UNIT 4 HANDOUT # 6 (The Winds of War…)
Advanced Placement U.S. HISTORY 2
FRANCIS
NAME _____________________
DATE _____________________
CLASS_____________________
DIRECTIONS: Read the passages below and answer questions 1-5
THE WINDS OF WAR BEGIN TO BLOW
A Japanese soldier
The inflated egos of dictators lead them to raise large armies.
These defend the nation and intimidate any rivals. To justify large armies
and navies, each dictator needs an enemy who is "threatening" the security of the nation. If that enemy is eliminated, then others must be found.
Powerful nations are watching, so the dictator must find a pretext for
attacking this weaker "enemy" nation. From 1931 to 1939 the dictators
were on the prowl, picking off weak neighbors and justifying their actions
with innocent faces.
On September 18, 1931, Japanese agents staged an explosion
under the tracks of the Japanese-owned South Manchurian Railway. So
little damage was done that a train crossed over the track a few minutes
later. Nonetheless, Japan blamed the incident on the Chinese, and their
troops seized Manchuria. Japan's intention of keeping Manchuria was
made clear when they renamed it Manchukuo and set up a puppet
government under Japanese control there. The League of Nations
passed timid resolutions against Japan, so Japan left the League. U.S.
protests did little except stir up anti-U.S. feeling in Japan.
After Germany's Night of the Long Knives, SS agents killed
Austria's Chancellor Dollfuss in July 1934. Mussolini sent troops to the
Austrian border to protect it from Anschluss by Germany. Other nations praised Mussolini's
actions. Mussolini felt his support of Austria justified his seizure of Ethiopia on Africa's east coast. In
1887 and 1896 the Italians had been humiliated in defeats by Ethiopia and looked for excuses to
redeem their honor. After small border incidents provoked by the Italians, Mussolini threatened war
with Ethiopia. The League voted to impose economic sanctions (trade restrictions) if Italy attacked.
Mussolini used the sanctions to arouse Italian patriotic fervor to new heights.
In October 1935 Italian forces attacked Ethiopia. The Ethiopians fought bravely, but their spears
and arrows bounced off Italian tanks. The League imposed sanctions against Italy but left petroleum
off the list. Little effort was made to enforce the sanctions anyway. In May 1936 the Ethiopian capital,
Addis Ababa, fell, and Mussolini bragged: "Ethiopia is Italian-Italian in fact, because occupied by our
victorious armies, and Italian by right because, with the sword of Rome, civilization has triumphed
over barbarism." Rodolfo Graziani was named governor. He killed most of the Coptic church leaders
and the best-educated Ethiopians.
While the world watched the conquest of Ethiopia, the French were in one of their
emergency cabinet crises. In March 1936 Hitler sent 35,000 troops into the demilitarized Rhineland.
He was clearly violating the Treaty of Versailles, the Locarno Pacts, and all other restrictions to which
Germany had agreed. It was pure bluff. "If the French had marched into the Rhineland," Hitler wrote,
"we would have had to withdraw with our tails between our legs." France did nothing and Hitler
gloated.
The Spanish Civil War began in 1936, and both sides received outside support. The Spanish
Republicans were aided by France and Russia, and Franco's Fascists were aided by Italy and
Germany. Hitler sent the 100 plane Condor Legion. Mussolini sent some aircraft but helped more with
soldiers. Both sent tanks and artillery. From 1936 to 1938 Stalin sold the Republicans tanks and
aircraft. The Communist International Party recruited volunteers for the Republican cause. Many of
these were Communists, but others were not. The war ended in 1939 with a Fascist triumph.
The common effort in Spain brought Hitler and Mussolini together. In September 1937 Hitler
invited II Duce to Germany for a meeting that developed a strong friendship between the two Fascist
leaders. Mussolini returned from the visit with new ideas about toughening up the Italians. In 1936
Germany and Japan had signed an Anti-Comintern Axis (alliance). In November 1937 Italy became
the third Axis nation.
Austria, lying between Germany and Italy, had only Italy to help it stay independent. With Italy
now friendly, Hitler was free to pressure Austria into becoming part of Germany. Chancellor Kurt
Schuschnigg tried to maintain Austrian independence, but caved in on March 11,1938. Hitler
declared Anschluss, and Austria became part of the German Reich.
Now Czechoslovakia was in the jaws of the tiger. The 3.5 million German-speaking Sudetens
were unhappy under Czech rule and wanted German rule. Since the Czechs had alliances with France
and Russia, much depended on their reactions. To protect Germany from French attack, Hitler began
building defenses on the border (the West Wall or Siegfried Line). In September 1938 Hitler said that
the Sudetens had a right to choose German rule, but he could not long be indifferent to their
suffering. English Prime Minister Chamberlain and Premier Daladier of France met with Hitler and
Mussolini at Munich in September 1938. To prevent a war they were incapable of fighting at the time,
England and France gave in and told Czechoslovakia to accept German terms. Chamberlain
returned to England as a hero and, waving the agreement in his hand, told the world that he had
achieved "peace in our time." Without Western support the Czechs had no choice except to give in.
Possessing the most valuable industrial region of Czechoslovakia, it was easy for Hitler to take
the rest of the nation in March 1939. Poland now faced the might of Nazi Germany. England and
France warned Germany that an attack on Poland would mean war.
1.
Why did Italy and Germany become involved in the Spanish Civil War?
2.
What was Japan's excuse for seizing Manchuria from China? What did the Japanese call it?
3,
What was the Anschluss? Who prevented it in 1934? Why?
4.
Why did Hitler invade the Rhineland? What would have happened if the French had opposed his
invasion?
5.
What was Hitler's excuse for seizing the Sudetenland? What was the response of Great Britain
and France?