Chapter 3: The League of Nations and international relations in the 1930s

Question 1

Characteristics of fascism?

Answer 1

• lack of democracy
• totalitarianism
• autarky
• extreme nationalism
• use of violence

Question 2

How did fascism rise in Italy?

Answer 2

• war costs: high casualty, soldiers returning for jobs
• treaty of Versailles: claims ignored, nationalists felt being robbed
• Economic problems: wartime government printed money to pay for arms–>inflation; major arms and shipbuilding factories bankrupt
• Weak democracy: proportional representation—>impossible to reach agreement

Question 3

March on Rome 1922, what is it?

Answer 3

• mass demonstration resulting in PNF (National Fascist Party) ascending to power
• communists called for a general strike, thus Mussolini striked
• king invited Mussolini to form new government

Question 4

Mussolini’s economic policies and impacts?

Answer 4

• self sufficiency; corporative state; strong governmental control
  Impacts:
• autarky impossible as Italy had very little resources–>weaken Lira
• poor economic growth–>massive debt
• 1/3 money went to military–>little improvement–>not prepared for WWII

Question 5

How did fascism rise in Germany?

Answer 5

• bank failure
• export downturn and mass employment
• Bruning’s deflationary policies–>worsen unemployment
• chancellor resigned–>political reform–> power vaccumm

Question 6

Causes of Spanish Civil War?

Answer 6

• political instability
• economic depression
• establishment of the New Republic: reducing power of church, allowing self-governance in Catalonia, removing senior military officers–>infuriated church, army, wealthy landowners, industrialists and businessmen, also extreme left-wing groups

Question 7

Countries’ attitude towards Spanish civil war?

Answer 7

• Republicans, left wing (USSR)
• Nationalists led by Franco (Germany, Italy, Portugal)
  Britain established non-intervention committee

Question 8

Hitler’s goals in Spanish civil war?

Answer 8

• use it as a distraction (force union with Austria)
• test blitzkrieg and new equipment
• make friends with fascist Spain
• sold arms to both sides
• encourage Italy to send troops to make France less aggravated and prevent world war

Question 9

Stalin goal in Spanish civil war?

Answer 9

• prevent spread of fascism in Europe
• maintain good relationship with Britain and France
• prolong war–>maintain republican power & prevent more extreme fascism

Question 10

Why Franco won the Spanish civil war?

Answer 10

Franco’s strengths:
- maintained unity of various right-wing groups that made up nationalists
- assistance from Germany and Italy
- military advantages: troops better trained and equipped
Republicans’ weakness:
- far less unified
- USSR stopped sending supplies by late 1938

Question 11

Rome-Berlin Axis

Answer 11

• informal link between Hitler and Mussolini
• promise to support each other in war
• joined by Japan in 1937, formalized by pact of Steel in 1939

Question 12

The Beer Hall Putsch and why it failed?

Answer 12

• Hitler revolution inspired by March On Rome
• failed and Hitler arrested
  Why fail?
• Hitler relatively unknown
• failed to secure support of army

Question 13

Hitler ideology and goals?

Answer 13

• German army never defeated, blamed politicians, socialists and Jews
• Treaty of Versailles root cause of problems
• communism resisted at all costs
• end German commitment to treaty
• recover all lost territory
• develop army
• Anschluss and Gross Deutschland

Question 14

Anglo-German naval agreement of 1935: content and significance?

Answer 14

limiting German navy to 35% of the size of British navy
–> allowed Germany to violate Treaty of Versailles
–> France thought UK was unrelia le

Question 15

Reoccupation of Rhineland

Answer 15

1936
Abyssinian Crisis+ Spanish civil war–>Britain & France preoccupied
Hoar-Laval pact decreased B&F reputation
Hitler gave orders to retreat if there was any threat of French retaliation (German army not strong enough)
Successful, made Nazi popular in Germany