Why Had International Peace Collapsed By 1939 Flashcards
1
Q
Hitler’s Aims : Mein Kampf
A
- Book written by Hitler whilst in prison for role in Munich Lutsch
- Title means ‘my struggle’
- Hitler clearly sets out aims
2
Q
Hitler’s Aims : Abolish Treaty of Versailles
A
- Believed Treaty was unjust
- German leaders who signed it were ‘November Criminals’ of the ‘Stab in the back’
3
Q
Hitler’s Aims : Expand German Territory
A
- Determined to regain land lost in treaty
- Believed the ‘Master Race’ needed lebensraum (living space)
- Space could be found in Eastern Europe
4
Q
Hitler’s Aims : Defeat Communism
A
- Hitler hated Bolshevism/Communism
- Believed it responsible for Germany’s defeat
- Germany should expand into the Soviet Union and destroy Communism
5
Q
Hitler Dismantles the Treaty : Disarmament Conference
A
- Claimed to support disarmament
- Unwillingness of other to disarm forced him to rearm
- Eventually withdrew from Conference and League
6
Q
Hitler Dismantles the Treaty : Rearmament
A
- As soon as came into power, ordered secret programme of rearmament
- Dismantle Treaty of Versailles, provide stimulus for German Economy, restore German pride
7
Q
Hitler Dismantles the Treaty : Military Rally
A
- 1935
- Openly staged military rally showing complete disregard for Treaty
8
Q
Hitler Dismantles the Treaty : Naval Agreement
A
- 1935
- Agreement with Britain to expand navy
9
Q
Hitler Dismantles the Treaty : Saae Plebiscite
A
- Run by League of Nations since 1919
- League held plebiscite for people to vote on returning to Germany
- Hitler wary as many opponents fled to Saar
- 90% voted to return to Germany
10
Q
Hitler Dismantles the Treaty : Remilitarisation of Rhineland
Gamble
A
- 1936
- Moved troops into Rhineland
- Gamble because his forces were weak and Britain and France could force him into humiliating withdrawal
- France signed pact with USSR to protect each other form German attack (justifies his actions as was under threat)
- Predicted British would not intervene as many agreed Germany had the right to secure its own borders
11
Q
Hitler Dismantles the Treaty : Remilitarisation of Rhineland
Pay-off
A
- League condemned Remilitarisation but more concerned with Abyssinian crisis
- Britain not prepared to risk war
- French were angered but desperate to avoid war
12
Q
Spanish Civil War
A
- 1936
- Between Government and right-wing rebels led by General Franco
13
Q
Spanish Civil War : Germany and Italy Intervene
A
- International community supported Government forces
- Hitler and Mussolini supported Franco
- Mussolini sent troops
- Hitler sent pilots and aircraft
14
Q
Spanish Civil War : Bombing Raids
A
- German airforce (Luftwaffe) bombed Spanish cities (Guernica)
- Helped Franco win
15
Q
Spanish Civil War : Consequences
A
- Hitler and Mussolini formed Axis Alliance
- Britain and France horrified by show of destructive force
- Chamberlain became convinced war with Germany must be avoided
16
Q
Anschluss
A
- Meant union between Germany and Austria
- Forbidden under Treaty of Versailles
- 1934 Hitler tried to take over but stopped by Mussolini
- Allies by 1938
17
Q
Anschluss : Calls for Anschluss
A
- Hitler encouraged Austrian Nazi Party to hold demonstrations and riots
- Hitler pressurised Austrian leader Schuschnigg to agree to plebiscite
- Schuschnigg appealed to Britain and France but was refused
18
Q
Anschluss : Plebiscite
A
- Hitler sent troops to oversee it
- 99.75% of Austrians voted for Anschluss
- Britain and France did nothing to oppose it
- Chamberlain felt two countries had a right to unite
- Lord Halifax suggested to Hitler that Britain would not stand in its way
19
Q
Anschluss : Consequences
A
- Hitler emboldened
