conflict and tension- the origins and outbreak if the second world war

Question 1

who was hitler

Answer 1

hitler was the leader of the nazi party. he promised to solve german unemployment which had reached nearly 6 million by 1933, ‘right the wrong of the treaty of versailles’, and make germany strong again

Question 2

what did hitler identify that he wanted to do to make germany a power once more

Answer 2

• overturn the treaty of versailles
• rearm germany
• take Lebensraum (living space to the east)
• unite Volksdeutsche (people who were of german blood but without german citizen to make a greater germany
• unite germans and austria in Anschluss
• destroy communism

Question 3

how would Lebensraum lead to war?

Answer 3

hitler wanted land to the east. to get this he would have to invade countries in eastern europe. this would be considered an act of war and other countries might try to protect the ones being invaded

Question 4

how would rearmament lead to war

Answer 4

Under the Treaty of Versailles Germany’s military power was severely restricted and the Rhineland had
been demilitarised. Hitler wanted to introduce conscription and build a Luftwaffe (air force] to help
reduce unemployment and to make Germany strong again, but this broke international law (the Treaty
of Versailles] and other countries would become suspicious about why Germany needed a large army.

Question 5

how would uniting german speaking people and create a greater germany lead to war

Answer 5

To build a Greater Germany Hitler planned to reclaim land that had been lost in the Treaty of Versailles.
He also planned to unite areas that were no longer German land but where Volksdeutsche were living
as part of Germany. However, it was unlikely that other countries would give up these regions without
a fight and once again Hitler was breaking international law.

Question 6

how would destroying communism lead to war

Answer 6

The USSR had a massive army and had begun to develop better relationships with Britain and France.
The USSR was also allied with many of the Eastern European countries that Hitler was targeting for
Lebensraum. Hitler was provoking a powerful nation that was bound to fight back.

Question 7

how did britain react to hitlers foreign policy

Answer 7

Hitler’s speeches in the 1920s worried
the British government and people. But when Hitler
signed a non-aggression pact with Poland in 1934,
many British politicians were satisfied that Hitler
didn’t really want war after all.
Many British people remembered the horrors of the
First World War and would do anything to prevent
another, even if that meant turning a blind eye to
Hitler.
In November 1937 Chamberlain sent his friend, Lord
Halifax, to meet with Hitler. Halifax was tasked with
finding out what Hitler wanted. Chamberlain used the
term ‘appeasement’; this meant giving Hitler a little
of what he wanted in the hope of stopping a full-scale
war. This was Chamberlain’s policy until 1939.
Public opinion about the Treaty of Versailles had also
changed. Many felt that it was too harsh and that Germany should be
allowed to reclaim
some of what had
been lost. This
would help Germany
become strong, which
could help stop the
expansion of the
Communist USSR, and
France, who Britain
feared were becoming
too powerful and
might start to
dominate Europe.
SOURCE A Neville
Chamberlain (1869-1940)
However, there were a few people who thought that
Britain should take a stronger stance against Hitler
Winston Churchill believed that appeasement was
a mistake. Britain also signed the Stresa Front with
France and Italy in 1935, in which the three nations
promised to unite against the threat of Hitler.

Question 8

how did france react to hitlers foreign policies

Answer 8

Édouard Daladier was president of France, for
much of the 1930s. The 1930s were a difficult
time for France. The people suffered greatly
in the Depression and some started rebelling
against the government. The government
found it difficult to concentrate on the threat
from Hitler with so many problems of their
own, and there was no way France could
have afforded to act against him without the
support of Britain.

Question 9

what was the ussr’s reaction to hitlers foreign policy

Answer 9

Joseph Stalin was the dictator of the Communist Stalin (1878-1953)
USSR. Communism was a very different political
system from that of most countries in the West
and because of this, the USSR’s international
relationships were often hostile. Stalin was
concerned about Hitler - who had promised to
destroy Communism - but he was also wary of
the USA, Britain and France.
Relations had started to improve in 1934 when
the USSR had finally been allowed to join the
League of Nations, and in May 1935 a treaty of mutual assistance was
signed with France, saying that the two countries would work together.
Stalin decided that it was worth cooperating with capitalist states if it
meant that Hitler’s expansion into the East could be stopped.

Question 10

what was the usa’s reaction to hitlers foreign policies

Answer 10

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (or FDR for short),
came to power in 1932. Throughout the 1920s
America had followed a policy of isolationism,
avoiding getting involved in European affairs.
The 1930s were no different. Unemployment
had reached 25 per cent in the USA, following
the Wall Street Crash, so FDR focused on
creating jobs for his people.
A poll published in 1934 said that 70 per cent
of Americans felt that the USA should never
have got involved in the First World War and
that if there was a second world war the USA shouldn’t interfere. In the
1936 election FDR promised to keep America out of any war in Europe.
In 1938, FDR did try to get Hitler to promise that he would stop invading
countries, but Hitler did not take the request seriously.
There was little more that FDR could do, so the US government watched
and quietly started preparing its armed forces.

Question 11

hitler leaves the league of nations disarmament conference

Answer 11

1933. During the period 1932 to 1934
the League of Nations held a
Disarmament Conference. Hitler
said he would disarm, as long as
every other nation would too. If other
nations would not do this then he
wanted to be allowed to have an
army equal in size to that of France.
France refused to cooperate. This
gave Hitler the excuse to storm out
of the conference while claiming
that it was the French, and not
him, who were being unreasonable.
Germany then left the League
of Nations and so was no longer
expected to keep to its Covenant
and work to avoid war.

