Dictators and Appeasement Flashcards
Why did Hitler’s foreign policy cause Appeasement to fail?
- Expansionism (e.g. Anschluss) - France and Britain kept giving in
- Chamberlain misunderstood Hitler - believed he was reasonable and honourable
- Rome-Berlin Axis - alliance between Italy and Germany
Why did the role of the USSR cause Appeasement to fail?
- Nazi-Soviet Pact - non-aggression pact between Germany and the USSR that allowed a joint invasion of Poland
- Communism - bigger threat than Nazism. Appeasement meant that an Anti-Communist Germany would form a buffer between the Allies and Communism
Why did Britain and France’s self-interest cause Appeasement to fail?
- Allowed Germany to remilitarise the Rhineland (Britain said Germany was stepping into its own backyard)
- Allowed Hitler to take the Sudetenland
- Allowed Mussolini to take Abyssinia, so Hitler saw himself as free to do whatever he wanted (e.g. Poland or Czechoslovakia)
- Great Depression meant many countries put their own needs before others
What triggered the Great Depression in 1929?
Wall Street Crash
What was the Wall Street Crash’s impact on international relations?
Global catastrophe → marked a turning point in international relations
What figures did unemployment rise to in Germany and Britain as a result of the Depression?
- Germany = 6 million
- Britain = 3 million
Why were France and Britain in a better position than Germany, Italy and Japan during the Depression?
The size of the British and French Empires
What was the impact of the Depression on Germany?
Led to the rise of Hitler
What was the impact of the Depression on Japan?
Led to the invasion of Manchuria
What was the impact of the Depression on Italy?
Led to Mussolini’s invasion of Abyssinia
What triggered an arms race in 1935?
Germany rearming
Military experts thought in terms of WW1 tactics, so what did the French build along its border with Germany?
Maginot Line
Why did rearmament cause huge financial problems for Germany?
- Goering’s 4 year plan prepared Germany for war by 1940
- Goering raised taxes, cut expenditure and secured government loans
How many aircraft were in the Luftwaffe and how many men were in the German army as a result of Goering’s Four Year Plan?
- Luftwaffe = 4000 aircraft
- Army = 3 million men
Why did rearmament cause huge financial problems for France?
Had to devalue currency 3 times to pay for rearmament
Outline Britain’s Four Year Plan in preparation for war
- Priority given to navy and air force
- Between 1936 and 1939, government spending on rearmament went from £185.9 million to £719 million
Even though the German rearmament programme would not be completed until 1943, what did Hitler do in 1939?
Invaded Poland and Czechoslovakia
What years were Britain and France on target to be ready for war for, even though neither wanted war?
1939 / 1940
What year did Britain and France see as the best time to take advantage of their strength and what they assumed to be German weaknesses?
1940
Why did Appeasement fail to achieve a lasting settlement?
Hitler kept upping his demands
What was the result of the Guilty Men book accusing Chamberlain of being a traitor?
Chamberlain’s reputation and policies were seen to be in tatters
Why did Chamberlain become the scapegoat in Britain AND France?
There were claims that he bullied the French into appeasing Hitler
What excuse did some Germans give for supporting Hitler?
Chamberlain didn’t stand up to him
Why was Appeasement popular in terms of the Treaty of Versailles?
Attitudes to Versailles had changed by the 1930s
Why did people not want to go to war to defend the Treaty of Versailles?
There was very little enthusiasm for sanctioning Hitler when he broke Versailles several times, with almost no consequences
Why was Appeasement popular in terms of WW1?
- The horrors of WW1 had not been forgotten
- Any settlement would’ve been preferable to another war
Why was Appeasement popular in terms of Communism?
- Communism seen as a much greater threat
- A strong Anti-Communist Germany would be a barrier against Communism spreading westwards
Why did Lloyd George have nothing but praise for Hitler when he visited in 1936?
Hitler had convinced many that he was a reasonable man
Outline the process of Hitler achieving Anschluss
- Austrian Chancellor Schuschnigg wanted Austria to remain independent, so organised a referendum
- Hitler, unwilling to risk the results of the referendum, ordered the German army to occupy Austria
- Then he decided to make Austria part of the German Reich and achieve Anschluss
What was Britain and France’s reaction to Anschluss?
- Protested but would not go to war over Austria, even though Hitler’s actions broke the treaties of Versailles and St. Germain
- By not doing anything about Austria, Chamberlain could’ve been buying more time to rearm or giving peace another chance
What was Mussolini’s reaction to Anschluss?
Decided Austria was within Germany’s sphere of influence, so did not support Britain and France’s protests
Why was Czechoslovakia more vulnerable after Anschluss?
It was surrounded by Nazi territory on 3 sides
How many Germans were in the Sudetenland?
3 million
What was Britain and France’s plan for “dealing with” Czechoslovakia?
- Britain not prepared to guarantee the security of Czechoslovakia, but France was obliged by 2 treaties to assist
- France was in no position to help, so followed British lead of STRIVING FOR A PEACEFUL SOLUTION
What did Hitler make clear in his speech at the Nuremburg Rally?
He would support the Germans in the Sudetenland
What was agreed between Chamberlain and Hitler at Berchtesgaden, following the Nuremburg Rally?
