Studied by 0 people
Looks like no one added any tags here yet for you.
How do Taylor and Fischer differ in their views of Hitler?
AJP Taylor's 'The Origins of the Second World War' suggested that, while Hitler wanted a German empire, he did not have a master plan, nor did he necessarily intend to go to war in 1939. Hitler mainly reacted to events at home and abroad.
Fritz Fischer's 'Germany's Aims in the First World War' drew connections between German aims in the First and Second world wars, suggesting that Nazi foreign policy continued a long-held German expansionist policy rather than being a new policy.
In what way can it be said that the Second World War was caused by Economic reasons?
World-Wide depression of the early 1930s helped the rise of dictators.
In what way can it be said that the Second World War was caused by International reasons?
•problems within the League of Nations •the desire of many countries for peace •Russia becoming Communist •the USA policy of non-involvement •rise of dictatorships in Germany, Italy and Japan
In what way can it be said that the Second World War was caused by Nazi foreign policy?
•expansionism •racial purity
In what way can it be said that the Second World War was caused by other countries' foreign policy?
•British and French appeasement policies •Western attitudes to Russia •US foreign policy •Japanese foreign policy •Russian foreign policy and the build-up of the Red Army •Italian foreign policy
In what way can it be said that the Second World War was caused by the Treaty of Versailles?
•fed German resentment •created an unstable international situation (e.g. setting up a number of small, new states that argued over their new borders) •made other nations more tolerant of German expansionism
In what way can it be said that the Second World War was caused by social reasons?
Expectations of groups within Germany industrialists, Nazis, ordinary Germans.
What 3 strands of history influenced Nazi foreign policy?
•'racial history'- largely fictional •nostalgia for earlier empires and as sense that power and land were Germany's right •First World War and the effect of the Treaty of Versailles
How did Aryan racial theory drive foreign policy?
•Hitler saw the Aryan race as superior to all other races (ethnic groups such as black of Asian people as well as Slavs in Russia and Eastern Europe) •wanted Germany to be a great Aryan empire •used the idea of Pan-Germanism to excuse this: uniting all German-speaking peoples in one country would mean capturing other countries and clearing them of 'inferior' people to give 'pure Germans' enough land to live on •this led Nazis to favour alliances with racially acceptable countries such as Britain •also led Nazis to favour expansion eastwards, taking land from those who were racially inferior •racial theory did not stop Nazis from making alliances with 'inferior' countries to gain temporary advantage; these alliances were seen as a necessary evil
What earlier empires did the Nazis focus on?
•First Reich- Holy Roman Empire of Charlemagne (800-1806) •the Second Reich- German Empire founded in 1871 by Otto Von Bismark after Prussia defeated France. Bismark was PM of Prussia and the first chancellor of the empire. Died in 1898. By the time war broke out in 1914, the empire was beginning to fall apart
In what ways can it be said that the earlier empires were similar to the third Reich?
•both empires had gained land and kept it, by war and military strength •they also worked hard diplomatically for acceptance by other nations, especially when first in power •Second Reich had a series of carefully created alliances with other nations •Nazi propaganda focused on glory of these empires, this strategy might also have influenced Hitler because his foreign policy during his early years of power included stressing his desire for peace
How did looking at previous empires give credibility to the Nazis?
Appealed to Germans who wanted a political party with a history.
They could stress that they were 'continuing' and 'restoring' a great Germany.
They used other successful German rulers in their propaganda, especially if they had enlarged the nation. During their time, for example, one of the propaganda postcards on sale at Nazi rallies showed the faces of Frederick the Great, Bismark, Hindenburg and Hitler, all facing the same way with Hitler in front. The slogan read "What the King conquered, the Prince formed, the Field Marshall defended, the soldier saved and unified"
It was, Hitler said, the glorious past of Germany that made the loss of the First World War and the humiliating treaty that followed all the worse.
How did the end of the First world war build a resentment towards the Weimar government?
•the way the First World War ended was a bad beginning for the peace and the new German government: the overthrow and abdication of German Kaiser, creation of a new German government and armistice (no public surrender or open admission of defeat) •many German people, misinformed about how the war was going, believed Germany could have won if the Kaiser stayed and the army kept on fighting •many Germans felt as if they had been 'stabbed in the back' by the 'November criminals' •new government started out under cloud of unpopularity and protests about the signing of the treaty •despite the fact that the army had privately advised the government that Germany could not win the war, members of both government and army publicly said the army could have won, so increasing German resentment over the treaty
What did Hitler write about in Mein Kempf?
