2/23 - Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan & U.S. Isolationism

How did the Great Depression help the Nazi Party rise to power?

The economy collapsed, unemployment soared, and the Nazis promised jobs, stability, strong leadership, and national pride.

By 1932, what was the Nazi Party’s position in the Reichstag?

It became the largest political party in Germany’s Parliament.

Who appointed Adolf Hitler Chancellor and when?

President Paul von Hindenburg appointed Hitler on January 30, 1933.

What was the Reichstag Fire and why was it important?

In February 1933 the Parliament building burned; Hitler blamed Communists and passed the Reichstag Fire Decree, suspending civil liberties and arresting opponents.

What did the Enabling Act of March 1933 do?

It gave Hitler power to pass laws without Parliament, establishing a dictatorship.

How did Hitler eliminate political opposition?

He banned all other parties, controlled media and schools, and used the Gestapo to arrest opponents.

What was the Night of the Long Knives (1934)?

A purge where Hitler executed rival Nazi leaders to secure total control and military loyalty.

What happened after Hindenburg died in 1934?

Hitler combined President and Chancellor into one role and declared himself Führer.

Why was the U.S. unprepared for war in the 1930s?

The military was small and underfunded due to the Great Depression.

Why did Japan expand in the 1930s?

It lacked natural resources like oil, rubber, and iron and wanted regional dominance.

What was the Manchurian Incident (1931)?

A staged explosion used by Japan as an excuse to invade Manchuria.

What happened in 1937 between Japan and China?

Japan launched a full-scale invasion of China.

Who was Hideki Tojo?

A Japanese general who became Prime Minister in 1941 and led militaristic expansion.

What was the USS Panay incident?

Japan attacked a U.S. ship in 1937, killing 50 Americans and raising tensions.

What was U.S. isolationism in the 1930s?

A policy of avoiding involvement in foreign wars.

What was the Johnson Debt Default Act?

A law preventing loans to nations that had not repaid WWI debts.

What did the Nye Committee claim?

That WWI involvement was influenced by arms manufacturers and bankers seeking profit.

What were the Neutrality Acts (1935–1937)?

Laws banning arms sales and loans to countries at war and restricting American involvement.

When did the Spanish Civil War begin and who fought?

1936; Republicans (leftist government) vs. Nationalists.

Who led the Nationalists in Spain?

Francisco Franco.

How did Germany and Italy support Franco?

They sent troops, weapons, and aircraft; Germany’s Luftwaffe airlifted Franco’s forces and tested military tactics.

Who supported the Republicans?

Socialists, communists, the Soviet Union, and foreign volunteers like the Abraham Lincoln Brigade.

Who won the Spanish Civil War and what happened after?

Franco won in 1939, became dictator, and kept Spain neutral in WWII.

Why were the 1936 Berlin Olympics important to Hitler?

He used them as propaganda to promote Aryan racial superiority.

How did Jesse Owens challenge Nazi ideology?

He won four gold medals, disproving claims of Aryan supremacy.

What happened in the 1936 Louis vs. Schmeling fight?

Max Schmeling defeated Joe Louis.

What happened in the 1938 rematch?

Joe Louis knocked Schmeling out in the first round.