Collapse of Peace Flashcards
What were the long-term consequences of the peace treaties of 1919–23?
- League of Nations created (but America did not join and Russia and Germany were not invited).
- Reparations inflicted upon Germany-caused Hyperinflation in 1923 and the invasion of the Ruhr.
- Germany’s armed forces were limited.
- Germany’s European borders were changed and the Anschluss with Austria was banned.
- German colonies were made into Mandates. Germany lost 10% of its land.
- Many German nationals found themselves governed by non-Germans.
- Resentment in Germany towards the treaty of Versailles, the allies who had inflicted it upon them and the German government who had signed it.
What were the consequences of the failures of the League in the 1930s?
- Collective Security was seen to be ineffective
- It encouraged aggressive Foreign Policy from the likes of Germany, Japan and Italy with little fear of the League’s actions.
What were Hitler’s aims?
- Abolish Versailles
- Unite German speaking peoples
- ‘Lebensraum’
- Defeat Communism
What were Hitler’s actions leading up to the outbreak of war in 1939?
- German withdrawal from the league
- German rearmament and conscription
- Remilitarisation of the Rhineland
- Anti-Comintern pact 1937
- Anschluss
- Take over of Sudetenland
- Invasion of Czechoslovakia
- Nazi Soviet Pact
- Invasion of Poland
Reasons that the policy of Appeasement was justified:
- Public opinion in Britain and Empire was opposed to war
- With hindsight it is easy to see Hitler could not be trusted, at the time this may not have been so apparent
- Britain was not ready to fight a war against Germany, appeasement allowed Britain time to re-arm
- Imperial overreach – can Britain resist Japan and Germany at the same time?
Reasons that the policy of Appeasement was NOT justified:
- It allowed Germany to grow too strong
- It encouraged Hitler to be aggressive
- It put too much trust in Hitler’s promises
- It scared the USSR
How important was the Nazi-Soviet Pact?
- It was a Pact of convenience for both sides, agreeing not to attack one another.
- It prevented Hitler from having to fight a war on two fronts and therefore overstretch his resources.
- It provided Hitler with a powerful ally for the invasion of Poland.
Why did Britain and France declare war on Germany in September 1939?
- Britain and France pledged to protect Poland in March.
- After Hitler’s actions in Czechoslovakia it was apparent he could not be trusted and had to be stopped before he threatened French or British territories.
- France did not want a strong Germany dominating Europe.
- Appeasement had failed, action needed to be taken.
Why was there a collapse of international order in the 1930s?
- There were high unemployment rates and economic recession, this led to radical politics and a rise of extremist groups
- Countries became focused on themselves and therefore were far less willing to become involved in settling international disputes
- The League of Nations showed itself to be ineffectual in keeping international order.
Describe the Saar plebiscite 1935
The Saar had been a League Mandate for 15 years, after which a plebiscite was held over whether it should be returned to German rule-90% of the population voted in favour.
Describe the remilitarisation of the Rhineland in 1936
Hitler broke the treaty of Versailles and repositioned his troops in the demilitarised zone.
Describe Germany’s involvement in the Spanish Civil War 1936
Hitler tested out his new Stuka bombers supporting General Franco.
Describe the Anschluss of 1938
Austrian PM Schuschnigg was under pressure from Hitler for political union of Austria and Germany; Schuschnigg proposed a referendum on the matter. Afraid he might lose Hitler marched troops into Austria to oversee the vote, as a result 99.75% voted in favour of the Anchluss.
Describe the policy of Appeasement
The policy followed by Britain and France giving in to Hitler’s demands to avoid a war with Germany.
Describe the crisis over Czechoslovakia and Poland 1938-39
The Sudetenland crisis-Hitler laid claim to this industrial area of Czechoslovakia and after 3 rounds of negotiation, culminating in the Munich agreement, the policy of appeasement was adhered to and Hitler was granted this land. However, he promised this was his final territorial demand. Within 6 months he invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia.
