# data[].attributes.body
1. "Japanese militarism led to the occupation of Indochina which resulted in the US oil embargo which the military in Japan viewed as a pretext for war," Alchin, Linda. “Japanese Militarism: US History for Kids.” Japanese Militarism, 9 Jan. 2018, www.american-historama.org/1929-1945-depression-ww2-era/japanese-militarism.htm.

# data[].attributes.headline
Columbia University "Japans Quest for Power and WWII in Asia" Asia for Education 2022 

# data[].attributes.subject
Columbia University "Japans Quest for Power and WWII in Asia" Asia for Education 2022 

# data[].attributes.body
"While it seems that economic factors were important in Japanese expansion in East Asia, it would be too much to say that colonialism, trade protection, and the American embargo compelled Japan to take this course. Domestic politics, ideology and racism also played a role." - Abby S

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The World at War: 1931-1945

Economic Background

While the United States was still struggling to emerge from the Great Depression at the end of the 1930s, and would do so partly because of the war, Japan had emerged from its own period of depression, which had begun in 1926, by the mid-1930s. Many of the young soldiers mobilized into the Japanese army by the early 1930s came from the rural areas, where the effects of the depression were devastating and poverty was widespread. Their commitment to the military effort to expand Japanese territory to achieve economic security can be understood partly in these terms. The depression ended in the mid-1930s in Japan partly because of government deficits used to expand greatly both heavy industry and the military.

Internationally, this was a time when "free trade" was in disrepute. The great powers not only jealously protected their special economic rights within their colonies and spheres of influence, but sought to bolster their sagging economies through high tariffs, dumping of goods, and other trade manipulation. The Japanese, with few natural resources, sought to copy this pattern. They used cutthroat trade practices to sell textiles and other light industrial goods in the East Asian and U.S. markets, severely undercutting British and European manufacturers. They also developed sources of raw materials and heavy industry in the colonies they established in Korea, Taiwan and Manchuria. Japan used high tariffs to limit imports of American and European industrial products.

The Japanese military faced a particular tactical problem in that certain critical raw materials - especially oil and rubber - were not available within the Japanese sphere of influence. Instead, Japan received most of its oil from the United States and rubber from British Malaya, the very two Western nations trying to restrict Japan's expansion. U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's embargo of oil exports to Japan pressured the Japanese navy, which had stocks for only about six months of operations.

The Japanese army, for its part, was originally concerned with fighting the Soviet Union, because of the army's preoccupation with Manchuria and China. The Japanese army governed Manchuria indirectly through the "puppet" state of Manchukuo and developed heavy industry there under its favorite agencies, disliking and distrusting the zaibatsu (large Japanese corporations). But the Soviet army's resistance to Japanese attacks was sufficient to discourage northern expansion.

Meanwhile in 1937, the intensification of Chinese resistance to the pressure of the Japanese military drew Japan into a draining war in the vast reaches of China proper, and in 1940 into operations in French Indochina, far to the south. Thus, when the navy pressed for a "southern" strategy of attacking Dutch Indonesia to get its oil and British Malaya to control its rubber, the army agreed.

While it seems that economic factors were important in Japanese expansion in East Asia, it would be too much to say that colonialism, trade protection, and the American embargo compelled Japan to take this course. Domestic politics, ideology and racism also played a role.
Domestic Politics
The political structure of Japan at this time was inherited from the Meiji era and was increasingly dominated by the military. During the Meiji period, the government was controlled by a small ruling group of elder statesmen who had overthrown the shogun and established the new centralized Japanese state. These men used their position to coordinate the bureaucracy, the military, the parliament, the Imperial Household, and other branches of government. Following their deaths in the early 1920s, no single governmental institution was able to establish full control, until the 1931 Manchurian Incident, when Japan took control of Manchuria. This began a process in which the military behaved autonomously on the Asian mainland and with increasing authority in politics at home.

From 1937 on, Japan was at war with China. By the time General Hideki Tôjô became prime minister and the war against the United States began in 1941, the nation was in a state of "total war" and the military and their supporters were able to force their policies on the government and the people. The wartime regime used existing government controls on public opinion, including schools and textbooks, the media, and the police, but Japan continued to have more of an authoritarian government than a totalitarian one like Hitler's Germany. In particular, the government was never able to gain real control of the economy and the great zaibatsu, which were more interested in the economic opportunities provided by the military's policies than in submitting loyally to a patriotic mission.

The emperor has been criticized for not taking a more forceful action to restrain his government, especially in light of his own known preference for peace, but Japanese emperors after the Meiji Restoration had "reigned but not ruled." One wonders if a more forceful emperor in fact could have controlled the army and navy at this late date. The doubts are strengthened in light of the difficulty the emperor had in forcing the military to accept surrender after the atomic bombings. The emperor's decision at that point to bring agreement among his advisers was an extraordinary event in Japanese history.
Ideology
The emperor-based ideology of Japan during World War II was a relatively new creation, dating from the efforts of Meiji oligarchs to unite the nation in response to the Western challenge. Before the Meiji Restoration, the emperor wielded no political power and was viewed simply as a symbol of the Japanese culture. He was the head of the Shintô religion, Japan's native religion, which holds, among other beliefs, that the emperor is descended from gods who created Japan and is therefore semidivine. Westerners of that time knew him only as a shadowy figure somewhat like a pope.

The Meiji oligarchs brought the emperor and Shintô to national prominence, replacing Buddhism as the national religion, for political and ideological reasons - since Buddhism had originated in India and come to Japan via China. The people were not allowed to look at the emperor, or even to speak his name; patriotism had been raised to the unassailable level of sacredness.

It is sometimes difficult to comprehend the extreme sacrifices the Japanese made in the name of the emperor. This can perhaps best be viewed, however, as extreme patriotism - Japanese were taught to give their lives, if necessary, for their emperor. But this was not entirely different from the Americans who gave their lives in the same war for their country and the "American" way. The kamikaze pilots, who were named for the "divine wind" (kami kaze) that destroyed the Mongol fleet in the thirteenth century and saved Japan from invasion, might be compared to the young Iranian soldiers fighting in suicide squadrons in the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s, or even to fanatical Shiites responsible for the truck bombing of the U.S. Lebanese embassy in 1983.
Racism
The Japanese were proud of their many accomplishments and resented racial slurs they met with in some Western nations. Their attempt to establish a statement of racial equality in the Covenant of the League of Nations was vetoed by the United States (because of opposition in California) and Great Britain (Australian resistance). The Japanese greatly resented this.

The Japanese military was convinced of the willingness of its people to go to any sacrifice for their nation, and it was contemptuous of the "softness" of the U.S. and European democracies, where loyalty and patriotism were tempered by the rights and well-being of the individual. The military's overconfidence in its own abilities and underestimation of the will of these other nations were thus rooted in its own misleading ethnic and racial stereotypes. While Asians, the Japanese saw themselves as less representatives of Asia than Asia's champion. They sought to liberate Asian colonies from the Westerners, whom they disdained. But although the Japanese were initially welcomed in some Asian colonies by the indigenous populations whom they "liberated" from European domination, the arrogance and racial prejudice displayed by the Japanese military governments in these nations created great resentment. This resentment is still evident in some Southeast Asian nations.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Japan's Quest for Power and World War II in Asia | Asia for Educators | Columbia University

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The World at War: 1931-1945 Economic Background While the United States was still struggling to emerge from the Great Depression at the end of the 1930s, and would do so partly because of the war, Japan had emerged from its own period of depression, which had begun in 1926, by the mid-1930s.

# data[].attributes.body
"By placing the burden of war guilt entirely on Germany, imposing harsh reparations payments and creating an increasingly unstable collection of smaller nations in Europe, the treaty would ultimately fail to resolve the underlying issues that caused war to break out in 1914, and help pave the way for another massive global conflict 20 years later."

Pruitt, Sarah. "How the Treaty of Versailles and German Guilt Led to World War 2." History, Jun. 2018, www.history.com/news/treaty-of-versailles-world-war-ii-german-guilt-effects.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When Germany signed the armistice ending hostilities in the First World War on November 11, 1918, its leaders believed they were accepting a "peace without victory," as outlined by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson in his famous Fourteen Points. But from the moment the leaders of the victorious Allied nations arrived in France for the peace conference in early 1919, the post-war reality began to diverge sharply from Wilson's idealistic vision.

Five long months later, on June 28-exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife in Sarajevo-the leaders of the Allied and associated powers, as well as representatives from Germany, gathered in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles to sign the final treaty. By placing the burden of war guilt entirely on Germany, imposing harsh reparations payments and creating an increasingly unstable collection of smaller nations in Europe, the treaty would ultimately fail to resolve the underlying issues that caused war to break out in 1914, and help pave the way for another massive global conflict 20 years later.

None of the defeated nations at the Paris Peace Conference weighed in

Formal peace negotiations opened in Paris on January 18, 1919, the anniversary of the coronation of German Emperor Wilhelm I at the end of the Franco-Prussian War in 1871. World War I had brought up painful memories of that conflict-which ended in German unification and its seizure of the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine from France-and now France intended to make Germany pay.

The "Big Four" leaders of the victorious Allied nations (Woodrow Wilson of the United States, David Lloyd George of Great Britain, Georges Clemenceau of France and, to a lesser extent, Vittorio Orlando of Italy) dominated the peace negotiations. None of the defeated nations were invited to weigh in, and even the smaller Allied powers had little say. Though the Versailles Treaty, signed with Germany in June 1919, was the most famous outcome of the Paris Peace Conference, the Allies also had separate treaties with Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary and Turkey, and the formal peacemaking process wasn't concluded until the signing of the Treaty of Lausanne in July 1923.

The treaty was lengthy and ultimately did not satisfy any nation.

The Versailles Treaty forced Germany to give up territory to Belgium, Czechoslovakia and Poland, return Alsace and Lorraine to France and cede all of its overseas colonies in China, Pacific and Africa to the Allied nations. In addition, it had to drastically reduce its armed forces and accept the demilitarization and Allied occupation of the region around the Rhine River. Most importantly, Article 231 of the treaty placed all blame for inciting the war squarely on Germany and forced it to pay several billion in reparations to the Allied nations.

Faced with the seemingly impossible task of balancing many competing priorities, the treaty ended up as a lengthy and confusing document that satisfied no one. "It literally is an attempt to remake Europe," says Michael Neiberg, professor of history at U.S. Army War College and author of The Treaty of Versailles: A Concise History (2017). "I'm not one of those people who believes the treaty made the Second World War inevitable, but I think you could argue that it made Europe a less stable place."

In Wilson's vision of the post-war world, all nations (not just the losers) would reduce their armed forces, preserve the freedom of the seas and join an international peacekeeping organization called the League of Nations. But his fellow Allied leaders rejected much of his plan as naive and too idealistic. The French, in particular, wanted Germany to pay a heavy price for the war, including loss of territory, disarmament and payment of reparations, while the British saw Wilson's plan as a threat to their supremacy in Europe.

Black Thursday brings the roaring twenties to a screaming halt, ushering in a worldwide economic depression.

Aside from affecting Germany, the Treaty of Versailles might have caused the Great Depression.

Many people, even at the time, agreed with the British economist John Maynard Keynes that Germany could not possibly pay so much in reparations without severe risks to the entire European economy. In his later memoir, U.S. President Herbert Hoover went so far as to blame reparations for causing the Great Depression.

But though most Germans were furious about the Treaty of Versailles, calling it a Diktat (dictated peace) and condemning the German representatives who signed it as "November criminals" who had stabbed them in the back, in hindsight it seems clear that the treaty turned out to be far more lenient than its authors might have intended. "Germany ended up not paying anywhere near what the treaty said Germany should pay," Neiberg says, adding that hardly anyone had expected Germany to be able to pay the entire amount.

And despite the loss of German territory, "there were plenty of people who understood as early as 1919 that the map actually gave Germany some advantages," Neiberg points out. "It put small states on Germany's borders, in eastern and central Europe. It eliminated Russia as a direct enemy of Germany, at least in the 1920s, and it removed Russia as an ally of France. So while the treaty looked really harsh to some people, it actually opened up opportunities for others."

The war guilt clause was more problematic. "You have to go back to 1914, when most Germans believed they had entered the war because Russia had mobilized its army," explains Neiberg. "To most Germans in 1919, and not just those on the right, blaming Germany specifically for the war made no sense. Especially when they did not put a war guilt clause on Austria-Hungary, which you could reasonably argue were the people that actually started this."

New European borders, the League of Nations and Germany reparations.

Taken as a whole, the treaties concluded after World War I redrew the borders of Europe, carving up the former Austro-Hungarian Empire into states like Yugoslavia, Poland and Czechoslovakia. As Neiberg puts it: "Whereas in 1914, you had a small number of great powers, after 1919 you have a larger number of smaller powers. That meant that the balance of power was less stable."

The Versailles Treaty also included a covenant for the League of Nations, the international organization that Woodrow Wilson had envisioned would preserve peace among the nations of Europe and the world. But the U.S. Senate ultimately refused to ratify the Versailles Treaty due to its opposition to the League, which left the organization seriously weakened without U.S. participation or military backing.

