The Rise of Mussolini 1919, Mussolini founded Italy’s Fascist
Party. Fascism - aggressive nationalism Fascists believed:
the nation was more important than the individual
a nation became great by expanding its territory & building up its military
pledged to return Italy to the glories of the Roman Empire
Through intimidation & terror w/ his “Black Shirts”, Fascists gangs ousted elected officials in N’rn Italy
1922, thousands of Fascists marched on Rome
Fearing a civil war, King Victor Emmanuel III asked Mussolini to form a gov’t & become PM
Once in office, Mussolini worked quickly to destroy democracy & set up a dictatorship
Adolf HitlerHIS RISE
Hitler had fought & wounded in WWI
Germany’s surrender & signing of the Versailles Treaty left him & many other Germans hating the Allies & the German gov’t that accepted the peace terms
National Socialist German Workers’ Party, or the Nazi Party
11/1923, Nazis tried to seize power by marching on city hall in Munich, but the plan failed & Hitler was arrested
MEIN KAMPF While in prison, wrote
autobiography, Mein Kampf (“My Struggle”)
called for the unification of all Germans under one gov’t
claimed that Germans, particularly blond, blue-eyed Germans, belonged to a “master race” called Aryans
argued that Germans needed more lebensraum, or living space; called for Germany to expand east into Poland & Russia
Hitler’s prejudice was strongest toward Jews believed that Jews were
responsible for many of the world’s problems, especially for Germany’s defeat in WWI
Hitler as Der Furher focused on getting Nazis elected to the
Reichstag, the lower house of the German parliament
When the Great Depression struck Germany, many desperate Germans began to vote for radical parties, including the Nazis & Communists 1932, the Nazis were the largest party in
the Reichstag1933, appointed as chancellor, or prime
minister called for new elections; After the election,
the Reichstag, dominated by the Nazis & other right-wing parties, voted to give Hitler dictatorial powers
1934, gave himself the new title of Furher, or “leader.”
began to rebuild Germany’s military, in violation of the Treaty of Versailles
Formation of Axis PowersDuring the Spanish Civil
War, Hitler & Mussolini signed an agreement
Known as the Rome-Berlin Axis
9/1940, Japan aligned itself w/ Germany & Italy when signing the Tripartite Pact; group now known as Axis Powersrequired the countries to
exchange information about Communist groups
3/1938, Hitler sent troops into Austria & announced the Anschluss, or unification, of Austria & Germany
Shortly after Germany annexed Austria, Hitler announced German claims to the Sudetenland, an area of Czechoslovakia w/ a large German-speaking population
France threatened to fight if Germany attacked, & USSR also promised assistance
Hitler Takes Austria & the Sudetenland
AppeasementMUNICH CONFERENCE 9/29/1938, GB & France
agreed to Hitler’s demands, a policy that came to be known as appeasement
Appeasement - policy of giving concessions in exchange for peace
They felt that if they gave Hitler what he wanted, he would be satisfied & war would be avoided
Czechoslovakia was informed that it must give up the Sudetenland or fight Germany on its own
3/1939, Germany sent troops into Czechoslovakia & broke up the country
FALSE BELIEFSEurope’s leaders had
several reasons for believing that Hitler could be satisfied & war avoided: 1. WWI; making many
leaders fearful of another conflict
2. Hitler’s demand to have all German-speaking regions back was reasonable
3. thought Nazis would be interested in peace when they got more territory
10/1938, wanted the Danzig; Baltic Sea port w/ 90% German population, to German control
Hitler’s demands on Poland convinced GB & French that appeasement had failed
3/31/1939, GB announced that if Poland went to war to defend its territory, GB & France would come to its aid
8/23/1939, Germany & USSR signed a nonaggression pactHitler had made the deal to free himself from war
against USSRThere was a secret deal between Germany & USSR to
divide Poland between them9/1/1939, Germany invaded Poland from the west &
the Soviets from the east; Poland falls in 5 weeks9/3, GB & France declared war on Germany,
starting of WWII
Hitler’s Demands of Poland
Germany Making its way to France After WWI, the French had built a line of
concrete bunkers & fortifications called the Maginot Line along the German border
Germans invaded the Netherlands, Belgium & Luxembourg 1st before going around the Line
GB & French forces raced into Belgium; this was a mistake
The Germans easily smashed through French lines, then raced west across N’rn France to the English Channel
GB & French armies trapped in Belgium 6/22/1940, Hitler accepted the French
surrender in the same railway car in which the Germans had surrendered at the end of WWI
Germany now occupied France; installed a puppet gov’t at the town of Vichy & made Marshal Philippe Petain the new gov’t’s figurehead leader
1. This is aggressive nationalism?2. What did Hitler argue that Germany needed
more of?3. During what event during Hitler &
Mussolini sign into an alliance?4. This is a policy of giving concessions in
exchange for peace. 5. What did the French built at the German
border in the hopes that the Germans would not invade France again?
QUIZ