Czechoslovakia should give up areas in the Sudetenland that had a German population of more than 50%
What happened at Godesberg (1 week after Berchtesgaden) that made Britain and France reluctantly begin to mobilise?
Hitler had changed his demands
What 3 things did the four powers agree to at Munich?
- Allow Hitler to take the Sudetenland
- Guarantee the independence of Czechoslovakia
- Britain and Germany would never go to war
How was Chamberlain viewed after the Munich Agreement?
Hero - “peace in our time”
Why was France unhappy after the Munich Agreement?
Unhappy with Hitler’s scheming and the fact he’d made another territorial conquest, but little could be done without British support
Why was Hitler pleased but also annoyed after the Munich Agreement?
Secured the Sudetenland, but the Munich Agreement spoiled his real aim of conquering Czechoslovakia
What did Britain and France guarantee to Poland in 1939?
- Protection against a German attack
- HOWEVER, Britain and France did not have the military capacity to defend Poland, but the German occupation of Czechoslovakia indicated that Hitler couldn’t be trusted
- APPEASEMENT WAS AT AN END
What aim of Hitler’s did Poland reject regarding the Polish Corridor?
Hitler wanted to build a road and rail link through the Polish Corridor
What did Britain and France’s guarantee to Poland convince Hitler of?
He’d have to eliminate Poland, even if this meant war with Britain and France
What was Italy’s foreign policy under Mussolini?
- Wanted to reestablish Roman empire
- Mussolini thought conquered territory = sign of a great power - his justification for Abyssinia
- Grievances over Versailles - Italy should be allowed sphere of influence in the Mediterranean
What was the Rome-Berlin Axis 1936?
- Abyssinia isolated Italy from other western countries so sided with Germany
- Axis aligned Italy and Germany’s foreign policies and aims
- Worrying for Britain and France - Mussolini = counterbalance to threat of Hitler
- Now fascist domination in Europe with expansionist foreign policies
What was the Pact of Steel 1939?
- Full military alliance between Italy and Germany
- European alliance - so seen as being against Britain and France
How did Italy’s foreign policy lead to outbreak of war in 1941?
- Italy told Germany it wouldn’t be ready for war for 3 years
- Germany invaded Poland in 1939, Mussolini would honour Pact of Steel if Hitler sent petrol, coal, oil and steel to help war effort - Hitler refused so Italy temporarily became neutral
- 1940 - Italy joined Germany and was offered Mediterranean as a reward
- Declared war on France and Britain in 1940
What caused the Spanish Civil War? (5 points)
- Worries about influence of military in the government - fear of military coup
- Depression - falling agricultural prices, unemployment, falling wages and living standards
- Parliament dominated by socialists - right wing party angered by their policies
- Right wing government reversed socialist policies - led to revolutionary violence
- Right became convinced only way to restore order was military dictatorship - Franco led nationalist revolt - triggered Spanish Civil War
Why did the Spanish Civil War become an international issue? (2 points)
- Both sides asked for help
- General Franco (nationalist) went to Germany and Italy, Republicans went to Britain, France and USSR
How did Hitler and Mussolini help Franco in the Spanish Civil War?
- Hitler - 6000 troops and 100 aircraft to Franco
- Didn’t want Spain to become Communist, wanted friendly relations with Madrid
- Mussolini supported Franco because he wanted one of the Balearic islands as an Italian naval base but got nothing out of it
- Hitler bombed Guernica killing 200-300 people
- Goering saw this as a testing ground for the Luftwaffe
Why did Britain and France sign a non-intervention agreement about the Spanish Civil War?
- Britain - too risky to support a fractured country
- Britain saw Spain as a side issue and focussed on a peace settlement with Germany instead
- Britain, France and 27 others signed agreement (Italy and Germany didn’t)
How did the USSR help the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War?
- Stalin sent military advisers and equipment to Republicans
- Stalin saw Spain as a way of dividing his enemies
- Wanted to prevent Franco’s win - worried about power of 3 fascist dictators against him
What was USSR’s foreign policy?
- Germany only country Stalin was concerned about
- Policy determined by others - due to trade, if Britain or France changed policies, USSR would have to too
- Signed Kellogg-Briand Pact
- Non-aggression pact with France
- 1934 - joined League as permanent member of the Council
- 1935 alliance with France - if one was attacked unprovoked, other would help - similar deal made with Czechoslovakia
What was the Nazi-Soviet Pact?
- Stalin wanted right to intervene on western borders if threatened by Nazis - Britain rejected this
- After this, negotiations with Britain and France slow, so turned to Hitler
- Hitler agreed to Stalin’s terms and signed pact
- Outlined Nazi and Soviet spheres of influence in Eastern Europe and Poland divided between the two
- German attack on Poland = less risky and avoided two front war
What were the results of the Nazi-Soviet Pact?
- Britain - knew Nazi attack on Poland inevitable
- Stalin wanted to form alliance with western democracies but when this failed, sided with Hitler
- Despite Stalin’s economic plans, USSR not ready for war = another motive for Pact
What were the main reasons for the outbreak of WW2? (3 points)
- Lord Halifax (British foreign secretary) declared Britain would defend Poland
- Hitler thought invasion of Poland wouldn’t mean war with Britain and France
- 1939 - Hitler invaded Poland - Britain and France gave him chance to withdraw, he didn’t so declared war on him
How did the war in Europe expand?