Meanwhile, Germany's economic woes, exacerbated by the burden of reparations and general European inflation, destabilized the Weimar Republic, the government established at the end of the war. Due to lasting resentment of the Versailles Treaty, the National Socialist (Nazi) Party and other radical right-wing parties were able to gain support in the 1920s and early '30s by promising to overturn its harsh provisions and make Germany into a major European power once again.

The Versailles Treaty made World War II possible, not inevitable.

In 1945, when the leaders of the United States, Great Britain and Soviet Union met at Potsdam, they blamed the failures of the Versailles Treaty for making another great conflict necessary and vowed to right the wrongs of their peacekeeping predecessors. But Neiberg, like many historians, takes a more nuanced view, pointing to events other than the treaty-including the United States not joining the League of Nations and the rise of the Stalinist regime in the Soviet Union-as necessary elements in understanding the path to the Second World War.

"In my own personal view as a historian, you need to be really careful directly connecting events that happened 20 years apart," he says. "A different treaty produces a different outcome, yes. But you shouldn't draw inevitability. It's part of the recipe, but it's not the only ingredient."

Fact Check

We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How the Treaty of Versailles and German Guilt Led to World War II | HISTORY

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
From the moment the leaders of the victorious Allied nations arrived in France for the peace conference in early 1919, the post-war reality began to diverge sharply from Wilson's idealistic vision.

# data[].attributes.headline
Alex Szwab                                                                 "The League of Nations was formed to prevent a repetition of the First World War, but within two decades this effort failed. Economic depression, renewed nationalism, weakened successor states, and feelings of humiliation (particularly in Germany) eventually contributed to World," History of Western Civilization ll.   

# data[].attributes.subject
Alex Szwab                                                                 "The League of Nations was formed to prevent a repetition of the First World War, but within two decades this effort failed. Economic depression, renewed nationalism, weakened successor states, and feelings of humiliation (particularly in Germany) eventually contributed to World," History of Western Civilization ll.   

# data[].attributes.body
URL ̂^̂^̂
"The League of Nations was an international diplomatic group developed after World War I as a way to solve disputes between countries before they erupted into open warfare. A precursor to the United Nations, the League achieved some victories but had a mixed record of success, sometimes putting self-interest before becoming involved with conflict resolution, while also contending with governments that did not recognize its authority. The League effectively ceased operations during World War II, history.com editors League of Nations History Oct 12. 2017  https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/league-of-nations.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
29.5.4: The League of Nations

The League of Nations was formed to prevent a repetition of the First World War, but within two decades this effort failed. Economic depression, renewed nationalism, weakened successor states, and feelings of humiliation (particularly in Germany) eventually contributed to World War II.

Learning Objective

Explain the ideals that underpinned the forming of the League of Nations

Key Points

The League of Nations was formed at the Paris Peace Conference to prevent another global conflict like World War I and maintain world peace. It was the first organization of its kind.

Its primary goals, as stated in its Covenant, included preventing wars through collective security and disarmament and settling international disputes through negotiation and arbitration.

Unlike former efforts at world peace such as the Concert of Europe, the League was an independent organization without an army of its own, and thus depended on the Great Powers to enforce its resolutions.

The members were often hesitant to do so, leaving the League powerless to intervene in disputes and conflicts.

The U.S. Congress, mainly led by Henry Cabot Lodge, was resistant to joining the League, as doing so would legally bind the U.S. to intervene in European conflicts. In the end, the U.S. did not join the League, despite being its main architects.

The League failed to intervene in many conflicts leading up to World War II, including the Italian invasion of Abyssinia, the Spanish Civil War, and the Second Sino-Japanese War.

Key Terms

Henry Cabot Lodge

An American Republican Senator and historian from Massachusetts best known for his positions on foreign policy, especially his battle with President Woodrow Wilson in 1919 over the Treaty of Versailles. He demanded Congressional control of declarations of war; Wilson refused and blocked his move to ratify the treaty with reservations. As a result, the United States never joined the League of Nations.

League of Nations

An intergovernmental organization founded on January 10, 1920, as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. Its primary goals as stated in its Covenant included preventing wars through collective security and disarmament and settling international disputes through negotiation and arbitration.

The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded on January 10, 1920, as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. Its primary goals, as stated in its Covenant, included preventing wars through collective security and disarmament and settling international disputes through negotiation and arbitration. Other issues in this and related treaties included labor conditions, just treatment of native inhabitants, human and drug trafficking, the arms trade, global health, prisoners of war, and protection of minorities in Europe. At its greatest extent from September 28, 1934, to February 23, 1935, it had 58 members.

The diplomatic philosophy behind the League represented a fundamental shift from the preceding hundred years. The League lacked its own armed force and depended on the Great Powers to enforce its resolutions, keep to its economic sanctions, and provide an army when needed. However, the Great Powers were often reluctant to do so. Sanctions could hurt League members, so they were reluctant to comply. During the Second Italo-Abyssinian War, when the League accused Italian soldiers of targeting Red Cross medical tents, Benito Mussolini responded that "the League is very well when sparrows shout, but no good at all when eagles fall out."

After a number of notable successes and some early failures in the 1920s, the League ultimately proved incapable of preventing aggression by the Axis powers in the 1930s. Germany withdrew from the League, as did Japan, Italy, Spain, and others. The onset of the Second World War showed that the League had failed its primary purpose to prevent any future world war. The League lasted for 26 years; the United Nations (UN) replaced it after the end of the Second World War in April 1946 and inherited a number of agencies and organizations founded by the League.

American President Woodrow Wilson instructed Edward M. House to draft a U.S. plan that reflected Wilson's own idealistic views (first articulated in the Fourteen Points of January 1918), as well as the work of the Phillimore Committee. The outcome of House's work and Wilson's own first draft, proposed the termination of "unethical" state behavior, including forms of espionage and dishonesty. Methods of compulsion against recalcitrant states would include severe measures, such as "blockading and closing the frontiers of that power to commerce or intercourse with any part of the world and to use any force that may be necessary..."

The two principal rchitects of the covenant of the League of Nations were Lord Robert Cecil (a lawyer and diplomat) and Jan Smuts (a Commonwealth statesman). Smuts' proposals included the creation of a Council of the great powers as permanent members and a non-permanent selection of the minor states. He also proposed the creation of a mandate system for captured colonies of the Central Powers during the war. Cecil focused on the administrative side and proposed annual Council meetings and quadrennial meetings for the Assembly of all members. He also argued for a large and permanent secretariat to carry out the League's administrative duties.

At the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, Wilson, Cecil, and Smuts put forward their draft proposals. After lengthy negotiations between the delegates, the Hurst-Miller draft was finally produced as a basis for the Covenant. After more negotiation and compromise, the delegates finally approved of the proposal to create the League of Nations on January 25, 1919. The final Covenant of the League of Nations was drafted by a special commission, and the League was established by Part I of the Treaty of Versailles. On June 28, 44 states signed the Covenant, including 31 states that took part in the war on the side of the Triple Entente or joined it during the conflict.

The League would consist of a General Assembly (representing all member states), an Executive Council (with membership limited to major powers), and a permanent secretariat. Member states were expected to "respect and preserve as against external aggression" the territorial integrity of other members and to disarm "to the lowest point consistent with domestic safety." All states were required to submit complaints for arbitration or judicial inquiry before going to war. The Executive Council would create a Permanent Court of International Justice to make judgments on the disputes.

Despite Wilson's efforts to establish and promote the League, for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in October 1919, the United States did not join. Opposition in the Senate, particularly from two Republican politicians, Henry Cabot Lodge and William Borah, and especially in regard to Article X of the Covenant, ensured that the United States would not ratify the agreement. Their objections were based on the fact that by ratifying such a document, the United States would be bound by international contract to defend a League of Nations member if it was attacked. They believed that it was best not to become involved in international conflicts.

The League held its first council meeting in Paris on January 16, 1920, six days after the Versailles Treaty and the Covenant of the League of Nations came into force. On November 1, the headquarters of the League was moved from London to Geneva, where the first General Assembly was held on November 15.

The aftermath of the First World War left many issues to be settled, including the exact position of national boundaries and which country particular regions would join. Most of these questions were handled by the victorious Allied powers in bodies such as the Allied Supreme Council. The Allies tended to refer only particularly difficult matters to the League. This meant that during the early interwar period, the League played little part in resolving the turmoil resulting from the war. The questions the League considered in its early years included those designated by the Paris Peace treaties.

As the League developed, its role expanded, and by the middle of the 1920s it had become the center of international activity. This change can be seen in the relationship between the League and non-members. The United States and Russia, for example, increasingly worked with the League. During the second half of the 1920s, France, Britain, and Germany were all using the League of Nations as the focus of their diplomatic activity, and each of their foreign secretaries attended League meetings at Geneva during this period. They also used the League's machinery to improve relations and settle their differences.

In addition to territorial disputes, the League also tried to intervene in other conflicts between and within nations. Among its successes were its fight against the international trade in opium and sexual slavery and its work to alleviate the plight of refugees, particularly in Turkey in the period up to 1926. One of its innovations in this latter area was the 1922 introduction of the Nansen passport, the first internationally recognized identity card for stateless refugees.

The League failed to intervene in many conflicts leading up to World War II, including the Italian invasion of Abyssinia, the Spanish Civil War, and the Second Sino-Japanese War.

The onset of the Second World War demonstrated that the League had failed in its primary purpose, the prevention of another world war. There were a variety of reasons for this failure, many connected to general weaknesses within the organization, such as voting structure that made ratifying resolutions difficult and incomplete representation among world nations. Additionally, the power of the League was limited by the United States' refusal to join.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The League of Nations was formed to prevent a repetition of the First World War, but within two decades this effort failed. Economic depression, renewed nationalism, weakened successor states, and feelings of humiliation (particularly in Germany) eventually contributed to World War II.

# data[].attributes.body
"Reparations imposed on Germany following WWI left the country poorer, and economic woes caused resentment amongst its population."
Matthew Johnston,Pretense of Peace, Economic Conditions That Helped Cause World War II,January 17 2022

"The economic troubles of the 1930s were worldwide in scope and effect. Economic instability led to political instability in many parts of the world. Political chaos, in turn, gave rise to dictatorial regimes such as Adolf Hitler's in Germany and the military's in Japan. ""World War II, 1929 to 1945 Overview." Library of Congress, March 17 2022 www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/united-states-history-primary-source-timeline/great-depression-and-world-war-ii-1929-1945/overview/.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Looking around at the magnitude of death and destruction that resulted from World War I, leaders of some of the world's major powers held a conference in Paris, the outcome of which they hoped would ensure that no such devastation would ever happen again.

Unfortunately, the combination of a poorly designed peace treaty and the most severe economic crisis the modern world had ever experienced brought about a deterioration of international relations that would culminate in a war even more calamitous than the one that preceded it.

Pretense of Peace

Despite its authors' best intentions to ensure peace, the Treaty of Versailles contained a seed that would give rise to war rather than peace when sown on the soil of economic crises. This seed was Article 231, which came with a label called "the war guilt clause." It blamed Germany entirely for the war and required reparation payments as punishment. Because Germany was forced to surrender colonial territories and military disarmament, it's no surprise that Germans resented the treaty.

The newly constituted Weimar Republic began delaying war reparation payments as early as 1923, which initiated France and Belgium to retaliate. Both countries sent troops to occupy the industrial center of the Ruhr River valley region, effectively appropriating the coal and metal production that took place there.

As much of German manufacturing was dependent on coal and metal, the loss of these industries created a negative economic shock, leading to a severe contraction. This contraction, as well as the government's continued printing of money to pay internal war debts, generated spiraling hyperinflation.

While price and economic stabilization would eventually be achieved (partly through the help of the American Dawes plan of 1924), the hyperinflation wiped out much of the life savings of the middle class. The political consequences were devastating, as many people became distrustful of the Weimar government, which was founded on liberal-democratic principles. This sentiment, along with resentment over the treaty, lent itself to the increasing popularity of more left- and right-wing radical political parties.

Deterioration of International Trade

The onset of the Great Depression would serve to undermine any attempts at creating a more open, cooperative, and peaceful post-war world. The American stock market crash in 1929 caused a cessation of loans to Germany under the Dawes Plans as well as a complete recall of previous loans. The tightening of money and credit eventually led to the collapse of Austria's largest bank in 1931, the Creditanstalt, which kicked off a wave of bank failures throughout Central Europe. This included the complete disintegration of Germany's banking system.

Deteriorating economic conditions in Germany helped the Nazi party grow from being a relatively small fringe group to being the nation's largest political party. Nazi propaganda that put blame on the Treaty of Versailles for much of Germany's economic hardships fueled Hitler's rise in popularity with voters, who would make him German chancellor in 1933.

The Great Depression motivated individual nations to adopt more beggar-thy-neighbor trade policies to protect domestic industries from foreign competition. While such trade policies can be beneficial on an individual level, it serves to reduce international trade and the economic benefits that come with it if every country turns to protectionism. Countries without access to important raw materials will be especially burdened by the lack of free trade.

From Imperialism to World War

While the British, French, Soviets, and Americans had colonial empires with access to raw materials, countries such as Germany, Italy, and Japan did not. The deterioration of international trade led to the formation of regional trade blocs with the so-called have nations forming blocs along colonial lines, like Great Britain's Imperial Preference system.

