THE INTERWAR YEARS:
AN AGE OF ANXIETY
1919-1939
THE INTERWAR YEARS
 1934: Adolf Hitler is now President and Da Fuhrer of
Germany
 He will begin to restore German pride, fix the
country, and transform it into a totalitarian, fascist
state
 But, he will not be the only man, or country
promoting fascism and dictatorship
THE INTERWAR YEARS
 Italy was struggling after World War I with an inept
gov’t and a lackluster economy
 Italy was upset at England and France because it had
not received what was promised to them
 Benito Mussolini: The future leader of Italy, starts
the first fascist party the world had seen in 1919
 1922 he ran the BlackShirts, his private army, and
became the new dictator of Italy after his ‘March on
Rome.
THE INTERWAR YEARS
“IL DUCE” (The Chief)
THE INTERWAR YEARS
 The Blackshirts and Mussolini were successful at
stabilizing the economy to popular support of fascism
 Fascism: Complete devotion to your country. Nothing is
better or more important than the nation
 Mussolini had the goal of creating a new Roman
Empire and found himself involved in several foreign
affairs to accomplish this goal
 None was more important than Ethiopia in 1935
THE INTERWAR YEARS
Mussolini sent 400,000
troops to Ethiopia and
captured it by May of
1936
THE INTERWAR YEARS
 The League of Nations opposed this act, but did
nothing about it. This drove Mussolini closer to Hitler
and Nazi Germany who were non-members of the
League
 Hitler admired Mussolini and by October of 1936,
they formed an alliance known as the “Pact of Steel”
THE INTERWAR YEARS
 What about Japan?
 Japan was behind in industrialization after WWI and
needed to catch up to the rest of the world
 They needed resources and raw materials and had to
expand to acquire these commodities
 As the Great Depression takes hold in the 1930s, the
citizens lose faith in their gov’t, and turn toward their
military for help
THE INTERWAR YEARS
 The military takes control of the country promoting
an extreme form of nationalism under General Hideki
Tojo, the new Prime Minister
 Emperor Hirohito was allowed to remain, but he was
more of a figurehead. The real power rested in the
hands of the military
 Realizing that trading for resources takes time,
Japan instead decides to take their resources from
other countries. First up, Manchuria, China in 1931
THE INTERWAR YEARS
THE INTERWAR YEARS
 Japan’s invasion of Manchuria is successful and
allows them to industrialize further, while continuing
to build up and promote their military. (Manchukuo)
 This move is condemned by the League of Nations.
Japan simply quits the League and later joins an
alliance with Adolf Hitler in 1936.
 “The Tripartite Pact”
THE INTERWAR YEARS
 We now have our 3
Axis powers for
WWII
THE INTERWAR YEARS
 A Civil War in Spain breaks out in 1936 offering a
“practice war” for the Axis powers
 Promoting Fascist General Francisco Franco, Hitler
advises and directs Franco on how to carry out the
war successfully
 Franco is successful at overthrowing the gov’t and
this gives Hitler the confidence that his plans for
Europe will work in WWII
THE INTERWAR YEARS
 Hitler begins to intentionally violate the terms of the
Treaty of Versailles in 1937 by building up his
military, renouncing the War Guilt Clause, and by
stopping all war reparation payments
 What do England and France do?
 Appeasement: Giving into the demands of your
enemy in order to avoid a war
THE INTERWAR YEARS
 England and France aren’t ready for war and don’t
have the military numbers of Hitler
 They want peace and feel that appeasement is the
best policy
 Hitler realizes that his enemies are too afraid to stop
him, and that he can take what he wants
 They have put us on the doorstep of World War II