CHAPTER SUMMARY

Section 1: The Rise of Dictators

EUROPE AFTER WORLD WAR I
The treaty that ended World War I left many European nations dissatisfied. Italy was angered
because it did not receive any new territory. Germany felt the treaty was too harsh. It severely
weakened the German economy. It also forced Germany to give up some of its land. Germany
was also forced to make payments in reparation for war damage.

All these factors led to severe inflation in Germany. Inflation is a general rise in prices. German
money came to have no value at all.

Germany tried its first democratic government in the 1920s. This was called the Weimar Republic.
It was weak and unstable.

TOTALITARIAN LEADERS ARISE
In 1922 Benito Mussolini became Italys leader. He believed in fascism. Fascism is a system of
government that stresses the importance of the state. This comes at the expense of the
individual. Mussolini favored the use of violence against Communists and socialists. He
established a dictatorship. This is government by a leader or group that holds all the power. The
Italian government under Mussolini was totalitarian, meaning no opposition was allowed.

In 1933 Adolf Hitler came to lead Germany. He led the National Socialist, or Nazi, party. He
stressed nationalism, or devotion to the state. He blamed the Jews for Germanys problems. He
used violence against his opponents. He believed Germans were racially superior to everyone
else.

In the mid-1920s, Joseph Stalin came to lead the Soviet Union. He also used violence to keep
power.

TOTALITARIAN GOVERNMENTS AND MILITARY FORCE
The totalitarian governments used force to get what they wanted. Japan invaded the Chinese
province of Manchuria. Italy invaded Ethiopia. Ethiopias leader, Haile Selassie, personally asked
the League of Nations for help. The League did nothing.

In Spain there was a bitter civil war. The nationalists, helped by Germany and Italy, won. The new
Spanish leader was Francisco Franco.

HITLER TAKES ACTION
Hitler began to build up the German military. He put troops in the Rhineland, an area near
France. Next, he sent troops into Austria to unite Austria and Germany. Then, he began to
threaten the Sudetenland, an area of Czechoslovakia. British Prime Minister Neville
Chamberlain and French leader Edouard Daladier agreed to let Hitler take over the area.

Section 2: Europe Erupts in War

WORLD WAR II STARTS
British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain believed that appeasement would prevent war.
Appeasement meant giving in to Hitlers demands. Some disagreed. These included Winston
Churchill, who later became the leader of Great Britain.

In March 1939 Hitler took over the rest of Czechoslovakia. Then, he signed a pact with Italy and
later a non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union. Just days later, on September 1, Hitler
attacked Poland. He pretended that Poland had attacked first. The German method of attack was
called blitzkrieg. Blitzkrieg meant lightning warmassive air and land attacks that moved
quickly. The Poles could not withstand the force of the attack. Britain and France declared war on
Germany.

GERMAN FORCES TURN TO THE WEST
The British and French, known as the Allies, guessed that Hitler would attack France through the
Maginot Line. This was a string of bunkers and fortresses on the border between France and
Germany. Instead, Hitler first conquered Norway and Denmark. Then, in May 1940, Hitler quickly
conquered the Netherlands and Belgium. From Belgiums Ardennes Forest he attacked France.
By early June the Germans had trapped hundreds of thousands of Allied soldiers on the beaches
at Dunkirk. Allied ships and hundreds of civilian ships rescued the soldiers.

Hitler moved on to Paris and occupied much of France. The rest, known as Vichy France, was
governed by French officials who cooperated with Hitler. Charles de Gaulle and other French
leaders fled to Britain to carry on the fight.

Hitler then began massive bombing raids against London. This was the start of his plan to invade
Britain. However, the British had radar. This was a new technology that used sound waves to
detect approaching airplanes. It helped the British fight the Luftwaffe, the German air force. The
Londoners suffered terribly, and about 23,000 civilians died. However, the British won what came
to be called the Battle of Britain. Hitler abandoned his plans to conquer Great Britain.

