The Origins and Outbreak of WWII Flashcards
1
Q
in what year did Hitler remove Germany from disarmament conference and outline his commitment to rearm?
A
1933
2
Q
when was the Dollfuss Affair?
A
1934
3
Q
when was the Non-Aggression Pact with Poland?
A
January 1934
4
Q
when was the Saar Plebiscite?
A
13th January 1935
5
Q
in what year did Germany reinforce rearmament commitments and reinstate conscription?
A
1935
6
Q
When was the Anglo-German Naval Agreement?
A
1935
7
Q
When was the Stresa Front set up?
A
1935
8
Q
when was the Rhineland remilitarised?
A
began on 7th March 1936
9
Q
when did Hitler and Mussolini work together in support of Franco in the Spanish Civil War?
A
1936
10
Q
when was the Rome-Berlin Axis?
A
1936
11
Q
when was the Anti-Comintern Pact?
A
1937
12
Q
when was Anschluss?
A
March 1938
13
Q
when was the Sudeten Crisis and Czech Crisis?
A
April-September 1938
14
Q
when was the Munich conference and agreement?
A
29th September 1938
15
Q
when did Hitler invade/annex the whole of Czechoslovakia?
A
15th March 1939
16
Q
when was the Pact of Steel?
A
22nd May 1939
17
Q
when did Germany and USSR sign the Nazi-Soviet Pact?
A
23rd August 1939
18
Q
when was the German invasion of Poland?
A
1st September 1939
19
Q
when did Britain declare war on Germany?
A
3rd September 1939
20
Q
why did GB and France let Hitler break the ToV, even though it was international law?
A
- needed time to rearm; their armies were not big enough to fight and win a war
- Many people in GB thought Hitler was being reasonable because ToV was too harsh
- They were concerned about USSR and thought Hitler could be a valuable ally against Communism
- Countries could not afford to go to war during the Depression and their governments were preoccupied with problems at home
- people were terrifies of WWII; aircrafts now here - thought London would be destroyed in a week
- germany wasn’t the only threat they were worried about eg. Japan - forces were spread thin
- would have to make a deal with some kind of morally corrupt country - Italy, USSR or Germany
21
Q
why did Hitler withdraw from the disarmament conference in 1933?
A
on the grounds that no other power was prepared to disarm and he wanted to build up the German army
22
Q
in what ways did Hitler rearm Germany and how did it break the ToV?
A
- left the disarmament conference and LoN
- 1935 - introduced conscription - against ToV
- 95 warships, 8250 aircraft, 950 000 soldiers
- began to build up the Luftwaffe
- factories turned over to the making of weapons
- 1935 - Anglo-German Naval Agreement allowed Germany to build a fleet as long as it was no bigger than 35% of the British fleet.
- 1939 - 23% of gvt spending on the military (intent!!)
23
Q
what did the Anglo-German Naval Agreement agree?
A
- allowed Germany to build a fleet as long as it was no bigger than 35% of the British fleet.
- allowed Germany to have 45% of the number of British submarines.
24
Q
in 1939, what % of government spending, in Germany, was on the military?
A
23%
25
how did Hitler justify rearmament?
- pointed out other countries were increasing their arms (France had increased its conscription from 12 months to 18 months)
- argued Germany had to be strong enough to defend itself
26
how did other countries respond to german rearmament?
condemned by GB, France and Italy but no country was prepared to do anything to stop it
27
what was the Dollfuss Affair?
- the Assassination of Austrian Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss in 1934 by Austrian Nazis (on Hitler's behalf)
- Dollfuss had tried to crack down on Socialists and Nazis (political factions he thought were tearing the country apart); he banned the Nazi party.
- 934, Hitler ordered Austrian Nazis to create havoc in Austria; turned into an attempt to overthrow the government. Chancellor Dollfuss was murdered but the attempted coup failed because the Austrian military intervened to back up the government.
- Italy had an agreement with Austria that it would protect Austria from outside aggression. Mussolini honoured the agreement and moved Italian troops to the Austrian border to deter Hitler from invading.
28
how did the Dollfuss Affair break the ToV?
Germany shouldn't be interfering in any countries let alone Austria (Anschluss forbidden)
29
what were the consequences of the Dollfuss Affair?
