Focus Flashcards
1
Q
Rise of the Nazi Party
A
- 1919 Germany Workers Party emerged out of the Stab in the Back myth and resentment
- 1920 - National Socialist Germany Party created, Hitler becomes leader by the end of 1920
- 1923 - Munich Beer Hall Putsch (failed coup attempt) - goes to jail - at trial become martyr for the movement
- In jail learns that democracy needs to be dismantled from within (e.g Hitler Youth and Propoganda) also creates Mein Kampf
- 1930 elections received 18% of federal vote (this was an increase from 2% in 1927) –> first stages of depression start to influence voting patterns
- Weimar Democracy –> proportional representation i.e as Nazi votes increased so to did their representation in the Party
- By 1932 there is an increased reliance by Hindenburg on article 48
- July 1932 - Nazis recieve an electoral breakthrough with 38.8% of votes
- In 1932 Hitler also runs for president - gets through to second and comes second to Hindenburg
- Von Pappen persuades Hindenburg to appoint Hitler as Chancellor
- Jan 30 1933 Hitler is Chancellor via article 48
2
Q
Hermann Goering
A
- Hitler’s deputy and nominated successor
- Established the SS (made them official police officers)
- Helped instigate the Night of the Long Knives
- Four-year plan: controlled economic policy via this plan
- Implemented policy of Aryanisation: In 1937 confiscated Jewish assets/discriminated against Jewish communities.
3
Q
Ernst Rohm
A
- Head of SA until 1934 (assassinated during Night of the Long Knives)
- Demanded total military power for the SA (became rival of Hitler)
4
Q
Heinrich Himmler
A
- Leader of SS
- Participated in the Munich Putsch in 1923
- Leader of the SS (grew to become the main Nazi police force)
- Created an atmosphere of intimidation
- Exercised power through a program of terror and fear.
5
Q
Joseph Goebbels
A
- Minister for Enlightenment and Propaganda (from 1929 onwards)
- Spreading Nazi ideas and racial superiority of the Aryan race
- Promoted foreign policy achievements
- Prevented criticism of Hitler
- Did this through censorship: Editorial Law 4th October 1933 (Restricted press/ Non-Aryan journalists)
- Cultivation of the ‘Fuhrer’s myth’ positioning Hitler in a positive light.
6
Q
Joachin Von Ribbentrop: Foreign Affairs Minister
A
Signed various pacts and treaties that were essential in securing alliances for Hitler’s entry into the war, e.g. Pact of Steel with Mussolini in 1936 and the Nazi-Soviet Pact in 1939.
7
Q
Laws
A
- Reichstag Fire Decree 28th Feb 1933: ‘For the protection of people and the state,’ → suspended civil and press freedoms (enforced by SA & Gestapo).
- Enabling Act 23rd March 1933: Allowed Hitler to enact laws without the consent of Parliament (eliminated Weimar constitution).
- Nuremberg Laws: 15th September 1935
- Law for the protection of German Blood and Honour: Prohibited marriage and sexual relationships between Jews and non-Jews.
- Reich Citizenship Law: Stripped Jews, Gypsies and Black people of their citizenship (provoked public acts of discrimination).
- April 7 1933: Jews excluded from civil service, banned from the legal profession
- Trade Unions abolished May 1933
- October 15, 1936: Jewish teachers banned from public schools
- November 12, 1938 - jews banned from operating retail stores and salge agencies, and from carrying on a trade.
8
Q
Ambitions of Germany in Europe
A
To create a pan-germanic nation, unite people and return to this idea of a pan-germanic empire (involves taking over land and reuniting with Austria).
- Anschluss - The union between Austria and Germany (prohibited by TOV)
- Lebensraum - Living space (part of the Nazi ideology - Myth, race, space).
- Gross Deutschland - Unite all German-speaking people (volk)
- Autarky - economic self-sufficiency
9
Q
Methods to achieve these ambitions: 1933-35
A
- Ignorance of Treaty of Versailles - create conditions to return to a pan-germanic state.
- Withdraw from collective security (League of Nations) in April 1933
Disarmament conference March 1933 - Hitler Withdrew - Positions them to be independent
- Reintroduction of conscription - creating a larger army (1935) (example of Autarky)
- Restoring and taking territory - Reoccupation of the Rhineland in 1936 (Control of their domestic sphere).
