Appeasement And The Road To War #16: The Events Of 1939 Flashcards
When was the Pact or Steel?
22nd May 1939
Why did Mussolini want the Pact of Steel?
- To match Hitler’s success
- He had already removed Italy from the League in 1937 after being condemned after Abyssinia (including their execution of c.30,000 Abyssinians in early 1937 for continued resistance)
- The Italian invasion of Albania took place on April 1939.
- BUT this invasion was viewed as an easy takeover due to a weak Albania
What assumptions was the Pact of Steel made on?
That war would break out within the next 3 years
What were the terms of the Pact of Steel?
- In the event of war, there would be mutual assistance between the countries
- German and Italian economic, military, and foreign policies were tied together
How did The Pact of Steel affect Britain?
They viewed and alliance with Russia as all the more necessary
What was Hitler’s final problem created by the ToV?
Poland
What 4 factors made Hitler want Poland?
- Polish Corridor
- East Prussia
- German Speakers - Auslandsdeutsch
- Lebensraum
How did the Polish Corridor shape Hitler’s attitude towards Poland?
- Contained German city of Danzig
- Made Poland stronger - gave her access to the sea
How did the East Prussia shape Hitler’s attitude towards Poland?
- Split off from Mainland Germany
- Revision of the ToV (Hitler’s foreign Policy)
How did the German speakers (Auslandsdeutsch) shape Hitler’s attitude towards Poland?
- 1.5million Germans in Poland
- Gross-Deutschland
How did Lebensraum shape Hitler’s attitude towards Poland?
- Open lands to the East were ideal for Lebensraum Policy
What motivated Hitler to make an alliance with Russia?
- Russia may feel threatened by Germany’s actions
- They had an alliance with France (FSToMA), which would lead to Germany becoming encircled
- He knew he would need to fight Communist Russia eventually, but wanted Poland out the way
Why would Stalin want an alliance with Germany?
- He was suspicious of France and Britain after failure to act over Czechoslovakia
- He needed time to prepare Russia for war
What did Molotov (the new Russian Foreign Minister) believe he would get out of an alliance with Germany?
He wanted to “buy time”
What were the terms of the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression (Molotov-Ribbentrop) Pact?
- They agreed not to attack each other or join any alliances against eachother
- they wanted to carve up Eastern Europe between them
When was the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact signed?
23rd August 1939
What did Hitler have guaranteed after the Nazi Soviet Non-Aggression Pact?
He would be able to attack Poland when it suited him, without any immediate risk of war with Russia
When was the Anglo-Polish Treaty of Mutual Assistance signed?
25th August 1939
What were the terms of the Anglo-Polish Treaty of Mutual Assistance?
- Mutual military assistance between the nations if either was attacked by some “European country”
What did the Anglo-Polish Treaty of Mutual assistance mean for Britain?
They were now bound to come to the aid of Poland in the event of a Nazi invasion
When did Hitler send his order to the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces?
31st August 1939
What were the details of Hitler’s order he sent to the Supreme Commander of the armed forces on 31st Aug?
- He deemed force to be the only solution on the eastern frontier as he saw diplomacy unattainable
- He wanted to attack Poland with preparations made for Case White
- Allotment of tasks and the operational targets remain unchanged
Date of attack: Sept 1st
Time of attack: 4:45AM
How did Germany begin WW2?
At dawn on Friday 1st, the German airforce began to bomb Poland and the German army smashes forward
Why did the British react to Germany’s invasion?
- British Public and Cabinet opposed Appeasement since March
- Anglo-Polish Guarantee: “bound at once to lend the Polish Govt. all support in their power” in the event of German Aggression
- For the first time, they had guaranteed to defend eastern Europe
When did Chamberlain announce that Britain was at war with Germany?
11:15am Sunday 3rd September
Why did Britain go to war with Germany?
- They failed to withdraw their troops from Poland
- Anglo-Polish Treaty of Mutual Assistance