Question 12

the dollfuss affair

Answer 12

1934. Hitler was born in Austria, and Germany had been ruled by Austria for around
      600 years. Many Austrians and Germans felt that the two countries should be one
      and were outraged when Anschluss was forbidden in the Treaty of Versailles.
      Hitler’ foreign policy included uniting all Volksdeutsche and overturning the
      Treaty of Versailles, so it made sense that he would try to unite with Austria.
      Aware of Hitler’s intentions, the Austrian chancellor, Dollfuss, banned the Nazi
      Party in Austria. In 1934 Hitler responded by telling Austrian Nazis to create havoc
      in the country. They murdered Dollfuss. However, Hitler’s plot ultimately failed
      because the Austrian army supported the government and because Mussolini
      moved his troops onto the Austrian border, promising to stop Hitler’s Anschluss
      Hitler realised that his army was not yet strong enough to engage in war, so he
      backed down and claimed that the Austrian Nazi Party had acted alone.

Question 13

the saar plebiscite

Answer 13

13th january 1935. The Saar was a rich industrial area,
which had been given to the League of
Nations for 15 years under the Treaty
of Versailles. This agreement was due
to expire in 1935 so a plebiscite [when
the people, not politicians, vote on a
matter] was held to decide who should
govern the area - France or Germany.
Ninety per cent of the population voted
to rejoin Germany and Hitler was able
to use this victory as propaganda to
show that German-speaking people
wanted to unite under the Nazis. He
also gained rich coalfields which could
be used to power his industry and
build weapons ready for the future.

Question 14

rearmament

Answer 14

march 1935. At the ‘Freedom to Rearm Rally’ in 1935
Hitler showed off weapons and troops that
he had secretly been building. He also
announced that he was reintroducing
conscription (which he did in 1936),
expanding his army to one million men and
building a Luftwaffe (air force). This marked
the fact that Hitler was sure that he could
openly defy the Treaty of Versailles, without
other countries stopping him.

Question 15

anglo- german naval agreement

Answer 15

june 1935. For some time people in Britain had felt that the Treaty of Versailles had
been too harsh on Germany. In June 1935 Britain signed an agreement
with Germany saying that Hitler could build his navy to 35 per cent of the
size of the British one. When Germany offered to restrict the growth of its
navy and respect Britain’s naval supremacy it was too good an offer for
Britain to decline. Britain also allowed Germany to build 45 per cent of the
number of British submarines. Hitler saw this as Britain admitting that the
Treaty of Versailles was unfair and that they could, therefore, ignore it. The
military terms of the Treaty were officially dead and, significantly, Britain
hadn’t consulted France and Italy before signing this agreement.

Question 16

the stresa front

Answer 16

april 1935. The Stresa Front was an agreement
between Britain, France and Italy that
stated that they would guarantee the terms
of the Locarno Treaty, protect Austrian
independence and work together to stop
Hitler from breaking any more terms of the
Treaty of Versailles. However, Hitler was not
concerned by this agreement.

Question 17

what was the first step to rearmament

Answer 17

the remilitarisation of the rhineland

Question 18

entering the rhineland

Answer 18

In 1935 France and the USSR signed the Franco-Soviet
pact, an agreement to support each other if either was
attacked by Germany. Hitler used this pact to claim that
Germany was under threat, having enemies on both the western and eastern fronts. He responded by sending
troops into the Rhineland on 7 March 1936.
The troops were greeted by civilians who gave them
flowers. Hitler had been relying on such a welcome;
many of the troops had arrived on bicycle and there was
no air support. Hitler knew that his army was still small,
and even instructed his generals that they were to
retreat if they were greeted by any resistance.

Question 19

why didn’t britain react to the remilitarisation of the rhineland

Answer 19

Many Britons felt that Germany had the right to
protect their own borders, and so they shouldn’t
have to intervene.
• British troops were already busy dealing with the
Italian invasion of Abyssinia.
• The Depression hit Britain hard; the nation could
not afford to get involved in foreign affairs.
Many people believed that Hitler was simply
reclaiming what was rightfully his.

Question 20

why didn’t france react to the remilitarisation of the rhineland

Answer 20

• Politicians in France were busy fighting a general
election. No one wanted to be responsible for plunging
France into a war as this would lose them votes.
• Much of the French army had been moved to
Tunisia in case the situation in Abyssinia needed
intervention.
• French generals believed that the German army
entering the Rhineland was much larger and better
equipped than it actually was. They were not prepared
to risk their men.

Question 21

why didn’t the league of nations react to the remilitarisation of the rhineland

Answer 21

the league was concentrating on mussolini in abyssinia

Question 22

could hitler of been stopped in the remilitarisation of the rhineland

Answer 22

Army generals had warned Hitler that if France
decided to uphold the Treaty of Versailles the German
army was not big enough to fight. Financial ministers
advised him that, if he failed, Germany would have
to pay crippling fines. Hitler simply was not in
the position to fight, so sending his men into the
Rhineland was a huge gamble.

Question 23

the remilitarisation of rhineland was significant because

Answer 23

• Hitler grew confident that he could do as he pleased.
• Hitler turned his attention to considering how he might
get around the other terms of the Treaty of Versailles,
such as the forbidden Anschluss (union] with Austria.