While have-not nations looked to form their own regional trade blocs, they found it increasingly necessary to use military force to annex territories with much-needed resources. This required extensive rearmament and, in the case of Germany, meant a direct violation of the Versailles Treaty. Rearmament also reinforced the need for more raw materials and territorial expansion.

Imperialist conquests like Japan's invasion of Manchuria in the early 1930s, Italy's invasion of Ethiopia in 1935, and Germany's annexation of most of Austria and parts of Czechoslovakia in 1938, were all manifestations of the need to expand territories. But these conquests drew the ire of two of Europe's major powers, and following Germany's invasion of Poland, both Britain and France declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939. This began World War II.

What Caused World War II?

What Was the Economic Impact of World War II?

What Happened to Germany After World War II?

The Bottom Line

Despite noble aspirations for peace, the outcome of the Paris Peace Conference did more to reinforce hostility by singling out Germany as the sole instigator of the First World War. The Great Depression and the economic protectionism it engendered would then serve as the catalyst for the hostility to manifest itself in the rise of the Nazi Party and increasing imperialist ambitions among world nations. It was then only a matter of time before small imperialist conquests would lead to the breakout of World War II.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Economic Conditions That Helped Cause World War II

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Here's a look at how economic conditions following World War I intensified antagonisms between nations and led to the outbreak of World War II.

# data[].attributes.body
"Instituted in the hope of avoiding war, appeasement was the name given to Britain’s policy in the 1930s of allowing Hitler to expand German territory unchecked."
Imperial War Museums, "How Britain Hoped To Avoid War With Germany In The 1930s", IWM, 2017 https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/how-britain-hoped-to-avoid-war-with-germany-in-the-1930s#:~:text=Instituted%20in%20the%20hope%20of,as%20a%20policy%20of%20weakness.

"Appeasement reached its climax in September 1938 with the Munich Agreement. Chamberlain hoped to avoid a war over Czechoslovakia by conceding to Adolf Hitler’s demands. The Agreement allowed Nazi Germany to annex the Sudetenland, the German-speaking parts of Czechoslovakia."
Immediate Media Company Ltd., "Did appeasement cause the Second World War?", History Extra, july 13, 2021, https://www.historyextra.com/period/second-world-war/did-appeasement-cause-second-world-war-policy-how-why/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Instituted in the hope of avoiding war, appeasement was the name given to Britain's policy in the 1930s of allowing Hitler to expand German territory unchecked. Most closely associated with British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, it is now widely discredited as a policy of weakness. Yet at the time, it was a popular and seemingly pragmatic policy.

Hitler's expansionist aims became clear in 1936 when his forces entered the Rhineland. Two years later, in March 1938, he annexed Austria. At the Munich Conference that September, Neville Chamberlain seemed to have averted war by agreeing that Germany could occupy the Sudetenland, the German-speaking part of Czechoslovakia - this became known as the Munich Agreement.

In Britain, the Munich Agreement was greeted with jubilation. However, Winston Churchill, then estranged from government and one of the few to oppose appeasement of Hitler, described it as 'an unmitigated disaster'.

Appeasement was popular for several reasons. Chamberlain - and the British people - were desperate to avoid the slaughter of another world war. Britain was overstretched policing its empire and could not afford major rearmament. Its main ally, France, was seriously weakened and, unlike in the First World War, Commonwealth support was not a certainty. Many Britons also sympathised with Germany, which they felt had been treated unfairly following its defeat in 1918.

But, despite his promise of 'no more territorial demands in Europe', Hitler was undeterred by appeasement. In March 1939, he violated the Munich Agreement by occupying the rest of Czechoslovakia. Six months later, in September 1939, Germany invaded Poland and Britain was at war.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How Britain Hoped To Avoid War With Germany In The 1930s

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Instituted in the hope of avoiding war, appeasement was the name given to Britain's policy in the 1930s of allowing Hitler to expand German territory unchecked. Most closely associated with British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, it is now widely discredited as a policy of weakness.

# data[].attributes.body
2. "The militarists followed up their gains by the occupation of a large slice of north China in 1933, forcing the Chinese government to sign a humiliating truce. In February 1933, Japan quit the League of Nations, burning its most important bridge with the outside world," “Why Did Japan Choose War? | AHA.” American Historical Association, www.historians.org/about-aha-and-membership/aha-history-and-archives/gi-roundtable-series/pamphlets/em-15-what-shall-be-done-about-japan-after-victory-(1945)/why-did-japan-choose-war. Accessed 17 Mar. 2022.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
World War II really began when the Japanese army seized Manchuria in 1931. But that was not the starting point of Japanese aggression. Japan started in business as a land-grabbing power in a small way. Moving cautiously, while its modern navy and army were still in the infant stage, Japan took over several groups of small islands not far from its homeland without having to fight for them.

By 1894 it was strong enough to challenge the weak and aging Chinese Empire. In July of that year Japanese naval guns fired on Chinese ships without warning. For the next fifty years Japan's conquest and absorption of Asia and the Pacific islands has continued, step by step, with time out to consolidate the gains and gather strength for the next move.

The successful war with China in 1894-95 added Formosa and the nearby Pescadores islands to the Japanese Empire. After defeating Russia in 1904-05, Japan took the south half of Sakhalin and the southern tip of Manchuria known as the LiaotungPeninsula. In 1910 Korea was annexed. At the end of World War I, the victorious powers handed the Japanese a mandate over the former German islands north of the equator, one of the most important strategic areas in the Pacific. Twelve years later the Japanese began carving out sections of China, starting with Manchuria in 1931. On the eve of the present war, Japan seized control of Indo-China from defenseless France and reduced Thailand (Siam) to the status of a puppet.

By a combination of bluff and bloodshed Japan's warlords, in less than half a century, had increased their holdings from 147,669 square miles to more than 1,000,000.

It's our problem now.

Only a few Americans seem to have realized that the peace and security of the United States were being endangered every time Japan seized a slice of its neighbors' territory. There is nothing to be gained by reproaching ourselves for not having read the future correctly. But we can plan and act now to keep the sons of the men who are fighting Japan from having to do the job all over again.

We know that the Japanese will be defeated. But though our victory will remove the immediate danger that threatened us in 1941, it will not of itself make us secure against a repetition of that danger. That will depend mainly upon our firmness and wisdom in handling Japan after the victory is won.

A day will come when Japan will lie stricken and harmless. Then will be the time to employ the treatment that will cure the Japanese once and for all of the disease of creeping aggression.

To understand what has to be done to prevent another Pearl Harbor we need to know something of the motives which led the Japanese to stake everything on this greatest gamble in their history. Americans have never before gone to war with a nation about which they knew so little. Since 1941 the people of this country have been too busy fighting Japan and the other Axis partners to spend much time investigating their history and politics.

What were the causes of aggression?

For the purposes of this pamphlet the principal causes of Japanese aggression may be summarized as follows:

1. The Japanese believe that their nation is superior to all others and that it has a special mission to dominate and rule the rest of mankind.

2. The Japanese armed forces enjoy a special position that gives them practical control of the government.

3. Japan is located at the center of the rich Asiatic-Pacific area and had the strongest and most successful army and navy in Asia.

4. The Japanese were dissatisfied with their economic condition. The working classes had a low standard of living, and big business demanded more raw materials and more markets which could be exploited without meeting European and American competition. Japan was less rich in resources than the United States, Great Britain, and the USSR. Also, high tariffs in the United States and other countries barred Japanese goods from some of the world markets.

Japan's "divine mission"

The Japanese actually believe that they are descendants of the gods, that their emperor is divine, and that they have a heaven-inspired mission to rule the world. These fantastic ideas are based on what they call "history," in reality a patchwork of fact, legend, and wishful thinking. We can pass over the business of descent from the gods and the emperor's divinity. To us the very ideas are absurd. But we must never forget that all Japanese children are instructed in these beliefs from the cradle and that many of the strongest of Japanese emotions are centered in them.

In recent years Japanese education and propaganda have featured a phrase supposed to have been used by the first emperor-eight corners of the world under one roof. This has been interpreted to mean, in plain English, that Japan must dominate about a billion people in Asia and the Pacific area, and eventually rule the world. This is no new idea to the Japanese mind. Three hundred and fifty years ago their combination Julius Caesar and Napoleon, Hideyoshi, wrote: "All military leaders who shall render successful vanguard service in the coming campaign in China will be liberally rewarded with grants of extensive states near India, with the privilege of conquering India and extending their domains in that vast empire."

This could have been written yesterday. The speeches and writings of Japanese statesmen and superpatriots in modern times reveal dozens of similar warnings of their intentions. Yet, in the summer of 1941, when their plan for conquest was officially published in The Way of the Subjects, the so-called "bible" of the Japanese people, many foreigners still did not take it very seriously. Six months later they did.

Why are the Japanese easily led?

It has been pointed out that highly organized worship of the state and its symbol, the emperor, is a comparatively recent development. The official Shinto religion has been called an instrument to bring the people into line for an all-out war effort. The truth of the matter seems to be that the government did not create a new faith or loyalty. It merely made use of beliefs that the Japanese have held in a rather passive way for centuries. The all too human desire to possess their neighbors' property was thus elevated to a patriotic and religious duty. Universal schooling and cheap printing made the task easier, as did also the docility of the people and their ingrained respect for authority.

The keynote of the Japanese character is loyalty rather than freedom and individuality. A citizen's duties and obligations to the nation are emphasized, but almost no recognition is given to his rights. To argue the merits and demerits of this philosophy is outside the scope of this pamphlet. But these beliefs and ideals of the Japanese people have made it easy for them to be led into war.

How did the war lords get control?

In Japan the armed forces have won almost complete control of the government and the nation. Every department of the national life-industry, commerce, agriculture, education, the press, even religion-is subject to their will.

Japan was not always an out-and-out military dictatorship. For a brief period after the first World War there were indications that it was on the road to establishing representative government and was following the lead of Western nations in carrying out some badly needed social and political reforms.

The Japanese constitution of 1889 provided the framework of a nineteenth-century monarchy modeled on Prussia. At the head of the state is the emperor, assisted by his privy council. There is a cabinet, headed by the prime minister, and a parliament consisting of the House of Peers and the House of Representatives, the latter elected by the people. Actually, the emperor is a figurehead. He is worshiped, but he does not originate either policy or action. For centuries the imperial power has been in the hands of a few nobles, soldiers, or statesmen who had the strength to use it.

The makers of this system did not plan for or want popular government. But from about 1921 to 1931 the Japanese political parties gained in power, and it seemed to many observers that the cabinet and the House of Representatives might in time become the controlling elements in the government. Critics have claimed, however, that even during this brief period there was no true republican system in Japan. If Japan is ever to have democracy in the future there must be fundamental reforms in the system by which the country is governed.

The so-called "liberals" of Japan who came to the fore after 1920 were not liberal in our sense of the word. For the most part they represented big business. But they did, advocate a moderate foreign policy to further the expansion of international trade and they realized the value of remaining on friendly terms with the United States. Their period of influence reached its high point with the signing of the London Naval Treaty of 1930.

Military fascism raises its ugly head

A movement was on foot, however, which in the end swept away the weak machinery of representative government and launched Japan on its biggest gamble for empire. The army and navy die-hards opposed bitterly any limiting of Japan's fighting power. In November 1930 the "liberal" Prime Minister Hamaguchi was shot by an assassin.

Who were the men behind this drive? The usual answer is "the army." To be more specific, it was a group of extremists within the army, backed by powerful "superpatriot" influences outside. The extremists are sometimes referred to as the "younger officers," because many of them were below the rank of colonel.

To follow the rise of military-fascist dictatorship in Japan it is necessary to understand the unique position which the armed forces occupy in the government and in, the minds and hearts of the people. Before the rise of modem Japan, the nobles and their fighting men (samurai) formed the ruling class. After 1868 the old system of warrior clans was abolished and universal conscription was introduced.

The honor of bearing arms, which had always been regarded as a mark of the superior man, was extended to the entire nation. The mingling of emperor worship with the glorification of war, plus continued victories over half a century, have given the army and navy a popular prestige that will be hard to destroy.

Tradition and the constitution

An unusual feature of the Japanese government which the militarists have used in their rise to power is the make-up of the cabinet. The posts of war and navy minister can be held only by a general and an admiral on the active list. So the army or the navy can prevent the formation of any cabinet that is not acceptable to them merely by refusing to fill these positions.

Another dangerous feature is the division of control over civil and military affairs. The emperor is nominal commander in chief of the armed forces, and on military matters he receives advice only from high-ranking officers. The ministers of war and the navy have direct access to the emperor and do not have to approach him through the prime minister.

The modern Japanese army admired and imitated the German. Its officers regard themselves as heirs of the old samurai. The majority of them are poor, proud of their service, and fanatically devoted to the emperor. Dangerously ignorant of the world outside Japan, they dislike foreigners and regard prosperous Japanese businessmen and politicians who have absorbed Western culture with a mixture of envy and suspicion.

Discontented militarists

By 1930 there was serious discontent in the armed forces. The world-wide depression hit Japan hard, causing much privation among the poor farmers from whose ranks the army was largely recruited. There were many failures of small businesses and serious unemployment among industrial and white-collar workers.

