fascism and wwii
TRANSCRIPT
Fascism and WWIIItaly, Germany and Japan: roads to WWII
From Depression to WarEffects of American‐Born Depression ‘World –Wide:
‐ in most parts of world cause significant economic and social hardship
‐ political shifts either to ‘Left’ (Communism) or ‘Right’ (Fascism)
‐ equally true in Italy, Germany, Japan
But in these cases, responses went further taking each into War by mid‐1930s
These wars in Africa, Europe and Asia led to WWII
Roads to War ‐ ItalyBy 1929: Italy under fascist rule
‐ Benito Mussolini: came to power 1922 building on post‐war economic and political chaos in Italy
‐ although ‘victorious’ reluctant veterans returned from war to unemployment
‐ joined youths equally frustrated at no sign
of future
‐ became violent: ‘fascisti’ ‐ fighters
Roads to War ‐ Italy‐ became strong‐arm of property owners, industrialists resisting demands of workers, poor
‐Mussulini became leader of what emerged as ‘political party’: ‘Fascist Party’ used intimidation to gain political influence – first locally, then in 1922 nationally
‐ took over press, education, public services
‐ reduced unemployment, introduced social security
Roads to War ‐ ItalyDepression hit hard: revealed extent to which ‘recovery’ was largely illusory
‐ industries soon close to failure‐ bought out by banks but assests largely worthless‐ financial crisis peaked 1932: main banks (Austrian, Italian) collapsed into bankruptcy beginning 1931‐ 1933 Government took control bank‐owned companies: modernized, restructured
Roads to War ‐ Italy
Poor in the streets, Italy 1931
Roads to War ‐ ItalyBut economy still weak:
‐manufacturing in 1930 only achieved 60% of 1913 level
‐ in 1938, Lifemagazine reported:
“There is no evidence that Italy's standard of living, which is lowest of the major powers, has been raised one jot or tittle since Il Duce came to power.”
[9 May ]
Roads to War ‐ ItalyPolitical Attention:
‐ built up nationalism through charisma
‐ aggressive foreign policy: e.g. invasion Ethiopia (Africa) 1935
‐ joining with Germany, Japan 1936‐37 in Com‐Intern Pact (later 1940 Tri‐Partite agreement)
‐ ability to exploit mass communication (film, radio) effective in ‘whipping up public enthusiasm’ for any, all government efforts
Roads to War ‐ Italy
Benito Mussolini (above withAdolf Hitler; right in full speech)
Roads to War ‐ ItalyItalian Invasion Ethiopia 1935:
‐Mussolini, like Bismarck, wanted place in ‘The African Sun’
‐most importantly ‘colonies’ and resources they (potentially) offered
‐ other European colonial powers offered little more than sideline commentary
Roads to War ‐ ItalyItalian Invasion Ethiopia 1935:
‐ for Africa, African Diaspora: catastrophe‐ for Europe: last colonial expansion into Africa
[video ‘Magnificent African Cake’]
1937: joined ‘Com‐Intern’ Pact with Germany, Japan (see below)
‐ integrated Italian aggression with major European, Asian Fascist imperialism– ensured WWII fought in Africa
Roads to War ‐ GermanyGermany Lost WWI: was made to pay heavily by Treaty of Versailles
‐ lost much land, including rich Alsace‐Lorraine and rights to part Ruhr Valley (to France) – impeded ability to rebuild industry
‐ tariffs imposed (internationally) on German products: restricted ability to export
‐ huge reparations: totally draining of economy
‐ prohibited from re‐building military
Roads to War ‐ GermanyWeimar Government attempted to address crisis by:
‐ increasing ‘social’ spending: more than doubled by 1929
‐ printing more money: 1921‐24 era of hyperinflation
Roads to War ‐ Germany