- hitler could see he had some support base in austria
- hitler received no major condemnation for his actions (was able to distance himself from the Austrian Nazis)
- Hitler realised the need to neutralise Mussolini - can't fight everyone
- shows what could be achieved if hitler was threatened
- shows hitler's intentions
30
who stoop up against the dollfuss affair and why?
mussolini - wanted parts of austria for himself
31
why did Hitler back off from the Dollfuss Affair and Anschluss in 1934 when Mussolini threatened him?
wanted to be friends with Italy and wasn't ready to fight yet
32
why did Hitler make the non-aggression pact with poland?
it was meaningless; he could break it whenever he wanted and he wasn't ready to invade poland yet anyway so there was no loss to him. Needed to neutralize the possibility of a French-Polish military alliance against Germany
33
what did the non-aggression pact agree?
ten-year non-aggression pact with Poland meant Poland wouldn't interfere if Germany moved against Austria or Czechoslovakia.
34
how was the Non-Aggression Pact with Poland beneficial for Hitler?
- valuable PR exercise for Hitler's case that he does not want war
- diplomatically useful in convincing other leaders he can be trusted and is not a threat; GB think they can work with him
35
what was the consequence of the Saar plebiscite in 1935?
- 90% of the people voted to return to Germany
- This was a great boost for Hitler. As the new leader of Germany this confirmed his popularity
- The Saar gave valuable resources to Germany – coal and iron.
- Propaganda celebrated this event.
- Another term of the ToV had been removed
36
how did the Anglo-German Naval Agreement break the ToV?
- germany had severe naval restrictions and this allowed them to build up their fleet
- GB is breaking it for appeasement as they thought Hitler would increase navy anyway and at least if he agrees to this he may do other reasonable ideas
37
what were the consequences of the Anglo-German Naval Agreement 1935?
- france was furious; GB acting in self-interest
- formal acceptance from a major power that german re-armament won't be challenged
- showed Hitler he could push GB and get away with it
38
why was Hitler's remilitarisation of the Rhineland in 1936 a risk for him?
- his army was ill prepared
- all his generals had secret orders to retreat at the first sign of opposition
39
why did GB do nothing when Hitler remilitarised the Rhineland?
- Depression was causing problems so GB was reluctant to do anything
- The British said “the Germans were only going into their own back garden” It was German land and Hitler had a right to defend his own borders
- The British were preoccupied with the Abyssinian Crisis - saw Mussolini as more of a threat.
- fear of provoking another war
40
why did France do nothing when Hitler remilitarised the Rhineland?
- Politicians were distracted as there was a general election happening in France
- Many French soldiers were in Tunisia in case they were needed to intervene in the Abyssinian Crisis - saw Mussolini as more of a threat.
- Many thought that the German army was big and stronger than it was and felt they would not win in battle against it.
- fear of provoking another war
41
what were the consequences of Hitler's remilitarisation of the Rhineland in 1936?
- increased hitler's popularity in germany
- heightened his aggressive foreign policy
- A term of the ToV had been broken
- The buffer zone, set up to protect France, had now gone
- France had wanted to show force but would not act without Britain
- Hitler only respected military action – the fact that Britain and France had bigger armies but did not use them - showed Hitler that they were weak
42
what had happened with Austria pre-1938?
- 1934 - dollfuss affair where hitler had attempted an ambitious german takeover of austria early on in him tensure, yet was unsuccessful despite the emergence of some pro-nazi feeling in austria
- New Chancellor Schuschnigg took charge and appealed to Mussolini for support who positioned his troops on the Austrian border, preventing Anschluss
43
Who were potential opponents to Anschluss and why?
- Austrian Chancellor, Britain and France, USSR?
- there was concern that Anschluss would be another violation of ToV and collective security
- USSR concerned of the strategic/geographic benefit that control of Austria would give Hitler
44
which of Hitler's aims would Anschluss satisfy and why?
- Volksdeutsche
- National prestige / support amongst the german population
- destroy ToV
45
Why wasn't Hitler worried about Italy when he attempted Anschluss in 1938 vs 1934?
