Causes of WWII: Treaty of Versailles, Depression, League of Nations, Totalitarianism

1. World War II Chapter 29-3

2. Causes of WWII • Dissatisfaction with the Treaty of Versailles • Discontent due to the Depression • Failure of the League of Nations to keep the peace • Failure to Disarm • The Rise of totalitarian states • U.S. stock market crash, bank failures, isolationism, tariff policy

3. Causes • Treaty of Versailles: • Harsh reparations, conservative resentment over Diktat (article 231) • The League of Nations: • Little credibility without the U.S. and USSR • Was unable to maintain peace

4. Causes • Washington Naval Conference 1921: did not provide for enforcement • Four-Power Treaty • Five Power Treaty • Nine Power Treaty • Japan gave only verbal agreement • 5-Power Treaty only concerned 1st class ships

5. 20’s Treaties had no enforcement • Locarno Pact: • offered a false sense of security for the future • was not relevant once Hitler took power • Same for Kellogg-Briand Pact signed by 62 nations

6. Economic factors • The depression caused wide-spread discontent and created the opportunity for the rise of fascism • The London Economic Conference = Failure • The above convinced Hitler that democracies lacked the will and organization necessary to address the international crisis • Hitler began to rearm Germany

7. 1931 Japan invaded Manchuria • Violated the 9-Power Treaty, the Kellogg-Briand Pact and the Charter of the League of nations • The League of Nations protested • Japan withdrew from the League and treaty obligations

8. 1935 The Stressa Front • The British, French and Italy, concerned about Hitler’s rearmament, agreed to use force to preserve the political status quo in Europe • Then, Italy invaded Ethiopia 1935 • Used modern weapons • 500,000 Ethiopians died, 5,000 Italians • The League protested & Italy dropped out

9. Italian Aggression • Sanctions imposed by the League but not oil • Brits and French did not stop Italy at the Suez Canal on the way to Ethiopia. • They needed Italy’s help to keep Hitler in check • By 1936 Hitler and Mussolini are working together in the Spanish Civil War • Sanctions were lifted by this time

10. The Spanish Civil War • Spain had a constitutional monarchy • Was challenged by Fascist, Francisco Franco • Wanted to eradicate socialism & communism • Wanted to restore the power of the Church • Civil War Between the Fascists (Falangists) and Royalists • Franco was aided by Mussolini and Hitler • Picasso’s Guernica

11. The Rome-Berlin Axis • Formed as a response to successful military cooperation in Spain • Italians still upset about lack of territory at post WWI Paris Peace Conference (Italia Irredenta) • 1936 Germany occupied the Rhineland…T of V had demilitarized this zone • German Generals were nervous. France too

12. The Rhineland • For the first time since WWI, Germany had troops on the Franco-German border • A major threat to French security • France was unwilling to enforce the T. of V. without England’s help • England was Pacifist: • Due to the memories of WWI • And the belief by many that the T. of V. was too harsh

13. Japan • Had control of the Northern and Central Chinese Plains • “The Rape of Shanghai” • The League was impotent

14. Anschluss March 1933 • Germany’s threat of military action = Austrian Chancellor resigned • Austrian Nazi Party assumed government control • Germany marched in and annexed Austria • Brits: Policy of Appeasement (Neville Chamberlain)

15. The Sudetenland • At the 1938 Munich Conference Brits, French, Italy allowed Hitler to take Sudetenland in exchange for guarantee: no more territorial aggression (appeasement) • The Czechs were told to comply…had no choice • Neville Chamberlain a hero at home

16. March 1939 • Hitler went back on his word and took the rest of Czechoslovakia • The end of Appeasement Policy

17. German-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact • Public: 10-Year pact • Surprised the world • Privately: Agreed to divide Poland between them • Also, Russia could snap up Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania • Hitler: a one-front war against the West

18. The Blitzkrieg • One week after taking Czechoslovakia, Hitler demanded he be able to build a road across the Polish corridor…Poles refused • Hitler also demanded Danzig (port city on the Baltic run as a “Free City” by the League • Brits and French promised Poland aid • Poles expected help from General Mud

19. Poland • Hitler claimed Poles were committing atrocities against Germans in the corridor and attacked • Russia invaded on Poland’s Eastern Front • Refugees were bombed • Brits and French sent a naval blockade • Had no impact against land forces • Warsaw fell in 3 weeks

20. Sitzkrieg • Was Hitler done? Only until the spring • But Russia was busy: Attacked Finland • Fins held out for 3 months alone • Then Russia occupied Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia • Used as a buffer zone between Russia and Germany

21. More Aggression • 1939 Italy took Albania • Sitzkrieg (phony war) over after 7 months • April of 1940 Hitler invaded Norway and Denmark and Sweden

22. Hitler • May 1940 Hitler demanded occupation of Netherlands and Belgium • Dutch held out for 5 days; lost ¼ of army • Belgium held out for 18 days Miracle at Dunkirk

23. The Fall of France • In three weeks • Terms of Armistice: 1 million French POWs and occupation • Vichy France: Petain (hero of Verdun) now Nazi sympathizer ruled for Nazis (later executed for treason • De Gaulle and the Free French

24. 1940 Tripartite Pact • Japan joined Rome-Berlin Axis • Battle of Britain: Hitler offered peace with Brits if Brits would accept German domination of continent • Churchill (had replaced Chamberlain) refused

