International Relations-Causes Of WW2 Flashcards
Why did Britain use appeasement ?
WW1 was fresh in people’s minds
People started thinking the treaty was too harsh
France wanted British help to stop Germany invading the Rhineland
Germany had advance planes
What were Hitlers plans ?
He put his plans in mein kampf Living space in Eastern Europe Treated the same as Britain& France Treaty was unjust He may have exaggerated his point in mein kampf
Arguments for appeasement
Sympathy - treaty was too harsh
Desire for peace - avoid war
Threat of communism - buffer zone
Time to re-arm - Britain was not ready to fight
Arguments agains appeasement
The appeasers thought Hitler would keep his word
Morally wrong - afraid of war, so let Germany break agreements
Missed chances to stop Hitler - if he met any resistance marching into the Rhineland he would turn back
What happened when Hitler marched into the Rhineland ?
The league was busy with Italy’s invasion of Abyssinia so hitler saw it as his chance
Russia&France made a treaty against German attacks - hitler said this threatened him, so he should be able to put troops on his borders
He told troops to pull out if there was any resistance
What happened between hitler and Austria ?
He believed that Austria and Germany belonged together
1934-nazi revolt in Austria failed when Italian troops scared hitler off
1936-hitler&Mussolini became allies
1938-he demanded an Austrian nazi to be made minister of the interior
Instead Austrian chancellor called a plebiscite
Hitler threatened to invade unless schuschnigg resigned. He resigned and Seyss-inquart invited the German army to restore
What happened with the Saar ?
The Saar was a industrialised region
Under the Treaty the Saar was taken from Germany and put under the control of the league
The territory’s status was to be decided again in 1935 by plebiscite
90% of voters wanted to be back with Germany