Army officers were alarmed at the spread of Western political ideas, especially communism. Their own rather vague political philosophy was not unlike Hitler's National Socialism. Their faith in the government was shaken by the evidence of bribery, graft, and corruption in the chief political parties, and by deals between politicians and big business to the disadvantage of the mass of the people. Like the Nazis, the Japanese military fascists claimed to be friends of the common man.

To pull Japan out of the depths of the depression a vigorous program of social, economic, and political reform was needed. But the big landowners and industrialists were not prepared to accept changes which threatened their interests. The army had another sort of program in mind-expansion by force in China to overcome Japan's dependence on foreign trade, plus a military dictatorship with the emperor as figurehead, and a wartime "controlled economy" on the home front.

The army moves in

"Soldiers have always saved Japan," said fire-eating General Araki. "To our soldiers will fall the grave responsibility for quieting unrest in our agrarian communities-both material and spiritual unrest." To gain their ends the army extremists developed two characteristically Japanese methods: first, resorting to direct military action in China without authorization by the government; and second, terrorism against their political opponents at home.

For support among the civilian population the militarists depended upon the ex-servicemen's association, with its three million members, and the so-called "patriotic societies." Membership in these powerful organizations ranged from college professors, government officials, and prosperous merchants to half-starved students, poor peasants, and hired killers.

The worst of these superpatriots worked with the army fanatics to organize numerous assassinations, after 1930. The victims were leading statesmen, bankers, industrialists, and even generals and admirals who advocated a moderate policy. Most of the killers were given light sentences when brought to trial and were regarded as heroes by millions of Japanese because of the "purity" and "sincerity" of their motives. The government of Japan during the ten years before Pearl Harbor has been aptly described as "government by assassination."

The first blow

Discontent and revolutionary unrest were seething within the army like a volcano preparing to erupt. On September 18, 1931 the top blew off in Manchuria. Commanders of troops guarding the South Manchurian Railway faked a piece of railway sabotage as an excuse to occupy the chief Manchurian cities. This was done without the consent of the cabinet then in office, which resigned as a result. In 1932 a government headed by Admiral Saito approved the seizure of Manchuria by formally recognizing Manchukuo, a dummy empire set up by the army. The militarists followed up their gains by the occupation of a large slice of north China in 1933, forcing the Chinese government to sign a humiliating truce.

In February 1933, Japan quit the League of Nations, burning its most important bridge with the outside world. In the words of former Ambassador Grew this step meant "a fundamental defeat for the moderate elements in the country and the complete supremacy of the military."

Military mutiny

In February 1936, after two years of deceptive quiet, the army volcano erupted again, this time in a mutiny almost within the shadow of the imperial palace. Only about 1,400 troops, led by their captains and lieutenants, were involved. But there is good reason to suspect that some of the highest ranking generals were in sympathy with the mutineers. The fascist-minded young officers were not in rebellion against their military superiors, but against the government. They had prepared a long death list of prominent men whose principles and actions they disapproved. Actually they succeeded in assassinating only three high officials. The chief result was greater power for the supreme command.

The army's consolidation of the home front proceeded during the years 1937-41. The outbreak of a large-scale war, in China rallied the people to the support of the militarists. All opposition to the war was suppressed. The army took over the conduct of affairs in China, allowing the politicians little or no say. The state, which had always exercised strong controls over industry, trade, education, religion, and the press, tightened its grip.

Step by step, the Japanese people were prepared for a "unified," that is, a military-fascist government. In the summer of 1940 all political parties "voluntarily" disbanded. On September 27, 1940, Japan concluded a military alliance with Germany and Italy. The "New Order in Greater East Asia," to include not only China but the rich territories in southern Asiatic waters, became the official foreign policy.

By the beginning of 1941, for all practical purposes the army and the state were one. Even big business, since 1937 an uneasy partner in the wartime economy, could no longer offer effective opposition to the fascists in uniform.

The chance of a century

It is unlikely that any nation will risk its very existence in a war if it lacks a gambler's chance of winning. On the other hand, a powerful army and navy tuned to a high pitch of enthusiasm and efficiency are a strong temptation to a war-minded government in time of crisis. Japan had the best army, navy, and air force in the Far East. In addition to trained manpower and modern weapons, Japan had in the mandated islands a string of naval and air bases ideally located for an advance to the south.

From 1937 to 1941 the Chinese war had cost Japan many billions of dollars and at least a million casualties. In return for this heavy investment, the Japanese expected great gains. Economic resources were at a low ebb; this was the chief weakness. Nonetheless, in the fall of 1941 Japan was at the peak of its military and naval strength. Britain and Russia faced victorious Axis armies in Europe and Africa, and the British navy was fighting the Battle of the Atlantic. France and Holland were in no position to come to the rescue of their Eastern possessions. Only the United States Navy was a formidable threat, and Japan's plans included a sneak attack to cripple our Pacific fleet.

This challenging opportunity, the equal of which might not occur again in centuries, was the final temptation which led Japan's war lords to make their fatal choice. They knew that they must strike soon, or give up forever their dream of conquest. Certain events of the years between 1932 and Pearl Harbor had convinced even the arrogant descendants of the gods that the United States was not going to be pushed around much longer.
From EM 15: What Shall Be Done about Japan after Victory? (1945)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
World War II really began when the Japanese army seized Manchuria in 1931. But that was not the starting point of Japanese aggression. Japan started in business as a land-grabbing power in a small way.

# data[].attributes.body
"Most importantly, Article 231 of the treaty placed all blame for inciting the war squarely on Germany, and forced it to pay several billion in reparations to the Allied nations" Pruitt, Sarah. "How The Treaty of Versailles and German Guilt Led to World War ll." History.com, June 3, 2019. www.history.com/news/treaty-of-versailles-world-war-ii-german-guilt-effects.

"Some historians believe that the onerous terms of the treaty laid the psychological and economic groundwork for the rise of the Nazi party, which capitalized on German resentment of the burdens imposed by the Allied powers after the First World War." Getchell, Dr. Michelle. "The Treaty of Versailles." Khan Academy.com, 2017. www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/rise-to-world-power/us-in-wwi/a/the-treaty-of-versailles.

# data[].attributes.body
"European countries dealt a harsh punishment to Germany for its role in the First World War—a move that would soon come back to haunt the world."

Blakemore, Erin. "How the Treaty of Versailles ended WWI and started WWII." National Geographic, May 2019, www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/treaty-versailles-ended-wwi-started-wwii

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Treaty of Versailles—facts and information

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
How the Treaty of Versailles ended WWI and started WWII

# data[].attributes.headline
Linda Alchin "Japanese Militarism" American Historama, January 9, 2018 

# data[].attributes.subject
Linda Alchin "Japanese Militarism" American Historama, January 9, 2018 

# data[].attributes.body
"Japan joined Germany and Italy in the Tripartite Pact agreeing to help each other if the United States joined in WW2.  Japanese militarism led to the occupation of Indochina which resulted in the US oil embargo which the military in Japan viewed as a pretext for war." -Abby S

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Franklin Roosevelt was the 32nd American President who served in office from March 4, 1933 to April 12, 1945. One of the important events during his presidency was the rise of Japanese Militarism. For additional facts about world affairs leading up to WW2 refer Fascism, Nazism and Communism and Totalitarianism and the Rise of Dictators.

Examples of Japanese Militarism The symbol of the state and the Emperor of Japan was Hirohito. In the 1930's the Japanese military established almost complete control over the government of Japan following the assassination of prime minister, Inukai Tsuyoshi, was assassinated by right-wing Militarists. The Militarists were anti-democratic nationalists, aggressive expansionists who believed that Japan was destined to dominate Eastern Asia. The Militarists assassinated political enemies, persecuted communists and made the decision to invade Manchuria in northern China.

● General Hideki Tojo was a fascist, nationalist, and militarist who played a key role in opening hostilities against China in the 1930's. Tojo rose in power to become the Army's leading political figure and a wartime leader of Japan's government.
● The Japanese Guandong Army invaded Manchuria on 18 September 1931
● In November, 1936 Japan joined Germany in signing the Anti-Comintern Pact (an anti-communist pact) against the Soviet Union
● Other parts of China were conquered in 1937 (the Second Sino-Japanese War)
● Japanese armed forces succeeded in occupying almost the whole coast of China and committed war atrocities on the Chinese population
● In December 1941, Japan would attack the Allied powers at Pearl Harbor and several other points throughout the Pacific - refer to Pearl Harbor Facts and Why did Japan attack Pearl Harbor?

Japanese Militarism Facts for kids The following fact sheet contains interesting facts and information on Japanese Militarism for kids.

Facts about Japanese Militarism for kids

The Japanese Militarism Fact 1: 1924 Immigration Act prohibited Japanese immigration into the US. Many in Japan were greatly offended by the new law and saw these actions as provocative and increased tensions between Japan and the United States.

Japan adopt the government system of Japanese Militarism Fact 3: Totalitarianism that asserted absolute and total control over the public and private lives of its citizens.

Japanese Militarism Fact 4: Other countries that adopted Totalitarian governments were the Fascist governments in Italy and Spain, the Nazi government of Germany and the Communist government of the Soviet Union.

Japanese Militarism Fact 9: The Fascist General Hideki Tojo rose in power to become the military's leading political figure and would eventually become the wartime leader of Japan's government.

Facts about Japanese Militarism for kids

Facts about Japanese Militarism for kids The following fact sheet continues with facts about Japanese Militarism for kids.

Facts about Japanese Militarism for kids

Facts about Japanese Militarism for kids

Japanese Militarism for kids - President Franklin Roosevelt Video
The article on Japanese Militarism provides detailed facts and a summary of one of the important events during his presidential term in office. The following Franklin Roosevelt video will give you additional important facts and dates about the political events experienced by the 32nd American President whose presidency spanned from March 4, 1933 to April 12, 1945.

● Interesting Facts about Militarism for kids and schools
● Summary of Japanese Militarism in US history
● Militarism in Japan - important, key events
● Franklin Roosevelt Presidency from March 4, 1933 to April 12, 1945
● Fast, fun facts about Militarism in Japan
● Foreign & Domestic policies of President Franklin Roosevelt
● Franklin Roosevelt Presidency and Japanese Militarism for schools, homework, kids and children

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Franklin Roosevelt was the 32nd American President who served in office from March 4, 1933 to April 12, 1945. One of the important events during his presidency was the rise of Japanese Militarism. For additional facts about world affairs leading up to WW2 refer Fascism, Nazism and Communism and Totalitarianism and the Rise of Dictators.

# data[].attributes.body
"Militarism contributed to the origin of World War II to a great extent. Adolf Hitler used Germany's pride in their army to acquire and extend Nazi power, which set the stage for the invasion of Poland and the start of World War II".
"How did militarism lead to ww2?" "Lisbdnet" February 10, 2022. How did militarism lead to ww2?
lisbdnet.com/how-did-militarism-contribute-to-increased-imperialism/#:~:text=Militarism%20contributed%20to%20the%20origin,start%20of%20World%20War%20II.
"Hitler launched his own expansionist drive with the annexation of Austria in March 1938. The way was clear: Mussolini supported him; and the British and French, overawed by German rearmament, accepted Hitler’s claim that the status of Austria was an internal German affair".
"Causes of WW2" "Lumen"
courses.lumenlearning.com/atd-tcc-worldciv2/chapter/causes-of-world-war-ii/.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Developing countries gain access to new technologies. ...

Healthcare access is improved through imperialism. ...

Agriculture production is also improved. ...

Defensive networks are created through imperialism. ...

Imperialism exposes people to new ethnicities and cultures.

What four factors contributed to American imperialism?

What were the major factors that contributed to the growth of American Imperialism? The desire for military strength, the thirst for new markets, and the belief in cultural superiority.

What four factors led to imperialism?

Four reasons for imperialism are money, national pride, racism, and religion. Europeans wanted colonies to provide raw materials for their factories and to sell their goods in the new colonies. Some nations wanted to gain colonies to show their national strength.

What was one way industrialization led to rising imperialism in the 1800s?

What was one way industrialization led to rising imperialism in the 1800s? Countries needed cheap raw materials for their growing industries. A key factor of the empires the United States and European countries built in the late 1800s was: ... industrially undeveloped countries rich in natural resources.

How did militarism increase tensions in Europe?

How did militarism increase tensions among European nations? Having a large and strong standing army made citizens feel patriotic. However, it also frightened some people. ... It can cause intense competition among nations with each seeking to overpower the other.

How did militarism influence the nations of Europe prior to WWI?

What is one way in which militarism influenced the nations of Europe prior to World War I? Militarism contributed to a European arms race. ... Efforts to stimulate trade increased tensions in European colonies. Rivalry over overseas territories increased tensions in Europe.

How did militarism contribute to the start of World War I quizlet?

How did militarism lead to World War 1? Military power and arms race lef to fear and suspicion. ... Fuelded the M.A.I.N causes, led to better military technolodgy and more of it. Machine guns, artillery, posion gas, mines, tanks, airplanes, battleships and submarines.

What role did nationalism imperialism and Militarism play in the outbreak and development of WWI?

How did nationalism, imperialism, and militarism help set the stage for World War 1? Nationalism can serve as a unifying force within a country. Imperialism in their sense of rivalry and mistrust of one another deepened. Militarism is having military power and keeping an army prepared for war.

