Dictators Before WWII

• Summary of key topics relating to WWII

Dictators Before WWII

• Benito Mussolini rose to power in Italy due to public dissatisfaction with the weak democratic government after WWI
• Italians were upset about the outcome of the Paris Peace Conference and blamed their leaders
• Mussolini led the fascist political party and seized power by force, using armed followers to intimidate the government
• Hideki Tojo in Japan gained support by advocating for a stronger government and military
• Tojo aligned with Germany and Italy and sought to expand into China
• Adolf Hitler in Germany exploited the public's frustration with the Weimar Republic, which signed the Treaty of Versailles
• Economic struggles, like hyperinflation, fueled resentment towards the government
• Hitler's promise to eliminate democracy and restore Germany's national pride resonated with people
• Hitler blamed Jews for Germany's problems, which garnered support
• After initially losing an election to the communists, Hitler eventually gained power in a subsequent election
• Joseph Stalin came to power in Italy after the Bolsheviks seized power during the Russian Revolution

Totalitarianism

• Totalitarianism involves dictators exerting complete control over their population
• Characteristics include a single leader with absolute power
• Only one ideology is permitted
• Secret police instill terror
• Opposition is suppressed, and human rights are denied
• Propaganda is used for control
• Freedom of thought is limited and expression is forbidden

Appeal of Totalitarian Governments

• Citizens disliked their democratic governments
• In Germany, poor economic conditions and WWI humiliation led citizens to desire a stronger government and a sense of national pride, which Hitler promised
• Italians supported Mussolini because he pledged to restore Italy's former glory
• Japan was influenced by militaristic ideologies promoting expansion and nationalism
• Martial law appealed to many Japanese citizens, who believed it would lead to a more powerful nation

German Acts of Aggression

• Germany remilitarized the Rhineland, which had been lost to France due to the Treaty of Versailles and this showed their plans to take over Europe
• Austria was annexed by Germany
• Germany demanded the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia, leading to the Munich Agreement where Britain and France appeased Hitler with the promise of no more territorial expansion
• The Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact allowed Germany and the Soviet Union to invade and divide Poland without conflict, enabling Hitler to expand for Lebensraum without a two-front war

International Community Response

• Initial response was appeasement, seen in the Munich Agreement
• Early aggression was downplayed due to the focus on the Great Depression
• Full-scale war broke out only after the invasion of Poland

Munich Conference

• The Munich Conference was a meeting between leaders from Britain, France, Italy, and Nazi Germany
• The agreement was to cede Czechoslovakia to Nazi Germany to prevent war
• It exemplified appeasement, as neither France nor Britain were ready for war
• This agreement was made under the guarantee Germany would not invade any more land

Japanese and Italian Acts of Aggression

• Japan invaded Manchuria
• Italy invaded Ethiopia

Significance of Key Events

• Invasion of Poland (September 1, 1939): Initiated WWII with Nazi Germany's blitzkrieg tactics, leading Britain and France to declare war
• Battle of Britain (July 10, 1940): Germany aimed to control British air space and the English Channel - after an accidental bombing by the Germans on Britain, it prompted a retaliatory attack from Britain on Berlin and Hitler enacted the Blitzkrieg in London
• Dunkirk Evacuation (May 26, 1940): Allied forces retreated to Dunkirk's beaches, where many were rescued by British boats and France surrendered to Germany
• Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact (August 23-24, 1939): Ensured no conflict during the invasion of Poland
• Hong Kong (December 8-25, 1941): Canadian troops fought against Japan for the first time in WWII and many ended up as prisoners of war
• Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941): Led the U.S. to enter the war and declare war on Japan, after Japan wanted to display their military power after the US froze assets in banks.
• Dieppe (August 19, 1942): A failed Allied surprise attack on Dieppe, France, due to communication issues and strong German defenses
• Battle of Stalingrad (July 17, 1942): An emotional battle due to Hitler's goal to demoralize the Soviet Union, resulting in a major German defeat
• Normandy (D-Day) (June 6, 1944): The start of the liberation of Europe and a major turning point in victory for the Allies
• Liberation of Holland (May 5, 1945): Canadian forces drove the Nazis out of the Netherlands
• Italian Campaign (July - December 1943): Allies attacked Sicily to alleviate pressure on Soviet Allies and divert Germany from Normandy
• V-E Day (Fall of Berlin) (May 18, 1945): Victory in Europe Day after German troops surrendered
• Hiroshima and Nagasaki (August 6, 1945): The U.S. used atomic bombs, leading to Japan's surrender

Turning Points of WWII

• Pearl Harbor prompted the U.S. entry into the war
• The Battle of Stalingrad marked a major defeat for Germany on the eastern front
• D-Day (Normandy) was the start of the liberation of Europe

Canada's Initial Role

• Canada declared war on September 10, 1939, after Britain
• Canada committed to the British Commonwealth Air Training Program to train pilots

Laws and Programs

• The War Measures Act was re-enacted
• Total war mobilized the economy
• Victory bonds were reintroduced
• New programs included the Baby Bonus (to help families with children during the Great Depression) and the Wartime Prices and Trade Board (froze prices and wages)

Examples of Canadian Independence

• Canada joined the war after Britain
• Initially focused on the British Commonwealth Air Training Program
• Participation in the Battle of Hong Kong, D-Day, and the Liberation of Netherlands

Conscription in WWI vs. WWII

• Mackenzie King handled conscription more effectively than Robert Borden
• Borden's conscription in WWI divided the country and caused riots
• King initially avoided conscription in WWII but introduced the National Resources Mobilization Act (NRMA) for home defense
• King delayed full conscription until 1944

Contributions of Canadian Minorities

• Indigenous Canadians joined all military branches and served in various roles
• Black Canadians worked in factories producing war materials and some fought in the war
• Chinese Canadians served in the military
• Women entered factories and were supported with baby bonuses and daycare services

Treatment of Minorities in Canada

• Japanese Canadians were deemed enemy aliens after Pearl Harbor and put into internment camps
• Jewish Canadians faced rising immigration taxes, job discrimination, and social exclusion and were turned away from entering Canada

The Holocaust and Anti-Semitism

• The Holocaust was the genocide of Jewish people and were forced into concentration camps to create war materials, or killed in gas chambers if deemed not useful
• Anti-Semitism is the dislike of Jewish people