• Britain and France started rearming.
• France had treaties with several Eastern European
countries, saying that it would protect them from
Nazi invasion, but with the Rhineland strengthened,
France now turned its attention to its own defences.
• The relationship between France and Britain
was tested; the French felt that they could not
rely on Britain if they were invaded by Hitler. To
please France, Britain signed an agreement which
strengthened the Locarno Treaty by reaffirming
that they would protect each other, and Belgium, if
Germany attacked.
• Mussolini decided that Hitler was a force to be
reckoned with and agreed to sign a pact, the Rome-
Berlin Axis. The two also worked together to send
weapons to Spain, where there was a civil war. This
allowed Hitler to develop and test his weapons and
allow his men to gain experience of war.
• Hitler was now ready to defend his western borders, which
meant he could concentrate on Lebensraum in the East.

Question 24

potential ally for hitler- britain

Answer 24

Hitler admired the British monarchy and many of
Britain’s traditions and values. He was very keen to
become allies and in 1936 he suggested a non-
aggression pact that would last for 25 years; Hitler
wanted the two countries to agree not to fight each
other if a war broke out.

Question 25

response of hitler wanting britain as an ally

Answer 25

Some British politicians wanted to cooperate with
Hitler to avoid or postpone a war; they needed time
to rearm, raise funds and persuade the British
public that they had to fight, but they had no plan to
sign up to an official alliance.
In the Locarno Treaty Britain had agreed to support
Germany if France attacked, but this also said they
would support France if Germany were the aggressors.
After the remilitarisation of the Rhineland the British
strengthened their agreement with France and Belgium.

Question 26

potential ally of hitler- spain

Answer 26

In 1936 a bloody civil war had broken out in Spain
between a group of nationalist Fascists led by
General Franco and the democratic Republicans
Hitler and Mussolini sent troops and weapons to help
Franco. Hitler had several reasons for doing this:
• He could test out new weapons such as his
Luftwaffe. His troops would also get experience
of fighting in a war.
• If Franco won, Hitler would have gained an ally.
• The Communist USSR was supporting Franco’s
enemies, and Hitler had sworn to destroy
Communism. If the Republicans won in Spain
Hitler feared that this would become a strong
Communist state in the west. He was determined
not to let this happen.

Question 27

response to hitler wanted spain as a potential ally

Answer 27

Franco was delighted to have two new strong allies.
By 1939 he was able to defeat the Republicans and
became the dictator of Spain. Much of his victory was
thanks to the support he received from the Nazis.

Question 28

potential ally of hitlers- italy

Answer 28

Hitler could see that he had many things in common
with Fascist Italy, yet Mussolini had prevented him
from invading Austria after the Dolfuss Affair in 1934.

Question 29

response of hitler wanting italy as an ally

Answer 29

But by 1936 things had changed. Hitler and Mussolini
made the Rome-Berlin Axis. This was not a formal agreement, but the two countries said that they would
work more closely together.
Mussolini’s relationship with Britain and France had
suffered. Agreeing to work with Hitler meant that
Mussolini was no longer isolated in Europe and that
he could continue to rebuild a ‘new Roman empire’
safe in the knowledge that he had an ally if other
countries declared war in retaliation.

Question 30

potential ally of hitler- japan

Answer 30

In 1905 Japan had fought against the USSR and
there was still rivalry and hatred between the two
countries. The Communist USSR had developed
the Comintern: a group dedicated to spreading
Communism. On 25 November 1936 Germany
and Japan signed the Anti-Comintern Pact, an
agreement that they would work together against
Communism, which was later joined by Mussolini.

Question 31

response of hitler wanting japan as an ally

Answer 31

By 1936 Japan had invaded much of China.
However, the Japanese military was aware that
China’s giant neighbour, Russia, may step in to
support China at any time. In agreeing to this pact
with Hitler, Japan hoped that China would feel
threatened and surrender to Japan.

Question 32

potential allies for hitler- italy and japan

Answer 32

Italy, Japan and Germany entered talks to agree
a triple alliance between them. However, they
could not agree the focus of it: Japan wanted
the pact to focus on destroying the USSR while
Mussolini wanted it to be a pact against Britain
and France. Because of this disagreement,
Japan was not involved in agreeing the first
pact on 22 May 1939. Japanese relations with
the USSR had been strained ever since the
invasion of Manchuria.

Question 33

response of hitler wanting italy and japan as allies

Answer 33

formal name of this agreement was the Pact
of Friendship and Alliance between Germany
and Italy, however Mussolini nicknamed it the
Pact of Steel; their armies would work together
in any war that broke out. Having Hitler on his
side was definitely an advantage for Mussolini,
especially as his relationship with Britain and
France was declining.
Japan joined the Pact of Steel in 1940, making
the three allies in the Second World War.