•outlined political theories •wrote about his experiences as a soldier in the First World War including how he felt when he heard about the armistice, the abdication of the Kaiser and the replacement of the empire with a republic •he said he felt all the suffering and death of the war had been in vain •raged against politicians who betrayed Germany •ideas on German expansion
What were the main causes for German resentment of the Treaty?
•Germany lost land, the loss of Danzig and the Polish Corridor were the most bitterly resented because they cut East Prussia off from the rest of Germany (6.4 million Germans were outside new borders) •Germany was told to disarm- no submarines, no heavy warships, no tanks, no airforce, army reduced to 100,000 troops •German army could not enter the Rhineland, which ran along most of the border with France, 'demilitarised' buffer zone for France •Germany had to pay heavy reparations- 132 million marks in 1921 •Clause that held it responsible for starting the war, not allowed to join the League of Nations so was not accepted as an equal power in Europe •Germany had no say in terms of the Treaty it was a diktat, a dictated peace
In what way did the Weimar government work against it?
•members of the Reichstag privately agreed that a forced treaty did not have to be obeyed •politicians protested openly against the Treaty and foreign ministers worked for changes diplomatically especially Stresemann •government also worked secretly to break some terms of the Treaty, for example, the requirement to disarm and the limitations placed on the size of the army •army view was that it had not been defeated but undermined, so it could rearm •secret armament agreements were made with the USSR, which allowed for German armaments to be made on Soviet soil, by Soviet companies •1926, Russian tank-training school near Kazan began to train German soldiers and by 1928 tanks for Germany were being built and tested in Russia
How did the Treaty of Versailles affect Nazi foreign policy?
•opposing it made any political party popular •war had created problems that could be blamed on the Treaty rather than the war e.g. economic disruption in Europe, added to Germany's problems with reparations imposed by the Treaty •war caused political disruption- no part of central and Eastern Europe in 1918 had the same government as in 1914
How did some allies show that they thought the Treaty was too harsh? How did they react to it being broken?
BRITAIN •Lloyd George made it clear that he felt the Treaty was so unfair that there would be another war in 25 years time •1935, Britain signed an Anglo-German naval agreement with the Nazi government setting naval sizes for both countries that broke ToV's limitations
FRANCE •French representatives, despite France's demands for harsh terms, said similar things
Other countries turned a blind eye to secret rearmament
Guilt about the Treaty and the fact that both nations desperately wanted peace affected reactions to Weimar and Nazi policy.
All this encouraged Nazis to expand further.
How did overturning the ToV affect foreign policy? How was this similar to the past?
•to achieve this, Germany had to rearm, lost land had to be regained, Rhineland had to be occupied and reparations left unpaid •Hitler did not want a return to Germany in 1914, he wanted Third Reich to expand beyond its pre-war borders in Europe and he did not want problem of managing colonies until Germany was fully established in Europe
•Weimar government was 'revisionist' and wanted to overturn Treaty and return it to state it was in 1914
How did Hitler's belief that the Third Reich should be a large and powerful world power affect foreign policy? How was this similar to the past?
•Hitler's expansionist policy aimed to create a large German empire in Europe •this was to be achieved through alliances where possible and war if necessary •Hitler wanted alliances with countries that had an 'acceptable' ethnic mix (Britain was one of those countries) •Hitler was however also prepared to make short-term alliances with any country if it would benefit Germany even Russia
•Weimar government did not openly discuss expansion beyond borders of 1914 although did want Germany to be a world power again •Kaiser's government did want to expand its power but did not care of the ethnicity of its allies or the people in the lands it conquered
How did the Third Reich's need for lebensraum affect foreign policy? How was this similar to the past?
•Germany needed to expand, taking lebensraum not only to become a great nation, but also to meet the needs of its people- including its economic needs •Hitler believed Germany to have a shortage of raw materials and farmland •living space should come from countries in the East with a high Slavic population •Both Germany and the land it took over should, as soon as possible, be cleared of all but 'pure Germans' to allow Germans to breed and flourish •Hitler's ideas about race were repeated often and publicly
•Earlier government's may have shared ideas on race but never integrated them into government policy •Kaiser's government had similar ideas about need to expand and the direction it wanted to expand, although, unlike Hitler, it also wanted to acquire a large number of colonies
How did Hitler believing Europe was under threat from world Jewry and Bolshevism affect foreign policy? How was this similar to the past?
