Download
1 / 21
210 likes | 380 Vues
The Road to WWII. Chinese Turmoil. In 1925, Chinese president Sun Yixian died and leadership of China passed to General Chiang Kai-shek Chiang immediately found himself forced to deal with the growing Communist Party in China. Chinese Civil War. 1927 – 1949
E N D
Chinese Turmoil • In 1925, Chinese president Sun Yixian died and leadership of China passed to General Chiang Kai-shek • Chiang immediately found himself forced to deal with the growing Communist Party in China
Chinese Civil War • 1927 – 1949 • Nationalist Chinese, led by Chiang faced off in a bloody war against the Communists, led by Mao Zedong • Communists won the popular support of the peasants, but Chiang controlled China’s wealth and the military
The Manchuria Incident • Japanese industry needed more natural resources, so elements within the military high command decided to take advantage of Chinese disorder and fake an attack on Japanese troops in Korea by the Chinese • This fake attack tricked the Japanese Diet (legislature) into approving military action against China
Japan Invades • In 1931 Japan seized the Chinese province of Manchuria • By 1937, Japan had also taken the Chinese capital of Beijing • Nationalists and Communists both fought against the Japanese occupation, but found it almost impossible to root them out of Chinese territory
Rape of Nanjing • Japanese violence in China peaked in December 1937 with the slaughter of over 200,000 Chinese civilians in the city of Nanjing • The city had refused to surrender to the Japanese, trying unsuccessfully to defend itself, thereby infuriating the Japanese High Command who then turned their troops lose to rape and pillage the city
Japan Condemned • Japan’s invasion of Manchuria was condemned by the League of Nations • In response, Japan quit the League • The League’s failure to take any real action made it appear weak and ineffective
Japanese Militarism • Japan’s military pressured the Diet to pursue further expansion • After the mysterious deaths of some vocally antiwar politicians, fears grew that the military would overthrow government if they did not get what they wanted, so the Diet caved • Japan then signed military alliances with Germany & Italy
Italians in Ethiopia • Italy invaded Ethiopia in 1935, seeking revenge for their failed colonization attempt in the 1880s • Ethiopian emperor HaileSelassie was forced to flee and seek political refuge in England • Selassie appealed to the League of Nations to intercede, but the League only condemned Italy’s attack and failed to take any effective action
German Aggression • In 1936, Germany moved troops back into the German Rhineland, threatening the French border and violating the terms of the Treaty of Versailles • The move was wildly popular amongst Germans, winning Hitler widespread political approval • England and France denounced the move, but took no military action
Why No Action? • France was politically unstable and too weak to face Germany alone • France believed their Maginot Line could protect them from any German advances • France & Britain both believed that Stalin was a greater threat than Hitler, so a strong Germany might be useful as a shield against the Soviets
Why No Action? • Britain, protected by water, wanted to avoid a war at all costs • Britain regretted making the terms of the Treaty of Versailles so unfair • The US had become isolationist and had passed a series of Neutrality Acts preventing themselves from becoming involved in European conflicts
Spanish Civil War • Political divisions in Spain led to a civil war from 1936 to 1939 • Hitler used the fighting as an opportunity to test German military weaponry and tactics by aiding Francisco Franco’s fascist forces throughout the conflict
Anschluss • In 1938, Hitler, with the help of Austrian Nazis, annexed his native country of Austria to Germany • Hitler’s new goals were to create a state that included all German speaking peoples and then to provide them with “lebensraum” (living room) by taking land from the “inferior” Slavs of Eastern Europe
Czechoslovakia • Later in 1938, Hitler demanded that Czechoslovakia surrender the Sudetenland (German territory taken to help create Czechoslovakia after WWI) • The Czechs refused and called on Britain and France to back them up
The Munich Conference • Britain and France, after receiving promises that Hitler would engage in no further aggression if the Sudetenland was surrendered, decided on a policy of appeasement and agreed to support Germany’s claim • The Czechs were left with little option but to give in
Appeasement Fails • In March 1939, Hitler broke his promise and invaded Czechoslovakia, quickly conquering the nation • Believing they were next, Poland panicked and sought guarantees of protection from England in France
The Nazi-Soviet Pact • In August 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union stunned Europe by announcing they had signed a non-aggression pact (not an alliance, just an agreement not to fight one another) • The two countries had also secretly agreed to jointly invade Poland and split the country between them
Poland Falls • On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland; by September 30, Poland had surrendered • Britain and France, honored their pledge to defend Poland, finally declaring war against Germany
Spring 1940 • After taking the winter to organize their forces, Germany moved quickly in the spring of 1940 • Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Belgium were all conquered in April and May • The Soviets also took action, seizing Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Finland during the same time period