- Hitler and Mussolini were closer as they had acted together in Spanish Civil War
- Oct 1936 - Rome Berlin Axis
46
Why was Hitler perhaps slightly less concerned about GB and France's involvement in 1938 Anschluss?
their relationship had been tested and strained during Abyssinian and Rhineland incidents
47
give a short account of how Hitler was able to achieve Anschluss
- Schuschnigg replaced Dollfuss as Austrian Chancellor by committing to allow increased influence for Austrian Nazi Party
- Schuschnigg wanted to appease/cooperate with Hitler to prevent invasion, but was undermined in 1936 by Rome Berlin Axis
- by 1938 Schuschnigg became fearful of Hitler's growing power and raided ANP headquarters, uncovering plans to overthrow him
- believing he could appeal to Hitler, he informed Hitler of his discovery; Hitler summoned Schuschnigg to his mountain retreat and intimidated him, packing the meeting with generals, and making it clear that Schuschnigg had little say over what happened next
- Schuschnigg was told to appoint Seyss-Inquart (loyal Austrian Nazi) as interior minister with full power over police
- March 1938 - Schuschnigg announced plebiscite for joining with Germany
- 11th March - Hitler ordered the vote to be postponed and Schuschnigg agreed fearing he wouldn't get support from GB and France is he appeared uncooperative. Schuschnigg resigned and Seys-Inquart took over and made a public appeal to the Nazis for help claiming there was dangerous unrest in Austria
48
when did by Schuschnigg raid ANP headquarters?
1938
49
describe the Nazi invasion of Austria in Anschluss
- 12th March 1939
- poorly planned invasion force - had to fill up their tanks at austrian petrol stations and use tourist guides to find their way
- there was no opposition and they were accepted willingly; cheering crowds lined streets, presenting soldiers with flowers and gifts
- 10th April - plebiscite finally held, with heavy SS presence - 99% of Austrians voted in favour of Anschluss
50
why did Schuschnigg hold a plebiscite for joining with Germany?
he knew Hitler relied on a perception of validity for his actions, so hoped if he quickly held a plebiscite and the austrian people voted against anschluss, hitler would lose his excuse to invade
51
what were the Consequences of Anschluss?
- gained 7 million people and an army of 100,000 men
- they now bordered the Sudetenland on 3 sides
- gained resources ie steel and iron for rearmament
- proved the worth of Hitler's alliance with Mussolini
- Hitler became more confident; had reversed another 'injustice' of Versailles
52
how did Anschluss increase international tension?
- Britain and France had been unwilling to work together to support Austria because of their own interests which increased tension between them further as they were again unable to cooperate to challenge Hitler's actions
- strength of relationship between Hitler and Mussolini shown, which increased tension as their collective power was shown
- Germany's rearmament and the success of Anschluss strengthened Hitler's position as leader so tension was significantly increased through concern about what Hitler could and would do next
- Czechoslovakia now surrounded by German territory and they feared Hitler's desire for Lebensraum and the unity of all German speakers
53
what is appeasement?
the attempt to bring about a state of peace, quiet, ease, or calm through negotiation and discussion
54
what is the problem with appeasement, in theory?
the other person may not want to discuss and negotiate, so it only works if both parties are reasonable
55
why was GB open to appeasement?
- Anglo-german Naval Agreement already in place before Chamberlain became PM
- the things they were giving up weren't seen as a massive deal to GB eg rearmament
- they disliked ToV too by now and there was growing anti-French sentiment
56
what happened in the 1933 by-election in Fulham East? what does it show about the british opinion towards rearmament as this time?
- should have been an easy win for Conservative Party Candidate
- Conservative Candidate said he was in favour of British rearmament and opinion suddenly shifted and Labour received 58% of vote in an 'unwinnable' seat
- Britain was pacifist - if chamberlain said yes to rearmament, he would be out of office as people not ready to rearm
57
what % of the vote did the Labour candidate receive in the 1933 by-election in Fulham East?
58%
58
who organised the 1934-5 Peace Ballot?
a branch of the LoN Union in Ilford in Essex with the local newspaper to organise a local referendum asking people's views about LoN and disarmament
59
what were the outcomes of the 1934-5 Peace Ballot?
