4.0 OUTBREAK OF WW2

Question 1

REASONS FOR OUTBREAK OF WW2

Answer 1

1. WEAKNESS OF LEAGUE OF NATIONS
2. HITLER’S EXPANSIONIST POLICY
3. POLICY OF APPEASEMENT

Question 2

WEAKNESS OF LEAGUE OF NATIONS IN WW2

Answer 2

1. FAILURE OF DISARMAMENT
2. ABYSSINIAN CRISIS

Question 3

Weakness of LON
FAILURE OF DISARMAMENT

Answer 3

ATTEMPTS AT DISARMAMENT
1921 Washington Naval Conference
1925 Locarno Treaties
1926 League commission to prepare for world disarmament conference
1928 Kellogg Briand Pact
1932 - 1934 World Disarmament Conference

Question 4

Weakness of LON
ABYSSINIAN CRISIS

Answer 4

1935 to 1936
- LEAGUE’S FAILURE TO INTERVENE
- ABYSSINIA COMMON BORDERS WITH BRITISH COLONIES BUT ITALY ALLIES WITH BRITAIN AND FRANCE UNDER STRESA FRONT
- BRITAIN AND FRANCE DID NOT WANT TO MAKE AN ENEMY OF ITALY, FEARFUL WOULD DRIVE MUSSOLINI TO ALLIANCE WITH HITLER
- ITALY USED 1934 WAL WAL OASIS DISPUTE AS PRETEXT FOR INVASION

Question 5

HITLER’S EXPANSIONIST POLICY

Answer 5

1. WITHDRAWAL FROM LEAGUE
2. CONSCRIPTION AND REARMAMENT
3. REMILITARISATION OF RHINELAND
4. GERMAN INVOLVEMENT IN SPANISH CIVIL WAR 1937
5. GERMAN UNIFICATION WITH AUSTRIA

Question 6

Hitler’s expansionist policy
CONSCRIPTION AND REARMAMENT

Answer 6

1935 March 2,500 Luftwaffe
300,000 strong army planned for 500,000
1.4 million men in 1939

Question 7

Hitler’s expansionist policy
REMILITARISATION OF RHINELAND

Answer 7

March 1936 German troops crossed Hohenzollern bridge and remilitarize Rhineland
- Franco Soviet Alliance as an excuse > security threatened need to defend frontiers
PERFECT TIMING
- LEAGUE DISTRACTED BY ABYSSINIAN CRISIS
- FRANCE HOLDING ELECTION > DID NOT WANT TO START CONFLICT

Question 8

Hitler’s expansionist policy
GERMAN UNIFICATION WITH AUSTRIA

Answer 8

• PUSHED FOR ANSCHLUSS IN AUSTRIA (political reunion)
• AUSTRIA UNWILLINGLY HELD PLEBISCITE TO GAUGE SUPPORT OF ANSCHLUSS
• SENT TROOPS TO KEEP ORDER
• ANNEXED ON 1938
  WITHOUT CONFLICT 99.75% OF POPULATION SUPPORTED ANSCHLUSS

Question 9

CZECHOSLOVAKIA

Answer 9

• MUNICH AGREEMENT
  29 Sept 1938 > signed Munich agreement - Czechs Soviets had a mutual military assistance treaty not consulted
  1 Oct 1938 > German troops marched into Sudetenland
• INVASION OF CZECHOSLOVAKIA
  16 March 1939 > Hitler took over rest of Czechoslovakia without resistance

Question 10

NAZI-SOVIET NON-AGGRESSION PACT

Answer 10

25 Aug 1939 > signed to last 10yrs would not attack each other resolve problems diplomatically
- SECRET PROTOCOL IN THE PACT DIVIDED EASTERN EUROPE INTO SOVIET AND GERMAN SPHERES OF INFLUENCE
> SOVIET RIGHTS OVER BALTIC STATES
> POLAND DIVIDED BETWEEN THEM
Hitler
- wanted SU uninvolved in Poland invasion
- wanted to avoid war on two fronts
Stalin
- distrust allies - felt allies encouraging Hitler to expand into eastern Europe
- needed time to prepare military for potential conflict with Hitler

Question 11

INVASION OF POLAND

Answer 11

• LAST STRAW THAT TRIGGERED WW2
• since 1937 Hitler demanded for ‘free city’ of Danzig to be part of Germany
• Hitler also wanted railroad built across polish corridor to reconnect Germany with east Prussia
  29 Aug 1939 > Hitler demanded for Danzig and Polish corridor
• BRITAIN FRANCE REALISED HITLER COULD NOT BE TRUSTED STILL WILLING TO RESUME NEGOTIATIONS
• CONVINCED HITLER THAT THEY WOULD NOT DECLARE WAR ON GERMANY
  1 Sept 1939 > invaded Poland
  3 Sept 1939 > Britain France kept promise and declared war on Germany

Question 12

POLICY OF APPEASEMENT

Answer 12

1. FEAR OF ANOTHER MAJOR WAR
2. WEAKNESS OF LEAGUE OF NATIONS
3. BUY TIME TO REARM
4. CHAMBERLAIN’S MISJUDGMENT OF HITLER
5. GENUINE SYMPATHY FOR GERMANY OVER TREATY OF VERSAILLES
6. FEAR OF COMMUNISM

Question 13

LORD HALIFAX’S VISIT

Answer 13

Nov 1937 - met with Hitler
- ENCOURAGED CHAMBERLAIN TO TRUST HITLER
- REINFORCE HITLER’S STANCE ON COMMUNISM AND UTILISED ALLIES FEAR OF COMMUNISM TO TRUST HITLER