From Versailles to Pearl Harbor:The Coming of World War II

Germany Faces Economic Collapse

Town Shelter – Kathe Kollwitz

A Troubled Germany

• Germany in economic despair

• Germany printed more money – led to inflation – loaf of bread cost 4 million marks

• Economic unrest led to political instability

• Weimar Republic – unable to deal with problems

U.S. Response

• Isolationism – many wanted to cut the US off from Europe’s affairs

• Insistence on war debt repayment – wanted France and Britain to be repaid, so they could, in turn, pay the US

The Rise of Adolph Hitler

Hitler standing in an open car

Hitler Takes Power

• Served in WWI – extreme nationalist• Felt Germany sold out by Weimar Republic• Joined Nazi party in 1921• Led an uprising – put in prison – wrote “Mein

Kampf,” - made his hatred of Jews known• After prison - expanded Nazi party - made

promises to peasants, workers, and middle class

Hitler, con’t.

• By 1932, largest party in Reichstag, German legislature

• Became chancellor – 1932

• Increased power; called for elections to strengthen Nazi power in Reichstag

• SS burned part of Reichstag building under his secret order – used the event to suspend constitutional rights

Hitler, con’t.

• 1934 – president dies – Hitler combines president and chancellor offices – names himself Fuhrer

• Within a year, Germany was fascist

• Began movements against Jews

• Kristallnacht – anti-Jewish rampage

• Hitler’s appeal grew, even with the atrocities

U.S. Response

• FDR became president in 1933• Thought domestic problems more important

than international• Military spending a low priority• US government thought disarmament, arms

control, and treaties could keep peace• Kellogg-Briand Pact: signed by 62

countries, it outlawed war – no provisions for enforcement

Fascism in Italy

Mussolini addresses Fascist followers

Turmoil in Italy

• Country in turmoil – used by Mussolini to gain power

• Used reminders of ancient Rome’s glory to appeal to Italians

• 1922 – marched on Rome – government folded – Mussolini named PM

• Went after land – took city of Fiume, Albania, then Ethiopia

US Response

• Continued isolationism – 90% of Americans considered themselves isolationist in 1935

• Neutrality Acts – forbade sale of arms to aggressive nations, traveling on ships of countries at war, forbade loans to countries at war

• “Moral Embargo”

The Rise of Militarism in Japan

Aboard a Japanese aircraft carrier

Militarism in Japan

• Japanese unhappy with instability, being known as a “second-rate” power

• Military leaders rose to power – censored anti-military establishment

• Attacked Manchuria to expand Japanese territory

• 1936 - Signed agreement with Italy and Germany, forming the Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis

US Response

• Stimson Doctrine – US told Japan they weren’t pleased with the invasion of Manchuria, but they took no action

• 1937 – FDR’s “Quarantine Speech” – use embargoes to stop fascism

• Americans felt this could lead to US involvement – FDR caved into the pressure and took no action

Violation and Appeasement

Chamberlain shakes hands with a Nazi leader as Hitler looks on

Hitler & the Treaty of Versailles

• 1936 – violated Treaty by rearming Germany and taking the Rhineland

• 1938 – moved into Austria• Britain and France took no action• France favored military action; Neville

Chamberlain (PM of Britain) believed in appeasement

• Hitler wanted Sudetenland; W region of Czechoslovakia

Hitler & the Treaty of Versailles, con’t.

• Tried to get Germans living there to revolt; they refused

• Decided to invade• Chamberlain wanted to solve the crisis –

talked Czechs into allowing self-government for Germans in Sudetenland

• Hitler saw he could get his way – demanded that all of Czechoslovakia surrender

Hitler & the Treaty of Versailles, con’t.

• Hitler’s aggression caused change of opinion in Europe

• Sept. 28, 1938 – Chamberlain and Hitler met to resolve problems – Czechoslovakia and Soviet Union not allowed to attend

• Great Britain decided to give Sudetenland to Hitler; Hitler promised to stop expanding Germany

• Chamberlain declared that the Munich Agreement guaranteed “peace in our time.”

US Response

• Roosevelt sent a telegram, urging Chamberlain to keep peace

• FDR sent a letter to Hitler, asking him for a conference with European leaders; told him the US wished to stay neutral

• When Munich Agreement signed, FDR sent Chamberlain a telegram:

“Good man.”

Invasion of Czechoslovakia

German tanks make their way across the border of Czechoslovakia

Hitler Invades Czechoslovakia

• After Munich, Hitler felt invincible• March 1939 – took the rest of Czechoslovakia• Started making demands in Poland• Chamberlain realized he’d been lied to – promised aid

to Poland if attacked; France also joined agreement• Stalin – opposed to German advance; felt France and

GB had betrayed him• August 1939 – signed Nazi-Soviet Pact; pledged not

to attack each other• Pact made Hitler feel invincible; felt France and GB

too weak to stop him

US Response

• FDR sent letters to Italy, Poland, and Germany, urging leaders to keep peace

• Messages ignored

• FDR prepared declarations of neutrality; prepared for war to begin

World War II Begins

German troops march across the Polish border

World War II Begins

• Hitler invaded Poland – Sept. 1, 1939

• GB and France declared war

• Invasion of Poland took three weeks

• War continued slowly for the next six months

US Response• FDR wanted Neutrality Acts lifted so the US

could give aid to France and GB• Opposed by the America First Committee –

spokesman was Charles Lindbergh – felt the US was protected by the Atlantic, not prepared to fight, needed to stay out of European affairs

• “Cash and Carry” – US gave aid to GB and France, but they had to buy the supplies and ship them themselves

• Americans alarmed – 80% wanted US to stay out

US Support of Britain

Supplies being prepared for transport to Britain

Britain’s Isolation

• Hitler gained power and territory

• 1940 – Hitler controlled Eastern Europe, Norway, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France

• Battle of Britain – only power capable of beating Germany

• Atlantic Charter – meeting between Churchill and Roosevelt

US Response

• Lend-Lease Act – transfer of equipment to nations who were vital to the US

• Germany attacked America destroyers – Kearny and Reuben James sunk by German subs

• FDR wanted merchant ships to be allowed to be armed – isolationism so strong, measure failed, even after death of sailors

Bombing of Pearl Harbor

Japanese Aggression

• Japan expanded control in Indochina – threatened US supplies in the region

• Oct. 1941 - General Hideki Tojo became PM of Japan – met with US for negotiations – would withdraw from Indochina if the US would allow Japan to occupy China

• While negotiations underway, decision all ready made to attack US

• December 7, 1941 – Attacked Pearl Harbor – 18 ships, 188 planes destroyed, 2,300 Americans killed

US Response• Relations strained as early as 1937• Moved fleet to Hawaii to prove military readiness• Americans feared appeasement – had only

encouraged Axis powers – rejected Japan’s proposal• US thought Japan might attack – did not think it would

come at Pearl Harbor – FDR asked for a declared war – Congress passed the declaration of war within hours

• Germany and Italy declared war on the US a few days later – the US declared war on them

• Signaled the end of isolationism

FDR signs the Declaration of War