✓ The contribution of other nations to the outbreak of war - INDIVIDUAL NATIONS (not incl notes) Flashcards
What was Britain’s attitude leading up to WW2?
Br had an empire/worldwide focus
- 1920s made no alliances
- relations w Fr cooled
- attitude to G was a policy of appeasement but no alliance
- didn’t want war (would cause problems w trade & colonies)
- 1938 Aus & SA made clear wouldn’t go to war against G
- BUT Kristallnacht ‘38 & Cz invasion ‘39 = hardened public opinion
= Br’s appeasement policy contributed to war bc encouraged G, Ita, J to seize more territory
What was France’s attitude leading up to WW2?
Fr’s attitude to G until 1939 was one of resentment + anger bc of G’s failure to meet the terms of the TofV
- the one Fr attempt of imposing its will on G was the invasion of the Ruhr 1923 BUT failure
- Fr turned on appeasement & had a v real fear of G invasion unlike Br
- Fr felt isolated & made a variety of alliances w the European states e.g. Cz
- + made 1935 pact w USSR
- large army but lost 1/4 of its men aged 18-27 in WW1 + quality of army/equipment was variable
- political difficulties as well = strong fascist/comm party
- gov changed 11 times 1932-35
- trouble w colonial demands for independence
- 1936 lw gov faced criticism
- all this + econ problems = Fr weak at home & abroad (certain it couldn’t win a war)
- again appeasement increased H’s confidence in his EE aggression
What was Italy’s attitude leading up to WW2?
Ita & G both dissatisfied w the TofV - shared an anti-comm outlook, belief in autarky, strong gov, strong military
- at first mutual interest in land on austrian border an issue
- when austrian nazis tried to take over in 1934 Ita troops quickly moved to the border & made them back down
- H gave up all claims on the South Tyrol area of Austria to encourage an alliance
- both Ita & G helped Franco = led to the Rome-Berlin Axis
- BUT H & M found it difficult to trust each other as foreign policy different
- H refused military aid for Abyssinia & M refused for Cz
- even when Pact of Steel kept some war plans secret e.g. Ita’s Albania April 1939 + H’s Cz/Pol 1939
- when war in ‘39 Ita didn’t join BUT when Fr fell in 1940 = Ita joined H’s side
What was the USSR’s attitude leading up to WW2?
isolated in Europe by its comm ideology
- open to attack from both east & west
- S wanted to build up USSR’s industry, agri, army so country was self-sufficient & safe from attack = wanted to avoid war
- made lots of alliances: joined LofN, supported existing sp gov, suggested variety of pacts/alliances to Fr & Br (Fr agreed to some but Br dragged its heels), humiliated not to be asked to Munich conference but even so still held talks w west, held talks w G
- in July-August 1938 fighting w J on eastern border = more likely to make an agreement w G bc would be fighting on 2 fronts
What was the USA’s attitude leading up to WW2?
1920s/1930s followed a policy of isolationism & disarmament
- 1938 army smaller than Belgium’s
- BUT doesn’t mean attitude to G & other fascists wasn’t important
- neutral abt Abyssinia, Sp cw BUT exported arms to Ita/G to supply Franco
- did try to work for world peace through various meetings in the 1930s & persuade H to withdraw from Cz in 1938
- USA openly said wouldn’t go to war in Europe & produced a permanent neutrality act in 1937 (this encouraged H to go to war)
What was Japan’s attitude leading up to WW2?
(like Ita) was on the winning side in WW1 & joined the LofN BUT (like Ita) dissatisfied w the results of the treaties that ended the war & treatment in league - Br & Fr supremacy
- 1931 Manchuria (only G & Ita recognised the new state)
- left LofN in 1933 when it ruled against J + formed uneasy alliances w Ita/G
- not enthusiastic allies w G BUT was useful for G to have an ally on the other side of the USSR =encouraged by the alliance in its aggressive policies
- + would be able to act against USA in far east if USA joined the war
- nazi-soviet pact was a shock to J BUT G/Ita only allies it had