- over 90% - said Yes, Britain should remain a member of the LoN
- over 90% - said Yes, they were in favour of an all-round reduction of armaments by international agreement
- over 90% - said Yes, the manufacture and sale of armaments for private profit should be prohibited by international agreement
- over 90% - said Yes, if a nation insists on attacking another, the other nations should combine to compel it to stop by economic and non-military measures
- 80% - said Yes, they were in favour of the all-round abolition of national military and naval aircraft by international agreement
- 70% - said Yes, if a nation insists on attacking another, the other nations should combine to compel it to stop by, if necessary, military measures
60
in the 1934-5 Peace Ballot, what % of people said Yes, Britain should remain a member of the LoN?
over 90%
61
in the 1934-5 Peace Ballot, what % of people said Yes, they were in favour of an all-round reduction of armaments by international agreement?
over 90%
62
in the 1934-5 Peace Ballot, what % of people said Yes, the manufacture and sale of armaments for private profit should be prohibited by international agreement?
over 90%
63
in the 1934-5 Peace Ballot, what % of people said Yes, if a nation insists on attacking another, the other nations should combine to compel it to stop by economic and non-military measures?
over 90%
64
in the 1934-5 Peace Ballot, what % of people said Yes, they were in favour of the all-round abolition of national military and naval aircraft by international agreement?
80%
65
in the 1934-5 Peace Ballot, what % of people said Yes, if a nation insists on attacking another, the other nations should combine to compel it to stop by, if necessary, military measures?
70%
66
why was GB initially pacifist?
- they had a deep fear of repeating WWI and a lot of people who fought in WWI now had sons of fighting age
- people saw aerial warfare then, as we see nuclear today
67
what are some reasons for appeasement?
- "To go to war with Germany for walking into their own backyard, which was how the British people saw it, at a time moreover when you were actually discussing with them the dates and conditions of their right to resume occupation, was not the sort of thing people could understand.'
- many of Hitler's actions gave the people what they wanted - EG 10th April - plebiscite for ancshluss where 99% of Austrians voted in favour of Anschluss (with heavy SS presence tho) - democratically right
- the people of GB did not want war eg 1934 peace ballot
- many people now felt the ToV had been too harsh on Germany and it was only fair to allow Hitler to overturn parts of it eg rearmament and remilitarisation meant germany wouldn't be vulnerable
- WWI still in people's minds - in WWI, ~17 million people were killed, incl. chamberlain's son, and 20 million wounded
- when Chamberlain returned to GB after Munich Agreement, was greeted as a hero; they didn't want war and Chamberlain had to represent the desire of his people
- the threat of communism worried many people more than Hitler did; a strong Germany would stop spread of Communism so hitler needed to be allowed to rearm and get away with a few things to keep him on-side
- moreover, hitler kept telling the british he was a man of peace, and many believed him
- GD meant GB and France couldn't afford to fight
- they had their own problems to deal with; why should they deal with other countries' problems when they had starving and unemployed people to look after in their own?
- not ready yet; rearmament didn't start in GB until 1936 and it would take at least 4 years for the army to be ready for full-scale war and entering the war earlier could have meant they lost
- didn't have the support they needed; USA had signed 2 neutrality acts on '30s saying they wouldn't get involved if Europe went to war. Without USA and the LoN being dead, GB and France were left to fend for themselves and did not have money, resources or will to fight
68
what were some reasons against appeasement?
- meant that GB trusted Hitler completely that he would be satisfied with is gains. Appeasement, therefore, was a gamble based on believing that Hitler was trustworthy
- allowed Germany to grow into a strong nation with a strong army, which was more powerful than GB, something ToV had attempted to stop. It empowered him as the more countries gave into him, the stronger he grew.
- alienated the USSR and pushed them towards Hitler; Stalin was aware Hitler might invade the USSR but felt Britain and France would not support him due to the policy of appeasement and their hatred of communism (signed Nazi-Soviet Pact). GB and France would need USSR if war broke out, but their relationship was strained by appeasement
- Hitler made no secret of his plans. His speeches since the 1920s made it very clear that he would use violence to make Germany strong again. People were foolish to trust him.
- immoral; left nations like Czechoslovakia with no defence against Hitler. Political games should not have been played at the expense of people's lives
- appeasers forced Czechoslovakia to back down because they didn't want to fight, yet Czechoslovakia was a strong, modern country and with a little support, Hitler could've been stopped.