Piles of New Bank Notes: ready for distribution
Roads to War ‐ Germany‐ wiped out savings, effectively undermined cash economy
‐millions ofGerman marks worthless
50 million markbanknote, 1923
Roads to War ‐ Germany
Roads to War ‐ GermanyImpact of Great Depression:
‐ in addition to struggling export sector: German economy 1920s based on loans
‐ US major ‘banker’: extensive capital loans kept economy alive
‐ with impact Great Depression: all markets closed, foreign trade (import and export) collapsed
‐ US demanded repayment of loans: economy collapsed completely
Roads to War ‐ Germany‐ industry quickly ground to halt
‐ production levels fell: workers laid of
‐ banks failed throughout country: savings accounts recently built up, instantly wiped out
‐ Inflation soon followed making it hard for families to purchase expensive necessities with devalued money
Roads to War ‐ Germany
Berliners Demandtheir Money:‘Bank Run’
Roads to War ‐ Germany
Said to be worth the price of a loaf of bread, 1930s
Roads to War ‐ Germany
‘Communists Fill the Streets, May-Day 1930’
Roads to War ‐ GermanyRise of Adolf Hitler:
‐ led National Socialist German Workers’Party – Nazis in 1920s
‐ wrote Mein Kampf 1925: radical ‘insane’plan to build master Aryan race, retake lands with German peoples, restore German dignity
‐ few followers (approx. 100,000 in population 60 million) ‐‐ until 1930
Roads to War ‐ GermanyCrisis of Great Depression: government beginning to fall apart
‐ political parties in Reichstag broke into squabbling, uncompromising groups
‐ government dissolved July 1930: election
planned for September
‐ finally German People ready to listen to ideas of Hitler’s Nazi party
Roads to War ‐ GermanyHitler’s Platform:
‐ found scapegoats to blame for failing economy: Jews
‐ four‐year plan of militarization (restricted under Treaty of Versailles): would restore power while addressing unemployment
‐ would address growing ‘German’population: acquire “living space”, retake areas with German populations rendered ‘independent’ after WWI
‐ from electoral victory to Chancellor: 1933
Roads to War ‐ Germany
Adolf Hitler Appointed Chancellor, 1934
Roads to War ‐ GermanyHitler’s Germany:
‐ Nazis took over all government agencies, educational institutes, professions‐ restrictions on Jews: removed from public offices; property confiscated; loss civil rights‐ invasion, occupation of Poland (1939, below): 1000s Polish Jews shot or confined ghettoes ‐ began sending others to concentration camps (slave labour, death). invasion Soviet Union (1941, below): 10,000s Jews killed by death squads
Roads to War ‐ GermanyHitler’s Germany:
‐ 1934: Hitler declared himself Fuhrer(‘leader’)
‐ constitution suspended, Germany renamed ‘Third Reich’: meant to last ‘one thousand years’
‐ economic policies (public works, weapons manufacturing): effective
Great Depression ‐ Germany[Text 771]
“By 1936 business was booming; unemployment was at its lowest level since the 190s; and living standards were rising. Most Germans believed that their economic well‐being outweighed the loss of liberty”
Germany was the only country to appear to have successfully survived and triumphed over, the Great Depression! Fascism worked…
Roads to War ‐ Germany‘Re’ Unification of German Peoples: aggressive, step‐by‐step foreign policy
‐ 1933:withdrew from League of Nations‐ 1936 reoccupied German Rhineland (from France)
‐ 1936/7 entered ‘pact’ Japan (below)
‐ 1938: annexed Austria
‐ 1939: invaded Czechoslovakia
‐ September 1, 1939: invaded Poland
Great Britain, France declared war on Germany.
