IB History HL Test Review - Move to Global War (German and Italian Expansionism)

What belief regarding the nature of war drove Italy to assert itself as a dominant power in Europe and Africa?

The belief that war was a tool of natural regeneration and power.

When did Italy begin its expansionist pursuits?

The 1920s and 1930s.

What were Italy’s first two targets of expansionism?

Corfu, a Greek island, and Libya.

When did Italy intervene in Corfu?

1923

What country was the victim of Italy’s most significant invasion?

Ethiopia

When did Italy invade Ethiopia?

October 1935.

What consequences did Italy face as a result of its expansionism in Africa from the League of Nations?

Condemnation and sanctions.

What were the effects to Italy’s political alignment following the League of Nations’ response to its African expansionism?

Italy was pushed towards fascist Germany.

What fueled Mussolini’s admiration of Hitler?

Hitler’s success in rearming Germany following the Treaty of Versailles, and his desire to form a strong fascist axis in Europe.

What was the first name of Italy and Germany’s cooperation with each other?

The Rome-Berlin Axis.

When was the Rome-Berlin Axis formed?

October 1936.

What did Italy’s foreign policy increasingly align with following the establishment of the Rome-Berlin Axis?

Nazi goals.

What war did Italy involve itself in following its realignment with Nazi ideology?

The Spanish Civil War, supporting the authoritarian leader Francisco Franco.

What two agreements did Italy eventually join in the late 1930s?

The Anti-Comintern Pact and the Tripartite Pact.

What did fascism glorify?

Violence and authoritarian control.

What did Italy prioritize over diplomacy following its realignment with fascism?

Prestige and military aggression.

When did Italy enter WWII?

June 1940

Was Italy prepared to enter WWII?

No. They lacked the military capability and thought they could achieve territorial conquest with little effort.

What were the three primary pillars of the Nazi ideology?

Racial (Aryan) superiority, anti-Communism, and territorial conquest.

What were four of Germany’s most notable events under Nazi leadership?

Its removal from the League of Nations in 1933, the remilitarization of the Rhineland in 1936, the annexation of Austria in 1938, and its invasion of Poland and Czechoslovakia.

What was Italy’s economy struggling with post-WWI?

High unemployment and inflation.

What did Mussolini use foreign policy to do domestically?

Distract from internal problems and stimulate economic growth and national pride.

How did Italy frame its invasion of Abyssinia (Ethiopia)?

As a way to revive the Roman Empire and boost the country.

What were two of the primary influences on Germany’s rise to fascism?

The Great Depression and the Treaty of Versailles.

What did Hitler and the Nazi Party promise by capitalizing on economic despair?

Revival by rearmament, autarky, and territorial expansion.

What did German foreign policy focus on?

Reversal of the Treaty of Versailles, securing resources and land, and creating economic opportunities.

What was the German term for “living space”?

Lebensraum

What was Germany’s aggressive foreign policy deeply intertwined with domestically?

Its need to secure land, resources, and national strength.

Did diplomatic alignments dramatically change post-WWI?

Yes

Who was Italy initially aligned with?

Britain and France.

What did Britain and France opt to pursue as a result of the formation of the Axis Powers?

Appeasement

What was one of the primary displays of Axis appeasement?

The Munich Agreement.

What was the Munich Agreement?

A pact between Germany, France, Britain, and Italy that allowed Germany to annex the Sudetenland.

What was the Sudetenland?

A region of Czechoslovakia that had a predominantly Germany population.

Why did Britain and France willingly allow Hitler to annex the Sudetenland?

Because they wanted to satisfy his desire for territorial expansion and avoid war over territory.

What shocking pact did Germany enter into following the Munich Agreement?

The Nazi-Soviet Pact.

What was the Nazi-Soviet Pact?

A non-aggression treaty between ideological enemies that divided Eastern Europe between Germany and the Soviet Union.

When was the Nazi-Soviet Pact formed?

August 1939

When was the Munich Agreement formed?

September 1938

What were two major effects of the Nazi-Soviet Pact?

The invasion Poland and the outbreak of WWII.

Was the League of Nations effective?

No. It had no ability to enforce its principles.

What power never joined the League of Nations?

The United States.

What powers withdrew from the League of Nations before/during/after WWII?

Japan, Germany, and Italy.

What did the policy of appeasement undermine?

Collective security.

What were three things the policy of appeasement was driven by?

The trauma of WWI, the Great Depression, and the belief that some of Hitler’s grievances regarding the Treaty of Versailles were legitimate.

What belief did appeasement instill in Hitler and the Nazi regime?

That Western democracies would not stop his expansion.

Was appeasement a failure or a success?

A failure.

When did Hitler withdraw from the League of Nations?

October 1933

What did Hitler reintroduce into German society?

Conscription and military expansion.

