 1936- Spanish Army officers, led by Francisco Franco began an open civil war to take over Spain under Fascism
• Hitler and Mussolini sent support
• Rome - Berlin Axis
• 1939- Spain fell to Franco

7.  Why did Americans cling to isolatiobism and what was the impact?

• 1928- 62 nations signed the Kellogg-Briand Pact to avoid war
• Early 1930s- Sen Nye's committee found that we had been lead into war by the 'merchants of death'
  
• arms manufacturers and banks
• Beginning 1935- Senate passed Neutrality Acts
• outlawed sale of arms or loans to nations at war

8. How did Neutrality break down?

• Japan attacked China 1937 w/o declaring war
• we sent arms and supplies to China
• Roosevelt's Quarantine Speech: we must quarantine the 'sick men' (aggressor nations)