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long term consequences of peace treaties
-dissatisfied powers (losers, i.e Japan,Italy)
-germany: versailles punished them severley enough to anger them, but still leave them with considerable resources (potential for recovery=revenge)
-hitlers foreign policy: abolish ToV, expand Germna territory (lebensraum, unite germans), defeat communism esp. USSR
-impact on British opinion: saw it as unfair= Hitler's demands seen as understandable -
Period: to
The Collapse of International Peace
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The Saar
WHAT: -ToV put under control of LoN for 15 years
-In 1935 the Saar inhabitants vote to return to germany SIGNIFICANCE: -first event on the road to war, since it was a democratic vote led credibility to Nazi claims of uniting germans
-opportunity for hitler to enact lebensraum and to regain lost territory CONSEQUENCES:- fair vote, didnt contradict to ToV = validated the Nazis
-Goebbels propaganda campaign = 90% voted to return to Germany -
Conscription and Rearmament
WHAT: Hitler began to slowly rearm
-reintroduced conscription WHY: -Hitler used excuse of other countries failure to disarm, fight great depression SIGNIFICANCE:
-conscription violated ToV but britain was sympathetic towards these aims. felt a strong GER army was a good buffer against communism in east
-signed anglo-german naval treaty, allowing GER navy to be up to 35% of ENG. CONSEQUENCES:
-German military had 95 warships, 1m soldiers and 8,000 aircrafts by 1939 -
Remilitarisation of The Rhineland
WHAT: -hitler ordered his troops enter rhineland
-his generals were ordered to retreat if french retaliated. this did not happen
WHY: -UK believed demands were reasonable
-france was going through an election, no one wanted to risk sending france to war.
SIGNIFICANCE:
-hitler takes first major gamble,saw terms of ToV could be relaxed with UK opinion
CONSEQUENCES: hitler now knew FRA wouldn't stand against him, if they were not even defending their back yard. saw FRA would not act w out UK. -
Period: to
Spanish Civil War
WHAT:-civil war breaks out between facists and communists
-Facists win the war due to hitler and mussolini WHY: GER sent aircrafts,army,pilots to help Franco, despite saying they wouldnt SIGNIFCANCE:
-important test for hitlers new air force/bombs (Guernica)
-war distracted from his actions elsewhere
-franco defeats communists = fulfils his foreign policy aims CONSEQUENCES: -mussolini abandoned UK, FRA, formed the Rome-Berlin Axis -
Anschluss (cont.)
WHY DID ALLIES ALLOW THIS:
- Britain and France not sufficiently rearmed, could see that Hitler was stronger (Guernica)
-Britain viewed Anchluss as fair, reunited germans
-No Mussolini intervention -
Anschluss
WHAT: -failed in 1934 due to Mussolini being allies with austria
-strictly forbidden under ToV
-GER and ITA ally in 1937, ITA infroms austrian chancellor, Schussnigg he will no longer defend Austria from attack.
- in 1938, nazis in austria cause chaos
-hitler demands a union with Schussnigg to sort out problems
-Schussnig holds a plebiscite, Hitler sends in troops to "guarantee a trouble free vote"
-plebiscite gives 99% majority in favor in Anchluss
-Austria immediately incorporated into GER -
Sudetenland
WHAT: -leader of Sudenten Nazis demand unification
-Hitler threatens Czechs with war if they did not agree to war WHY: -hitler feeling bold due to Anschluss
-Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia
-unite german speaking people
-important area to defend against attacks SIGNIFICANCE:
-UK and FRA had agreed to defend Czechs
-high war tensions CONSEQUENCES: Munich Agreement -
The Munich Agreement
WHAT: Chamb. meets w Hitler who claimed he only wanted small parts after a plebiscite.Chamb agrees. Hitler increases demands three days later to all of Sudentenland. Mussolini arranges meeting in Munich. UK, FRA & ITA give Hitler Sudetenland.
WHY: hitler claimed he wanted to reunite german speakers or he'd declare war. Chamb intially refuses and prepares for war
S:seen as massive betrayal of Czechoslovakia and showed the weakness of UK and FRA
C: Hitler invades the rest of Czechoslovakia -
The Invasion of Czechoslovakia
WHAT: Hitler invades Czechoslovakia in March 1939. Czechs had been severly weakend by POL & HUN taking territory, did not resist. WHY: lebensraum, large coal & iron reserves, wouldn't have to fight war on two fronts. S: first time taking over a non-german speaking country aggressively.Britain and France did not offer resistance, however this was chamberlains final straw. C: UK and FRA issued an ultimatum; if he invaded poland, they would declare war. Hitler did not believe this -
The Nazi-Soviet Pact
WHAT: hitler and stalin agreed to a 10-year non-agression. privately they agreed to divide Poland between them. WHY(did stalin sign): no faith w UK and FRA (not consulted over Munich, failed in Spanish Civil War, welcomed rearmament to fight communism. guarantee to poland= UK support of enemies. UK did not take USSR seriously (sent minor officials to meet, unlike GER). S: allows stalin to prepare for war in long term/rearm.huge shock as he was enemies with GER C:invasion of Poland -
World War II begins
attacked from east and west, Poland was quickly defeated. to hitler's surprise, the UK and FRA declared war. -
HOW FAR: Appeasement was Justified
-Hitler was standing up to communism- a more serious threat
-lack of US support
-UK not ready for war
-Hitler had fair demands, ToV was unreasonable
-Fragile economy (depression) was a more important priority
-refusal to repeat horrors of WW1 -
HOW FAR: Appeasement was not justified
-Encouraged further aggression & gambling
-Hitler was a liar, repeatedly did not keep his word
-Early appeasement allowed Germans to grow in strength
-Proved to Stalin they were untrustworthy allies