How did 19th century imperialism lead to 20th century Militarism?

How were they causes? Militarism made people want to use all their new weapons from the arms race against each other. Alliances made it so that countries felt more comfortable attacking opposing sides. Imperialism lead to jealousy which made countries form alliances and bitter rivalries among one another.

What act by Austria-Hungary set the world on the path of war?

Unfortunately, this changed in 1914. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the trigger that set off the Great War. Franz Ferdinand was the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary. He was assassinated on 28 June 1914 by terrorists from one of Austria-Hungary's rival powers, Serbia.

What is the best social Darwinist defense for US imperialism?

What is the MOST accurate Social-Darwinist defense for U.S. imperialism? Nations that considered themselves superior felt obliged to govern less-advanced nations.

How was militarism a long term cause of ww1?

Long/Short: Militarism was a long-term cause of the war; due to the length of time it takes a country to build its military to the strength necessary to wage a major war. ... Though these were not the only countries building and perfecting their arsenal, they were the most significant prior to the outbreak of WWI.

How did Germany increase European militarism?

Describe the part played by Germany in increasing European militarism. Because Germany and France had doubled their army, other countries began to race to get bigger and stronger armies. Germany and Britain started to compete for mastery of the seas. Germans created more battleships to beat Britain.

How did nationalism and militarism push Europe to war?

How did nationalism and militarism both work to push Europe toward war? Nationalism made Europe want war to fight for their country. Militarism pushed them to create more military equipment. ... He headed the War Industries Board which placed the control of industries into the hands of the federal government.

How did militarism prevent fighting in ww1?

Militarism denoted a rise in military expenditure, an increase in military and naval forces, more influence of the military men upon the policies of the civilian government, and a preference for force as a solution to problems. Militarism was one of the main causes of the First World War.

What is militarism quizlet?

Militarism. a political orientation of a people or a government to maintain a strong military force and to be prepared to use it aggresively to defend or promote national interests.

What is militarism in your own words?

The definition of militarism is a belief that a strong military force should be maintained and used aggressively to defend or promote national interests. A belief that you need to devote a lot of money to defense spending to build up a military is an example of militarism. noun.

Was appeasement a main cause of ww2?

Appeasement emboldened Hitler's Germany, essentially leading to WWII. As Hitler continued to invade territories and build a military capable of fighting a major war-despite the Treaty of Versailles-Britain and France allowed him to continue, hoping he would leave them alone if they left him alone.

How did ww2 impact imperialism?

Related Searches

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
how did militarism contribute to increased imperialism? - Lisbdnet.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
How did militarism contribute to increased imperialism? A strong military helped imperial powers protect their global interests. Why might the closing of the

# data[].attributes.body
"Reparations imposed on Germany following WWI left the country poorer, and economic woes caused resentment amongst its population. The Great Depression of the 1930s and a collapse in international trade also worsened the economic situation in Europe, allowing Hitler to rise to power on the promise of revitalization." Matthew Johnston,

Economic Conditions That Helped Cause World War I, Janurary 17,2022 https://www.investopedia.com/articles/markets/022516/economic-conditions-helped-cause-world-war-ii.asp#:~:text=Reparations%20imposed%20on%20Germany%20following,on%20the%20promise%20of%20revitalization.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Looking around at the magnitude of death and destruction that resulted from the World War I, leaders of the some of the world's major powers convened a conference in Paris, the outcome of which they hoped would ensure that no such devastation would ever happen again. Unfortunately, the combination of a poorly designed peace treaty and the most severe economic crisis the modern world had ever experienced brought about a deterioration of international relations that would culminate in a war even more calamitous than the one that preceded it.

Pretense of Peace

The unfortunate irony of the Paris Peace Conference that begat the Treaty of Versailles was that, despite its authors' best intentions to ensure a world of peace, the treaty contained a seed that when sown in the soil of economic crisis, would give rise not to peace, but to war. That seed was Article 231, which with its label "the war guilt clause" placed sole blame for the war on Germany and its need to make reparations payments as punishment. With such extensive reparations payments, Germany was forced to surrender of colonial territories and military disarmament, and Germans were naturally resentful of the treaty.

As early as 1923, the newly constituted Weimar Republic began delaying payments on war reparations, which initiated a retaliatory response by France and Belgium. Both countries would send troops to occupy the industrial center of the Ruhr River valley region effectively appropriating the coal and metal production that took place there. As much of German manufacturing was dependent on coal and metal, the loss of these industries created a negative economic shock leading to a severe contraction. This contraction, as well as the government's continued printing of money to pay internal war debts, generated spiraling hyperinflation.

While price and economic stabilization would eventually be achieved - partly through the help of the American Dawes plan of 1924 - the hyperinflation wiped out much of the life savings of the middle class. The political consequences would be devastating as many people became distrustful of the Weimar government, a government that had been founded on liberal-democratic principles. This distrust, along with resentment over the Treaty of Versailles, lent itself to the increasing popularity of more left and right-wing radical political parties.

Deterioration of International Trade

The onset of the Great Depression would serve to undermine any attempts at creating a more open, cooperative and peaceful post-war world. The American stock market crash in 1929 caused not just a cessation of loans provided to Germany under the Dawes Plan, but a complete recall of previous loans. The tightening of money and credit eventually led to the collapse of Austria's largest bank in 1931, the Kreditanstalt, which kicked off a wave of bank failures throughout Central Europe, including the complete disintegration of Germany's banking system.

Deteriorating economic conditions in Germany helped the Nazi party grow from being a relatively small fringe group to being the nation's largest political party. Nazi propaganda that put blame on the Treaty of Versailles for much of Germany's economic hardships fueled Hitler's rise in popularity with voters, who would make him German chancellor in 1933.

More globally, the Great Depression would have the effect of motivating individual nations to adopt more beggar-thy-neighbor trade policies in order to protect domestic industries from foreign competition. While such trade policies can be beneficial on an individual level, if every country turns to protectionism it serves to reduce international trade and the economic benefits that come with it. Indeed, countries without access to important raw materials will be especially burdened by the lack of free trade.

From Imperialism to World War

While the British, French, Soviets, and Americans had large colonial empires to which they could turn turn for access to much needed raw materials, countries such as Germany, Italy and Japan did not. The deterioration of international trade led to the formation of more regional trade blocs with the 'have' nations forming blocs along colonial lines, like Great Britain's Imperial Preference system.

While "have-not" nations looked to form their own regional trade blocs, they found it increasingly necessary to use military force to annex territories with the much-needed resources. Such military force required extensive rearmament and thus, in the case of Germany, meant a direct violation of the Versailles Treaty. But, rearmament also reinforced the need for more raw materials and consequently the need for territorial expansion.

Such imperialist conquests like Japan's invasion of Manchuria in the early 1930s, Italy's invasion of Ethiopia in 1935 and Germany's annexation of most of Austria and parts of Czechoslovakia in 1938, were all manifestations of the need to expand territories. But these conquests would soon draw the ire of two of Europe's major powers, and following Germany's invasion of Poland, both Britain and France would declare war on Germany on September 3rd, 1939, thus commencing the Second World War.

The Bottom Line

Despite noble aspirations for peace, the outcome of the Paris Peace Conference did more to reinforce hostility by singling out Germany as the sole instigator of the First World War. The Great Depression and the economic protectionism it engendered would then serve as the catalyst for the hostility to manifest itself in the rise of the Nazi Party and increasing imperialist ambitions among world nations. It was then only a matter of time before small imperialist conquests would lead to the breakout of World War II.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Economic Conditions That Helped Cause World War II

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Looking around at the magnitude of death and destruction that resulted from the World War I, leaders of the some of the world's major powers convened a conference in Paris, the outcome of which they hoped would ensure that no such devastation would ever happen again.

# data[].attributes.body
Joseph Wlodarczyk

-''The Versailles Treaty forced Germany to give up territory to Belgium, Czechoslovakia and Poland, return Alsace and Lorraine to France and cede all of its overseas colonies in China, Pacific and Africa to the Allied nations.''
-''Most importantly, Article 231 of the treaty placed all blame for inciting the war squarely on Germany, and forced it to pay several billion in reparations to the Allied nations.''

PRUITT, SARAH

''How the Treaty of Versailles and German Guilt Led to World War II''

History.com JUN 29, 2018 https://www.history.com/news/treaty-of-versailles-world-war-ii-german-guilt-effects

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When Germany signed the armistice ending hostilities in the First World War on November 11, 1918, its leaders believed they were accepting a "peace without victory," as outlined by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson in his famous Fourteen Points. But from the moment the leaders of the victorious Allied nations arrived in France for the peace conference in early 1919, the post-war reality began to diverge sharply from Wilson's idealistic vision.

Five long months later, on June 28-exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife in Sarajevo-the leaders of the Allied and associated powers, as well as representatives from Germany, gathered in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles to sign the final treaty. By placing the burden of war guilt entirely on Germany, imposing harsh reparations payments and creating an increasingly unstable collection of smaller nations in Europe, the treaty would ultimately fail to resolve the underlying issues that caused war to break out in 1914, and help pave the way for another massive global conflict 20 years later.

None of the defeated nations at the Paris Peace Conference weighed in

Formal peace negotiations opened in Paris on January 18, 1919, the anniversary of the coronation of German Emperor Wilhelm I at the end of the Franco-Prussian War in 1871. World War I had brought up painful memories of that conflict-which ended in German unification and its seizure of the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine from France-and now France intended to make Germany pay.

The "Big Four" leaders of the victorious Allied nations (Woodrow Wilson of the United States, David Lloyd George of Great Britain, Georges Clemenceau of France and, to a lesser extent, Vittorio Orlando of Italy) dominated the peace negotiations. None of the defeated nations were invited to weigh in, and even the smaller Allied powers had little say. Though the Versailles Treaty, signed with Germany in June 1919, was the most famous outcome of the Paris Peace Conference, the Allies also had separate treaties with Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary and Turkey, and the formal peacemaking process wasn't concluded until the signing of the Treaty of Lausanne in July 1923.

The treaty was lengthy and ultimately did not satisfy any nation.

The Versailles Treaty forced Germany to give up territory to Belgium, Czechoslovakia and Poland, return Alsace and Lorraine to France and cede all of its overseas colonies in China, Pacific and Africa to the Allied nations. In addition, it had to drastically reduce its armed forces and accept the demilitarization and Allied occupation of the region around the Rhine River. Most importantly, Article 231 of the treaty placed all blame for inciting the war squarely on Germany and forced it to pay several billion in reparations to the Allied nations.

Faced with the seemingly impossible task of balancing many competing priorities, the treaty ended up as a lengthy and confusing document that satisfied no one. "It literally is an attempt to remake Europe," says Michael Neiberg, professor of history at U.S. Army War College and author of The Treaty of Versailles: A Concise History (2017). "I'm not one of those people who believes the treaty made the Second World War inevitable, but I think you could argue that it made Europe a less stable place."

In Wilson's vision of the post-war world, all nations (not just the losers) would reduce their armed forces, preserve the freedom of the seas and join an international peacekeeping organization called the League of Nations. But his fellow Allied leaders rejected much of his plan as naive and too idealistic. The French, in particular, wanted Germany to pay a heavy price for the war, including loss of territory, disarmament and payment of reparations, while the British saw Wilson's plan as a threat to their supremacy in Europe.

Black Thursday brings the roaring twenties to a screaming halt, ushering in a worldwide economic depression.

Aside from affecting Germany, the Treaty of Versailles might have caused the Great Depression.

Many people, even at the time, agreed with the British economist John Maynard Keynes that Germany could not possibly pay so much in reparations without severe risks to the entire European economy. In his later memoir, U.S. President Herbert Hoover went so far as to blame reparations for causing the Great Depression.

But though most Germans were furious about the Treaty of Versailles, calling it a Diktat (dictated peace) and condemning the German representatives who signed it as "November criminals" who had stabbed them in the back, in hindsight it seems clear that the treaty turned out to be far more lenient than its authors might have intended. "Germany ended up not paying anywhere near what the treaty said Germany should pay," Neiberg says, adding that hardly anyone had expected Germany to be able to pay the entire amount.

And despite the loss of German territory, "there were plenty of people who understood as early as 1919 that the map actually gave Germany some advantages," Neiberg points out. "It put small states on Germany's borders, in eastern and central Europe. It eliminated Russia as a direct enemy of Germany, at least in the 1920s, and it removed Russia as an ally of France. So while the treaty looked really harsh to some people, it actually opened up opportunities for others."

The war guilt clause was more problematic. "You have to go back to 1914, when most Germans believed they had entered the war because Russia had mobilized its army," explains Neiberg. "To most Germans in 1919, and not just those on the right, blaming Germany specifically for the war made no sense. Especially when they did not put a war guilt clause on Austria-Hungary, which you could reasonably argue were the people that actually started this."

New European borders, the League of Nations and Germany reparations.

Taken as a whole, the treaties concluded after World War I redrew the borders of Europe, carving up the former Austro-Hungarian Empire into states like Yugoslavia, Poland and Czechoslovakia. As Neiberg puts it: "Whereas in 1914, you had a small number of great powers, after 1919 you have a larger number of smaller powers. That meant that the balance of power was less stable."