TENSIONS IN EAST ASIA
In Japan, the nationalists came to power. In 1937 Japan began a brutal war against China. In
1940 Japan formed a military alliance with Germany and Italy. They were called the Axis
Powers. The French Vichy government allowed the Japanese to take over French colonies in
Asia. President Roosevelt now took steps to deny Japan oil. The two countries began to hold
discussions. Minister of War Hideki Tojo took control of Japan and would not compromise.

Section 3: The United States Enters the War

AMERICAN ISOLATIONISM
In the 1930s many Americans believed in isolationism. This was a desire not to be involved in
foreign wars. These people were not all pacifists, who were against all military force. Most were
willing to fight to defend their country.

President Roosevelt was not an isolationist. However, nearly all of his attention had gone to
dealing with the American economy. Meanwhile, Congress had passed the Neutrality Act in
1935. It outlawed the sale of arms to foreign countries at war. Later, such things as loans to
warring countries were also outlawed.

BALANCING ISOLATIONISM AND INTERVENTION
As the worlds dictators became more aggressive, Roosevelt did not want to remain neutral, that
is, not helping one side or the other. He called for Americans to help isolate the aggressors in his
Quarantine Speech of 1937.

PREPARING FOR WAR
After Germany invaded Poland, Congress passed FDRs cash-and-carry program. It allowed
countries at war to buy American goods if they paid cash and collected the goods in U.S. ports.
Roosevelt hoped this would help the Allies. By the end of 1940, however, German victories led
the government to pass the Lend-Lease Act. This allowed weapons to be sent to Great Britain
even without pay.

In the 1940 election, Roosevelt was the first candidate to apply for a third term as president. His
opponent, Wendell Willkie, had similar ideas on foreign policy. The public voted for Roosevelt. In
mid-1941 Roosevelt and Churchill agreed to the Atlantic Charter, saying both nations opposed
Hitler and his allies. Meanwhile, German submarines began sinking American ships carrying
supplies to Britain.

JAPAN ATTACKS PEARL HARBOR
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, was home to the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Military leaders thought it might be
attacked. However, the forces there were not ready for what was to come. On December 7, 1941,
the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. For the United States it was a disaster. The Pacific Fleet
was all but destroyed.

The following day, Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan. Three days after that,
Germany and Italy declared war on the United States. The U.S. now entered World War II as one
of the allies.

Section 4: Mobilizing for War

MOBILIZING THE ARMED FORCES
It was a massive undertaking to mobilize American forces for war. This meant getting them ready.
In 1940 and 1941, the United States had increased military spending. Army Chief of Staff George
C. Marshall helped Roosevelt plan for war. He ensured that American soldiers were well
equipped and trained. Millions of Americans volunteered for war. The draft was also expanded.
New military bases were built around the country. Florida and California were changed forever by
the new bases.

Women were not allowed in combat, but they took over many jobs that left men free to fight. Ten
thousand women joined the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES) and
150,000 served in the Womens Army Corps (WAC). In 1943, the WAC became part of the Army.
It was led by Colonel Oveta Culp Hobby. The Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) tested and
delivered aircraft.

MOBILIZING INDUSTRY AND SCIENCE
Government spending during World War II ended the Great Depression and created millions of
new jobs. Factories were changed to produce war supplies. To deliver these goods, industrialist
Henry Kaiser organized shipyards with assembly-line techniques. These ships were called liberty
ships.

Eight million women entered the workforce. Many worked in industrial jobs that had never been
done by women. Rosie the Riveter became their symbol.

The most important U.S. scientific program of World War II was the Manhattan Project. Led by
J. Robert Oppenheimer, this projects goal was to produce an atomic bomb. The bomb used
the energy released by splitting atoms.

FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM AT HOME
Hundreds of thousands of African Americans served in the war. However, they were placed in
segregated units. Their bravery was often ignored. At home, African Americans found new jobs,
but still faced discrimination. Union leader A. Philip Randolph called for a protest march.
Roosevelt later outlawed discrimination in government or defense jobs.

Many Latinos also served in the war and also faced discrimination. The Bracero Program
allowed many Mexicans to become temporary farm workers. Their arrival sometimes caused
resentment. In Los Angeles, in 1943, this resulted in the week-long zoot suit riots.