- Opportunities missed to stop Hitler eg failures at the Word Disarmament Conference, not agreeing to 1935 naval agreement, forcing him to stand down when remilitarised the Rhineland.
- the more opportunities missed, the more Hitler succeeded, the more he demanded, which kept encouraging him. For every victory Hitler had, he was able to demand more next time. Appeasement enabled Hitler to become aggressive.
69
why did Hitler want to invade the Sudetenland?
- moving towards Poland
- it was a symbol of the ToV (created by it)
- it had a substantial army and was well fortified - Sudetenland was a good base from which to launch an attack on the whole of Czechoslovakia
- area jutted into Germany which surrounded it on 3 sides - strategic move
- was home to forts, railways and industries which could be used as part of German war effort in years to come
- area had many factories producing glass and lignite and the Skoda factory - could be used to build tanks and other weapons
- hitler argued there were 3 million ethnic germans living there
70
write an account of how hitler invaded the sudetenland.
- Sudeten Nazis demonstrated and capitalised on the tensions between the German presence in Czechoslovakia and the Czech government
- German leader in Sudetenland, Konrad Henlein, had already made complaints about German population not being respected enoguh
- March 1938, Hitler encouraged local nazis and german groups to demand more autonomy from the Czechoslovakian government (self-determination; Wilsonian term)- when the demands couldn't be met they insisted they were being persecuted - attempting to break it from within and setting up a reason for invasion
- April - Henlein announced 'karlsbad programme' for sudeten self-rule and organised civil unrest to further destabilise and give justification for possible Nazi intervention to help
- May - hitler made it clear he would fight and claimed that German speaking people were being treated badly by Czechs and needed protection; Hitler moved armies to Czech border to intimidate Benes (Czech president) so Benes movilised Czech army
- if Hitler invaded Sudetenland, GB and France were obliged to protect Czechoslovakia and declare war
- to avoid this, 15th Sep, Chamberlain flew to Berchtesgaden and met
71
when did Henlein announce 'karlsbad programme' for sudeten self-rule and organise civil unrest ?
April 1938
72
when did Hitler move his armies to the Czech border to intimidate Benes?
May 1938
73
when Chamberlain fly to Berchtesgaden to meet with Hitler?
15th September 1938
74
what did the note from General Ismay to the British Cabinet say?
- "A German absorption of Czechoslovakia will enhance her military prestife, increase her war potential, and probably enable her to dispose of stronger land forces against France and ourselves than thse can do at present"
- "Germany may be able to maintain her lead over the Franco-British Air Forces in air striking power. On the other hand, it is open to us, provided that we make the necessary effort, to catch her up, or at least greatly reduce her lead, in the matter of defence (both active and passive) against air attck. By doing so we shall have heavily insured ourselves against the greatest danger to which we are at present exposed" - war would put British empire at stake, not just Czech
- "Time is in our favour, and that, if war with Germany has to come, it would be better to fight her in say 6-12 months time, than to accept the present challenge"
75
when was the note from General Ismay to the British Cabinet sent?
September 1938
76
who was General Ismay?
Secretary of the Committee of Imperial Defence
77
what happened in the 15th September meeting in Berchtesgaden?
- Hitler moderated his demands and said he would accept the parts of Sudetenland with a significant German population
- Chamberlain felt this was reasonable, deciding it was another ToV term that needed to be addressed
- said he would consult with his gvt and the other powers, to ensure there was a peaceful solution and positive outcome for Sudeten Germans
78
what happened as a result of the 15th September meeting in Berchtesgaden?
in the next week, Chamberlain got gvt approval and persuaded Czech gvt that this was the only viable option
79
what happened in the 22nd September meeting?
- Hitler now demanded the withdrawal of Czech troops from the region by the 1st of October
- this was a provocative move that would provide an excuse to invade the whole of Czechoslovakia if the Czechs didn't comply
80
what happened as a result of the 22nd September meeting?
- war was now a real possibility - initial mobilisation of troops ordered in GB and France
- Hitler had demanded the entire region, the removal of non-Germans from the area, and the stand down of Czechoslovakia's forces
81
what happened in the Munich conference?
