Outbreak of War in Europe and Germany's Defeat in World War 2 Flashcards
Among the factors leading to WWII in Europe, which is more significant: Hitler’s expansionist policy or the policy of appeasement?
1) Weaknesses of the League of Nations
2) Hitler’s expansionist policy
3) Policy of appeasement
What are the Weaknesses of the League of Nations?
Failure of disarmament
Abyssinian Crisis
How do you explain Failure of disarmament?
In the 1920s and 1930s, there were efforts at disarmament to reduce the chances of another world war. However, most of the successes at disarmament were led by individual major European powers, and not the League. The League was not successful in persuading major powers to disarm. This meant that international relations were still influenced mainly by powerful nations. The League was ineffective in stopping major powers from engaging in conflicts
The Washington Naval Conference (1921) and the Locarno Treaties (1925) were successful to a large extent in limiting the weapons of major countries. For example, the Washington Naval Conference set a ration for tonnage of capital ships. This helped to curb the arms race between the major powers. The Locarno Treaties also ensured Belgian and French borders with Germany and demilitarisation of the Rhineland. However, these treaties were initiated by countries apart from the League
Efforts by the LON to organise disarmament conferences were met with failures. The major powers were unwillingly to cooperate. Disarmament would make the country vulnerable to foreign attacks and thus the major powers were determined to protect their national interests
For example, in 1926, the League Commission was set up to prepare for the World Disarmament Conference. It failed as Britain and France, the main powers of the League, refused to cooperate. At the World Disarmament Conference in 1932-4, Germany insisted on matching other powers’ armament level. France refused to limit their own armament as they felt insecure from Germany’s threat. Britain and the USA refused to commit at the level requested by France. Thus, the conference failed to persuade major European powers to disarm.
The failure of the League to get major powers to disarm highlighted the importance of the involvement of the USA in world affairs. The USA was not a League member, yet it was more successful in persuading other major powers to disarm. At the same time, it also highlighted the importance of the commitment of the main members of the League - Britain and France. However, both nations were weakened by World War I and Great Depression and thus placed national interests and survival before the League’s interests. They were unwilling to sacrifice national interests in order to ensure the success of the League’s work. Ultimately, the League’s failure at disarmament contributed to an atmosphere of distrust and tension which led to World War II.
How do you explain Abyssinian Crisis?
The League credibility had already been undermined in its inability to stop Japan’s invasion of Manchuria in 1931
In 1935 the league again failed to intervene in the Abyssinian crisis. In the 1930s, Italy, led by Mussolini, had ambitions to build an empire. By the early 1935, Italy had prepared his army for war with Abyssinia, using a dispute at Walsall Oasis as a pretext. Italy was interested in Abyssinia for its mineral wealth as well as the fact that there were Italian interests in Somalia, next to Abyssinia
Abyssinia appealed to the League for help.
Although the League imposed trade sanctions on Italy, it did not affect Italy adversely as important materials like oil, coal and steel were not sanctioned. League members were concerned that such sanctions would affect their economies adversely. Britain and France, who owned the Suez Canal, did not close it to Italian ships, allowing Italian war supplies to be shipped to Abyssinia
In addition, Britain and France even proposed a secret plan to give Mussolini two-thirds of Abyssinia in return for stopping the invasion under the Hoare-Laval Pact. France was also unwilling to take decisive action against Italy, as it needed Italy support against Hitler who had rearmed the Rhineland.
However, Italy went to conquer Abyssinia in May 1936
This was a clear violation of the League’s covenant. In November 1936, Mussolini and Hitler signed a treaty of friendship, establishing the Rome-Berlin Axis. The league had again failed to maintain world peace and resolve conflicts. The League’s failure to act against Italy showed Hitler that there is no country or organization could stop him if he were to act on his ambition. This emboldened Hitler to carry out his aggressive foreign policy aims.
How do you explain Hitler’s expansionist policy?
1) Withdrawal from League of Nations and Geneva Disarmament Conference
2) Conscription and rearmament
3) Remilitarization of the Rhineland
4) German involvement in Spanish Civil War
5) German unification with Austria and Czechoslovakia
6) Nazi-Soviet Non-aggression Pact
7) Invasion of Poland
How do you explain Withdrawal from League of Nations and Geneva and Disarmament Conference?
1) Withdrawal from the LON and Geneva Disarmament Conference (Oct 1933)
2) Hitler demanded that France disarm to the same level as Germany did under the TOV
3) France refused and Hitler used this as an excuse to withdraw from the conference and LON. Thus, Hitler was free to re-introduce conscription and rearmament in violation of the TOV
How do you explain Conscription and Rearmament?
1)Hitler began to build up Germany’s Air Force – the Luftwaffe and reintroduce conscription
2)In 1935, Hitler announced a 2500-planes Luftwaffe and plans for an army of 550,000
3)These clearly violated the TOV
Hitler justified his actions by emphasizing these actions as defensive acts
4)Countries like Britain and France were unwilling to risk another war and did not take decisive action against German actions
5)Britain even signed the Anglo-German Agreement in 1935 which allowed Germany to build up her navy
6)Germany also began to spend large amounts on military production. Thus, using defense as an excuse, Hitler prepared Germany for war and violated the TOV
How do you explain Remilitarization of the Rhineland?