Roads to War – JapanJapan hit especially hard by Great Depression:
‐ few natural resources: imported oil, iron, steel, other commodities to support industry and military
‐ to import, had to export: main goods rice and silk
‐ when in early 1930s nation after nation, including U.S., raised tariffs – export market collapsed
[ see ‘Pearl Harbour to Hiroshima’, Add’l Rdgs. for ‘Japan’]
Road to War – JapanSocial, Political Consequences:
‐ farmers forced to send young girls into prostitution, young men into military‐ flood of families into cities looking for work, food‐ resentment grew at country’s ‘dependence’: argued that if Japan had more colonial wealth– access to raw materials and markets‐‐(like US, Britain) economic problems could be resolved‐ fed ultranationalist aggression
Roads to War – Japan
Road to War – Japan‐Military (generals, admirals) worked with leading industrialists, financiers
‐ argued for Japanese empire that would bring "the eight corners of the world under one roof“ ‐‐ ancient saying referring to bringing ‘world’ under Japanese influence
‐ campaigned successfully against politicians in Tokyo who ‘stood in the way’ of Japanese destiny (economic failure had largely discredited government in any case)
Road to War – Japan“The Manchurian Incident”: 1931 (Text 772,3)
‐ Japan already had small, coastal presence in coal, iron‐rich Manchuria‐ junior, impatient army officers provoked invasion of whole province‐ in name of ‘liberating’ it – “Manchukuo”, took full control within a year‐ within a year, Japan controlled Manchuria,pushing into China‐ resisted international requests to remove troops
Road to War – Japan
1931: Japanese Army Invaded Manchuria – “Manchukuo”
Road to War – Japan
Road to War – JapanJapan in 1930s:
‐ became fascist, militarized state‐ turned full investment to building railways, industries in Manchuria and into north‐east China‐ rapidly rearmed‐ ‘home‐front’: production geared to military (especially warships)‐ government increasingly authoritarian‐ aggressive military officers replaced moderate politicians
Road to War– JapanCom‐Intern Pact : 1936‐37
‐ ‘anti‐communist’ pact signed by Japan and Germany in 1936; Italy signed on in 1937‐ three major Fascist nations recognized:
“that the aim of the Communist International, known as the Comintern [ref. to Soviet Union], is to disintegrate and subdue existing States by all the means at its command [and] that the toleration of interference by the Communist International in the internal affairs of the nations not only endangers their internal peace and social well‐being, but is also a menace to the peace of the world…”
‐ other states (including ‘Manchukuo’) joined in 1941
Road to War – Japan
Japanese Embassy inBerlin (1940)
Flags of Germany,Japan, Italy hang fromfront of building
Road to War ‐ Japan
Tri-Partite Pact Germany, Japan, Italy: signed 1940
Roads to War ‐ JapanJapanese Aggression paralleled Fascist Partners:
‐Manchuria/’Manchukuo’ (1931) only first step to solving economic problems
‐ July 1937: Japanese troops attacked Chinese near Peking (now Beijing)
‐ war escalated: Japanese seized all main coastal cities including Shanghai – taking many British prisoner as well
‐ powerful navy blockaded entire coast
Roads to War ‐ Japan‘Sino‐Japanese War’: 1937‐45
‐ ‘Asian’ war paralleling conflict in Europe
‐ after initial easy victories, war stalemated
‐ Chinese divided between ‘Nationalist’government (supported by West) and ‘Communists’ (under Mao Zedong)
[see Text 773; “Mao’s China – video, Add’l Rdgs]
‐ both engaged Japanese troops
‐ even divided, Chinese proved more committed to resistance than anticipated
Roads to War ‐ Japan‘Sino‐Japanese War’: 1937‐45
‐ ‘techniques of war’ as horrific as Holocaust taking place in European war zone [text 775]
‐ 1937‐8: Nanking occupied—20,000 women raped, 200,000 killed/taken prisoner
‐ city looted and burned
‐ Nationalist government reacted: blasted open dikes on Yellow River to stop troops
‐ 4000 Chinese villages destroyed, almost 900,000 killed, millions homeless
Roads to War ‐ Japan‘Sino‐Japanese War’: 1937‐45
‐ Communist peasant army offensive 1940
‐met with “ kill all, burn all, loot all”campaign: Japanese troops destroyed hundreds of villages, killing all, destroying crops and animals
‐ still both Nationalist army (over 3 million men) and Mao’s Communists continued to hold‐out
‐ had they joined forces, outcome would have been different
Roads to War ‐ Japan‘Sino‐Japanese War’: 1937‐45
‐Western Powers, League of Nations ‘denounced’ war but until Japan moved to attack the US in 1941, nothing was done
‐ it was the attack on Pearl Harbour in December 1941 that drew the war in Asia into the one already well underway in Europe and Africa
The ‘Sino‐Japanese War’ then became fully a part of WWII