Changes

===Franco and the Spanish civil war===

===Franco and the Spanish civil war===

Meanwhile, dictators were rising to power in other countries.  In 1936, a civil war broke out in Spain when fascists who supported General Francisco Franco attempted to overthrow the elected republican government.  This was a three-sided civil war, as Franco’s Nationalists battled a group of communists (the “International Brigades”) as well as the Republicans, and it lasted for three bloody years until 1939.  This war attracted attention by writers and thinkers worldwide.  The British writer George Orwell, who later penned classic anti-communist novels entitled Animal Farm and 1984, volunteered to fight for the republican government and against both the communists and Franco’s fascists.  Orwell survived after taking a bullet through his neck.  Britain, France and the United States remained officially neutral while Germany and Italy helped Franco.  Some Americans felt that Franco was far better than the communists, and were relieved that Franco won.

Meanwhile, dictators were rising to power in other countries.  In 1936, a civil war broke out in Spain when fascists who supported General Francisco Franco attempted to overthrow the elected republican government.  This was a three-sided civil war, as Franco’s Nationalists battled a group of communists (the “International Brigades”) as well as the Republicans, and it lasted for three bloody years until 1939.  This war attracted attention by writers and thinkers worldwide.  The British writer George Orwell, who later penned classic anti-communist novels entitled ''Animal Farm'' and ''1984'', volunteered to fight for the republican government and against both the communists and Franco’s fascists.  Orwell survived after taking a bullet through his neck.  Britain, France and the United States remained officially neutral while Germany and Italy helped Franco.  Some Americans felt that Franco was far better than the communists, and were relieved that Franco won.

Yugoslavia, Poland, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria and Albania were also taken over by their own dictators.  The only democracy left in Eastern Europe in 1935 was Czechoslovakia.   

Yugoslavia, Poland, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria and Albania were also taken over by their own dictators.  The only democracy left in Eastern Europe in 1935 was Czechoslovakia.   

Both countries had powerful industrial economies to feed their thirst for power.  In Germany, a leader (Adolf Hitler) had risen to power who had phenomenal public speaking skills, and who could whip the German people into a frenzy with his demagoguery.  In Japan the national religion (Shinto) called on the Japanese to do the emperor’s will as though a god had ordered them to do so.

Both countries had powerful industrial economies to feed their thirst for power.  In Germany, a leader (Adolf Hitler) had risen to power who had phenomenal public speaking skills, and who could whip the German people into a frenzy with his demagoguery.  In Japan the national religion (Shinto) called on the Japanese to do the emperor’s will as though a god had ordered them to do so.

Germany and Japan had no connection with each other, and were located on nearly opposite sides of the globe.  How does one explain that they rose to power and threatened the world at the same time?  Just as we saw unrelated peoples do similar things in ancient times, such as building structures that looked like ziggurats, we see the coincidence of Germany and Japan independently threatening the world at the same time.

Germany and Japan had no connection with each other, and were located on nearly opposite sides of the globe.  How does one explain that they rose to power and threatened the world at the same time?  Just as we saw unrelated peoples do similar things in ancient times, such as building structures that looked like ziggurats and developing [[feudalism]], we see the coincidence of Germany and Japan independently threatening the world at the same time.

===Aggression in the 1930s===  

===Aggression in the 1930s===