The Versailles Treaty also included a covenant for the League of Nations, the international organization that Woodrow Wilson had envisioned would preserve peace among the nations of Europe and the world. But the U.S. Senate ultimately refused to ratify the Versailles Treaty due to its opposition to the League, which left the organization seriously weakened without U.S. participation or military backing.

Meanwhile, Germany's economic woes, exacerbated by the burden of reparations and general European inflation, destabilized the Weimar Republic, the government established at the end of the war. Due to lasting resentment of the Versailles Treaty, the National Socialist (Nazi) Party and other radical right-wing parties were able to gain support in the 1920s and early '30s by promising to overturn its harsh provisions and make Germany into a major European power once again.

The Versailles Treaty made World War II possible, not inevitable.

In 1945, when the leaders of the United States, Great Britain and Soviet Union met at Potsdam, they blamed the failures of the Versailles Treaty for making another great conflict necessary and vowed to right the wrongs of their peacekeeping predecessors. But Neiberg, like many historians, takes a more nuanced view, pointing to events other than the treaty-including the United States not joining the League of Nations and the rise of the Stalinist regime in the Soviet Union-as necessary elements in understanding the path to the Second World War.

"In my own personal view as a historian, you need to be really careful directly connecting events that happened 20 years apart," he says. "A different treaty produces a different outcome, yes. But you shouldn't draw inevitability. It's part of the recipe, but it's not the only ingredient."

Fact Check

We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How the Treaty of Versailles and German Guilt Led to World War II | HISTORY

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
From the moment the leaders of the victorious Allied nations arrived in France for the peace conference in early 1919, the post-war reality began to diverge sharply from Wilson's idealistic vision.

# data[].attributes.body
Matthew Schab

-"The militarists in Japan bombed the US fleet at Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941 bringing America into WW2́''

-"Japanese militarism led to the occupation of Indochina which resulted in the US oil embargo which the military in Japan viewed as a pretext for war"

Author Linda Alchin
Japanese Militarism
"American-Historama.org"
First Published 2014-07-01
https://www.american-historama.org/1929-1945-depression-ww2-era/japanese-militarism.htm#:~:text=Definition%20and%20Summary%20of%20the%20Japanese%20Militarism&text=Japan%20joined%20Germany%20and%20Italy,as%20a%20pretext%20for%20war.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Franklin Roosevelt was the 32nd American President who served in office from March 4, 1933 to April 12, 1945. One of the important events during his presidency was the rise of Japanese Militarism. For additional facts about world affairs leading up to WW2 refer Fascism, Nazism and Communism and Totalitarianism and the Rise of Dictators.

Examples of Japanese Militarism The symbol of the state and the Emperor of Japan was Hirohito. In the 1930's the Japanese military established almost complete control over the government of Japan following the assassination of prime minister, Inukai Tsuyoshi, was assassinated by right-wing Militarists. The Militarists were anti-democratic nationalists, aggressive expansionists who believed that Japan was destined to dominate Eastern Asia. The Militarists assassinated political enemies, persecuted communists and made the decision to invade Manchuria in northern China.

● General Hideki Tojo was a fascist, nationalist, and militarist who played a key role in opening hostilities against China in the 1930's. Tojo rose in power to become the Army's leading political figure and a wartime leader of Japan's government.
● The Japanese Guandong Army invaded Manchuria on 18 September 1931
● In November, 1936 Japan joined Germany in signing the Anti-Comintern Pact (an anti-communist pact) against the Soviet Union
● Other parts of China were conquered in 1937 (the Second Sino-Japanese War)
● Japanese armed forces succeeded in occupying almost the whole coast of China and committed war atrocities on the Chinese population
● In December 1941, Japan would attack the Allied powers at Pearl Harbor and several other points throughout the Pacific - refer to Pearl Harbor Facts and Why did Japan attack Pearl Harbor?

Japanese Militarism Facts for kids The following fact sheet contains interesting facts and information on Japanese Militarism for kids.

Facts about Japanese Militarism for kids

The Japanese Militarism Fact 1: 1924 Immigration Act prohibited Japanese immigration into the US. Many in Japan were greatly offended by the new law and saw these actions as provocative and increased tensions between Japan and the United States.

Japan adopt the government system of Japanese Militarism Fact 3: Totalitarianism that asserted absolute and total control over the public and private lives of its citizens.

Japanese Militarism Fact 4: Other countries that adopted Totalitarian governments were the Fascist governments in Italy and Spain, the Nazi government of Germany and the Communist government of the Soviet Union.

Japanese Militarism Fact 9: The Fascist General Hideki Tojo rose in power to become the military's leading political figure and would eventually become the wartime leader of Japan's government.

Facts about Japanese Militarism for kids

Facts about Japanese Militarism for kids The following fact sheet continues with facts about Japanese Militarism for kids.

Facts about Japanese Militarism for kids

Facts about Japanese Militarism for kids

Japanese Militarism for kids - President Franklin Roosevelt Video
The article on Japanese Militarism provides detailed facts and a summary of one of the important events during his presidential term in office. The following Franklin Roosevelt video will give you additional important facts and dates about the political events experienced by the 32nd American President whose presidency spanned from March 4, 1933 to April 12, 1945.

● Interesting Facts about Militarism for kids and schools
● Summary of Japanese Militarism in US history
● Militarism in Japan - important, key events
● Franklin Roosevelt Presidency from March 4, 1933 to April 12, 1945
● Fast, fun facts about Militarism in Japan
● Foreign & Domestic policies of President Franklin Roosevelt
● Franklin Roosevelt Presidency and Japanese Militarism for schools, homework, kids and children

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Franklin Roosevelt was the 32nd American President who served in office from March 4, 1933 to April 12, 1945. One of the important events during his presidency was the rise of Japanese Militarism. For additional facts about world affairs leading up to WW2 refer Fascism, Nazism and Communism and Totalitarianism and the Rise of Dictators.

# data[].attributes.body
"By 1933, when the Great Depression reached its lowest point, some 15 million Americans were unemployed and nearly half the country’s banks had failed."

History.com editors, "Great Depression History", A&E Television Networks, September 2021, www.history.com/topics/great-depression/great-depression-history

"The end to the Great Depression came about in 1941 with America's entry into World War II. America sided with Britain, France and the Soviet Union against Germany, Italy, and Japan. The loss of lives in this war was staggering. The European part of the war ended with Germany's surrender in May 1945."

-Office of War Information. "President Roosevelt Signing the Declaration of War Against Japan." December 1941.
www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/wwii/jb_wwii_subj_e.html

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What Caused the Great Depression?

Throughout the 1920s, the U.S. economy expanded rapidly, and the nation's total wealth more than doubled between 1920 and 1929, a period dubbed " the Roaring Twenties."

The stock market, centered at the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street in New York City, was the scene of reckless speculation, where everyone from millionaire tycoons to cooks and janitors poured their savings into stocks. As a result, the stock market underwent rapid expansion, reaching its peak in August 1929.

By then, production had already declined and unemployment had risen, leaving stock prices much higher than their actual value. Additionally, wages at that time were low, consumer debt was proliferating, the agricultural sector of the economy was struggling due to drought and falling food prices and banks had an excess of large loans that could not be liquidated.

The American economy entered a mild recession during the summer of 1929, as consumer spending slowed and unsold goods began to pile up, which in turn slowed factory production. Nonetheless, stock prices continued to rise, and by the fall of that year had reached stratospheric levels that could not be justified by expected future earnings.

Stock Market Crash of 1929

On October 24, 1929, as nervous investors began selling overpriced shares en masse, the stock market crash that some had feared happened at last. A record 12.9 million shares were traded that day, known as "Black Thursday."

Five days later, on October 29, or "Black Tuesday," some 16 million shares were traded after another wave of panic swept Wall Street. Millions of shares ended up worthless, and those investors who had bought stocks "on margin" (with borrowed money) were wiped out completely.

As consumer confidence vanished in the wake of the stock market crash, the downturn in spending and investment led factories and other businesses to slow down production and begin firing their workers. For those who were lucky enough to remain employed, wages fell and buying power decreased.

Many Americans forced to buy on credit fell into debt, and the number of foreclosures and repossessions climbed steadily. The global adherence to the gold standard, which joined countries around the world in fixed currency exchange, helped spread economic woes from the United States throughout the world, especially in Europe.

Bank Runs and the Hoover Administration

Despite assurances from President Herbert Hoover and other leaders that the crisis would run its course, matters continued to get worse over the next three years. By 1930, 4 million Americans looking for work could not find it; that number had risen to 6 million in 1931.

Meanwhile, the country's industrial production had dropped by half. Bread lines, soup kitchens and rising numbers of homeless people became more and more common in America's towns and cities. Farmers couldn't afford to harvest their crops and were forced to leave them rotting in the fields while people elsewhere starved. In 1930, severe droughts in the Southern Plains brought high winds and dust from Texas to Nebraska, killing people, livestock and crops. The " Dust Bowl " inspired a mass migration of people from farmland to cities in search of work.

In the fall of 1930, the first of four waves of banking panics began, as large numbers of investors lost confidence in the solvency of their banks and demanded deposits in cash, forcing banks to liquidate loans in order to supplement their insufficient cash reserves on hand.

Bank runs swept the United States again in the spring and fall of 1931 and the fall of 1932, and by early 1933 thousands of banks had closed their doors.

In the face of this dire situation, Hoover's administration tried supporting failing banks and other institutions with government loans; the idea was that the banks in turn would loan to businesses, which would be able to hire back their employees.

FDR and the Great Depression

Hoover, a Republican who had formerly served as U.S. secretary of commerce, believed that government should not directly intervene in the economy and that it did not have the responsibility to create jobs or provide economic relief for its citizens.

In 1932, however, with the country mired in the depths of the Great Depression and some 15 million people unemployed, Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt won an overwhelming victory in the presidential election.

By Inauguration Day (March 4, 1933), every U.S. state had ordered all remaining banks to close at the end of the fourth wave of banking panics, and the U.S. Treasury didn't have enough cash to pay all government workers. Nonetheless, FDR (as he was known) projected a calm energy and optimism, famously declaring "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself."

Roosevelt took immediate action to address the country's economic woes, first announcing a four-day "bank holiday" during which all banks would close so that Congress could pass reform legislation and reopen those banks determined to be sound. He also began addressing the public directly over the radio in a series of talks, and these so-called " fireside chats " went a long way toward restoring public confidence.

During Roosevelt's first 100 days in office, his administration passed legislation that aimed to stabilize industrial and agricultural production, create jobs and stimulate recovery.

In addition, Roosevelt sought to reform the financial system, creating the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ( FDIC) to protect depositors' accounts and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to regulate the stock market and prevent abuses of the kind that led to the 1929 crash.

The New Deal: A Road to Recovery

Among the programs and institutions of the New Deal that aided in recovery from the Great Depression was the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), which built dams and hydroelectric projects to control flooding and provide electric power to the impoverished Tennessee Valley region, and the Works Progress Administration (WPA), a permanent jobs program that employed 8.5 million people from 1935 to 1943.

When the Great Depression began, the United States was the only industrialized country in the world without some form of unemployment insurance or social security. In 1935, Congress passed the Social Security Act, which for the first time provided Americans with unemployment, disability and pensions for old age.

After showing early signs of recovery beginning in the spring of 1933, the economy continued to improve throughout the next three years, during which real GDP (adjusted for inflation) grew at an average rate of 9 percent per year.

A sharp recession hit in 1937, caused in part by the Federal Reserve's decision to increase its requirements for money in reserve. Though the economy began improving again in 1938, this second severe contraction reversed many of the gains in production and employment and prolonged the effects of the Great Depression through the end of the decade.

Depression-era hardships fueled the rise of extremist political movements in various European countries, most notably that of Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime in Germany. German aggression led war to break out in Europe in 1939, and the WPA turned its attention to strengthening the military infrastructure of the United States, even as the country maintained its neutrality.

African Americans in the Great Depression

One-fifth of all Americans receiving federal relief during the Great Depression were Black, most in the rural South. But farm and domestic work, two major sectors in which Black workers were employed, were not included in the 1935 Social Security Act, meaning there was no safety net in times of uncertainty. Rather than fire domestic help, private employers could simply pay them less without legal repercussions. And those relief programs for which African Americans were eligible on paper were rife with discrimination in practice since all relief programs were administered locally.

Despite these obstacles, Roosevelt's "Black Cabinet," led by Mary McLeod Bethune, ensured nearly every New Deal agency had a Black advisor. The number of African Americans working in government tripled.

Women in the Great Depression

There was one group of Americans who actually gained jobs during the Great Depression: Women. From 1930 to 1940, the number of employed women in the United States rose 24 percent from 10.5 million to 13 million Though they'd been steadily entering the workforce for decades, the financial pressures of the Great Depression drove women to seek employment in ever greater numbers as male breadwinners lost their jobs. The 22 percent decline in marriage rates between 1929 and 1939 also created an increase in single women in search of employment.

Women during the Great Depression had a strong advocate in First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, who lobbied her husband for more women in office-like Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins, the first woman to ever hold a cabinet position.