Question 34

why did hitler want to unite with austria

Answer 34

Austria had ruled Germany for 600 years, they had
similar cultures and shared a language. They had united
in the First World War and Hitler was born in Austria. He
felt that the two countries belonged together and would
not rest until he had achieved Anschluss: the union of
Germany and Austria.
Anschluss could also get Hitler closer to fulfilling two
of his foreign policy aims: uniting all German-speaking
people in a Greater Germany and destroying the Treaty
of Versailles in which Anschluss had been banned.
Soon after Hitler became chancellor of Germany in
1934 he had tried to unite Germany and Austria. The
attempt had failed because of Mussolini’s actions. But
by March 1938 relations between Hitler and Mussolini
were much improved. Following a lack of action
from Britain and France when he remilitarised the
Rhineland, Hitler was convinced that nothing would
now stand in his way,

Question 35

hitlers unite with austria

Answer 35

1) In 1934 Dollfuss had been replaced by
Schuschnigg. Schuschnigg was worried about
what had happened to Dollfuss so made a deal
with the Nazis. They would support him and in
return he would give
them key positions
in the Austrian
government.
2) 2
However, in January 1938 police raided the
headquarters of the Austrian Nazi Party and
discovered plans to overthrow
Schuschnigg. There were also
huge demonstrations against
the government, led by the
Austrian Nazis, in large towns
like Vienna.
3) Panicked, Schuschnigg met with Hitler. He travelled
to Berchtesgaden, Hitler’s mountain retreat in
Germany. Hitler included three Nazi generals in the
meeting to intimidate Schuschnigg. Schuschnigg
had little say over the terms that they ‘agreed’
which included appointing a Nazi solicitor named
Seyss-Inquart as minister for the interior, with full
power over the Austrian police. Nazis were also
to take the roles of ministers of finance and war.
Schuschnigg was also to lift any restrictions on the
Nazi Party in Austria and release Nazis from prison.
Hitler told Schuschnigg to
sign the agreement and
make the changes within
three days, or he would
invade.
4) But Schuschnigg had a plan. He knew that Hitler
wanted to claim that the people of Austria supported
Anschluss, so he decided to hold a plebiscite to
allow the Austrian people to vote on the matter. If
people voted against Anschluss then Hitler would
lose his excuse to invade.
5) On 11 March 1938 Hitler demanded that the
plebiscite be postponed. Schuschnigg agreed,
fearing he would not be supported by Britain,
France or Italy if he defied Hitler. Hitler forced
Schuschnigg to resign and made sure that Seyss-
Inquart took over as chancellor. At 8pm that same
day, Seyss-Inquart became chancellor and he
immediately claimed that Austria was in a state of
chaos and requested German help to restore peace.
6) On 12 March Nazi troops invaded Austria. However,
the invasion was badly planned, with tanks having
to stop at Austrian petrol stations to fill up with
fuel, and commanders using tourist guides to find
their way to the capital, Vienna! Not a single drop
of blood was shed and people cheered for the
troops as they entered towns,
giving gifts and flowers to the
soldiers. Mussolini stayed
true to the Anti-Comintern
Pact and did not oppose the
Anschluss.
7) On 10 April Hitler held the
plebiscite that he had discussed
with Seyss-Inquart. There was
a heavy presence from Nazi
‘stormtroopers’ and unsurprisingly
99 per cent of Austrians voted in
favour of the Anschluss.

Question 36

austria reaction to anschluss

Answer 36

Like Germany in the Treaty of Versailles, Austria had lost
a lot of pride and land in the Treaty of Saint Germain.
As a result of this treaty, the country had also faced
bankruptcy in 1921 and the Great Depression left people
feeling hungry and hopeless. People in Austria had
watched Hitler’s rise in Germany with interest and many
were delighted to unite with the Nazis, as they believed
that it might make Austria great again. Ninety-nine per
cent of Austrians voted in favour of Anschluss.
There was a dark side too. Austria was home to around
180,000 Jews, who knew that Anschluss marked a
new era of uncertainty and danger for them. As soon as
the Nazis invaded, anti-Semitic attacks took place on
the streets of Austria. Jews were arrested at random
and imprisoned or forced to scrub the streets or public
toilets with their sacred prayer cloths. Thousands of
Jews left Austria as quickly as they could, fearing that
there was no future for them under Nazi control.

Question 37

germany reaction to anschluss

Answer 37

Hitler himself was so delighted with Anschluss that it
is said that he shed tears when the document making
the union legal was presented to him. Propaganda in
Nazi-controlled newspapers told of the chaos in Austria
[which had, of course, been started by Nazis under
Hitler’ instructions) and of Seyss-Inquart’s request
that Hitler should save the day and restore order. To
many Germans Hitler was the hero who saved Austria
from doom and despair.
Germany was made stronger and Hitler had made
another step towards uniting German speakers and
righting the wrongs of the Treaty of Versailles. Austria was also rich in natural resources such as steel and iron
ore, which could be used to fuel Nazi rearmament. In
Germany, Anschluss was a propaganda success which
led to heightened popularity for Hitler.

Question 38

britain reaction to anschluss

Answer 38

Most people in Britain felt that Austria and Germany
were essentially the same country and that therefore
they should be allowed to unite. There was opposition,
from people such as Winston Churchill, who believed
that if Austria wanted Anschluss, then Germany should
have negotiated it, rather than sending its troops in.
However, anti-war and anti-Versailles sentiments were
still held by the majority of the population, so there was
little appetite to get involved.

Question 39

french reaction to anschluss

Answer 39

France had its own political problems that were seen as
more pressing then the fate of Austria. Just two days before
Hitler invaded Austria the whole French government had
resigned because of unrest caused by economic issues.

