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The Prelude to World War II: Aggression, Alliances, and the Fall of Democracy

This chapter delves into the period leading up to World War II, highlighting key events such as Hitler's rise to power, the expansionist policies of Fascist regimes, and the failures of the League of Nations. It explores the implications of the reoccupation of the Rhineland, the Munich Agreement, and the Spanish Civil War, illustrating the unchecked aggression of Germany and Italy. The chapter also discusses the responses of Western democracies, the establishment of the Axis powers, and the critical decisions that led to the outbreak of a global conflict.

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The Prelude to World War II: Aggression, Alliances, and the Fall of Democracy

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  1. Chapter 21 World War Two

  2. Peace at any cost • Maginot Line in France – swiss to the belgian border (Ardennes forest cannot be passed – are they sure?) • All countries seem incapable of taking a stand against fascist aggressors like Mussolini and Hitler

  3. Hitler’s aggressive moves • 1933 – pulled out of league of nations • Signed non aggression treaty with Poland • Nazis of Austria assassinated Dollfuss, demand union of Austria and GR • Mussolini had to stop this union of Austria and GR

  4. Unchecked aggression • 1935 – rearmed GR forces • 1936 – Hitler repudiates Locarno treaties • Reoccupied Rhineland • 1938 – Anschluss • Sudetenland

  5. Mussolini • 1935 – invasion of Ethiopia • League of Nations condemns • Sanctions – couldn’t sell arms or raw materials – but oil could be sold • Ethiopia easily defeated • League proves to be all talk

  6. Spanish Civil War • Revolution ousts Alfonso XIII of the Bourbon line • Establishment of a democratic Spanish republic • Anti clerical legislation enacted • Church and state separated • Jesuit order dissolved

  7. Feb 1936 – New Elections held • Left – Republicans, socialists, syndicalists, communists join Popular Front • AGAINST • Monarchists, clericals, army officers, old regime and Spanish fascists • Left won at the polls

  8. July 1936 - revolution • Military insurrection against govt • Franco emerges as the leader • Civil war • 600,000 deaths • March 1939 – Franco wins • France and England forbade the shipment of war materials to rep’s

  9. Ideological war • GR, IT and the SU intervened – the rest decided not to • USSR supported the Republic – the other two supported the fascists • Rome Berlin Axis • Japan, GR, IT – Anti Comintern Pact – oppose communism

  10. Rape of Nanjing • Full scale Japanese invasion of eastern china • Japanese occupation of Nanjing – violent • League condemns actions • Americans still sell supplies to both sides since no war was ever declared???

  11. Appeasement • Munich agreement allows GR to annex Sudetenland • Peace in our time • Western democracies prove their weakness and inability to challenge Hitler’s armies

  12. Reality check • Hitler (march 1939) marched into Bohemia-Moravia • Turned into a protectorate • He declared Slovakia independent • Took Memel from Lithuania • Demanded Danzig and Polish corridor

  13. Military preparedness • Realization of Hitler’s master plans • Mussolini then takes Albania • Guarantees given to Poland, Romania and Greece from Britain • Brits tried to form a pact with SU • Eastern Baltic states would not accept

  14. SU turns to the other side • SU becomes suspicious of FR and ENG “allies” • Signing of non aggression pact with SU and GR in 1939 • Secretly agreed to divide Poland and SU could have influence in Baltic states

  15. Poor Poland – France? • Blitzkrieg war machine destroys Poland in West • Soviets move into the East • Soviets established fortified bases in the Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania • Finland resisted and Soviets attacked

  16. Sitzkrieg • Fr sat behind Maginot line • Brits didn’t have many troops • Gr’s behind Siegfried line • 1940 – Gr’s attacked Norway, Netherlands, Belgium, Lux, FR

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