leading up to ww2 Flashcards
aggressions of totalitarianism countries in 1930s—italy
1935 oct-1936 sept—italy invaded Abyssinia
1935–League of Nations disapproved, imposed economic sanctions but failed to get support from members
1936–italy annexed Abyssinia
1937–italy left League of Nations
aggressions of totalitarianism countries in 1930s—germany
1932–league of nations assembled for genova disarmament conference
1933–hitler rose to power
-left the conference
-left league of nations
1936 mar—germany troops entered (demilitarised) rhineland
1938 mar—germany troops forced austria to keep union both violating treaty of versailles
1938 sept—germany occupied sudetenland (northwestern of czechoslovakia)
league of nations failed to stop japan and italy invasions—encouraged germany to speed up expansion
aggressions of totalitarianism countries in 1930s—japan
1931 sept—shenyang incident—troops invaded northeastern provinces of china
1931–league of nations disapproved of the invasion, urged to withdraw, japan ignore
1932 jan-shanghai incident—troops invaded shanghai
1932-US, britain, france mediate—china and japan signed armistice
1932 mar—set up manzhouguo (a puppet state) in northeast china
1933–left league of nations
1938 july 7–luguoqiao incident—invaded beiping, started full-scale invasion of china
forming axis powers—signing agreements, pacts
1936–“anti-comintern pact’———————————japan and germany defend against communist soviet union’s invasion
1937-italy joined “anti comintern pact”
1939 may—“pact of steel”——————————1. italy and germany from military alliance
2. promised to support each other in possible war
1939 aug—“nazi-soviet non-aggression pact”—-japan angry and refused to form military alliance with germany
1940 sep—“tripartite pact”———-1. germany and japan made up
2. germany, japan, italy formed “Berlin-Rome-Tokyo Axis” military alliance
3. in ww2, axis powers vs alliance powers
attempting collective security and failed—league of nations
- peak had 58 countries
- worked hard to maintain world peace through collective security
member countries collectively mediate, impose sanctions to stop aggression - success in 1920 but failure in 1930
- member countries lost faith in collective security
- britain and france adopt appeasement policy—league remained its name
attempting collective security and failed—appeasement policy reasons
appeasement policy—making concessions to an aggressor state to prevent war
reasons:
1. britain and france were weakened after great depression
2. they had no resources and confidence to make military interventions
3. focused on solving internal problems
4. conceded to territorial demands from totalitarianism states for peace
attempting collective security and failed—isolationism of US
- after paris peace conference, returned back to isolationism
- did not join league of nations
- great depression deepened its stance
- 1935–passed first Neutrality act—prohibit export of arms to nations at war
————> avoid intervention with other affairs - only condemned italy and german aggressions
- its isolationism attitude encouraged aggressions of totalitarianism states
attempting collective security and failed—USSR drawing close to germany
- soviet union was communist, not liked by western countries
- soviet union didn’t think britain and france would use germany against them
- but britain and france’s anti-germany alliance lock in stalemate(no progress)
- soviet union drew closer to germany and signed “Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact”
immediate causes of ww2–events/expansions
- 1939 march—germany invaded whole of czechoslovakia
- 1939 april—italy annexed albania
- Britain and Frances abandoned appeasement
—>they 1. promised to protect independence of poland
2. protect countries threatened by aggression
3. accelerate armaments programmes
attempting collective security and failed—appeasement policy towards japan, italy, germany
japan—took no action for invade in northeast china
italy—secretly allowed them to occupy 2/3 of abyssinia
—refuse to enforce league’s sanction to italy
germany—took no action in sending troops to rhineland and annexing austria
1938 may—hitler demanded czechoslovakia to give up sudetenland to them
- britain and france signed “Munich Agreement” with germany to give them sudetenland
- this was Germany’s “last territorial demand”
-chamberlain(prime minister of britain) declared “peace for our time”—britain people were happy
“Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact”—1939 aug
- germany and soviet union secretly agreed to divide poland
- also agreed to divide their influence in eastern europe
- removed main obstacle of germany’s eastern invasion
- further aroused its ambition to invade whole poland
reason for signing: cooperation and partition
partition:
germany is anti-communist, against communist soviet union
—————->ideological difference—hostile relations
cooperation:
1. germany annexed czechoslovakian in 1939–feared soviet union may stop its annexation of poland
2. wanted to avoid two-front war. west—britain and france, east—soviet union
soviet union:
1. soviet union felt threatened by eastern expansion of germany
2. suspected britain and france aim to divert war to eastern europe
both knew war was inevitable between them, this pact was only “armistice”
immediate causes of ww2–events!!
- germany wanted to get back land from poland (treaty of versailles) since 1938
->poland refuse—>germany want to invade - hitler thought britain and france won’t go in war for poland
- Nazi-Soviet Non-aggression pact encouraged germany to invade without fear of soviet intervention
- 1939 sept1, germany attacked poland
- britain and france demanded-withdrawal—>germany ignore
- britain and france declare war on germany—WW2!!
