Ambitions of Germany in Europe & Japan in the Asia-Pacific Flashcards
what were the FP objectives for germany
revise the diktat, Territorial expansion in Eastern Europe & Soviet Union, Defeat of France, conquest for world supremacy
why did Hitler want to revise the ToV
to restore honour & strength of G to its ‘rightful place in Europe’
what would be done as a part of revising the ToV
Reclaiming all lost territory
Uniting all German speaking people into Reich
Achieve autarky
Dominate all enemies → (especially France)
why did hitler want to expand in eastern europe & SU
Influenced by Hitler’s racial aims & desire for Lebensraum → wanted to dominate the world with Aryan race, expand for its survival in the ‘racial struggle’ (Darwinian concept) & lead to a ‘Herrenvolk’
what were hitler’s achievements in revising the ToV
hint: 1933, 1935, 1936, 1939, 1940s
1933: Hitler withdrew G from the League & the Disarmament Conference = Wehrmacht began increasing levels of weaponry & the no. of soldiers
1935: Hitler reintroduced conscription and rearmament
Increased the size of the Wehrmacht/army to 550,000 (it was already 240,000 above Treaty limit)
June 1935: Signed Anglo-German Naval Agreement → Hitler took advantage of the opportunity to remilitarise the Rhineland in 1936 = defying the Treaty
Germany allowed to build a fleet up to 35% of the British’s, & was allowed equal Britain’s number of submarines
1936: 30,000 troops occupied demilitarised Rhineland
August 1939: Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact
Secured the neutrality of the S.U
1939: Hitler ordered the invasion of Poland = Britain & France declare war
By mid-1940s: G conquered Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium & France = successful ‘blitzkrieg’
what did hitler achieve in terms of territorial expansion
1935-39
January 1935: the Saar province voted to join Germany
7 March 1936: reoccupied Rhineland
November 1936: Germany & Japan signed
Anti-Comintern Pact → underlined their joint hostility to S.U
November 1937: Italy joined = Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis
March 1938: Formal union of G & Austria (Anchluss)
1938: Sudetenland taken over
Taking advantage of Appeasement
August 1939: G signed Non-Aggression Pact w S.U → invaded Poland 1st September 1939 = Britain & France declare war
what did hitler do 1941 that proved to be a mistake in terms of territorial expansion
June 1941: G declared war on S.U
what was the operation that meant German failure in SU, and why did it fail
Operation Barbarossa 1941: put into action Hitler’s ideological goal of conquering the western Soviet Union so as to repopulate it with Germans
Despite territorial gains, the aim to completely destroy Soviet fighting power & force a capitulation was not achieved (due to poor strategic planning)
to what extent was the defeat of france achieved
1940: France invaded
By mid-1940s: G conquered Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium & France = successful blitzkrieg
why did hitler fail to achieve world supremacy
G found itself out-bombed, numbered & resourced by the Russians, British & Americans = capitulated in 1945
what was the aim of japan
domination of east-asia
why did japan want to dominate east asia
believed it was essential to their security & self-sufficiency w the Chinese Nationalist Party & S.U posing a threat to Japanese interests
Japan was lacking in many raw materials = expansion would ensure Japanese industry could be supplied w these (China had resources that Japan’s economy needed, offering markets and space for future population - but impeded by U.S interests there)
Japan’s growing population required additional space → expansion (eg, Manchuria)
Early japanese successes meant for victory disease. what were these events
Japan victorious in Sino-Jap War (1894-95)
1904-05: Japan victories in Russo-Jap War
Treaty of Portsmouth: Japan gained Port Arthur, Liaodong Peninsula & established its supremacy in Korea
what did japan gain in the Paris Peace Conference 1919
Japan gained mandate control over German colonies; the Mariana, Caroline & Marshall Islands
why was japan dissatisfied w the 1922 Washington Treaties
: dissatisfaction inside Japan w the limitations on naval expansion → led to a more aggressive stance as the military gained greater influence in government