- Hitler contacted British guaranteeing safety of Czechoslovakia if Sudetenland relinquished; provided one last opportunity to prveent war
- 29th Sep - Italy, GB, France and Germany met - this excluded Czechoslovakia and USSR, undermining the solidarity that was starting to develop against Germany
- the Italians provided a solution: Sudetenland would be ceded to Germany in exchange for written assurance that this was the end of territorial expansion
82
what happened as a result of the Munich conference?
- Czechs were informed of the agreement after it had been signed
- they didn't agree with the terms, but were told if they didn't comply, they would be responsible for any war that broke out
- this was the first time since Hitler came to power that he had taken over a non-German terriory
83
why wasn't there an alliance against Hitler in the 30s?
- Anti-communist; didn't ant Communist troops marching West (thought this was worse than Nazi troops marching East)
- Anti-French sentiment; a feeling grew that France had jumped GB into the ToV
- France had no interest in marching their troops East
84
what was the British Assurance to Poland?
the French and British governments offered a guarantee of Polish sovereignty against any act of aggression - the defence of Poland's borders if they were threatened by Hitler
85
when was the British Assurance to Poland?
31st March 1939
86
Why did Hitler want the Saar plebiscite 1935?
* He wanted to show the world that German-speaking people wanted to unite together under the Nazi regime.
* The area was rich in coalfields, which was a vital resource for industrial production and to build weaponry.
87
Why could the Munich conference be considered a success?
- gave GB time to rearm
- British empire 1939 supported war where they hadn't previously
- strong argument for self-determination which made war then harder to justify
88
Why could the Munich conference be considered a failure?
- hitler became stronger and more confident
- morally wrong - czechs weren't even invited
- lost 36 czech divisions which they could've used in wwii
- alienated the ussr
89
why was the anglo polish agreement signed?
- poland was clearly going to be germany's next target for expansion
- public opinions had swung away from appeasement
- hoped guarantee would be enough to deter hitler's invasion plans
90
why did hitler hate poland so much?
created using ToV eg polish corridor, danzig
91
was the anglo-polish agreement effective?
- provided little actual protection - couldn't offer immediate support
- hitler had gained so much confidence in appeasement that this wasn't a guranteed deterrent
- GB and France had tried to ally with USSR but Stalin didn't trust the western powers
92
When was the Nazi-Soviet Pact signed?
late August 1939.
93
What did the Nazi-Soviet Pact say?
- Germany and USSR agreed not to go to war, even though both sides knew that war between them was inevitable; publicly stated non-aggression for 10 years
- promised if 1 of the 2 were attacked by a third country, the other would not provide assistance of any kind to the third country
- agreed not to participate in any arrangement with other powers that was directly or indirectly aimed at the other
- secretly agreed to partition Polish territory between them after helping each other in a war against poland
- recognised estonia, lativia and bessarabia as falling within soviet sphere
94
Why did Germany sign the Nazi-Soviet Pact?
- Hitler didn't want to meet opposition from USSR while they invaded Poland; wanted to avoid a 2 front war (mistake made in WWI)
- wanted to deal with the threat from Britain and France and secure Polish territory before entering into a war with USSR
95
Why did Russia sign the Nazi-Soviet Pact?
- Stalin distrusted western powers and didn't believe they would protect USSR from Germany, especially after they were was excluded from Munich conference and viewed the Allies as weak because of appeasement
- hoped that war between Germany, Britain and France would give USSR time to build up its army and strengthen its defences.
- hoped to gain Polish territory, much of which had been taken from USSR at end of WWI.
96
What was the significance of the Nazi-Soviet Pact?
- caused shock and consternation, especially in GB and France; had hoped Soviet threat would prevent Germany from invading Poland.
- meant Germany was confident about invading Poland, especially as GB and France had so far presented no threat.
- 1st September 1939, Germany invaded Poland
97
How did Britain and France react to the Nazi-Soviet Pact?
- Chamberlain was blamed for Stalin choosing to side with Hitler; polls showed 84% of British population had hoped for an alliance with USSR
- had been previously believed that only USSR could protect Poland from Hitler; huge blow to the Polish.
98
When did the Nazi-Soviet Pact end?
remained in effect for almost two years. It was broken by the Germans when they invaded USSR on 22nd June, 1941.