•Hitler regularly repeated his conviction that there was a worldwide conspiracy of Jews to control governments which would, sooner or later, have to be stopped •He felt that there was a definite Jewish strategy to stir up anti-German feeling in other countries especially the USA and Britain •as well as being Anti-Semitic, Hitler was also anti-communist and saw these 2 groups as being in league with each other •his opposition to these groups, added to his notion of lebensraum, led to a conviction that Germany would have to go to war in Eastern Europe at the very least to take land and to defeat communism •his concern was to delay war as long as possible so as Germany could rearm and make useful alliances •early foreign policy was directed at convincing the Western powers that Germany wanted peace, nothing but peace, and the return of land and people that were rightfully German (real intentions were more expansionist)
What were the main features of Nazi foreign policy?
•Overturning Versailles- by spreading Nazi influence in those areas it wanted to reclaim, and where necessary, by using military force •Strategic Alliances- to stop anti-German power blocs building up and making sure that, when it came to war, Germany did not have to fight a war on 2 fronts, these were made with individual countries wherever possible, this was to divide other nations and make the treaties easier to break •Expansion- by spreading Nazi influence, forming alliances, and where necessary, using military force •Germanisation- by spreading Nazi racial ideas, opression and the removal of 'undesirables' in German-controlled lands
How can Hitler keeping many foreign ministry officials from before he came to power be interpreted in 2 different ways?
used as evidence that he did not interfere or impose a plan
could show long-term planning e.g. Hitler wanted full control of Germany and far greater military strength before going to war. A show of continuity with a liberal government policy would make him seen more moderate
How can a comparison of Nazi land gains from 1935-39 with the aims Hitler expressed in Mein Kampf, and in many speeches and meetings be interpreted in 2 different ways?
could show planning if there was a significant match, as with the overturning of Versailles and the policy of lebensraum
however it could be argued that these policies, such as Eastwards expansion, were simply broad aims rather than a plan
How can an analysis of how prepared the Nazis were for each foreign policy move be interpreted in 2 different ways?
Evidence of unpreparedness is evidence that Hitler had not planned the move
However it could be argued that while the move was planned, it was brought on early by other factors e.g. The takeover of Austria happened earlier than he might have planned because of the actions of the Austrian Nazis
What evidence is there that Hitler always intended war, once he got to power?
•From 1935 he built up an army publicly, defying the ToV •conscription was reintroduced
What evidence is there that Hitler did not always intend to go to war once he got into power?
•when Hitler spoke of rearming in the early 1930s, he stressed Germanys need to rearm for defence not attack •In a speech to the Reichstag in 1933, he stressed his hopes of reversing Versailles by diplomacy •privately, he told his generals that it would be a disaster to provoke a military attack until they had built up their armed forces to defeat such an attack were built •Four Year Plan of 1936-39 stressed Germany's need to put militarisation first and to develop synthetic and other war materials, so Germany would not depend on other countries for these materials in wartime
Could Hitler have achieved his aims without war?
•Hitler might have believed he could achieve his aim of making Germany a world power again without going to war, but he must have known he could not achieve lebensraum and expansion eastwards without war. •However, he may have hoped to avoid war with Britain, if not France. •Blitzkrieg warfare suited Hitler's troop numbers and weaponry but was not designed for long war •Hitler seemed to think Britain and France would not go to war with Germany over Eastern Europe •Germany remilitarised the Rhineland and took Austria by invasion without causing war therefore didn't expect military opposition to his next claim •France and Yugoslavia had signed a mutual aid treaty with Czechoslovakia and for a while seemed as if they would fight to honour it •War averted at the Munich conference, Hitler agreed Germany's territorial expansion would stop with Sudetenland •6 months later, Hitler took advantage of disputes between different parts of Czechoslovakia and stepped in to 'restore order' meaning Germany now had all of Czechoslovakia and Hitler had broken promises made at Munich
What was Germany and Poland's history of enmity?
•ToV gave land to Poland along with around 800,000 Germans •the Polish Corridor created by the Treaty, with the 'free' port of Danzig on its coast gave Poland access to the sea and this was bitterly resented by the Germans
Why was Poland in a difficult position after the First World War?
