Daniel Mahler Lesson Plan The Slow Refocus

Grade Level: 11 Subject: US History Prepared By: Daniel Mahler

Overview & Purpose This lesson addresses the issues on the world stage between 1933 and 1940, principally those related to the rise of fascism and militarism in Italy, Germany, and Japan. The lesson asks students to consider whether these events warranted a “refocus” of American attention from the domestic struggle of the Depression to the worrisome expansion of militaristic countries.

Education Standards Addressed - Delaware Economics Standard Four 9-12a: Students will analyze and interpret the influence of the distribution of the world’s resources, political stability, national efforts to encourage or discourage trade, and the flow of investment on patterns of international trade. History Standard One: Students will analyze historical materials to trace the development of an idea or trend across space or over a prolonged period of time in order to explain patterns of historical continuity and change. History Standard Two 9-12b: Students will examine and analyze primary and secondary sources in order to differentiate between historical facts and historical interpretations. History Standard Four: Students will develop historical knowledge of major events and phenomena in world, United States, and Delaware history .

Teacher Guide

Objectives (Specify skills/information that will be learned.)

SWBAT describe the rise of fascism and militarism in the 1930s. SWBAT evaluate whether Americans should have been concerned about this rise.

Information (Give and/or demonstrate necessary information)

Introduce definitions of fascism and militarism, analyze elements of fascism, provide short background on rise of Mussolini, Hitler, Hirohito.

Materials Needed • Internet access • Digital projector • Method of playing video with audio

Verification (Steps to check for student understanding)

Students watch Inside Nazi Germany newsreel clip from 1938 March of Time. Must identify examples of elements of fascism viewed in the movie. Go over as a class. Introduce the question “Do you think what you have seen here warranted American attention or action?”

Activity (Describe the independent activity to reinforce this lesson)

Students will review documents (attached: maps of expansion, trade statistics, newspaper articles, diplomatic correspondences) to elicit meaning. Provided questions drive toward linking these with American ideological, political, or economic interests.

Other Resources (e.g. Web, books, etc.) "Inside Nazi Germany. March of Time. Time. 21 Jan. 1938. Newsreel. See attached documents and accompanying citations.

Summary

Students assume the role of a cabinet member and write a letter to FDR. The letter is to address where the student believes that, based on the evidence at hand, the US needs to take action.

Additional Notes

 

Questions  for  Inside  Nazi  Germany.  

 

Fascism  in  the  March  of  Time.  

Dictator(s)?   Glorification  of  the  Race?   Suppression  of  Dissent?   Economic  Control?   Militarism?  

Germany            

Japan        

       

Document  Title   Questions   Questions  

“What  is  Fascism?”  -­‐  Benito  Mussolini,    1932    A  

1.  With  what  does  Mussolini  associate  pacifism?  With  what  does  he  associate  warfare?        

2.  Based  on  Mussolini’s  words  in  the  second  paragraph,  does  he  believe  fascism  and  democracy  are  compatible?  Why?    

“Will  Hitler  Bring  Another  War?”  -­‐  H.R.  Knickerbocker,  1933  

B  

1.  What  reasons  does  the  author  give  for  why  there  was  “not  much  attention  left  for  Germany’s  ‘change  in  government’  ”?        2.  According  to  the  article,  how  did  Hitler  come  to  power?    

3.  The  author  compares  the  rise  of  the  Nazis  to  a  fake  scenario  about  the  KKK  coming  to  power  in  the  US.  What  does  he  say  this  is  helpful?      4.  The  KKK  is  not  a  political  party.  Why  do  you  think  Knickerbocker  chose  to  compare  the  Nazis  to  the  KKK  as  opposed  to  American  political  parties?        

“The  Consul  at  Berlin…”  Raymond  Geist,  American  diplomat  in  Germany,  1934.  

C  

1.  Describe  two  pieces  of  evidence  of  Germany’s  militarism  from  this  letter.          

2.  Based  on  this  letter,  how  eager  for  war  do  the  German  people  seem?        

Questions  for  independent  document  analysis.  