Question 40

czechoslovakia reaction to anschluss

Answer 40

The Czech government heard the news of Anschluss
with great fear. They knew Hitler wanted Lebensraum
in the east and that Czechoslovakia would be the next
country to come under Nazi pressure. They turned
to Britain and France. The French were bound by a
previous treaty to protect Czech independence and
Britain felt that they should support their ally, France,
so both agreed that they would support Czechoslovakia
if Germany invaded. Chamberlain, the British prime
minister, was determined to find a peaceful solution and
asked Hitler what his intentions towards Czechoslovakia were. Hitler gave his word of honour that Czechoslovakia
had nothing to fear from him… But could Chamberlain
really trust Hitler’s word?

Question 41

consequence of anschluss

Answer 41

Hitler now had access to the east, which was
important for acquiring Lebensraum.
The Austrian army of 100,000 men added strength
to German forces.
Austrian resources such as steel and iron ore
helped fuel Hitler’s rearmament programme.
Germany now bordered western Czechoslovakia
on three sides… Hitler started plotting his next
invasion, confident that as no one had stopped him
yet again, he could do as he pleased.

Question 42

why did hitler target the sudetenland

Answer 42

• Czechoslovakia had been set up under the Treaty of
Versailles, which Hitler had promised to overturn.
He saw invading the Sudetenland as the first step
in destroying Czechoslovakia and ‘righting’ another
wrong’ of the Treaty of Versailles. Czechoslovakia had
a big army and strong fortifications. The Sudetenland
was home to forts, railways and industries, which
could all be used as part of Hitler’s war effort in years
to come: the area had many factories producing glass
and lignite (a type of coal), as well as the Skoda
factory, which could be used to build tanks and
other weapons.
• The Sudetenland was home to around three million
German-speaking people. As a minority group (around
20 per cent of the population], the German-speaking
Sudetens claimed that they had been persecuted by
the Czechs and used this as an excuse to start riots.
Hitler used this as an excuse; he needed to step in to
‘save’ German speakers in the Sudetenland.

• The Sudetenland was a good base from which to
launch an attack on Czechoslovakia. The area jutted
into Germany, which surrounded it on three sides.
Hitler thought that owning the Sudetenland would be
a good strategic move, making his eventual invasion
of the rest of Czechoslovakia easier.

Question 43

appeasement

Answer 43

Using similar tactics to those used in Austria, Nazis in
the Sudetenland started demonstrations to weaken the
government. In May 1938 Hitler made it clear that he
would fight for the region, claiming that German-speaking
people were being treated badly by Czechs and needed
protection. As tensions rose, Europe held its breath. Having
seen the devastating bombing campaigns of the Spanish
Civil War, people were petrified that war could break out
on the continent and that civilians would become the
target of the Luftwaffe. Politicians in Britain and France
racked their brains to find a way to stop Hitler invading the
Sudetenland, knowing that if he did, Britain and France
could be obliged to protect Czechoslovakia and
declare war. On 15 September 1938, the British prime minister, Neville
Chamberlain, flew to Berchtesgaden, Hitler’s holiday home in
the German mountains, to meet with the Führer. Hitler told
Chamberlain that the crisis could only be resolved if he was
allowed the Sudetenland. Chamberlain was desperate to
avoid war and agreed, so long as all actions were peaceful.
Chamberlain’s actions are known as ‘appeasement’ - the desire to avoid war by making concessions (giving things up)
to others. Chamberlain then met with the Czechs and forced
them to agree to Hitler’s terms.
On 22 September 1938 Chamberlain returned to Germany
and met Hitler at Bad Godsberg, a town in western
Germany. Hitler changed his demands. He now wanted the
Sudetenland to be handed over by 1 October and insisted
that Hungary and Poland should also receive Czech land.
This was not what Chamberlain had agreed to. Hitler was
demanding more and more and war seemed to loom
over Europe..

Question 44

what did hitler demand when trying to negotiate appeasement

Answer 44

Hitler’s demands were the same as they were when he
met Chamberlain at Bad Godesberg:
• The Czechoslovakian army must leave the
Sudetenland and the area was to be handed over
to Hitler.
• Hungary and Poland also wanted to claim land on
their borders with Czecholsovakia. Hitler demanded
that these claims be met.
• Hitler promised peace in Europe in return for the
Sudetenland.

Question 45

how did other countries react to hitlers demands when trying to negotiate appeasement

Answer 45

Chamberlain and Daladier, the French president, were
only too happy to attend the conference in Munich, Germany, and to accept Hitler’s demands. As a result,
they felt that they were able to say that they had
prevented war and that Czechoslovakia’s borders were
safe, as Hitler promised that he would respect them.
Britain and France claimed that they had upheld their
promise to Czechoslovakia to protect it from Hitler. In
actual fact, Hitler had got everything he had demanded
and on 10 October 1938 he marched his troops into
the Sudetenland, an area that was not his, with no
international opposition. Without the Sudetenland’s
fortifications the Czechs were defenceless and they fell
to Nazi occupation.
The Czech government had not been consulted and now
the people of the Sudetenland found themselves as the
newest members of Greater Germany. German Sudetens
greeted Nazi soldiers with flowers, just like Austrians had in March 1938. However, the Czechs were fearful
as the troops marched across their border. To them this
was a real invasion.
The USSR was also not consulted. Britain and France had
been trying to guarantee Soviet support in case of war,
but now Stalin felt betrayed and angry. On top of this,
Hitler was getting closer to countries that the USSR had
close relationships with in Eastern Europe. Stalin started
questioning what he could do to prevent invasion by
Hitler’s forces and was convinced that that answer did
not lie in diplomacy with Britain and France, who were
losing a very powerful potential ally in the USSR

Question 46

peace in our time? 1938 appeasement

Answer 46

In spite of all this Chamberlain claimed that the Munich
Conference was a great victory for Britain. The day after
the conference he met Hitler alone and the two of them
signed an Anglo-German declaration. They agreed that
they would never go to war against each other.
As Chamberlain stepped out of his private plane on his
return to Britain, he waved a copy of the Anglo-German
declaration in the air and declared that he had achieved
‘Peace in our time’. In Germany Hitler declared that
Europe could look forward to a peaceful Christmas
because of the Munich Agreement.