10
Q
Methods to achieve these ambitions: 1937 - onwards (Restoring territory)
A
- Plans to retake territory east of Germany (Territory that was lost under Versailles e.g. Poland and Czechoslovakia). Pan- german
- September 1938 conference - Munich Agreement: Allows Hitler to take Sudetenland out of appeasement.
- ‘Peace in our Time’ - Chamberlain (British PM) promising to not go to war with Hitler.
- March 1939 - Germany breached the Munich Agreement - and ‘want to give Checzoslovakia’ independence’ - which led to Germany’s control of all Czech & Lithuania - and ended the policy of appeasement with Britain and France.
11
Q
Methods to achieve these ambitions: The Nazi-Soviet Pact August 1939 and the invasion of Poland:
A
- Pact of Steel with Mussolini - Military alliance 22 may 1939
- Nazi - Soviet Pact on the 23rd August 1939 - Non-Agression pact and plan to split up Poland (Conditions for the invasion of Poland), also would give Stalin Lithuania, East Poland, Estonia (Baltic States).
- First invasion of Poland 1941
Operation Barbarossa (invasion of the Soviet Union)- end of the Treaty
12
Q
Japanese Ambitions in Asia
A
Overall ambition/aim: Become the preeminent imperial power in the Asia-Pacific (Imperial expansion and domination)
13
Q
Motivation of Japanese ambitions: Economic
A
- Economically relied on other nations (Can’t industrialise without other nations assistance).
- The Great Depression impacted their ability to trade (U.S. became a bit more protectionist).
- Lacked raw materials
- Geography - isolated island
- Population
14
Q
Motivation of Japanese Ambitions: Politics
A
- Japan annexed Korea in 1910
- Became an authoritarian-military state - ideals of democracy were subordinate to the government - wanted to expand through imperialism.
- Dissatisfaction with the Treaty of Versailles (Resentment) - not providing them with greater control of China and failing to enforce the principle of equality for all races (Versailles rejected the Racial Equality Clause).
- Dissatisfaction inside Japan with the limitations placed on Japanese naval expansion in the 1922 Washington Treaties.
15
Q
Japan Methods of achieving their ambitions:
A
- In 1931 Japan troops took over the nominally Chinese province of Manchuria. In 1932, manchuria became the ‘independent’ nation of manchuko, under total Japanese control.
- In 1937, following the Marco Polo incident, japan launched a full scale war against China.
- Throughout 1940-41, Japan took control of French indochina.
Japan attack US Pearl -Harbour base on the 7th December 1941.
16
Q
League of Nations: Intentions
A
- Came out Wilson’s 14 point plan - creating a more peaceful world with the aim of achieving collective security and agreement. (Maintain peace)
- Article 10 - Collective security provision (support other nations who are a victim of agression by anotehr nation).
- Article 12 - Arbitration between nations that were in conflict.
- Article 8 - Called for all nations to work towards disarmament.
- Under the Treaty of Versailles Article 231 is the ‘Guilt Clause’ which contridcts article 10 (Does not enforce equality as Germany had to accept guilt and had restrictions placed on them.
17
Q
Success of the League of Nations:
A
- Established the International Court of Justice - In 1926, the US also had to adhere to its decisions.
- Managed to restabalise the disastrous finances of Austria in 1922.
- It organised the running of Danzig, the Saar and oversaw the administration of Mandates (Former German colonies run by former allied powers).
18
Q
Failures of the League of Nations:
A
- Overall it failed to achieve its aim and prevent a world war and promote collective cooperation/dialogue.
- Treaty of versailles impacted the way in which the League of nations operated as Article 231 alienated
- Japan and Germany/contradicts idea of collective security - Germany and Japan hold resentment over this.
It never reflected the true balance of international power. - The U.S. never joined and other major powers such as the USSR, Germany and Japan were members for only a short time - Reduced the LON credibility.
- Relied on internationalism, yet the inter-war world was dominated by nationalism
- Bi-lateral treaties were being created that undermined collective security.
E.g. Treaty of Rapallo (Germany and Soviet Union), Anglo-German naval agreement in 1935. - Failure to act on germany’s invasion of Czech and Japan’s control/invasion of Manchuria.
19
Q
The United Nations: Intentions
A
- Maintain peace and ameliorate social and economic problems/create more specific mechanism to prevent conflict.
- Established a security council - 5 members (France, China, Rusia, UK and US - have veto power).
- General Assembly
- The UN: Authority
- Most powerful nations under the security council (Added layer of authority).
- Collective security in the General Assembly (obligations as member states).
