The document summarizes the political and military buildup to World War 2 in Europe and Asia between the 1920s-1930s. It describes the rise of fascist and totalitarian regimes in Germany under Hitler, Italy under Mussolini, and the Soviet Union under Stalin. It then details Germany and Italy's increasing military aggression and expansionism in violation of postwar treaties, including Germany reoccupying the Rhineland, annexing Austria, and seizing the Sudetenland, along with Italy conquering Ethiopia. Japan also invaded Manchuria in 1931 and began a full-scale war with China in 1937. The appeasement policies of Western democracies failed to stop further aggression, paving the way for WWII.

1. The Build-up to World War II
From left to right (front): Chamberlain, Daladier, Hitler,
Mussolini, and Ciano pictured before signing the Munich

2. The 1920s
Mussolini in 1903
• The decline of democracy:
– Italy under Mussolini (fascism)
– Russia under Stalin (totalitarian communism)
– Germany: The Weimar Republic - hyper inflation
in 1923 undermines the Gov’t and leads to the rise
of Hitler
Stalin 

3. Hitler and the Nazis
• The Beer Hall Putsch: Nov. 9, 1923
– A Nazi military coup is crushed
– Hitler spends 9 months in prison, writes Mein Kampf
• Political organizing
–
–
–
–
1929: 12 of 550 seats in the Reichstag
1930: 107 seats
1932: 230 seats (the largest party)
1933: Jan. 30: Hitler becomes chancellor and seizes control
of Germany through the Enabling Act

4. Marienplatz in Munich during the Beer
Hall Putsch 1923

5. Adolf Hitler
• Born April 20, 1889 (Charlie Chaplin was born
April 16, 1889)
• His step-father was violent and abusive
• High school drop-out at age 16
• Aimless and directionless youth
(tried art, but failed)
• WWI: fought at Ypres and Passchendale
• Awarded Iron Cross (1st and 2nd Class) for bravery

6. • One of Hitler's Speeches
An example of
Hitler’s Art:
The Courtyard of the Old
Residency in Munich - By Adolf
Hitler

7. German Military Expansionism
Germany:
• 1933: walks out of disarmament talks
• 1934: Germany and Poland sign a non-aggression pact
• 1935: repudiates the Treaty of Versailles
• 1936: re-occupies the Rhineland
• 1930s: Germany rebuilds its’ military and begins domestic projects for
employment opportunities.
• By 1938 > 50% of Germanys budget
is spent on the military
•
•
All of these things violated the terms of the “Treaty of Versailles”
However the countries of the world were following a policy of
appeasement: The practice of giving an aggressive person or nation what
they want in the hopes that their aggression will stop as they achieve their
goal(s). To yield or concede to the belligerent demands of a
nation/group/person in a conciliatory effort, sometimes at the expense of
justice or other potentially nice things.

8. In Germany . . .
The Nazis:
• Outlaw other political parties
• Create concentration camps
• Strip Jewish people of their rights
• Total state control of society
(Hitler Youth, propaganda)
• Under Gov’t control the economy
improves
• Unemployment: 1932 at 6 million,
1938 at 164,000
Members of the
Hitler Youth 1933

9. Nazi Anti-Semitism
• Nazi Decrees denied Jewish people the
right to:
• Hold public office
• Be employed in the media
• Work in farming or high schools
• Citizenship
• To marry those of “German blood”
Razing of the Warsaw Ghetto,
May 1943

10. The Nuremburg Laws
• Part of a campaign of terror
• Passed to strip the Jewish people of their
civil, political and human rights
• Encouraged public attacks on Jewish people
• 1938: Nov. 9: Kristallnacht: The Nazis
attack synagogues and Jewish people
(the night of broken glass)
The interior of the Fasanenstrasse
Synagogue in Berlin after Kristallnacht

11. Fascism Elsewhere
Italian artillery in Ethiopia in 1936
• 1936: Under Mussolini Italy conquers
Ethiopia (a member of the League of
Nations)
• 1936 – 39: The Spanish Civil War
– Fascist Italy and Germany aid the
Spanish Fascists to defeat the existing
Left wing government.
– A volunteer group from Canada called
the Mackenzie-Papineau battalion went
to fight the fascists in Spain, many of
them were members of the On-toOttawa –Trek. Most of them died there
•
The World Powers do not intervene many are following a
policy of “isolationism” and want to protect their interests at
Republican volunteers, 1936
home.

12. Asia: Japan’s Quest for Empire
• 1931: Japan defeats Chinese forces and captures Manchuria
(for resources) This is known as the Manchurian Crisis
• 1937: Japan attacks China near Peking (The start of WWII in
Asia)
• The World Powers choose not to intervene
Japanese troops invade
Manchuria 1931

13. •
•
•
•
•
•
Lebensraum
Lebensraum German for "habitat" or "liferoom") was a component of Nazi
ideology. The Nazis supported expansionism to gain Lebensraum ("living
space")
The Nazis believed this was natural for peoples of superior races (which
they believed they were) to displace people of inferior races (i.e. everyone
else)
They believed they were justified in this because they were facing
overpopulation in their given territories.
The German Nazi Party claimed that Germany inevitably needed to
expand because it was facing an overpopulation crisis within its Treaty of
Versailles-designed boundaries
Adolf Hitler justified lebensraum by saying: "We are overpopulated and
cannot feed ourselves from our own resources“
The desire for living-space for the Nazis led to a number of violations of
the Treaty of Versailles. Unfortunately the Allies did not respond to this as
the terms of the Treaty demanded, instead they appeased Hitler and his
desire to expand the territory of the German people.

14. German Conquests pre
WWII
• March 1938: Germany forces the annexation of Austria
(Anchluss: the connection of Germany and Austria,
strictly forbidden in the Treaty of Versailles)
• Sept. 1938: In one of the biggest examples of the policy
of appeasement the Allies give the Sudetenland of
Czechoslovakia to Germany in the Munich Agreement.
Neville Chamberlain (PM of Britain) claims he has
achieved “peace for our time”. Clearly he was mistaken.
• Aug. 1939: The Nazi-Soviet Non-aggression Pact is
signed between Hitler and Stalin
• Sept 1939: Germany invades Poland

15. Fascism
Italian Fascist
Flag
Ideas:
1. The State is absolute and supreme:
the individual is completely subordinate to the state
2. A destiny to dominate other nations/peoples
3. The cult of the leader
(“Only what Adolf Hitler, our Fuhrer commands allows, or does not allow, is
our conscience.”)
4. Glorification of War:
as a test of strength
as proof of destiny

16. Nazism
• Fascism
+
• Racial hatred and
belief in racial
superiority
Overview of the mass roll
call of SA, SS, and NSKK
troops. Nuremberg,
November 9, 1935

17. Assignment:
Buildup To War Timeline
• First: Read through your notes on the build up to WWII.
• Second: Take out a fresh sheet of lined paper and draw
a timeline.
• Third: Fill in the timeline with all of the events in which
an act of aggression was committed by either Germany,
Italy or Japan. When information is provided please
include a one sentence summary for the event.
• Think/Pair/Share: Could WWII have been avoided? How
did the appeasement policy play a role in the outbreak
of WWII. What should have been done to avoid this
global conflict? How has the outcome of WWII affected
the world as you see it?