German Expansionism

What type of democracy was Germany going to try?

• Germany was going to try democracy (proportional representation) - Weimar Republic (responsible for signing into Treaty of Versailles)

  • agree that they started WW1 and agree to reparations, etc.

German Hyperinflation

cause was reparations subjected by Treaty of Versailles

• Printing money night and day

Occupation of Ruhr - 1923

France taking over German territory because they weren’t paying reparations

Dawes Plan

The United States loaned money to Germany, allowing it to stabilize its economy and make payments to Britain and France.

Young Plan - more revised version of the Dawes Plan

It lowered the total amount owed and extended the payment period to make it more manageable

Who were responsible for these plans? (Dawes and Young Plans)

The Weimar Republic / Gustav Streseman

Golden Age (1920’s)

when Germany was known as a full participant in the international world (Dawes Plan, Young Plan, Locarno)

Locarno Pact - 1925

• Germany agreed to Eastern borders with Poland, Czechoslovakia

Treaty of Rapallo - 1922

Germany and Russia are outcasts

• Sign a secret agreement: Germany is going to provide Russia with weapons and in exchange, Germany can train soldiers in Russia - Hints that there is going to be future problems

Nazi Foreign Policy

Social Darwinism (War for the Sake of War) Autarky (oil), Survival of the Fittest, Third Reich (Third German Empire)

March into Rhineland - 1936

Treaty of Versailles prohibits this, Hitler ignores this and takes back the Rhineland and hailed as heroes

Anschluss - 1938

German and Austria uniting - forbidden by Treaty of Versailles

September 1938 - Sudetenland

Germany took over this region from Czechoslovakia

Britain (Financially, Beliefs)

• financially weak because of depression and horrors of WW1 is still fresh in their minds and want to avoid another war

• Balance of power (belief in continent of Europe) they are satisfied and happy (Germany was threatening the balance of power)

• Feared the Treaty of Versailles favoured France too much and unfair to Germany (buyer’s remorse)

In essence, why didn’t Britain do anything against Germany leading to WW2?

Maintaining this power of Europe and thinking that Treaty of Versailles was unfair to Germany = why Britain didn’t address the German expansion and enforce the Treaty of Versailles

France

→ Tried to recreate the Triple Entente - Little Entente (Smaller countries)

• If Germany attacks France = smaller countries could attack Germany and vice versa

→ Gave France a false sense of security

Maginot Line

Series of fortifications around the German/French Border

What was the flaw with the Maginot Line?

→ It’s not mobile - Germans could go past it

→ Not built around the two parts: Belgium and Ardennes

→ French budget is heavily used towards Maginot Line (defenses, resources)

• Classic Mistake of preparing for a war like WW1 (Trench Warfare)

• Don’t see the point in tanks and air force

In essence, why didn’t France do anything against Germany leading to WW2?

— Took no response to German aggression because they thought the Maginot Line and Little Entente was going to work

→ Another problem with France was the Depression, economically they couldn’t keep up with Germany

Hossbach Memorandum - 1937

Nazi’s meet and was documented and secret meeting

Terms in the Hossbach Memorandum

Hitler used diplomacy to advance his goals, signing agreements he knew Germany would break, believing war was inevitable.

1936 - if France or Britain go after Germany and attack Rhineland (they dont) =

encourages Hitler to take further aggressive action. In hindsight, if France and Britain declared war now they would’ve easily beaten Germany

When German invaded Sudetenland, what did the presiodent of Czech do?

Czechoslovakia president asked for helped which led to Munich Conference and discussed the question of Sudetenland.

what was the problem with the Munich conference?

→ French President, Britain Prime Minister, Hitler, and Mussolini

→ Czechoslovakia president isn’t even invited and is in held in Munich, Germany

What did the PM of Britain believe - 1938

following a policy of appeasement. If he gave into the demands of Hitler, they can avoid war. His ultimate goal: avoid war at all cost

• Agreement that Hitler would stop any further aggression if he got Sudetenland

Hitler broke the Munich Agreement - 1939

→ Took over all of Czechoslovakia

→ continued preparations for war

• Not a celebration and instead is an occupation (foreign invasion)

What did Britain and France announce?

if Hitler invaded Poland, they would declare war on Nazi Germany

What was Hitler’s rational for invading Czechoslovakia and Poland?

he was protecting the German minority from the Czechoslovakian/Polish majority. However, his real intentions were autarky, Lebernausm, etc.

August 1939 - Nazi and Soviet Non-aggression Pact was signed

• It’s mutually beneficial for both of them

• War on two fronts = if it’s a war, Hitler is only going to be fighting France

• Stalin needs time = modernize and rebuild his army and industries

September 1, 1939

• Nazi Germany invaded Poland from the West

• USSR invaded Poland from the East

September 3rd, 1939

Britain and France declare war on Germany - WWII begins.

The worse the Great Depression…(nazis)

the more seats the Nazi’s won

Reichstag fire and Reichstag Fire Decree - Feb 1933

Gave Hitler emergency powers, gave police power against communist (bc of Hitler)

Hitler’s Enabling Act - 1933 March

• other parties outlawed, newspapers shut down, any law couldn’t be passed, workers couldn't strike

Southern France became what

Vichy France because Germany took it over to create barrier against Britain

Battle of Britain - 1940

Attempt by the British to help France against Germany/Nazis

U.S Response

Policy of Isolationism