- Germany gained Austria’s rich deposits (gold and iron core)
- Clear Britain and France would not go to war to defend Treaty of Versailles
20
Q
The Sudetenland
A
- Next on Hitler’s list (part of Czechoslovakia)
- Benes (leader) asked Britain and France to promise to defend the Sudetenland
- They reluctantly did
21
Q
The Sudetenland : Hitler Threatens War
A
- 1938
- Chamberlain flew to meet Hitler
- Hitler moderated his demands
- Demanded all of Sudetenland by 1st October (war)
- British navy mobilised
- War seemed imminent
22
Q
The Sudetenland : Munich Agreement
A
- Mussolini brokered final meeting in Munich
- Britain, France, Italy decided Sudetenland would be given to Germany
- War averted
23
Q
The Sudetenland : ‘Peace in our Time’
A
- Chamberlain returned to Hero’s welcome
- Pledged not to go to War
- Told people he had secured ‘peace in our time’
24
Q
Czechoslovakia: Chaos
A
- Following Munich Agreement Czechoslovakia descended into chaos
- German troops marched into Sudetenland in 1938
- Hungary and Poland also helped themselves to parts of Czechoslovakia
25
Q
Czechoslovakia: Take-over
A
- 1939 15th March
- Took over ret of Czechoslovakia
- Czechs realised had been abandoned and offered little resistance
26
Q
Czechoslovakia: Consequences
A
- Policy of Appeasement lay in tatters
- Hitler’s next target was Poland
- Britain and France said would declare war if he invaded
- Hitler did not believe them
27
Q
Nazi-Soviet Pact : Stalin’s Fears
A
- Stalin knew Hitler wanted to destroy Communism
- Sought security by joining League
- Signed Treaty with France in 1935 to protect each other
- Stalin saw weakness in League during Abyssinian Crisis
- Stalin saw weakness in France and Britain during Munich Conference
- USSR, France, Britain held talks 1939 but failed to produce military alliance
- Stalin felt vulnerable
28
Q
Nazi-Soviet Pact
A
- Ribbentrop (Nazi Foreign Minister) visited USSR in 1939
- Signed Nazi-Soviet Pact
- Promised not to attack each other
- Agreed to split up Poland between themselves secretly
29
Q
Nazi-Soviet Pact : Stalin
A
- Gave him territory from Poland
- Gave him time
- Believed Hitler would betray him
- Britain and France would fail to support him
- Needed time to prepare to fight Germany alone
30
Q
Nazi-Soviet Pact : Consequences
A
- 1st September 1939
- Germany invaded Poland
- 3rd Britain and France declared war on Germany
31
Q
Was Policy of Appeasement Justified?
YES
A
- Britain and other powers had more pressing concerns than Hitler
- Rise of Stalin and USSR led to fears about spread of Communism
- Stronger Germany would act as a buffer zone
- Memories of terrible loss in WW1 were fresh in Britain and France
- Another war had to be avoided
- Britain and France had only begun rearming in 1935
- Intelligence showed they were lagging behind Germany
- Britain needed to play for time
- Britain and France had inly won WW1 with help of USA
- Britain would need support of Empire to defat Hitler
- Grip on many colonies was weakening
- Britain and other countries accepted that some terms of Treaty of Versailles were unreasonable
- Could not a afford a war after the Depression and WW1
32
Q
Was the Policy of Appeasement Justified?
NO
A
- Policy based in mistaken assumption that Hitler would be satisfied once he got what he wanted
- Each success encouraged him to be more daring and aggressive
- 1935 it was clear Germany was pursuing its massive rearmament plan
- Hitler had put Germany on path to war
- Hitler was a gambler and a risk taker
- Needed to be stopped, longer left more powerful Nazi Germany became
- Appeasement encouraged Hitler
- Britain and France’s inactiveness In Abyssinia and Manchuria convinced Hitler he could get away with anything