1) Using the Franco-Soviet alliance as an excuse, Germany remilitarized the Rhineland in March 1936
2) Hitler justified this action by saying it was defending its own frontiers as Germany was now under threat from France and the USSR. Hence, Hitler once again violated the TOV
3) France did not respond with force as it was preoccupied with elections
4) Britain was sympathetic towards Germany, as it felt it had been treated harshly under the TOV
5) The inaction of both Britain and France again emboldened Hitler to pursue his aggressive foreign policy
6) Hitler had taken a gamble in occupation of Rhineland. He was worried about French response to Germany’s actions. However, France was preoccupied with elections and no French politicians wanted to be seen as wanting to start a war. The League of Nations condemn Hitler’s actions, but did nothing else. It was distracted by the Abyssinian Crisis.
How do you explain German involvement in Spanish Civil War?
1)Hitler sent soldiers, equipment and warplanes to support Spanish Nationalist forces
2)Hitler hoped to divert Britain and France’s attention from his expansionist policy as well as to test out his army and Air Force
3)The LON took no action against German’s intervention in Spain
4)Hitler justified his actions by explaining Germany’s actions as defending civilization against communism. Thus, Britain and France failed to intervene
Hitler perceived them as weak and become even more confident in pursuing his aggressive policies
How do you explain German unification with Austria and Czechoslovakia?
1)Anschluss with Austria (1938)
One of Hitler’s foreign policy objectives was to form a political union of Germany and Austria. However, Anschluss or union with Austria was prohibited under the TOV. Hitler encouraged Austrian Nazis to stir up instability and pressurize the Austrian Chancellor into agreeing to Anschluss. A plebiscite was held to decide if the Austrians wanted the politics all union. Hitler sent troops into Austria on the pretext of keeping order during voting. In March 1938, Austria became part of Germany as 99.75 per cent voted for Anschluss.
Austria’s raw materials were now available for Hitler’s war efforts. Once again, Hitler violated the TOV
Britain and France, did not take action, proving to Hitler yet again that Britain and France would not take action against him.
2)Czechoslovakia: Munich Agreement
Under the influence of the Nazi Party leader in the Sudetenland, the Germans in this area demanded to be part of Germany. The Czech leader Edward Benes called upon Britain France and the USSR who had promised to support Czechoslovakia if attacked. However, Britain and France had followed the policy of appeasement and were unwilling to intervene. Britain and France signed the Munich Agreement with Germany and Italy in 1938. They agreed to give the Sudetenland to Hitler, in exchange for Hitler’s promise not to invade other territories. The USSR was not consulted at all
In October 1938, Hitler marched into the Sudetenland
On 16 October 1939, Hitler took over the whole of Czechoslovakia. Britain and France did not take action. However, they warned Hitler that if he invaded Poland, they would declare war on Germany. 16 March 1939: Hitler invaded and took over the rest of Czechoslovakia.
British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain realized that Hitler could not be trusted. He was worried that Poland would be Hitler’s next target. Britain and France warned Hitler that they would go to war with Germany if he invaded Poland.
How do you explain Nazi-Soviet Non-aggression Pact?
In August 1939, Germany and USSR signed the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression act. Germany and USSR would not attack each other. The Pact also divided Eastern Europe into Soviet and German spheres of influence
Poland was also divided between them. Hitler hoped that the Pact would prevent a two-front war for Germany
The Pact also benefited the USSR. It perceived the West as instigating Hitler to attack the USSR. Thus, it needed the pact as breathing space to build up its military strength in event of a possible war with Germany. While Hitler had banked on inaction on the part of Britain and France again, this time Britain and Poland signed a mutual defense treaty instead.
How do you explain Invasion of Poland?
Since 1937, Hitler had demanded that the ‘Free City’ of Danzig to be part of Germany. Most of the people in Danzig were German. Hitler also wanted to build a railroad across the Polish Corridor to reconnect Germany to East Prussia. However, Polish leaders distrusted Hitler and feared the loss of Poland’s independence.
29 August 1939: Hitler demanded for Danzig, and also control of the Polish Corridor. 1 September 1939: Hitler invaded Poland. Britain and France realized that appeasement had failed and declared war on Germany on 3 September 1939. Hitler’s invasion of Poland thus triggered World War II.
What are the reasons for Policy of Appeasement?
1) Fear of another major war
2) Failure of the League of Nations
3) Buying time to rearm
4) Genuine sympathy for Germany over the Treaty of Versailles
5) Chamberlain’s misjudgment of Hitler
6) Fear of Communism
How do you explain Fear of another major war?
World War I devastated both Britain and France.
Public opinion was not favorable of another war of a similar scale. The effects of the Great Depression on the economies of both Britain and France made rearmament difficult. Neville Chamberlain realized that the British public would not support a war against Germany—this was seen in lack of interest in the remilitarization of Rhineland and the enthusiasm following the Munich Agreement.
How do you explain Failure of the League of Nations?
The League proved ineffective when it had to deal with strong, powerful countries. Thus, instead of relying on the League of Nations to act, the British adopted a policy of appeasement to satisfy Hitler and prevent the outbreak of another war.
