Between the Wars 1918 to 1939

1
Between the Wars1918 to 1939

• Dictatorships take Control

2
Germany in despair

• Treaty assigned total responsibility to Germany.
  Forced to make territorial concessions, limit the
  size of its military, and pay for reparations.
• Germanys government, the Weimar Republic signed
  the treaty.
• Economic unrest throughout Europe lead to
  political instability.

3
Adolf Hitler

• Emerged from WWI as an extreme nationalist.
  Angered by the Weimar Republic, he becomes very
  popular among other nationalist.
• Leads a uprising for the NAZI party in 1923 and
  is put in jail for one year. After his release he
  works for rebuild the NAZI party. Due to the
  desperation in Germany people begin to find
  hope in his ideas.

4
Hitler assumes POWER

• NAZI party gains more and more power. Hitler
  becomes chancellor of Germany
• When the German President dies in 1934, Hitler
  combines the two positions and proclaims the
  birth of the Third Reich successor to the Holy
  Roman Empire and the German Empire.
• He created the Gestapo, a secret police, to hunt
  down and murder anyone who oppose NAZI rule.

5
MUSSOLINI LEADS ITALY

• Italy was similar to Germany, it faced political
  and economic problems for years after WWI.
• With the Socialist party failing, Benito
  Mussolini organized war veterans into the Fascist
  Party.
• In 1922, Mussolini was named Prime Minister by
  King Emmanuel III

6
Support in Spain

• Both Hitler and Mussolini supported Spanish
  Nationalist Francisco Franco in his attempt to
  set up a Fascist state in Spain.
• This lead to a military alliance in October of
  1936 known as the Rome-Berlin Axis.
• This alliance encouraged the two to interfere in
  other countries.

7
JAPAN IS NEXT

• Japan was another of the dictatorships that arose
  after WWI. Japan was dependent on world markets
  for their economy and they resented being seen as
  a third world country.
• This enabled a group of military leader to rise
  to power. They built up their military and
  looked to expand into Asia.

8
War in Manchuria

• In 1931 the army defied the civilian government
  and attacked Manchuria, a region in northeastern
  China. With the Military now in total control,
  they impose censorship, arrest any critics, and
  create a secret police. The press and schools
  taught total obedience to the emperor.
• Three problems for Japan 1- lack raw materials,
  2 over populated, 3 lack of respect! The
  answer to their problems --- Imperialism.

9
ROME-BERLIN-TOKYO AXIS

• In attempt to gain support, Japan joins with
  Hitler and Mussolini and they sign the
  Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis in 1936.

10
AGGRESSIVE MOVES LEAD TO WORLD WAR II
11
Hitler makes his moves

• In 1936, Hitler violates the Treaty of Versailles
  and moves into the Rhineland with little
  resistance.
• In 1938, Hitler moves into Austria and declares
  it part of Germany.
• Britain and France both condemned his moves, but
  took no action.

12
APPEASEMENT

• British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain
  approach towards Hitler was one of appeasement.
  He felt that resistance might lead to another
  World War. An attitude of pacifism was widespread
  as many countries still felt the losses of the
  first world war.

13
Czechoslovakia

• Hitler then turned to Czechoslovakia. Three
  million Germans lived in the Sudetenland and
  Hitler encouraged self-government. Czechoslovakia
  rejected these demands. Chamberlain convinced the
  Czechs to agree so war could be prevented.
  However, Hitler followed up by demanding that the
  Czechs surrender the region.

14
MUNICH CONFERENCE1938

• Chamberlain, in attempt to resolve the crisis
  called for the Munich Conference.
• Hitler met with leaders from Britain, France, and
  Italy. Germany was given the Sudetenland and
  Hitler guaranteed the independence for the rest
  of Czechoslovakia.
• Peace with HonorPeace for our time

Goering, Mussolini, Hess, Hitler, Ciano,
Himmler and Keitel (?) at the Munich conference,
1938
15
War Begins in 1939

• Six months after the Munich Conference Hitler,
  convinced that Britain and France were too weak
  to stop him, ordered his troops to take over
  Czechoslovakia.
• Hitler then started making demands in Poland.
  Britain and France promise to aid Poland if
  Germany attacks. On September 1, 1939, Germany
  invades Poland and World War II begins.