•it had been dismembered and rebuilt and this created problems ranging from the number of minority groups within its borders to the fact that communication systems and railway lines did not interact across the country •Polish government was very aware that both Germany and the USSR wanted some, if not all, of its territory and therefore could not trust its neighbours •Western powers badly placed geographically to help Poland if Germany invaded
In what ways was Poland not a weak country?
•just as keen to take land as other Eastern European countries •went to war with USSR over land in the Ukraine in 1920 nad took Teschen from Czechoslovakia in 1938 •it had a large army in proportion to its population (but its army was not very mechanised- most of its heavily artillery was still horse drawn and it still had cavalry regiments)
When did Hitler make the non-aggression pact with Poland? Why did this benefit him?
1934
Nazi relations with Poland show evidence of Hitler's long term planning, his fluctuating plans and his acting opportunistically.
In 1934, Hitler had not been in power long and wanted to make himself secure in Germany and build up his army before he did anything aggressive.
Saw USSR as biggest threat to Germany, so Poland, was a useful ally, pact meant that Poland could not join the USSR in an attack on Germany.
Making the pact diverted attention from the fact that the Nazi party was very active in Danzig.
What happened in 1936 that changes Nazi relations with Poland?
Nazis remilitarised the Rhineland in 1936, the Polish government expected France to fight to drive German troops out, so it offered military help under the terms of the 1921 Mutual Assistance Pact with France. However, the French did not send troops into the Rhineland, thereby changing the political situation.
•Poland had exposed itself as willing to fight Germany •France had shown itself as unwilling to fight, as did Britain and the League of Nations •Hitler had become more confident about pressing for what he wanted by force
What was the Anti-Comintern pact?
A pact against Comintern, an international communist organisation set up by USSR to spread communist ideas worldwide.
Germany and Japan concluded the pact in 1936 then Italy concluded it in 1937.
What 2 treaties strengthened Hitler's position to invade Poland?
•Pact of Steel •Navi-Soviet Pact
What was the Pact of Steel?
Signed on 22nd May 1939
Between Italy and Germany, this committed both sides to close economic ties and mutual military aid. Hitler had previously feared that Mussolini would not support him militarily- it was probably one reason why he did not invade Czechoslovakia when Mussolini urged him to negotiate in 1938
He could now rely on Italy's military support.
What is the Nazi-Soviet pact?
Signed on 23rd August 1939
Seen by many politicians and citizens worldwide as a cynical alliance that would only last as long as it suited both parties. The press in Britain, France and the USA were especially dismissive of its sincerity- political cartoonists mocked the way the two politicians who had spent years criticising each other were not acting as if it were possible to work together.
Both sides clearly thought it was worth making, even temporarily and it shifted the balance of power in Eastern Europe by placing allies on both sides of Poland.
What the signatories of the pact did not reveal was the secret clause in which Germany and the USSR agreed to invade Poland and divide it between them.
When did German troops invade Poland?
1st September 1939
When did Britain and France declare war on Germany?
3rd September 1939- too late to save Poland.
What was Britain and France's policy of appeasement?
The policy of attempting to keep the peace by giving in to someone's demands.
What may have given Hitler the feeling that it was time to start a war and win?
The success he had in invasion of countries and the fact that he believed Britain and France to be spineless and weak as they had not stopped him doing any of his previous actions.
What ideological divides were there by the end of the First World War?
•Communist Russia and Capitalist West- Russia set up Comintern, communist party membership rose in the West and governments saw communism as a real threat, Western powers helped 'Whites' to fight communist 'Reds' in the Russian Civil War (1917-20)
•Three countries became dictatorships (Germany, Italy and Japan)- as dictatorships became more powerful and aggressive, Western democracies began to see them as dangerous
What was the League of Nations set up to do?
To resolve disputes between member countries.
All of the countries that signed the peace treaties ending the war had to agree to join the league. Its members agreed to take disputes to the League and accept its ruling rather than go to war.
The League could act against a country that did not accept its ruling- economically or militarily.
It also ran a series of disarmament conferences to negotiate gradual disarming of all member states.
How was the League of Nations membership a weakness?
•not all nations were part of the league which made it weak as a worldwide organisation, as non-League countries did not have to work with it •Countries that had fought the allies were not asked to join, nor was Russia •Germany was asking to join the League in 1925 when it signed the Treaty of Locarno agreeing to accept the boundaries set in the ToV •US Congress refused to join, despite the fact that President Wilson had been the driving force behind the League's creation
How was Bureaucracy of the LoN a weakness?
