World War II: The Build up to War in Europe and Asia

The United States imposed severe economic sanctions, including an oil embargo and the freezing of Japanese assets, in response to Japanese aggression in China and Indochina, which crippled Japan's economy.

Japan lacked essential natural resources like oil, rubber, and iron. To sustain its industrial and military growth, it sought to acquire colonies in Asia that could provide these raw materials.

As Japan moved toward a militaristic state, the government prioritized heavy industry, specifically the production of arms, ships, and aircraft to support its expansionist goals.

During the economic turmoil of the Great Depression, the Japanese military gained significant influence, leading the country toward a nationalist, authoritarian, and fascist-style system of government.

Britain and France had guaranteed the security of Poland. When Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, they honored their commitment and declared war on Germany on September 3.

Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933. Following the death of President Hindenburg in 1934, he merged the offices of Chancellor and President, declaring himself Führer and consolidating total control.

The League of Nations was largely ineffective in stopping the aggression of dictators in the 1930s. It lacked an enforcement mechanism and failed to take decisive action against invasions in Manchuria, Ethiopia, and elsewhere.

Stalin maintained his grip on power through a totalitarian regime that utilized the secret police, mass purges, labor camps (Gulags), and pervasive state-controlled propaganda to eliminate dissent.

The Soviet Union under Stalin is widely considered the first modern totalitarian state, where the government sought to exert total control over every aspect of public and private life.

The rise of totalitarianism was fueled by a combination of post-WWI resentment, economic collapse during the Great Depression, and a public desire for strong leadership to restore national stability.

Totalitarianism is a form of government where the state holds total authority over society and seeks to control all aspects of public and private life, often through a single party or leader.