7th Grade Social Studies –
Harold E. Winkler Middle School
Review of World War I
• The Treaty of Versailles forced Germany:
•
•
•
•
Sign the War Guilt Clause
Pay $33 billion in reparations
Give land back to France
Reduce military
• Leads to anger for the German people…
• And to the rise of Adolf Hitler!
A Weak League of Nations
 The League of Nations was organized to
prevent future conflicts, but…
• did not include the United States.
• did not have a military force.
Chinese/Japanese Conflict
Failure of The League of Nations
• 1931: Japan quits the League of Nations and
invades Manchuria (China)
• 1935: Italy invades Ethiopia
• 1936: Germany invades the Rhineland
• The League of Nations does nothing…
Spineless Leaders of Democracy
If you give a dictator an inch, he will
take a MILE!
Appeasement: The Munich
Agreement, 1938
Appeasement – a policy of giving into the demands of an
enemy in order to avoid conflict.
British Prime
Minister
Neville
Chamberlain
Now we have “peace in our time!” Herr
Hitler is a man we can do business with.
World Wide Depression
• The depression ruined
economies around the world.
• Some countries turned to
radical leaders that made
promises of greatness!
• These leaders used
propaganda to inspire
nationalism.
• They also crushed their
opposition or placed blame on
innocent people (scapegoats).
The Great Depression
Rise of Dictators
Fascism
Germany
& Italy
Communism
Soviet Union
Totalitarianism
Militarism
Japan
Rome-Berlin Axis, 1936
The “Pact of Steel”
Nationalism
Sept. 1, 1939 Invasion of Poland
• 1939: Germany signs Non-Aggression
Pact with Soviet Union (Hitler-Stalin)
• They promised not to attack one
another (Hitler breaks promise!)
• Germany invades Poland … Great Britain
& France declare war on Germany!
WWII
U.S.Pearl
Harbor
Invasion
of Poland
World
Depression
Failure of
Appeasement
Rise
Of
Extremists
U. S. Neutrality
Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis, 1940
The Tripartite Pact
U.S.: Pearl Harbor
• Cause of U.S.
entry in WWII.
• December 7, 1941
• More in this
tomorrow…