Section 1
DICTATORS THREATEN WORLD PEACE
Stalin--Soviet Union
COMMUNISM=
Mussolini--Italy
Hitler---Germany
NAZISM=
FASCISM=
Emperor Hirohito, Hideki Tojo (Militarists)---Japan
NATIONALISM=
Franco--Spain
FASCISM/MILITARISM
What is the League of Nations doing during this
“threatening of world peace”?
What is the United States doing?
Section 2
WAR in EUROPE---Show map
Hitler goes on the offensive plans to "absorb" (Austria 1st
target) and Czechoslavakia
After WW 1 Austria very small and mostly German
people---annexing Austria went unopposed (1938)
Czechoslavakia had German speaking people on western
border--Hitler wanted to provide more living space for
Germans and control natural resources
France/GB promise to protect Czechs..as war was
looming, Hitler invites France & GB Prime Ministers to
meeting....in an attempt to avoid war, Munich
Agreement is signed (Germany claims Sudetenland-promises this is his LAST territorial demand)
Winston Churchill angry that GB has adopted a policy of
appeasement..."pacifying an aggressor" will NOT avoid
war
March 1939---Hitler takes Czechoslavakia...sets sights on
Poland
Unconvinced that Hitler would take Poland for fear of
antagonizing its eastern neighbor Russia, which would
force France/GB to declare war and Germany once again
fighting a 2-front war (disastrous in WW1) Soviets sign a
NON-Aggression pact with Hitler!! plus a secret pact to
divide Poland among them!!!
September 1, 1939 Poland subject to blitzkrieg...Sept 3rd,
France & GB declare war on Germany...too late to mount
a defense...Poland is conquered and divided
"Phony War-Sitting War" ensues...Germans arent doing
anything but Stalin (Soviets) is taking Baltic States and
Finland
April 1940--Hitler surprise attacks Denmark and Norway,
Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg---plans to build bases
and lay seige of Great Britain
Germany invades France (Maginot Line ineffective) from
north/east while Italy invades France from the south-June 1940 France falls Germany occupies northern part
of France-Nazi controlled 'puppet' government was set
up in southern France
Germany can’t compete with British Navy so Hitler
launches air strike--Luftwaffe conducts bombing raids for
months...Royal Air Force (RAF) uses new technology
(radar) to shoot down German planes and Hitler
retreats...and forced to call off an invasion of Britain
indefinitely.
Section 3 Holocaust--have powerpoint for that
Section 4 America Moves Toward War
FDR hates war and pledges US to remain NEUTRAL...but
knows their is no peace in a world controlled by dictators
1939 Hitler has just invaded Poland...what is the US
doing??? Cash-and-Carry/Neutrality Act allowed US to
sell arms to nations (paid cash, transported on THEIR
ships) his hope that France/GB would defeat Hitler and
US would not have to go to war
By 1940 with France overtaken and GB under seige, FDR
provides massive assistance to GB....by Sept Germany,
Italy, & Japan sign agreement (Axis Powers) meant to
keep US out of war because then US would be fighting a
TWO OCEAN war!!
US builds up defenses, peace time draft, FDR wins
unprecedented 3rd term,...tells American people the US
is to become the "great arsenal of democracy" because it
would be disastrous if Britain fell to the Nazis....Britain
has no $$ so FDR/Congress pass Lend-Lease Act to any
country whose defense was vital to the US......When
Hitler violates non-aggression pact with Stalin (Soviets)
the US lends aid to Soviet Union to resist Hitler/Germans
US supplies "lent-leased" were being sunk in Atlantic
enroute to Europe by German 'wolf packs'...Allies
effective against Germans--used radar & sonar!!
Churchill/FDR meet=Atlantic Charter: collective security,
disarmament, self-determination, economic cooperation,
freedom of the seas---Declaration of the (26) United
Nations fighting the Axis Powers.
German U-boats sinking US ships in Atlantic and a formal
declaration of war seemed inevitable as American sailors
were being killed
Japan realizing Europeans colonies are too busy fighting
Hitler begin to seize control of colonial lands (Indochina,
Laos, Cambodia)...US is angry and protests by cutting off
trade with Japan...most importantly OIL!!! Japan wanted
US to end its oil embargo...
Peace talks with Japan not authentic and useless...Dec 7,
1941 Japanese attack Pearl Harbor Hawaii...in less than 2
hours 2,403 Americans killed, 1,178 wounded, 21 ships
sunk or damaged, 300+ aircraft damaged or destroyed...
Dec 8th US declares war on Japan, Dec 11th,
Germany/Italy declares war on US...we are fighting a 2ocean war!!!