25. Battle of Britain • Hitler planned “Operation Sealion”: a massive invasion of England across the channel • German aerial bombings of Britain to soften them up • Goring’s Luftwaffe vs Brits RAF • Brits had radar and defeated the Luftwaffe • Germany lost 2,433 planes, RAF lost 900

26. Germany invaded the Soviet Union • Violation of Non-Aggression agreement • Hitler’s biggest mistake • Invasion East for Lebensraum: living space • Soviets called it The Great Patriotic War of the Fatherland • Scorched Earth Policy

27. The United States • FDR meeting secretly with Churchill: • Atlantic Charter • Agreed: no territorial exchanges after the war contrary to the wishes of the inhabitants • A new world organization • Stalin endorsed above

28. U.S. Neutrality • Neutrality Acts prevented FDR from bringing U.S. into the conflict • Lend-Lease Act 1941 = help to Brits and eventually Soviets • Japan attacked Pear Harbor Dec. 7, 1941 • U.S. entered the war

29. Hitler declared war on U.S. Dec 11th • Another mistake • See Atlantic Charter • Solved a problem for FDR • The Grand Alliance formed in 1942 • Britain, USSR, the U.S. and 42 other nations • Spain neutral but allowed Nazis to use ports

30. The Nazi “New Order” • Nazis exploited Europe for economic value • Nordic Peoples were given preferential treatment: Dutch, Norwegians, Danes (were racially related to Germans) • French were taxed big time: were racially inferior Latin people …but to be tolerated • Poles, Ukrainians, Russians to be worked to death…Slavs considered subhuman • 80% Soviet POW’s did not survive the war

31. Genocide • Jews, Gypsies, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Homosexuals, captured Communists • Jews: Businesses and property confiscated • Had to register with government and wear Stars of David • Polish Jews forced into ghettos: Warsaw, Krakow…deprived of supplies & outside contact

32. Nuremburg Laws • To deprive Jews of civil rights • Racial Hygiene, marriage laws • Sterilization • Berlin Olympics…Master Race • Kristalknacht • Final Solution began in 1942 • Wannsee Conference outlined formal plan

33. Auschwitz • And 5 other Death Camps built in Poland • In addition to hundreds of concentration camps • 6-10 million Jews killed • 5-10 million others

34. Underground movements • Free French was the most famous • Supplied the allies with valuable info (troops movements, etc) and aid • Published secret newspapers, hid escaped allied prisoners • Sabotaged Nazi supply depots, derailed trains, blew up bridges

35. Turning points in the war • El Alamein Nov. 1942: British forces led by Montgomery drove the Germans (led by Rommel- the Desert Fox) out of Egypt • Operation Torch Nov. 1942: U.S. and Brits engaged retreating German forces on beaches of Morocco and Algeria • Allies surrounded Rommel’s Afrikakorps May, 1943

36. Stalingrad Nov. 1942- Feb. 1943 • Critical battle on Eastern front • First German land defeat in Europe • While attempting to take Stalingrad and control of Soviet oil fields in Caucasus Mountains, they were surrounded by Soviet troops • Hitler refused to allow German forces to surrender = lost 300,000 men

37. Back to Germany • After Stalingrad, Russians began the 2 & ½ year long march, pushing the Germans back to Berlin • July 1943 Battle of Kursk: the largest tank battle in human history…Russian victory • By Feb. 1945, Russians on the outskirts of Berlin

38. D-Day: Operation Overlord June 6, 1944 • 120,000 troops crossed the channel to beaches of Normandy in France...amphibious assult • Western Front established = beginning of the end for Germany • Hitler now fighting on 3 fronts...(By now, allies in Italy)

39. Battle of the Bulge Dec. 1944 • Hitler tried to break through the Allied lines • Huge casualties • Allies deep into Germany in 1945 • May 8, 1945 V-E Day • Hitler and his new wife had committed suicide some days earlier

40. Japan • U.S. and others island-hopping • Truman and Potsdam Conference • Atomic bomb Hiroshima Aug. 6, 1945 • Nagasaki Aug. 9th • Japan surrendered tho- Emperor (Hirohito) allowed to remain

41. War Diplomacy • Tehran Conference 1943…Big Three • Allies agreed to invasion of W. Europe (D-Day) • Stalin agreed to go against Japan after Hitler defeated • Stalin insisted on occupying E. Europe • Churchill fought this • Delayed to Yalta • Germany to be occupied after the war

42. Yalta “Sell-out” • Stalin promised free elections after brief occupation of E. Europe • Planned United Nations • Stalin agreed to enter war against Japan within 3 months after defeat of Germany • Zones for divided Germany decided on

43. Cairo (earlier) • FDR, Churchill and Chaing Kai-shek: agreed on independence of Korea

44. Potsdam Truman, Stalin, Atlee • Potsdam Declaration • Stalin reversed on free elections in Eastern Europe • Agreed on war crimes trials: Nuremburg Trials • Reparations from each zone of Germany

45. Results of the War • 55 million dead or missing (22 million Soviets) • Holocaust: 6-10 million Jews • Millions left homeless • Europe in ruins • Women in the factories • U.S. and Soviets poised for Cold War

46. Why did Germany Lose? • Blunders: Russia, Declaring war on U.S. • Germany too spread out, ran out of soldiers, began using old men and young boys • Industry not equal to the allies, especially the U.S. • Slave labor not overly effective • Too much time & energy spent on Final Solution • Alliances were liability: Japan, Italy