Conflict and Tension - The Steps to War (CRAMPCUP)

Question 1

CRAMCUP:

Conscription and Rearmament

Answer 1

1933: Hitler took Germany out of L of N
1935: increased army and arms buying-
Nazis March in March: 1935 Huge rearmament rally
1935: Naval agreement wi/ Britain- allowed G navy 35% of B navy
1936: Germany introduced conscription.
Hitler used rearmament and conscription as a means of lowering unemployment.
Luftwaffe: Increased air force to 8,250 by 1939

Question 2

CRAMCUP:

Rhineland

Answer 2

Nazis March in March:
7th March 1936, moved troops in and broke T of V
Claimed that USSR + France Diplomatic agreement was threat to Germany - a convenient excuse
This was a Gamble - The German army had orders to withdraw if opposed
France and Britain- did not act: policy of appeasement
L of N powerless after Manchuria and Abyssinia
Also Due to Great Depression and cost - did not want to risk another war

Question 3

CRAMCUP:

Anschluss

Answer 3

ANSCHLUSS: Merging Austria and Germany to become one nation - Explicitly Banned by T of V AND T of St Germaine

1934 - DOLFUS AFFAIR - Murder of Austrian Chancellor - a Failed attempt at Anschluss, Mussolini stopped Hitler by moving troops to Austrian Border

Feb 1938 Hitler encouraged Austrian Nazis to stir up trouble/ Austrian chancellor sought Britain and France help and was refused.
Austrian chancellor called for a people’s vote on union with Germany.

Nazis March in March: 1938

To prevent this vote (a fair vote meant Hitler may lose) 11th March 1938 Hitler sent in troops and held a RIGGED people’s vote 10 April 1938- 99.7% voted for union with Germany

Question 4

CRAMCUP:

Munich

Answer 4

April 1938: Many Germans Nazis lived in the Sudetenland (region of Czechoslovakia bordering Germany)- stirred up trouble (this was IMMEDIATELY after Anchluss)

15 Sept 1938 Berchtesgaden: Hitler agreed to the parts of the Sudetenland which voted that they wanted to unite with Germany.
He promised that the rest of Czech was safe.

27 Sept 1938 Bad Godesberg: Hitler demands immediate control of all Sudetenland

29 Sept 1938 Munich Agreement: Britain, France & Italy gave the Sudetenland to Hitler

30 September: Chamberlain calls Munich: “Peace for our time”.

Czechs AND USSR were NOT invited to the Munich Conference.
Britain and France were supposed to represent Czech Interests.

(Stalin felt insulted, perhaps this led to more openness to Germany and distance from Britain and France)

Question 5

CRAMCUP:

Czechoslovakia

Answer 5

Nazis March in March:

15 March 1939: German troops took over the rest of the country. This was in defiance of Munich Agreement.

Hitler hated the country as it had been established through the Treaty of Versailles, also taking over the land would help his policy of lebensraum. (Living Space)

No Czech resistance. Britain and France abandoned appeasement.

Question 6

CRAMCUP:

USSR/Nazi Pact

(Nazi-Soviet Pact)

Answer 6

This agreement is commonly referred to as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.
(Names of USSR and German Foreign Ministers)

It is also known as the Nazi-Soviet Pact or the Hitler-Stalin Pact.

23rd August 1939, Nazi-Soviet Pact shocked the world; freeing Hitler to attack Poland.

Just ONE WEEK (9 Days) before the invasion of Poland/Start of World War Two.

Question 7

CRAMCUP:

Poland

Answer 7

1 Sept 1939 Hitler invaded Poland - Britain and France declared war on Germany.

Question 8

Hitlers Aims:

The MOTIVATION for the Events of CRAMCUP

Answer 8

1. Abolish the Treaty of Versailles – Hitler, like many Germans, believed that the Treaty was extremely unfair and unjust. He called the German leaders who had signed it the ‘November Criminals’. By the time Hitler came to power the Germans had already stopped making reparations payments, but he hated other aspects of the Treaty that were still in place.
2. Expand German territory – Hitler wanted to get back the German territory that had been lost in WWI. His main priorities were to unite with Austria (Anschluss) and the areas of Czechoslovakia which contained German speaking peoples. Hitler also hoped to expand into eastern Europe – this policy was known as Lebensraum (living space).
3. Defeat Communism – Hitler hated communism and hoped to expand the German Empire by taking land from the USSR. He blamed the Bolsheviks (communists) for the defeat of Germany in WWI and believe they wanted to take over the country.

Question 9

Reasons for Appeasement:

Britain And France

Answer 9

• Hitler was standing up to communism.
• The USA would not help stand up to Hitler, Britain and France were worried that they could not succeed without them.
• Many people thought the Treaty of Versailles was unfair on Germany.
• Britain and France were suffering from economic problems and could not afford another war. They had large debts and high unemployment.
• The armed forces of Britain and France were not ready for war.
• Both Britain and France vividly remembered the horrific experiences of the First World War. They wished to avoid another war at any cost.
• Britain could not be certain that they would gain support from their empire

Question 10

Verdicts of Appeasement Policy

The pros and Cons of Appeasement

Answer 10

1. Let Hitler grow stronger.
2. gave Britain time to re-arm.
3. humiliated Britain – no country in central Europe ever trusted Britain again, this created tension throughout Europe.
4. abandoned millions of people to the Nazis.
5. caused the war, by encouraging Hitler to think he could do anything.
6. gave Britain the moral high ground – when war came, Britons knew they had done everything possible to keep the peace.
7. would never have stopped Hitler, who was determined to go to war.
8. was a fine attempt to prevent the deaths of millions of people in a war.