Road To War

Question 1

HITLER

Answer 1

Austrian, Antisemitic, Nationalistic
Fought in WW1
Tried to overthrow gov in Munich Putsch 1923, was in jail
Became Chancellor 1932, by 1933 was already dictator

Question 2

Nazy Party (NSDAP)

Answer 2

36% votes 1932 election, biggest political force
capitalised on people’s misery, radicalised

Question 3

Hitler’s aims

Answer 3

1. Reverse ToV
2. Unite German speakers
3. Third German Empire (reich)
4. ‘Lebensraum’ for Aryan race in East (living space’
5. Destroy communism

Question 4

German rearmament

Answer 4

1933: Hitler in power, leaves LoN
1934: tries to unite with Austria, Italy stops
1935: rearmament rally in Ger, Luftwaffe created (best airforce), Anglo-German naval pact
1936: re-militarisation of Rhineland, reintroduces conscription

Question 5

Increase of German armed forces

Answer 5

Wehrmacht: army, reintroduced conscription: soldiers 1930 100,000 to 1939 950,000
Kriegsmarine: navy 1930, from 30 to 95
Luftwaffe: 36 to 8250 aircraft

Question 6

Opposition to german rearmament

Answer 6

Britain and France scared of Germany and in process of rearmament themselves
Italy: blocked Brenner Pass when Ger troops tried to move into Austria 1934
Stresa Front 1935
1936 Berlin-Rome Axis Italian betrayal

Question 7

Re-Militarisation of Rhineland 1936

Answer 7

During Abyssinian Crisis, LoN occupied
No response, appeasement

Question 8

Saar Plebiscite 1935 and Anglo-German Naval Pact

Answer 8

Massive nazi propaganda, 91% vote to return to German rule
Pact allowed Ger’s army to be 35% of British-> abolishing ToV

Question 9

Spanish Civil war 1935-39 Europe consequences

Answer 9

Combat experience for Germany
Encouraged Hitler
Brought Hitler and Mussolini closer
Alarmed Stalin
Encouraged appeasement

Question 10

THE AXIS

Answer 10

Rome-Berlin Axis 1936
Anti-Comintern Pact 1936, Germany and Japan
Pact of Steel 1939, formal military alliance Ger/It
Tripartite Pact 1940, Japan joins Pact of Steel: makes war more likely

Question 11

Japanese Empire 1933-39

Answer 11

1/2 yearly income spent on armed forces
Manchuria, Jehol, Korea under its control, expanding through pacific
Increase in militarism
Condemned and trade sanctions internationally, but priority was Ger

Question 12

Successful Anschluss 1938

Answer 12

Austria after WW1: humiliation, poverty, rise in nazism
Schuschnigg: Austrian PM, threatened by Hitler to unite but organises a plebiscite
Gestapo into Austria to pressure people, union win by 99%
Gestapo imprisoned and exiled Jews in Austria to concentration camps
Seyss-Inquart invites German army to occupy Austria
SHOWED HITLERS POWER: DEFIED TOV AND UNITES GER SPEAKERS, GETTING LEBENSRAUM BACK

Question 13

Sudetenland, 1938

Answer 13

Benes, leader of Czechoslovakia, feared Hitler and asked for GB + Fr support (no->appeasement)
Willing to fight, Ger army was not ready yet.
Nazi activists and political party in Sudetenland caused political unrest, eg Henlein.
Sudetenland German Party 1.3 Million members 1938 (40% ethnic German population)

Question 14

Sudetenland agreements

Answer 14

Munich agreement: Ger and GB signed ‘the peace of paper guaranteeing peace in our time’
Czechoslovak PM not invited (Edvard Benes)
Ger troops march into Sudetenland unopposed (lots of military resources)

Question 15

APPEASEMENT reasons

Answer 15

Chamberlain’s policy
- Hitler fought spread of communism for them
- mistakes Hitler for trustworthy person and ToV was too harsh
- After Great Depression, war not affordable
- buy time for rearmament
- American isolationism, needed USA to win

Question 16

APPEASEMENT arguments against

Answer 16

• Hitler cannot be negotiated with
• show of force would discourage Hitler
• alienates USSR (useful ally against Ger)
• Hitler was a gambler: stand needed to be made early

Question 17

End of Appeasement: Czechoslovakia invasion

Answer 17

In March 1939, Ger troops took over remainder of Czech: unable to defend
Direct invasion: Czech had not been taken away by ToV
GB + Fr response: POLISH GUARANTEE: if Ger invaded Poland, they will help
Hitler did not take seriously, September 1939 invades Poland, starts war

Question 18

NAZI-SOVIET PACT 1939

Answer 18

Third Reich / USSR will divide Poland between them and not attack each other
Stalin pushed towards Hitler by failure of LoN in Abyssinia and Spanish Civil War
Felt betrayed after he was not invited to Munich Conference
Chamberlain always reluctant to Anglo-Russian treaty, sent low level messengers
Germany respected USSR, sent foreign prime minister Von Ribbentrop early 1939

Question 19

Importance of Nazi-Soviet Pact 1939

Answer 19

Makes war inevitable: Hitler avoids war on two fronts
Buys Stalin time to rearm, delays USSR/Ger war
Hitler invades Poland: Secures eastern frontier, destroys ToV, Lebensraum
Stalin invades Poland: “buffer zone” from western powers, Poland used to be part of Russian Empire
Triggers WW2

Question 20

Austria 1938

Answer 20

Seyss-Inquart: pro nazi minister of interior
Schuschnigg: chancellor