Question 47

why was the invasion of the rest of czechoslovakia significant

Answer 47

• This was the first time Hitler invaded a country where
he had no claim. There were no German speakers in
Czechoslovakia outside of the Sudetenland and the
country had not been German prior to the Treaty of
Versailles. Britain and France could no longer hide behind the claim that Hitler was simply taking what
was rightfully his.
• Czechoslovakia was a strong country; with support it
could have fought the Nazis, preventing a full-scale
world war, but this opportunity was lost.
•
Britain and France had alienated the USSR and lost a
valuable ally against Hitler.
Hitler completed his invasion of Czechoslovakia in
1939. He broke the promises that he had made at the
Munich Conference and to Chamberlain in the Anglo-
German declaration. Chamberlain had to admit that
his policy of appeasement had failed.
• Chamberlain promised Poland, which looked likely to
be Hitler’s next target, that Britain would guarantee
its independence.

Question 48

why didn’t britain or france do anything to stop hitler- A

Answer 48

Britain knew Hitler was building
up his navy, so felt that if it
made an agreement with him
about how many ships he could
have, then at least it could have
some kind of control over the
growth in order to retain its naval
supremacy.

Question 49

why didn’t britain or france do anything to stop hitler- B

Answer 49

The Allies weren't happy,
but there wasn't much
they could do about this.
No one was prepared
to do anything about
the uniting of the two
countries.

Question 50

why didn’t britain or france do anything to stop hitler- D

Answer 50

The French refused to
disarm. so there was
nothing anyone could do to
force Hitler to disarm.

Question 51

why didn’t britain or france do anything to stop hitler- C

Answer 51

The Allies were desperate not
to get dragged into a war, so
Britain and France didn't get
involved. Hitler and Mussolini
hadn't declared the war, they
were just supporting Franco,
so it wasn't their fault.

Question 52

why didn’t britain or france do anything to stop hitler- E

Answer 52

Many people thought that they
were German people anyway, so
why bother to stop it. Plus 99 per
cent of people voted in favour of
Hitler (who was actually born in
Austria).

Question 53

why didn’t britain or france do anything to stop hitler- F

Answer 53

Many people felt that Hitler could
be a strong ally and a buffer
against the Communist USSR and
he would need weapons to do this.
In addition, the Treaty of Versailles
had been unrealistic in its military
restrictions, so Germany should
be allowed to ignore it.

Question 54

why didn’t britain or france do anything to stop hitler- H

Answer 54

The final straw! Britain
and France now realised
that appeasement was not
working and promised that
they would protect Polish
independence.

Question 55

why didn’t britain or france do anything to stop hitler- I

Answer 55

No law was broken and it
was what the people of the
region voted for, so people
felt there was no need to do
anything.

Question 56

why didn’t britain or france do anything to stop hitler- K

Answer 56

Britain and France felt
that any alliance that
was against the USSR
had to be a good thing.

Question 57

why didn’t britain or france do anything to stop hitler- G

Answer 57

Chamberlain tried to stop Hitler and even met with
him. However, he was convinced that Hitler was a
reasonable politician and Chamberlain was determined
to use the policy of appeasement to stop innocent
people dying. He allowed Hitler to take this area
because his only alternative was to fight. At least Hitler
promised all action would be peaceful.

Question 58

why didn’t britain or france do anything to stop hitler- J

Answer 58

Britain and France felt that
Hitler was just 'marching
into his own back garden',
and he should be allowed to
defend his borders.

Question 59

arguements for appeasement

Answer 59

• Many people felt that the Treaty of Versailles had
  been too harsh on Germany and that it was only fair
  to allow Hitler to overturn parts of it. For example,
  he should be allowed to rearm and remilitarise the
  Rhineland, as Germany had been left vulnerable
  when the army was limited to 100,000 men.
• 3
  The First World War was still fresh in the minds of
  the people of Europe. It is estimated that around
  17 million people had been killed, including
  Chamberlain’s own son. Twenty million had been
  wounded too. Chamberlain understood what it was
  to lose a loved one and would do anything to avoid
  other people having to face the same pain.
• Hitler kept telling the British that he was a man of
  peace. They believed him.
• Many of Hitler’s actions gave the people what they
  wanted. Anschluss pleased 99 per cent of the
  Austrian people, so it was democratically right to let
  Hitler unite with Austria.
• The people of Britain simply did not want war. In
  1934 the ‘Peace Ballot’ allowed everyone to vote
  on how they felt Britain should handle aggressive
  situations. The vast majority of people said that
  they had faith in the League of Nations and
  collective security and that military action should
  not be taken by Britain.
• When Chamberlain returned to Britain after the
  Munich Agreement, he was greeted by the public as
  a hero. They did not want war and Chamberlain had
  to represent the desires of his people.
• The Great Depression meant
  that Britain and France could
  not afford to fight. They had
  their own problems to worry
  about and ‘charity begins at
  home’. Why should they deal
  with other people’s problems
  when they had starving and
  unemployed people to look
  after in their own countries?
• telling the British that he was a man of
  believed him.
  The threat of Communism
  worried many people much
  more than Hitler did. A strong
  Germany would stop the
  spread of Communism from
  the USSR, so Hitler needed to
  be allowed to build up his army
  and he had to be allowed to get
  away with a few things to keep
  him on side.
• Britain simply wasn’t ready to
  fight. Rearmament did not start
  until 1936 and it would take at
  least four years for the army
  to be ready for a full-scale war.
  Britain needed to buy time.
  Entering a war earlier on could
  have meant that they lost.
• The USA signed two neutrality
  acts in the 1930s, saying that
  they would not get involved if
  Europe went to war. Without
  the support from such a
  powerful country, and with
  the League of Nations having
  tailed, Britain and France were
  left to fend for themselves and
  they did not have the money,
  resources or will to fight, so
  they did what they could.