•slow to make decisions •members seldom agreed to economic sanctions, let alone military force •needed the agreement of a significant majority of members, sometimes all of them, in order to act
How was enforcement in the LoN a weakness?
•it did not have its own army member countries had to agree to supply troops which most were reluctant to do so •its failure to act quickly and use force made it seem increasingly weak •most nations naturally act in their own self interest and when it became clear that the League was not able to enforce decisions, there was less and less need to obey a ruling that was not in a country's self interest
What major disputes involved the LoN after 1931?
•16th September 1931- The Mukden Incident led to Japanese takeover of Manchuria which it ran as satellite called Manchukuo from 1932, league protested by Japan ignored protests and withdrew from the league in 1933 •3rd October 1935- Italy invaded Abyssinia after dispute that was taken to the LoN in December 1934, 7th December LoN demanded that Italy left Italy did not leave, 9th December League imposed partial economic sanctions, news leaked that Italy, Britain and France had a secret meeting and signed the Hoare-Laval Pact which gave 2/3rds of Abyssinia to Italy, by 1936 Italy had all of Abyssinia League had done nothing and 2 of its most powerful members had worked outside the League to agree on Italy's takeover •1936- Spanish Civil War- Spain supported League but civil war not aggression from another country, League wavered. Germany and Italy accepted Franco as the new leader of Spain. In December, League told them not to intervene it did not intervene itself. May 1937 clear proof of Italian troops on Spanish soil but League still did nothing •1937- China and Japan disputed territory, League joined with other nations including USA in condemning Japan's invasion neither country was league member and it had no effect •30th November 1939- USSR invaded Finland, The League intervened, urging the USSR to withdraw. It did not withdraw. USSR expelled from League
What was the USSR's involvement like with the League of Nations?
•1919, Western powers did not accept Russia's communist government so it was not invited to join the league •Russia dismissive of league until 1934, when worried by the way Germany and Japan spoke about communism, it decided it needed allies and asked to join •Majoirty of League members allowed USSR to join •USSR and western powers were too suspicious of each other while smaller states in Easter Europe concerned that USSR wanted to take them over •situation more difficult after 1936 with Stalin's purges and increasingly dictatorial behaviour and USSR's involvement in Spanish Civil War (36-39) •Both Britain and France tried to negotiate independently of the League to end USSR's involvement in war •result was that USSR became another country that saw league as too weak to intervene in politics •It did not leave the league however •Nazi-Soviet Pact of 1939 put strain on relations between USSR and League •when USSR invaded Finland on 30th October, League met to discuss situation and USSR asked to leave the League on 14th December 1939
What non-aggression pacts were made in the 1930s?
•1932- France and USSR •1932- Finland, Latvia, Estonia and Poland, separately with USSR •1933- Italy and USSR •1934- Germany and Poland •1935- Czechoslovakia and USSR •1935- France and USSR •1935- Czechoslovakia and Germany •1939- Denmark and Germany •1939- Latvia and Germany
What vague 'friendly agreements were made in the 1930s?
•April 1935- at Stresa: Italy, France and Britain •June 1935- Britain and German Naval Agreement •November 1936- Rome-Berlin Axis Italian Foreign policy
When was the Nazi Soviet pact made?
1939
What was Britain's position before the war? How did they influence the move towards war?
•Britain had an empire and a worldwide focus •1920s it had made no alliances and relations with France cooled •Britain's attitude to Germany until 1939 was to avaid an alliance and pursue appeasement •genuine desire by politicians and public not to go to war because war would cause problems with colonies and trade •Government was doubtful that after the losses of the First World War its colonies would want to join another war •1938, both Australia and South Africa made it clear that they would not go to war against Germany •Britain faced colonial unrest and pressure for greater independence from colonies such as India and Egypt •political and public opinion hardened after news of Kristallnacht in 1938 and Hitler's invasion of the rest of Czechoslovakia in 1939 •Britain prepared for war, while still hoping for peace •Poland was line in the sand •Appeasement contributed to the war because it encouraged Germany, Italy and Japan to seize more territory
What was France's position before the war? How did they influence the move towards war?
