THE EVENTS AND ATTITUDES IN THE INTERWAR PERIOD THAT LED TO WWII

Quick Review:Setting the Stage for War

Events and attitudes in the Interwar

Period helping to cause WWII

1. Problems with the Treaty of Versailles

2. Problems with the

League of Nations

3. Appease-ment

4. Expansion/aggression

by totalitarian

powers

5. Isolationism and pacifism

6. Nationalism

1. Issues with the Treaty of Versailles

Back to Versailles again! Conditions leveled on Germany

creates tension Between Germany and other European

nations (especially the Allies) “War Guilt” clause = problematic!

Germany goes into debt because of high reparation payments Economy further hurt by global

economic depression The people blame democratic

government in place (Weimar Republic) This anger helps Hitler and the Nazi

Party gain power and popularity

2. Problems with the League of Nations

League of Nations: Does it do what it set out to do?

PROBLEM: League of Nations does not get its most important potential member to join The United States = DOES NOT JOIN!

Hurts the international reputation of the LoN

League also required 100% agreement to do anything

League of Nations is supposed to prevent future wars LoN does not want another WWI Because of this, the LoN sometimes is not

assertive enough in international relations

3. Appeasement

What did you see in the cartoon that might help us understand appeasement?

•What is appeasement? A diplomatic policy of making political or material concessions to an enemy power in order to avoid conflict

•Other European countries will try to “appease” Hitler, Mussolini, and Hirahito/Tojo

3. Appeasement

Why do Britain, France, etc. think appeasement is a good idea in dealing with Hitler? GB and France = afraid of war

For France especially, it’s a geographic thing

Britain also had some issues of their own with the punishments placed on Germany Britain = thinks Versailles was too harsh

on Germany Many felt Hitler was just grandstanding

and making demands he wouldn’t actually follow through with

•Leads Chamberlain (British PM) to sign the Munich Agreement

Hitler said he would only take the Sudetenland and if Czechoslovakia falls apart, then he would govern it. The other three agreed to this.

4. Aggression by Totalitarian Powers

Germany, Japan, and Italy all pursue aggressive, expansion-oriented policies in the Interwar Period

•Germany• Expands military• Takes Austria (via Anschluss)

and Sudetenland• Will later invade Poland

•Japan• Needs more room, raw

materials• Invades Manchuria (1931)• Starts Sino-Japanese War

(1937)• Conflict with USSR (1938)

•Italy• Still angry about lack of territory

from Treaty of Versailles• Invades Ethiopia in 1935 • Wants a grand Roman-esque

empire

5. Isolationism and Pacifism

See this especially from the U.S. Why does the U.S. isolate itself from

what is going on in Europe/Asia in the Interwar Period?

1. Americans are disillusioned about international involvement2. U.S. in the midst of the Great Depression

- Can’t really afford to be in a war right now

3. Problem of geography and distance- Conflict in Europe seems distantU.S. wants to remain neutral

- Does not want to have to send its men and its soldiers to fight a “European war”

6. Nationalism

What is nationalism? The belief in the superiority of one’s own

nation over all others

•Extreme nationalism = the real problem

Extreme nationalism will pit countries against each other can lead to major conflicts between nations

6. Nationalism

Where do we see this extreme nationalism?

Hitler’s Germany, Mussolini’s ItalyAnd Hirahito’s/Tojo’s Japan

7. Economic depression

After WWI, many European economies were unstable.

The 1929 stock market crash in the U.S. and the Great Depression spread throughout the world

Unemployment rises as economies tumble down This leads to the rise of totalitarian states