 “Exports…  and  General  Imports…”    

D  

1.  In  1934,  what  was  the  total  value  of  merchandise  exported  to  Northwestern  and  Central  Europe?        2.  In  1934,  with  what  three  nations  was  the  value  of  American  exports  highest?  What  was  their  value?      3.  What  country’s  exports  TO  the  United  States  were  most  valuable  in  1934?  

4.  Based  on  these  statistics,  why  would  the  rise  of  Adolf  Hitler  and  Benito  Mussolini  be  an  economic  concern  to  the  U.S.?  Why?          5.    The  alliances  formed  in  World  War  One  were  “rekindled”  as  friction  began  to  mount  in  Europe.  The  United  Kingdom  and  France  generally  unified  in  opposition  to  Germany  during  this  period.  Based  on  these  statistics,  where  would  US  economic  sympathies  lie  during  the  1930s?  Why?        

“Japanese  Expansion  prior  to  World  War  II”  

E  

1.  By  1940,  what  countries  had  faced  Japanese  aggression?          

2.  Based  on  this  map,  was  there  cause  for  Americans  to  be  concerned  about  Japanese  expansion?  Why  or  why  not?          

“Natural  Resources  by  Country”  from  the  CIA  World  Factbook,  2012.  

F  

1.  What  is  the  state  of  Japanese  natural  resources?            2.  What  fuel  sources  and  metals  can  be  found  in  China?          

3.  Based  on  this  information,  why  might  militarism  have  become  appealing  to  some  Japanese  in  the  first  half  of  the  20th  century?            

 

 

from  The  Statistical  Abstract  of  the  United  States,  1935.          

 

 

 

Domestic  Natural  Resources  by  Country  

China   coal, iron ore, petroleum, natural gas, mercury, tin, tungsten, antimony, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, magnetite, aluminum, lead, zinc,  

Japan   negligible mineral resources, fish note: with virtually no energy natural resources, Japan is the world's largest importer of coal and liquefied natural gas, as well as the second largest importer of oil

Documents  for  document  analysis.  

 

 

 

French  Troops  Rush  to  Border;  String  of  Forts  Along  

Rhineland  Are  Reinforced.  23  March,  1935.  Found  with  Google-­‐News.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

What is Fascism? Benito Mussolini, 1932

Fascism . . . believes neither in the possibility nor the utility of perpetual peace. It thus repudiates the doctrine of Pacifism -- an act of cowardice in the face of sacrifice. War alone brings up to its highest tension all human energy and puts the stamp of nobility upon the peoples who have courage to meet it.

Fascism denies that the majority . . . can direct human society; [Fascism] affirms… the beneficial and fruitful inequality of mankind....

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/mussolini-­‐

fascism.html  

Geist, Raymond H. The Consul at Berlin (Geist) to the Chief of the Division of Western European Affairs (Moffat), Department of State. September 15, 1934.

I am convinced that the German rearmament is concentrating upon two points; first, power in the air, and second, motorization of any attacking forces. There is nothing conservative or traditional in their present policy. Many of the young Nazis are enthusiastic with regard to the military prospects. Their ideas of Germany's invincibility and Germany's power in "the next war" are really phantastic… they are really thrilled in contemplating Germany's future tremendous victory over her enemies.

…it is very difficult to foresee how the bellicose spirit here can be restrained and directed into…peace.

http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/interwar/geist.htm

 Knickerbocker,  H.R.  Will  Hitler  Bring  Another  War?  That’s  the  

Question  of  Hour  in  the  Reich.  Pittsburgh  Post-­‐Gazette,  3  April,  1933.  Found  with  Google-­‐News.  

 

 

 

 

 

Fascism  in  the  March  of  Time.  

Dictator(s)?   Glorification  of  the  Race?   Suppression  of  Dissent?   Economic  Control?   Militarism?  

Germany            

Japan            

 

American  Territories    

Guam    

Philippines    Hawaii