•France's attitude to Germany until 1939 was one of resentment and anger because of Germany's failure to meet the terms of the ToV •one French attempt at imposing its will on Germany by force with invasion of the Ruhr in 1923 had ended in failure •France turned to appeasement •France had very real fear of German invasion which showed itself most openly in the Maginot Line defences on its border with Germany and desire to make European alliances •Now with Britain cooling and Russia a communist country, France felt isolated and made variety of alliances with new European states such as Czechoslovakia •made increasingly binding agreements with USSR after 1932, such as 1935 pact •France lost 1/4 of its men between ages of 18-27 in WW1 •quality of army and equipment was variable •France developed strong communist and fascist parties- political turmoil •government changed 11 times between 1932-1935 •France's appeasement policy increased Hitler's confidence in his Eastern European aggression
What was Italy's position before the war? How did they influence the move towards war?
•Italy and Germany dissatisfied with ToV- both shared anti-communist outlook and belief in autarky, strong government and military force •mutual interest in Austrian border was an issue- Austrian Nazis tried to takeover in 1934, Italian troops quickly moved to the border and made them back down •Hitler gave up all claims on South Tyrol area of Austria to encourage and alliance •Italy and Germany both helped Franco's fascists in Spanish Civil War •Mussolini and Hitler found it hard to trust eachother •Hitler refused military aid when Mussolini invaded Abyssinia e.g. by saying his army was not ready, Mussolini did the same when Hitler was about to invade Czechoslovakia in 1938 •even when united in Pact of Steel, they kept some war plans a secret e.g. Italy's invasion of Albania in 1939 and Hitler's invasion of the rest of Czechoslovakia and Poland in 1939 •when war began in 1939, Mussolini told Hitler that he expected a war in 1942 and could not join at once •until France fell in 1940, Hitler was still in contact with Britain hoping to make an alliance and change sides •once France fell, Germany seemed the stronger power and Italy joined war on their side- Pact of Steel encouraged
What was the USSR's position before the war? How did they influence the move towards war?
•USSR isolated in Europe by its communist ideology •USSR open to attack from both east and west •Stalin wanted to build up USSR's industry, agriculture and army to the point where the country was self-sufficient and safe from attack wanted to avoid war •reacted to Nazi-Polish non aggression pact by joining the LoN and supporting existing Spanish government •USSR suggested variety of pacts and alliances to Western powers •France agreed to some, Britain dragged its heels not wanting a communist ally •Stalin was humiliated not to be asked to join the Munich Conference in 1938 but even after that held talks with Western powers BUT he also held talks with Germany •July-August 1938, USSR was fighting with Japan on its eastern border •USSR more likely to reach an agreement with Germany, otherwise it might have to fight Germany and Japan on two fronts
What was the USA's position before the war? How did they influence the move towards war?
•1920s and 1930s USA followed a policy of isolationism and also of disarmament •by 1938, its army was smaller than Belgium's •USA was neutral over Abyssinian crisis and Spanish Civil War •exported arms to Italy and Germany who were supplying arms to Franco •USA did try to set up various meetings in 1930s to try and work for world peace •did try to intervene to persuade Hitler to withdraw from Czechoslovakia in 1938 •the fact that USA openly said it would not go to war with Europe and produced a permanent Neutrality Act in 1937 to underline it, encouraged Hitler to go to war
What was Japan's position before the war? How did they influence a move towards war?
•Japan, like Italy was on the winning side in the First World War and joined League of Nations •dissatisfied with results of the treaties that ended the war and with its treatment in the league, where it was not treated as an equal by other allies •1931, Japan provoked China to war with the Mukden incident •over the next year it took much of Manchuria and some of northern China creating a new state, Manchukuo which it said was independent of China, Japan or USSR but Japan chose Manchukuo's leader •only Germany and Italy recognised new state •League ruled against Jpan in 1933 •Japan left League and formed uneasy alliances with Italy and Germany •Germany was encouraged by the alliance in its aggressive policies because Japan was an enemy of the USSR and it was useful for Germany to have an ally geographically on the other side of the USSR •if USA decided to enter war, Japan would be able to act against the USA in the Far East •Navi-Soviet pact came as a shock to Japan, but by that time, Italy and Germany were the only allies it had
What other influences affected the move towards war?
•World Economy- Depression after 1929 Wall Street Crash which led to political turmoil and extreme parties to take power •depression meant countries were more inward looking, they traded less, they could not afford to buy as much and sold less as other countries were in the same position
Note 
Flashcard (21)