Question 60

arguements against appeasement

Answer 60

- People misjudged Hitler. They
thought he was a reasonable
politician, but he had been saying
throughout the 1920s that the only
way to make Germany strong again
was to use violence; they should
have known better than to trust
him.
- People missed opportunities to
stop Hitler. For example, his own
generals said that the army was
not strong enough to fight France
if it had wanted to stop him from
remilitarising the Rhineland. If
France had acted then Hitler would
have had to have backed down and
war may have been avoided.
- The more Hitler was given the more
confident he grew and the more
he took. For example, when he was
"'given' the Sudetenland he knew he
could then go on and take the rest
of Czechoslovakia. Churchill said
that the more Hitler was given the
more he would continue to ask for.
He felt that appeasement was a
coward's way out.
- Appeasement was morally wrong.
It left countries like Austria and
Czechoslovakia occupied by the
Nazis who treated people brutally
and with no mercy. Political games
should not have been played at the
expense of the lives of people in
these countries.
- The appeasers forced Czechoslovakia to back down to Hitler
because they did not want to fight, yet Czechoslovakia was a strong
and modern country. With a little support Hitler could have
been stopped.
- Appeasement alienated the USSR; Stalin was worried that Hitler
might invade the USSR but did not feel that he could rely on Britain
and France for support if he did. Britain and France would need the
USSR if war broke out but their relationship was strained by the
policy of appeasement.

Question 61

why did germany want poland

Answer 61

By late 1938 Hitler had taken over both Austria and
Czechoslovakia. Poland was Hitler’s next step in his
quest for Lebensraum
In the hated Treaty of Versailles, areas of Germany had been
given away to form the new state of Poland. Many Germans
lost their property or found themselves living outside
Germany. When Hitler came to power he promised to
destroy the Treaty of Versailles, to reunite German-speaking
people, and to claim Lebensraum in the east. Invading
Poland would help him achieve all of these aims.
Furthermore, Hitler had grown confident. He had seen
Britain and France fail to take action against him as he
broke the terms of Versailles and felt that, even though
they had made agreements to protect Poland, they would
do nothing to stop him invading the country. Finally,
Poland had no natural frontiers, so would be easy to
attack.
However, Hitler still had a
problem… What would the USSR
do if he invaded Poland?

Question 62

what was the nazi- soviet pact

Answer 62

When Poland was created at the
end of the First World War it had
been made up of former German
and Russian territories. Both
countries despised the new state
and the USSR had immediately
started questioning its existence.
Stalin was determined to reclaim
this land and Hitler was concerned
about what Stalin would do if the
Germans invaded. Hitler could not risk Stalin intervening, so he sent his
foreign minister, Joachim von Ribbentrop, to make a
deal. If the USSR allowed Hitler to invade Poland, the
USSR would be given Polish territory. On 23 August
1939 a non-aggression pact was signed. It was called
the Nazi-Soviet Pact.

Question 63

why did stalin fear that he couldn’t trust his old allies

Answer 63

• Stalin joined the League of Nations in 1934, but witnessed
how weak it was in the Manchuria, Abyssinia and Rhineland
crises. He lost faith in the League’s ability to protect Russia
from Hitler’s threats.
• In 1934 the USSR and France had signed an agreement stating
that France would protect Russia from German invasion. But
when Hitler remilitarised the Rhineland in 1936 France did
nothing. If the French wouldn’t stop an act of aggression on
their own doorstep then the USSR could not be sure that they
would do anything to protect anyone else.
• Britain and France had followed a policy of appeasement
towards Germany in the 1930s. One of their justifications for
this was that Hitler could act as a barrier against Communism,
so should be allowed to rearm. Britain and France clearly
didn’t trust Stalin, so why should he turn to them?
• In 1938 the Allies signed the Munich Agreement with Hitler.
Stalin was not invited or consulted. He lost any faith he had
left in these nations.
• Lord Halifax, the foreign minister, and Chamberlain both
hated Communism, so when Stalin first invited them to
Russia for talks they declined. Then, when the situation in
Czechoslovakia worsened, the British decided they did need
the USSR on their side after all. In April 1939 British diplomats
were sent to the USSR in the hope of agreeing an alliance.

