It depends on which war you're referring to. I feel that the answer you're looking for is the radio, though.
These were called the Palmer raids and were a part of the red scare. He did it because they were accused of being communists and anarchists, or were just too much left and liberal. This was out of fear that they might get enough people and start their own revolution in the country.
The Munich Pact was an example of awful foreign policy, which allowed Hitler to annex Czechoslovakia.
Consumer and society have messed up the whole