Jobs available to women paid less but were more stable during the banking crisis: nursing, teaching and domestic work. They were supplanted by an increase in secretarial roles in FDR's rapidly-expanding government. But there was a catch: over 25 percent of the National Recovery Administration's wage codes set lower wages for women, and jobs created under the WPA confined women to fields like sewing and nursing that paid less than roles reserved for men.

Married women faced an additional hurdle: By 1940, 26 states had placed restrictions known as marriage bars on their employment, as working wives were perceived as taking away jobs from able-bodied men-even if, in practice, they were occupying jobs men would not want and doing them for far less pay.

Great Depression Ends and World War II Begins

With Roosevelt's decision to support Britain and France in the struggle against Germany and the other Axis Powers, defense manufacturing geared up, producing more and more private-sector jobs.

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 led to America's entry into World War II, and the nation's factories went back into full production mode.

This expanding industrial production, as well as widespread conscription beginning in 1942, reduced the unemployment rate to below its pre-Depression level. The Great Depression had ended at last, and the United States turned its attention to the global conflict of World War II.

Photo Galleries

HISTORY Vault

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Great Depression: Black Thursday, Facts & Effects

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Great Depression was the worst economic downturn in the history of the industrialized world, lasting from 1929 to 1939. At its peak, the U.S. unemployment rate topped 20 percent.

# data[].attributes.headline
Ante Susnjara-German Militarism                                                           

# data[].attributes.subject
Ante Susnjara-German Militarism                                                           

# data[].attributes.body
“Nazi Social and Economic Policies.” BBC, BBC, www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zsdfr82/revision/3#:~:text=The%20Nazis%20were%20determined%20that,service%2C%20both%20physically%20and%20mentally. Accessed 17 Mar. 2022.
"Rearmament involved increasing the amount of weapons for the army, air force and navy as well as stockpiles of munitions. German businesses received huge orders for tanks, aeroplanes and ships, as well as guns, bombs and bullets. The size of the army was increased from 100,000 men to 1,400,000. Men under 25 had to carry out at least two years of military service. "

# data[].attributes.body
1. History.com Editors, "Treaty of Versailles", HISTORY, March. 2022
www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/treaty-of-versailles-1
"Far from the “peace without victory” that U.S. President Woodrow Wilson had outlined in his famous Fourteen Points in early 1918, the Treaty of Versailles humiliated Germany while failing to resolve the underlying issues that had led to war in the first place. Economic distress and resentment of the treaty within Germany helped fuel the ultra-nationalist sentiment that led to the rise of Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party, as well as the coming of a World War II just two decades later."

2.  Erin Blakemore, "How the Treaty of Versailles ended WWI and started WWII", National geographic, May.2019

www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/treaty-versailles-ended-wwi-started-wwii

"Though there was a real desire for peace in the wake of the disastrous war, the treaty did not achieve its intended effects. Furious at what they saw as a harsh “diktat” (a dictated peace), right-wing German politicians used the treaty as a nationalist rallying point. The staggering reparations payments reduced the country’s industrial output, and other forces thrust Germany into hyperinflation in the 1920s, which played into the economic instability of the Great Depression. In 2010, ninety years after the Treaty of Versailles went into force, Germany finally paid off the last installment of its war debt. By then, another world war was behind it. Today, the Treaty of Versailles lingers as a study in how, when it comes to war, unintended consequences can negate even the best intentions."

# data[].attributes.body
1.) "The Great Depression of the 1930s and a collapse in international trade also worsened the economic situation in Europe, allowing Hitler to rise to power on the promise of revitalization." Johnston, Matthew. "Economic Conditions that Helped Cause World War II". Dotdash Meredith, January 17, 2022. www.investopedia.com/articles/markets/022516/economic-conditions-helped-cause-world-war-ii.asp#:~:text=Reparations%20imposed%20on%20Germany%20following,on%20the%20promise%20of%20revitalization.
2.) "The deadliest war in the history of mankind was started because of financial issues in Germany. Sure, there were factors besides money, but Germany had a lot to gain by starting the Great War. In fact, there were quite a few economic causes of World War II. One of these causes was the worldwide economic depression, that hit Germany the hardest." Gordon, Robert J. “Did Economics Cause World War II?” NBER, NBER, 11 Dec. 2008, www.nber.org/papers/w14560

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Looking around at the magnitude of death and destruction that resulted from the World War I, leaders of the some of the world's major powers convened a conference in Paris, the outcome of which they hoped would ensure that no such devastation would ever happen again. Unfortunately, the combination of a poorly designed peace treaty and the most severe economic crisis the modern world had ever experienced brought about a deterioration of international relations that would culminate in a war even more calamitous than the one that preceded it.

Pretense of Peace

The unfortunate irony of the Paris Peace Conference that begat the Treaty of Versailles was that, despite its authors' best intentions to ensure a world of peace, the treaty contained a seed that when sown in the soil of economic crisis, would give rise not to peace, but to war. That seed was Article 231, which with its label "the war guilt clause" placed sole blame for the war on Germany and its need to make reparations payments as punishment. With such extensive reparations payments, Germany was forced to surrender of colonial territories and military disarmament, and Germans were naturally resentful of the treaty.

As early as 1923, the newly constituted Weimar Republic began delaying payments on war reparations, which initiated a retaliatory response by France and Belgium. Both countries would send troops to occupy the industrial center of the Ruhr River valley region effectively appropriating the coal and metal production that took place there. As much of German manufacturing was dependent on coal and metal, the loss of these industries created a negative economic shock leading to a severe contraction. This contraction, as well as the government's continued printing of money to pay internal war debts, generated spiraling hyperinflation.

While price and economic stabilization would eventually be achieved - partly through the help of the American Dawes plan of 1924 - the hyperinflation wiped out much of the life savings of the middle class. The political consequences would be devastating as many people became distrustful of the Weimar government, a government that had been founded on liberal-democratic principles. This distrust, along with resentment over the Treaty of Versailles, lent itself to the increasing popularity of more left and right-wing radical political parties.

Deterioration of International Trade

The onset of the Great Depression would serve to undermine any attempts at creating a more open, cooperative and peaceful post-war world. The American stock market crash in 1929 caused not just a cessation of loans provided to Germany under the Dawes Plan, but a complete recall of previous loans. The tightening of money and credit eventually led to the collapse of Austria's largest bank in 1931, the Kreditanstalt, which kicked off a wave of bank failures throughout Central Europe, including the complete disintegration of Germany's banking system.

Deteriorating economic conditions in Germany helped the Nazi party grow from being a relatively small fringe group to being the nation's largest political party. Nazi propaganda that put blame on the Treaty of Versailles for much of Germany's economic hardships fueled Hitler's rise in popularity with voters, who would make him German chancellor in 1933.

More globally, the Great Depression would have the effect of motivating individual nations to adopt more beggar-thy-neighbor trade policies in order to protect domestic industries from foreign competition. While such trade policies can be beneficial on an individual level, if every country turns to protectionism it serves to reduce international trade and the economic benefits that come with it. Indeed, countries without access to important raw materials will be especially burdened by the lack of free trade.

From Imperialism to World War

While the British, French, Soviets, and Americans had large colonial empires to which they could turn turn for access to much needed raw materials, countries such as Germany, Italy and Japan did not. The deterioration of international trade led to the formation of more regional trade blocs with the 'have' nations forming blocs along colonial lines, like Great Britain's Imperial Preference system.

While "have-not" nations looked to form their own regional trade blocs, they found it increasingly necessary to use military force to annex territories with the much-needed resources. Such military force required extensive rearmament and thus, in the case of Germany, meant a direct violation of the Versailles Treaty. But, rearmament also reinforced the need for more raw materials and consequently the need for territorial expansion.

Such imperialist conquests like Japan's invasion of Manchuria in the early 1930s, Italy's invasion of Ethiopia in 1935 and Germany's annexation of most of Austria and parts of Czechoslovakia in 1938, were all manifestations of the need to expand territories. But these conquests would soon draw the ire of two of Europe's major powers, and following Germany's invasion of Poland, both Britain and France would declare war on Germany on September 3rd, 1939, thus commencing the Second World War.

The Bottom Line

Despite noble aspirations for peace, the outcome of the Paris Peace Conference did more to reinforce hostility by singling out Germany as the sole instigator of the First World War. The Great Depression and the economic protectionism it engendered would then serve as the catalyst for the hostility to manifest itself in the rise of the Nazi Party and increasing imperialist ambitions among world nations. It was then only a matter of time before small imperialist conquests would lead to the breakout of World War II.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Economic Conditions That Helped Cause World War II

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Looking around at the magnitude of death and destruction that resulted from the World War I, leaders of the some of the world's major powers convened a conference in Paris, the outcome of which they hoped would ensure that no such devastation would ever happen again.

# data[].attributes.body
"We shall have provided a strong deterrent against Germany making the attempt.

It follows, therefore, that, from the military point of view, time is in our favor, and that, if war with Germany has to come, it would be better to fight her in say 6-12 months’ time, than to accept the present challenge."
September 20th 1938
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/chamberlain-and-hitler/source-3/
Author: National Archives written April 10th 2014

# data[].attributes.body
¨Militarism contributed to the origin of World War II to a great extent. Adolf Hitler used Germany’s pride in their army to acquire and extend Nazi power, which set the stage for the invasion of Poland and the start of World War II.¨

¨how did militarism contribute to increased imperialism?¨ December 21, 2021
https://lisbdnet.com/how-did-militarism-contribute-to-increased-imperialism/#:~:text=Militarism%20contributed%20to%20the%20origin,start%20of%20World%20War%20II.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Developing countries gain access to new technologies. ...

Healthcare access is improved through imperialism. ...

Agriculture production is also improved. ...

Defensive networks are created through imperialism. ...

Imperialism exposes people to new ethnicities and cultures.

What four factors contributed to American imperialism?

What were the major factors that contributed to the growth of American Imperialism? The desire for military strength, the thirst for new markets, and the belief in cultural superiority.

What four factors led to imperialism?

Four reasons for imperialism are money, national pride, racism, and religion. Europeans wanted colonies to provide raw materials for their factories and to sell their goods in the new colonies. Some nations wanted to gain colonies to show their national strength.

What was one way industrialization led to rising imperialism in the 1800s?

What was one way industrialization led to rising imperialism in the 1800s? Countries needed cheap raw materials for their growing industries. A key factor of the empires the United States and European countries built in the late 1800s was: ... industrially undeveloped countries rich in natural resources.

How did militarism increase tensions in Europe?

How did militarism increase tensions among European nations? Having a large and strong standing army made citizens feel patriotic. However, it also frightened some people. ... It can cause intense competition among nations with each seeking to overpower the other.

How did militarism influence the nations of Europe prior to WWI?

What is one way in which militarism influenced the nations of Europe prior to World War I? Militarism contributed to a European arms race. ... Efforts to stimulate trade increased tensions in European colonies. Rivalry over overseas territories increased tensions in Europe.

How did militarism contribute to the start of World War I quizlet?

How did militarism lead to World War 1? Military power and arms race lef to fear and suspicion. ... Fuelded the M.A.I.N causes, led to better military technolodgy and more of it. Machine guns, artillery, posion gas, mines, tanks, airplanes, battleships and submarines.

What role did nationalism imperialism and Militarism play in the outbreak and development of WWI?

How did nationalism, imperialism, and militarism help set the stage for World War 1? Nationalism can serve as a unifying force within a country. Imperialism in their sense of rivalry and mistrust of one another deepened. Militarism is having military power and keeping an army prepared for war.

How did 19th century imperialism lead to 20th century Militarism?

How were they causes? Militarism made people want to use all their new weapons from the arms race against each other. Alliances made it so that countries felt more comfortable attacking opposing sides. Imperialism lead to jealousy which made countries form alliances and bitter rivalries among one another.

What act by Austria-Hungary set the world on the path of war?

Unfortunately, this changed in 1914. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the trigger that set off the Great War. Franz Ferdinand was the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary. He was assassinated on 28 June 1914 by terrorists from one of Austria-Hungary's rival powers, Serbia.

What is the best social Darwinist defense for US imperialism?

What is the MOST accurate Social-Darwinist defense for U.S. imperialism? Nations that considered themselves superior felt obliged to govern less-advanced nations.

How was militarism a long term cause of ww1?

Long/Short: Militarism was a long-term cause of the war; due to the length of time it takes a country to build its military to the strength necessary to wage a major war. ... Though these were not the only countries building and perfecting their arsenal, they were the most significant prior to the outbreak of WWI.

How did Germany increase European militarism?

Describe the part played by Germany in increasing European militarism. Because Germany and France had doubled their army, other countries began to race to get bigger and stronger armies. Germany and Britain started to compete for mastery of the seas. Germans created more battleships to beat Britain.

How did nationalism and militarism push Europe to war?

How did nationalism and militarism both work to push Europe toward war? Nationalism made Europe want war to fight for their country. Militarism pushed them to create more military equipment. ... He headed the War Industries Board which placed the control of industries into the hands of the federal government.

How did militarism prevent fighting in ww1?

Militarism denoted a rise in military expenditure, an increase in military and naval forces, more influence of the military men upon the policies of the civilian government, and a preference for force as a solution to problems. Militarism was one of the main causes of the First World War.

What is militarism quizlet?

Militarism. a political orientation of a people or a government to maintain a strong military force and to be prepared to use it aggresively to defend or promote national interests.

