Notes Standard 7.1: World War II Begins
Totalitarianism:
– When a country is under the control of one person or party & recognizes no limits to its power.
– Interests of the state > Individuals
In Italy:
• Extreme depression
• Mussolini & the Fascists were given power to solve $ problems
• Fascists = Anti-Communist totalitarians
In Japan:
• 19th century imperialism led to rapid industrialization
• The military took over the government
• Leader: Tojo
In Germany
• Treaty of Versailles
– Left Germany with war debt
– Depression made the problem much worse
– Hitler & the Nazis offered a solution & were given power
• Hitler moved his army into territory lost in Treaty of Versailles
• Europe allowed it – Appeasement – Hoping Hitler would stop on his own
US Response
• 1930’s – Congress passes Neutrality Acts
• No sale of arms
• No lending of money
• This re-established our policy of isolationism
• FDR couldn’t help Europe – his hands were tied!
Japanese Aggression
• 1931 – Japan invades Manchuria (China) for resources
• Goal: Economic domination of China & Indochina
• US begins trade restrictions with Japan on gas & iron (that’s all we could do b/c of our policies!)
• Japan feels threatened
German Aggression
• Hitler invades Czech.
• Europe ends policy of Appeasement
• 1939 - Germany invades Poland
• War breaks out in Europe
• 1940 – Germany attacks England by air
American Involvement
• “Cash & Carry” – US will sell weapons if you pay cash & transport them
• Destroyers for Bases trade
• Lend Lease – US let the Allies borrow military supplies
• Our navy escorted Lend-Lease shipments to Europe
• This meant that we were already unofficially at war with Germany (by supporting their enemies)
• Pearl Harbor (Dec 7, 1941) – US declares war on Japan, leading to war with Germany
• The US officially abandons its policy of isolationism
• When the US declares war on Japan, Germany declares war on the US.
• The US is now officially involved in WWII.