Attitude Toward Germany After 1933 & Views On Rearmament And Appeasement

Question 1

1928

Answer 1

Kellogg-Briand Pact- outlawed war as an instrument of national policy and called upon signatories to settle their disputes by peaceful means.

Question 2

1931

Answer 2

Japanese invasion of Manchuria- League of Nations failed to challenge this aggression

Question 3

Up to 1932

Answer 3

Britain disarmed up to 1932- British army was small and professional but not well equipped- only 370000 by 1930. RAF went from being largest in world to the 5th largest by the 1930s.

Question 4

1932

Answer 4

Britain abandoned the Ten-Year Rule and started moderate rearmament- investment in Singapore naval base and in Indian army.

Question 5

January 1933

Answer 5

Hitler became Chancellor of Germany- Churchill became a prominent critic.

Question 6

1930-1935

Answer 6

Evidence of British pacifism:
‘The King and Country Debate’ (Oxford Pledge) Feb 1933
Fulham East By-Election Oct 1933, when a Labour candidate defeated a Conservative who was campaigning on the need to rearm
Peace Pledge Union 1934
League of Nations Union
Peace Ballot 1935 (11 million voted and a majority against rearmament).

Question 7

1935

Answer 7

Anglo-German Naval Pact which gave British approval to Germany to develop a fleet that was 35% of the British fleet but Churchill saw this as a sign of weakness as it broke Versailles & Locarno Treaties.

Question 8

1935 Abyssinia Crisis

Answer 8

Italian invasion of Ethiopia and League of Nations mostly failed to challenge this aggression.

Question 9

1935

Answer 9

Churchill advocated for Rearmament- Churchill consistently argued for increased British rearmament to counter the German threat. Baldwin did begin moderate rearmament- introduced a 4-year plan and defence spending increased to 8% of GDP but insufficient in Churchill’s view.

Question 10

March 1936

Answer 10

German Remilitarisation of the Rhineland violating the Treaty of Versailles and the Locarno Treated. Churchill criticised the lack of a strong response from Britain and France.

Question 11

September 1938

Answer 11

Munich agreement- Churchill opposed the Munich agreement, where Britain and France allowed Germany to annex the Sudetenland. He viewed this as a failure of appeasement.

Question 12

March 1938

Answer 12

German Anschluss with Austria- condemned by Churchill.

Question 13

October 1938

Answer 13

British rearmament- from October 1938 Rearmament increased to £12 billion- 21% of GDP, production of aircraft trebled to 660 a month by September 1939, switched production from bombers to fighter planes, created a system of radar stations around Britain to give early warning of German bomber attack.

Question 14

March 1939

Answer 14

German invasion of Czechoslovakia and Polish guarantee- Churchill now stopped criticising the government and supported their decisions.

Question 15

August 1939

Answer 15

Nazi-Soviet Pact

Question 16

September 1-3 1939

Answer 16

German invasion of Poland, Churchill joined the Cabinet as First Lord of Admiralty. Chamberlain declared war on Germany.