History

Japanese society

Japan was very isolated until 1853 when US Commodore Matthew Perry sailed in to Japan and forced them to open their ports

In the late 1800’s many Japanese were tired of being controlled by foreign countries.

Showed off new power in several wars

Sino-Japanese War
- 1894-95
- Japan won
Russo-Japanese War
- 1904-05
- Japan shocked the world by beating Russia
- gained partial control of Manchuria
World War I
- allied with the US
- gained German Islands in the Pacific after the war

1920’s

1930’s

Great Depression changed everything
people blamed the government for tough times
military leaders stepped in and took control
- said Japan had to expand in to Asia to help economy
- assassinated political leaders that opposed them
- took away people’s rights

Japanese Military Honor

fight to the death
commit suicide rather than surrender
gekokujo
- open defiance of superior officers by junior officers
- seen as a positive thing
- shows the spirit of the soldier

Appeasement Policy

"A diplomatic policy aimed at avoiding wat by makin concessions to and aggressor"
GB and France used this policy throughout the 1930's
Helped give Japan, Italy and Germany confidence that they would face no consequences for their actions
Considered to be a huge mistake by historians

Panay Incident- 1937

Japan attack the us ship and killed a couple of people
Japan "mistakened:" it for a chinese ship when there was clearly US flag on the ship
- They appoligized
First major conflict between US and Japan

Anschluss with Austria- 1938

Anschluss- Union
Austria was a German speaking country and Hitler was born there so Hitler wanted to combine Germany and Austria
The leader of Austia asked the people to vote on if they wanted to join or not and most said no but Hitler ended up taking it over

Sudetenland/Munich Conference- 1938

Munich Pact- Appeasement
- Germany was given the Sucentenland of Czechoslovakia
- Czech. had the option to accept Pact or deal with Germany itseld
- Czech. lost it's defensible borders and fortifications
- Czech. also lost 70% of its iron/steel, 70% of its electrical power and 3.5 million citizens to Germany as a result of the settlement
Munich Conference
- Chamberlain: "Peace for our time"
- - was a hero in '39
Hitler takes all of Czech
- British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain started taking Nazi German and Hitler much seriously after that
- Winston Churchhill had warned about this happening
- GB and France started mobilizing for war

Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact- August 23 1939

- German ambassador Von Ribbentrop and Soviet dictator Stalin laugh as Molotov signs the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact on August 23 1939
- Russian gave raw materials to Germany in exchange for money and waepons
- Both agreed to stay neutral if the other entered the war
- Secretly agreed to invade and split Poland. Germany would get the western half and USSR the eastern half
- Soviet would get Finland, Estonia and Lativa; Germany would get Lithuania
How did the world react to this pact?
- shock
- poland was in a very tough spot
- Hitler thought in would force GB and France to back out of their promice to help poland
leads to the invasion of Poland

Blitzkrieg-Lightening War- The Concepst of Blitzkrieg

Air force attack enemy front-line and rear positions, main roads, airfields and communication centers. At the same time, infantry attacks on the entire and engages enemy
Tank (panzer) units break through main lines of defense and advanse deeper into enemy territory. While following , mechanized units pursue and engage defenders preventing them from establishing defensive postions. Infantry continues to engage enemy for the same reason
Infantry attacks enemy flanks in order to link up with other groups to complete the attack and eventually en circle the enemy and/or capture strategic position
Mechaniced groups go deeper into the enemy territory outflanking the enemy positions and preventin withdrawing troops and defenders from establishing effective defensive positions
Main force links up with other units encircling and cutting off the emeny
Goal was to achieve victory as quickly as possible

Sitzkrieg- The Phony War

Maginot Line

Was a line of concrete fortification, tank obstacles, artillery casemates, machine gun posts, and other defenses
France constructed this along its borders with Germnay and Italy after what happened to them in WWI
Built from 1930-1940

Vichy Government

Free French Underground

Battle of Britia0 July 1940

Nazi Goals

Destroy the Royal Air Force (before invasion was possible- hopefully by 9-15)
Attack and destroy the British Navy
Attack British troops
After gaining air superiority, the invasion of GB would be begin in GB had not already surrendered
- Germany never succeded #1
- German bombers did so poorly against the RAF that they started bombing at night only- randomly attacking cities
- GB was aided heavily by the radar and Ultra- intercepting and decifling of German code, one of the biggest reason for winning

Operation Sea Lion- Never Happened
Hitler never won because he was never able to have control of the skies
1940 election
- FDR wins again
FDR signs the Lend- Lease Act
- US would lend or lease supplies to other countries in war and when they were done using it they would give it back and it only went to vountries that are allies to us

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