When did Hitler reintroduce conscription?

March 1935

Shortly after his reintroduction of conscription, what area did Hitler remilitarize?

The Rhineland.

What was the Rhineland?

A region along the Rhine River bordering France that was demilitarized post-WWI.

What did the remilitarization of the Rhineland defy?

The Treaty of Versailles.

Why was the Rhineland important enough to remilitarize?

Because of its strategic geographical position.

When was the Rhineland remilitarized?

March 1936

What was Hitler’s excuse for the seizure of the Sudetenland?

He claimed it was to protect the ethnic Germans in the region.

Did Hitler face substantial resistance from Britain and France during his early challenges to post-WWI settlements?

No

When did Hitler’s main challenges to post-war settlements occur?

1933-1938.

Was Abyssinia (Ethiopia) an independent, sovereign state at the time of its invasion by Italy?

Yes

Why was the League of Nations’ response to the invasion of Abyssinia disappointing?

Because Abyssinia was a member of the League of Nations.

What other valuable region did Mussolini invade, apart from Abyssinia?

Albania

When did Mussolini invade Albania?

April 1939

What set Italy’s invasion of Albania apart from the campaign in Abyssinia?

Italian forces faced little military resistance, with the King of Albania fleeing to avoid conflict.

Where did Mussolini aim to assert dominance in Europe?

The Balkans.

Why did Mussolini occupy Albania, in regards to Hitler?

He wanted to keep pace with Hitler’s territorial expansion.

Why did Mussolini occupy Albania, in regards to its international reputation?

To revitalize its image as a strong empire.

What followed Italy’s occupation of Albania?

The formal annexation of Albania and a declaration of a personal union of the two states under the Italian crown.

Why were most of Italy’s military campaigns unsuccessful?

Because its military was weak and underdeveloped.

Was Italy’s declaration of war wise or disastrous?

Disastrous. Italy framed its involvement as a move to shape a new world order, but it ultimately became a costly endeavor.

How did Italy’s relationship with Germany change over the course of the war?

Italy gradually became more dependent on Germany for resources and support.

What event marked the beginning of WWII?

The invasion of Poland by Germany in September 1939.

List Germany’s territorial expansion campaigns in chronological order.

The remilitarization of the Rhineland in March 1936, the annexation of Austria in March 1938, the acquisition of the Sudetenland in March 1939, and the invasions in Denmark, Norway, France, the Low Countries, and the Balkans over the next several years.

What was the German expansion, aside from a military endeavor?

An ideological campaign that aimed to establish a racially defined empire based on Nazi ideology.

What was perhaps the most extreme aspect of Nazi ideology?

The persecution, displacement, and extermination of millions of people, particularly Jews, Roma, and Slavs.

What did Hitler have to gain from signing the Nazi-Soviet Pact?

He sought to avoid a two-front war while preparing for his invasion of Poland.

What did Stalin have to gain from signing the Nazi-Soviet Pact?

He sought time to strengthen the Soviet military and avoid immediate conflict with Germany.

What two countries declared war on Germany following its invasion of Poland?

Britain and France.

Why did Britain and France declare war on Germany following its invasion of Poland?

Because they depended on Poland’s borders and sovereignty.

What was Britain preoccupied with that led to its lack of international response to German aggression up to 1938?

Economic recovery following the Great Depression and German appeasement.

Why did France fail to intervene during Germany’s aggression up to 1938?

Because they were dealing with internal stability and would not act without Britain’s support.

What was the League of Nations’ primary response to Italy’s invasion of Abyssinia?

Economic sanctions.

Were the League of Nations’ sanctions imposed on Italy following it’s invasion of Abyssinia effective?

No. They didn’t include key materials like oil, and Britain and France were reluctant to fully enforce them.

Why were Britain and France reluctant to fully enforce the League of Nations’ sanctions on Italy?

Because they didn’t want to risk further alienating Mussolini and pushing Italy towards Germany and fascism.

What highly controversial pact, which was a secret plan to offer Italy a portion of Abyssinia in exchange for peace, was eventually abandoned due to outrage?

The 1935 Hoare-Laval Pact.

When did Germany launch successful invasions?

April and May 1940.

Where did Germany invade in April and May 1940?

Denmark and Norway.

When did Germany launch successful blitzkrieg campaigns?

May and June 1940.

Where did Germany successfully launch its blitzkrieg campaigns?

France and the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands).

When was the Battle of Britain?

July to October 1940.

What was the Battle of Britain?

An aerial campaign aimed at breaking down British resistance.

When was the fall of France?

June 1940.

Why was the fall of France in June 1940 a turning point in the war?

Because it left Britain as the sole opposition to the Axis Powers in Western Europe.

Where did Mussolini suffer failed invasion campaigns in 1940?

Egypt and Libya.