The Spanish Civil War + Anschluss with Austria Flashcards
(27 cards)
What year did a civil war break out in Spain?
1936
Who was the war between?
The Republican Government (left-wing) and right-wing rebels under General Franco (Nationalists) in Spain.
Who supported/was a part of the Nationalists?
- Roman Catholic Church
- Elite
- Aristocracy
- The army
Who supported/was a part of the Republicans?
- Communists
- Socialists
Who did Hitler and Mussolini support?
The right-wing rebels and General Franco as he seemed to share their world view.
What did Stalin give to the Republican Gov.?
- Weapons
- Aircraft
- Pilots
Did Britain and France intervene in the SCW?
They refused to directly intervene, although France provided some weapons for the Republicans.
Did Germany and Italy intervene in the SCW?
- They also agreed not to intervene but then blatantly did so
- Mus. sent thousands of Italian troops (officially they were ‘volunteers’)
- Germany sent aircraft and pilots who took part in most of the major campaigns of the war such as bombing raids on civilian populations
How did the SCW have important consequences for peace? (Card 1)
- Strengthened the bonds between Mussolini and Hitler
- Encouraged Hitler to believe that Britain and France wouldn’t intervene against him if he took further action against the TOV (as they weren’t doing anything about this conflict)
How did the SCW have important consequences for peace? (Card 2)
- Although Britain didn’t get involved, Hitler’s actions alarmed Chamberlain and he ordered massive increases in spending on Britain’s armed forces
- At the same time , USSR became increasingly suspicious of B and F because of their reluctance to get involved in opposing fascism
What was occurring meanwhile in Japan?
- Japan was under the control of hardline nationalist commanders such as General Tojo
- They had the support of Japanese business leaders
- They wanted to extend J’s empire across Asia so it could compete with other world power’s, particularly the USA
When did the Japanese invade China?
1937 (Some historians regard this as the first campaign of WW2)
What was the Anti-Comintern Pact?
- Signed in 1936
- Hitler and Mus. saw that they had much in common with the military dictatorship in Japan
- So, Germany + Japan signed an Anti-Comintern Pact to oppose communism
- Italy signed it in 1937 (Mus. was fascist)
- This new alliance was called the Axis alliance
What was Comintern?
Comintern was the USSR’s organisation for spreading communism to other countries.
How did Britain and France feel about the Axis (as this was an alliance they weren’t part of)?
- Very little they could do about the Axis
- Another worrying development as Britain didn’t have the resources to fight Japan in the Far East and Germany in Europe
What did Hitler believe about his homeland Austria and Germany?
He believed the two states belonged together as one German nation.
Did Austrians want to be united with Germany?
Yes, many did
Had Hitler tried to take over Austria before?
- Yes, in 1934 but Mussolini had stopped him
- In 1938 though, the situation was different as Mus. + Hitler were now allies
What did Hitler do to the strong Nazi party in Austria?
Hitler encouraged them to stir up trouble for the Government and hold demonstrations demanding union with Germany.
Who was the Chancellor of Austria?
Schuschnigg
Schus - chnigg
What did Hitler tell Schuschnigg?
- That only Anschluss (political union) could sort out these problems
- Schuschnigg appealed to Britain and France but they failed to provide any support!
- Schuschnigg felt he had to option but to call a plebiscite to see what the Austrians wanted
How did Hitler feel about the Austrian plebiscite that was about to take place?
Hitler wasn’t prepared to risk this as he might have lost.
What did Hitler do in March 1938?
He sent his troops into Austria to supposedly guarantee a trouble-free plebiscite.
What was the results of the plebiscite?
Under the watchful eye of the Nazi troops, 99.75% voted for Anschluss!