Question 64

why did russia sign the nazi soviet pact

Answer 64

• Hitler and Stalin secretly agreed to split Poland between them.
Stalin could destroy Poland and reclaim land that had been taken
from Russia. He would gain territory in Poland and didn’t have to
lift a finger to take it; Hitler would do all the fighting.
Stalin did not really trust Hitler. He suspected that Hitler would
turn against him at some point (which he did, in 1941, when he
invaded Russia). Signing this pact meant that he was able to buy
time, which allowed Russia to build up its army ready for war.
The USSR could see that Britain and France would not stand up to
Hitler; they had not consulted Stalin over key issues such as the
Munich Agreement, and Chamberlain had insulted him by sending
a diplomat with no real power or status to negotiate an alliance.
Stalin felt isolated. Some Soviet historians have said that Stalin
had no choice but to agree to the pact. It was better to be allies
with Hitler than to be invaded by him.

• Owning territory in Poland would create a
buffer zone, which would be useful if (and
when] Hitler did decide to invade Russia.

Question 65

the nazi-soviet pact: what was in it for germany?

Answer 65

During the First World War Germany had
fought a war on two fronts. The French and
British attacked from the west while Russia
attacked from the east. Germany had had
to divide its troops to fight in two different
directions, which had weakened the army
and ultimately led to defeat. Hitler was
determined not to make the same mistake.
He knew that, with every step he took
towards achieving his foreign policy, war
became more and more likely and Russia
was a vast country with an equally vast
army. He needed to take the Russians out of
the equation.

Question 66

what was the significance of the nazi- soviet pact?

Answer 66

Some historians have said that the
Nazi-Soviet Pact made war inevitable.
Hitler now knew that he could invade
Poland without facing a war on
two fronts.
After Hitler had broken the Munich
Agreement and invaded
Czechoslovakia, Britain and
France realised that the policy of
appeasement was not working and
vowed to protect Poland if Hitler
invaded, which he now surely would.
The pact also meant that when war
did break out, Britain and France
would face Germany without the support of Russia. The mighty Soviet army would instead side
with the Nazis, which meant that Hitler had the upper hand.
The pact persuaded Britain that war was imminent. They
formalised their previous agreement with Poland. If Hitler
invaded Poland, Britain would fight! Things were looking very
bleak for Europe indeed.

Question 67

the invasion of poland

Answer 67

Hitler was confident he could invade Poland with ease.
After signing the Nazi-Soviet Pact he had the might of
the USSR on his side and was convinced that Britain
and France would continue their policy of appeasement.
But Britain had signed an agreement with Poland,
guaranteeing it security from Nazi attack!
On 1 September 1939, at 4.45am, the Schleswig-
Holstein, a German battleship, opened fire on the port of
Danzig. Danzig had been made an independent state in
the Treaty of Versailles. Poland ran it, but 90 per cent of
the population was German.
At the same time 62 divisions of the German army and
1300 Luftwaffe aeroplanes invaded Poland. The Polish
air force was caught on the ground and obliterated.

Question 68

war is declared

Answer 68

Hitler’s generals were worried that they were still not
ready for war and even leaked plans to Britain in the
hope that it would force Hitler to abandon his plans.
Hitler ignored his generals’ concerns and made them
swear oaths of loyalty to him.
On 3 September 1939, the British sent an ultimatum
to Germany. The Germans were to send assurances
to Britain that they would withdraw their troops from
Poland by 11am or Britain would be in a state of war
with Germany, and would send troops to Europe.
When no reply came by the deadline, Britain declared war
on Germany. France followed suit and also declared war.
Poland was overrun by Nazi and Soviet troops within
four weeks and Hitler was convinced that Britain and
France would back down. He was wrong. The Second
World War had started

Question 69

causes of the second world war- hitler was to blame

Answer 69

- Some historians say that
Hitler hated Communism
and wanted to stop it by
controlling Russia. To do this
he would have to invade,
starting a war.
- Meant Hitler
would have to invade
countries, which would
start a war.
- Hitler's foreign policy
aims were to overturn the
Treaty of Versailles, create
a Greater Germany to
unite German-speaking
people and to acquire
Lebensraum.
-In Mein Kampf Hitler
said that the only way
to make Germany
strong again was to
fight to overturn the
Treaty of Versailles
and take Lebensraum.

Question 70

causes of the second world war- the failure of the league of nations

Answer 70

abyssinian crisis -> no army no action, showed acts of aggression would not be dealt with effectively, showed britain and france would undermine the league

failure in manchuria -> showed that the league was weak

Question 71

causes of second world war- the nazi soviet pact

Answer 71

meant hitler did not have to face a war on two fronts, meant hitler was backed up by the USSR, allowed hitler to invade Poland which britain and france had promised to protect

Question 72

causes of the second world war- treaty of versailles

Answer 72

too harsh, hitler promised to ‘right the wrong of the treaty’, britain felt hitler should be able to overturn the treaty so didn’t intervene to prevent events such as Anschluss at first, created new states such as Czechoslovakia and Poland where many germans were living so hitler was determined to reunite these people in a greater germany, territory was taken from russia to create poland and russia wanted this land back so signed nazi- soviet pact

Question 73

causes of second world war- appeasement

Answer 73

opportunities to stop hitler was missed such as when he remilitarised the rhineland, people all over europe were desperate to avoid repeating the horrors of ww1, chamberlain made a mistake trusting hitler, the munich agreement alienated stalin who turned to hitler and signed the nazi- soviet pact, politicians like chamberlain where to blame