What is militarism in your own words?

The definition of militarism is a belief that a strong military force should be maintained and used aggressively to defend or promote national interests. A belief that you need to devote a lot of money to defense spending to build up a military is an example of militarism. noun.

Was appeasement a main cause of ww2?

Appeasement emboldened Hitler's Germany, essentially leading to WWII. As Hitler continued to invade territories and build a military capable of fighting a major war-despite the Treaty of Versailles-Britain and France allowed him to continue, hoping he would leave them alone if they left him alone.

How did ww2 impact imperialism?

Related Searches

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
how did militarism contribute to increased imperialism? - Lisbdnet.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
How did militarism contribute to increased imperialism? A strong military helped imperial powers protect their global interests. Why might the closing of the

# data[].attributes.body
"The Great Depression was a contributing factor to dire economic conditions in Weimar Germany which led in part to the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party." Holocaust encyclopedia https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-great-depression

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The stock market crash on October 24, 1929, marked the beginning of the Great Depression in the United States. The day became known as "Black Thursday," Many factors had led to that moment. World War I, changing American ideas of debt and consumption, and an unregulated stock market all played pivotal roles in the economic collapse.

World War I transformed the United States from a relatively small player on the international stage into a center of global finance. American industry had supported the Allied war effort, resulting in a massive influx of cash into the US economy. As the war interrupted existing global trade relationships, the United States stepped in as the main supplier of goods, including weapons and ammunition. These purchases left European countries deeply in debt to the United States.

After the war, the United States began a period of diplomatic isolation. It enacted and raised tariffs in 1921 and 1922 to bolster American industry and keep foreign products out.

In the 1920s (the "Roaring Twenties") many American consumers, assuming economic prosperity would continue indefinitely, took on large amounts of personal debt, sometimes at extremely high interest rates. Factories depended on these consumers continuing to purchase their goods.

Finally, the stock market, based on Wall Street in New York City, was loosely regulated. There were few rules to ensure invested money was safe. Speculators began to deliberately manipulate stock prices, buying and selling in order to increase their returns. Only a small number of Americans purchased stock directly, most believing that the market values would continue to increase. Many investors, comfortable with debt, bought stocks "on the margin," using a small personal investment to pay a portion of the actual share value while borrowing the rest from a bank or other lender. They assumed the stock price would rise and they would be able to repay the balance of the loan from their investment profits. This system worked well, until the stock decreased in value.

The Crash

On Thursday, October 24, 1929, stock prices began to fall on the New York Stock Exchange, losing 11% of their value in a single day. After some initial stabilization, news of the falling stock prices led lenders to call on investors to repay loans. A massive sell-off began, causing the market to lose even more ground and setting off a panic across the country. By mid-November, the value of the nation's stocks had fallen by 33%.Banks which had lent money to failed investors or businesses simply no longer had the cash on hand to pay their customers. The average citizen, frightened and pessimistic about his or her economic prospects, stopped buying non-essential goods; spending dropped by 20% in 1930. This, in turn, drove down demand for consumer goods and more businesses began to fail. Unemployment rates doubled. Individual households were bankrupted as banks and lenders called in outstanding loans. President Herbert Hoover directed his administration to reduce spending. He signed the protectionist Smoot-Hawley Tariff in June 1930, in an attempt to bolster American agriculture and consumer goods. It had the adverse effect of spurring other governments to enact retaliatory tariffs, decreasing the foreign market for American goods.

Impact on Immigration

The Great Depression also had a serious impact on an already xenophobic and exclusionary American immigration system.

As a result of the worsening Depression, President Herbert Hoover instructed the State Department to begin rigorously enforcing a "likely to become a public charge" (LPC) clause from a 1917 immigration law.

This clause was designed to exclude any immigrant who lacked the economic means to be self-sufficient and who could potentially become a financial burden on the state. By 1930, unemployment had reached 8.7%, and consular officials were instructed to more rigidly enforce the LPC clause. They were informed that "any alien wage earner without special means of support coming to the United States during the present period of depression is, therefore, likely to become a public charge," and should be rejected for an immigration visa.

These regulations, forcing potential immigrants to prove they were financially stable and could support themselves indefinitely without getting a job, limited the number of applicants who qualified for immigration visas. In the 1930s, when the Nazis began stripping Jews of their financial holdings prior to allowing them to immigrate, many had trouble passing the rigorous financial qualifications for entry to America.

Throughout the 1930s, the majority of Americans opposed increasing immigration to the United States. Many cited economic concerns, fearing that immigrants would compete for jobs, which were scarce during the Depression.

The Global Great Depression

The United States was a central part of the international economic system, and its national economic disaster could not be contained. It spread across the globe. It hit particularly hard in Europe where multiple nations were indebted to the United States. During World War I, the Allies (Britain and France) had bought a great deal of military weapons and products using loans from the United States. When the United States called for those loans to be repaid to stabilize its own economy, it threw foreign economies into economic depression as well.

In Germany, depression hit in a different but no less powerful way. The new Weimar Republic had weathered a period of intense inflation in the 1920s due to reparations required by the Versailles Treaty. Rather than tax German citizens to pay the reparations, Germany borrowed millions of dollars from the United States and went further into debt. American demands for loan repayment had disastrous repercussions for an already fragile German economy, with banks failing and unemployment rising. As in the United States, the Weimar Republic decided to cut spending rather than increase it to spur the economy, further worsening the situation.

The Great Depression and the Rise of the Nazis

The Great Depression also played a role in the emergence of Adolf Hitler as a viable political leader in Germany. Deteriorating economic conditions in Germany in the 1930s created an angry, frightened, and financially struggling populace open to more extreme political systems, including fascism and communism.

Hitler had an audience for his antisemitic and anticommunist rhetoric that depicted Jews as causing the Depression. Fear and uncertainty about Germany's future also led many Germans in search of the kind of stability that Hitler offered.

While the Great Depression (and German economic conditions in general) were not solely responsible for bringing Hitler to power, they helped create an environment in which he gained support.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn about causes, scope, and impacts of the Great Depression, including how it played a role in Adolf Hitler's emergence as a viable political leader in Germany.

# data[].attributes.body
"Instituted in the hope of avoiding war, appeasement was the name given to Britain’s policy in the 1930s of allowing Hitler to expand German territory unchecked."
Imperial War Museums, "How Britain Hoped To Avoid War With Germany In The 1930s", IWM, 2017 https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/how-britain-hoped-to-avoid-war-with-germany-in-the-1930s#:~:text=Instituted in the hope of,as a policy of weakness.

"Appeasement reached its climax in September 1938 with the Munich Agreement. Chamberlain hoped to avoid a war over Czechoslovakia by conceding to Adolf Hitler’s demands. The Agreement allowed Nazi Germany to annex the Sudetenland, the German-speaking parts of Czechoslovakia."
Immediate Media Company Ltd., "Did appeasement cause the Second World War?", History Extra, july 13, 2021, https://www.historyextra.com/period/second-world-war/did-appeasement-cause-second-world-war-policy-how-why/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Instituted in the hope of avoiding war, appeasement was the name given to Britain's policy in the 1930s of allowing Hitler to expand German territory unchecked. Most closely associated with British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, it is now widely discredited as a policy of weakness. Yet at the time, it was a popular and seemingly pragmatic policy.

Hitler's expansionist aims became clear in 1936 when his forces entered the Rhineland. Two years later, in March 1938, he annexed Austria. At the Munich Conference that September, Neville Chamberlain seemed to have averted war by agreeing that Germany could occupy the Sudetenland, the German-speaking part of Czechoslovakia - this became known as the Munich Agreement.

In Britain, the Munich Agreement was greeted with jubilation. However, Winston Churchill, then estranged from government and one of the few to oppose appeasement of Hitler, described it as 'an unmitigated disaster'.

Appeasement was popular for several reasons. Chamberlain - and the British people - were desperate to avoid the slaughter of another world war. Britain was overstretched policing its empire and could not afford major rearmament. Its main ally, France, was seriously weakened and, unlike in the First World War, Commonwealth support was not a certainty. Many Britons also sympathised with Germany, which they felt had been treated unfairly following its defeat in 1918.

But, despite his promise of 'no more territorial demands in Europe', Hitler was undeterred by appeasement. In March 1939, he violated the Munich Agreement by occupying the rest of Czechoslovakia. Six months later, in September 1939, Germany invaded Poland and Britain was at war.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How Britain Hoped To Avoid War With Germany In The 1930s

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Instituted in the hope of avoiding war, appeasement was the name given to Britain's policy in the 1930s of allowing Hitler to expand German territory unchecked. Most closely associated with British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, it is now widely discredited as a policy of weakness.

# data[].attributes.body
1- "Spurred by voters who demanded 'No more war', the leaders of Britain, France, and the United states tried to avoid conflict through diplomacy. This resulted in weak western governments and this allowed Hitler and other countries to take advantage and cause war." Fleming, Esther. 'What Was the Impact of Appeasement in WW2?' SidmartinBio, 9 Jan. 2019, www.sidmartinbio.org/what-was-the-impact-of-appeasement-in-ww2.

2- "Between 1934 and 1937 Britain was sympathetic to a German recovery, holding out hopes that Hitler could be managed. Once Neville Chamberlain became British Prime Minister in 1937, he followed a policy of appeasing Germany until 1939 when Hitler's aims became obvious to everyone." Fagan, Shemia. 'Isolation and Appeasement Fail.' State of Oregon: Oregon Secretary of State, 2010, sos.oregon.gov/archives/exhibits/ww2/Pages/before-isolation.aspx.

# data[].attributes.body
1. "approximately 100,000 of the roughly 600,000 soldiers who served in the German military were Jewish. Many were German patriots who saw the war as an opportunity to prove their loyalty to their country. However, antisemitic newspapers and politicians claimed that Jews were cowards who were shirking their duty by staying away from combat. To prove this claim, the Minister of War began an investigation into the number of Jews serving in the front lines. For reasons that are not clear, the results were never published, which allowed antisemites to continue to question Jewish patriotism after the war." The Encyclopedia, Dec 16, 2019,
https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/timeline-of-the-german-military-and-the-nazi-regime
2. "In 1939 the German Army had 98 divisions available for the invasion of Poland. Although some were ill-equipped veteran reservists, the still had 1.5 million well-trained men available for action. It also had 9 panzer divisions. Each one had 328 tanks, 8 support battalions and 6 artillery batteries. When the German Army mounted its Western Offensive in 1940, it had had 2.5 million men and 2,500 tanks." spartacus educational, januaray 2020, https://spartacus-educational.com/2WWgermanA.htm

# data[].attributes.body
"When Hindenburg died the following year, Hitler took the titles of führer, chancellor, and commander in chief of the army. He expanded the army tremendously, reintroduced conscription, and began developing a new air force—all violations of the Treaty of Versailles."

The National WWll Museum editors. "How Did Hitler Happen?" The National WWll Museum.
https://www.nationalww2museum.org/media/media-resources

"Adolf Hitler used Germany's pride in their army to acquire and extend Nazi power, which set the stage for the invasion of Poland and the start of World War II."

"How Did Militarism Lead to WWll?" 20, Dec. 2018. https://lisbdnet.com/how-did-militarism-contribute-to-increased-imperialism/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Please use the following contacts for inquiries by the media only. Journalists on deadline are advised to contact us by phone rather than email.

Not a media inquiry? View a list of Museum contacts by department.

Media Contact:

Keith M. Darcey
Director of Communications
504-528-1944 x 488
504-250-2929 (cell)
keith.darcey@nationalww2museum.org

Advertising Contact:

Emily Eagan
Advertising Manager
504-528-1944 x 502
emily.eagan@nationalww2museum.org

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Media Resources | The National WWII Museum | New Orleans

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Please use the following contacts for inquiries by the media only. Journalists on deadline are advised to contact us by phone rather than email. Not a media inquiry? View a list of Museum contacts by department. Keith M.

# data[].attributes.body
"Not all countries joined the league and the League had no army to prevent military aggression."
- Causes of WWII debreifing

"Germany was not allowed to join the League because of their punishment for WWI."
https://www.cram.com/essay/Treaty-Of-Versailles-Cause-And-Fall-Of/P3Y6BFXKGZ3Q

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How Did The League Of Nations Cause Ww2 - 1056 Words | Cram

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Free Essay: World War I left massive destruction and death in Europe. The world’s economy collapsed and it affected many countries very badly. Some countries...

# data[].attributes.body
"The Treaty of Versailles didn’t just blame Germany for the war—it demanded financial restitution for the whole thing, to the tune of 132 billion gold marks, or about $269 billion today." Blakemore, Erin. “Germany’s World War I Debt Was So Crushing It Took 92 Years to Pay Off.” HISTORY, 27 June 2019, www.history.com/news/germany-world-war-i-debt-treaty-versailles.

# data[].attributes.body
"In order to pay its debts for World War I, as dictated by the Versailles Treaty, Germany engaged in a tremendous hyperinflation of its currency, printing paper marks until, by 1923, they became utterly worthless.  The destruction of the currency wiped out the people's savings, which meant that there would be very little capital available within the German economy for years to come." “Germany and the Great Depression.” Mackinac Center, www.mackinac.org/3679. Accessed 3 May 2022.