Studied by 15 people
The Washington Naval Conference 1921-1922
most successful disarmament conference however successes were limited and temporary
naval armament ratio of 5:5:3 agreed to for US:UK:Japan
Four Power Treaty 1921
signed at the Washington Conference 1921-1922
involved the UK, US, France and Japan
they agreed to defend each other in the event of an attack
agreed on all their rights to their possessions in Asia
replaced the 1902 Anglo-Japanese Treaty, change benefitted the US
Nine Power Treaty 1922
last Treaty signed at the Washington Conference
US, UK, Japan, France, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Portugal, China
signatories would respect the territorial integrity of China
recognised Japanese dominance in Manchuria but that all nations had interests in doing business in China
collapsed in 1931 when Japan invaded Manchuria
Geneva Disarmament Conference 1932-1934
organised by the League of Nations and attended by over 60 nations
Germany demanded ‘equality of status’ — Hitler would disarm if all nations disarmed, contradictory to the Treaty of Versailles
tensions with France led Germany to leave the Conference and League of Nations in October 1933
Britain convinced Germany to return to Geneva by proposing that Germany and France should both have armies of 200,000 but Germany’s Air Force should be half the size of France’s
‘the Stress Front’ 1935
after Geneva Hitler reintroduced conscription and re-established the Luftwaffe
by 1935 Germany had an army of 800,000, 2000 aeroplanes and 47 U-boats
Britain, France and Italy met at Stresa to discuss Germany’s defiance of the agreement at Geneva
formed the ‘Stress Front’ which was a treaty of mutual assistance to protect peace in Europe
London Naval Conference 1930
US, UK, France, Italy & Japan met to revise the Washington Conference agreements
naval armament ratio changed to 10:10:7 for US:UK:Japan
France and Italy continued the ban on building ships for an additional 5 years
Treaty signed remained in place until 1936
Weakness of the League of Nations
did not include the US and USSR
had to co-exist with the Conference of Ambassadors (Britain, France, Italy & Japan), which was sometimes more powerful
dominated by Britain and France who did not agree on whether the League should be used to enforce the Paris peace treaties
Attempt at Anschluss 1934
Hitler signed a 10 year non-aggression pact with Poland in January 1934 to appear peaceful
then encouraged Nazis in Austria to stage an uprising, they assassinated Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss who wanted Austria to retain its independence
Hitler backed down when Mussolini sent 100,000 troops to the Austrian frontier
Return of the Saarland 1935
Treaty of Versailles put the Saarland under the League’s control for 15 years
anti-Nazis fled to the Saarland after 1933
Nazis in the Saarland believed it should belong to Germany again, formed a ‘German Front’ with the Catholics & were helped by the Gestapo
Nazi Saarlanders threatened to impose Nazi rule, stopped when Britain offered to send soldiers there to keep peace
vote held on January 15 1935, 90.3% voted to return to Germany
Judges from Italy and Holland, US history professor oversaw the plebiscite and deemed it fair
necessary first step on Hitlers Road to War
Reoccupation of the Rhineland 1936
encouraged after regaining the Saarland, Hitler sent German troops into the demilitarised zone of the Rhineland
breached the Treaty of Versailles and Locarno Pact
Britain did not see the re-occupation as important
gave him confidence to be more aggressive
German rearmament 1936-1937
Hitler instructed Goring to have the German army operational and economy fit for war within 4 years in October 1936
On November 5 1937 Hitler led a meeting with his military chiefs outlining his plan to acquire Lebensraum
Support of General Franco in the Spanish Civil War 1936-1939
initially the Great Powers agreed to stay out of the war
Hitler and Mussolini sent troops to help the Nationalists
Britain, France & the USA stayed neutral
in 1937 the Spanish city of Guernica was heavily bombed by German planes
Pacts & Axes with Italy and Japan 1936-1937
Hitler described Mussolini as the ‘leading statement in the world’ and the two were further aligned via the Spanish Civil War
Rome-Berlin Axis signed in 1936
Japan and Germany signed the Anti-Comintern Pact in 1936 which threatened the USSR from the east and west
in 1937 Mussolini joined the Anti-Comintern Pact leading to the formation of the Rome-Tokyo-Berlin Axis 1937
Anschluss with Austria 1938
on 12 February 1938 Hitler attempted to force Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg to give Austrian Nazis a large share in government
Schuschnigg called for Austrian’s to vote on whether they want to retain their independence, led to his resignation
replaced by Nazi leader Seyss-Inquart
Austria received no international support
German troops entered Austria on 13 March 1938 and Anschluss was declared
Sudetenland demands for independence 1938
successor state formed at the Paris Peace Conference, 3.5 million Germans lived in the Sudetenland which bordered Germany and was rich in resources
in April 1938 the Sudeten German Party began riots and demands for independence in the Sudetenland
Chamberlain & French PM Daladier, then Mussolini urged the Czechs to preserve peace
Czech Premier Benes agreed to self governance for the Sudetenland on 5 September
Hitler told the Sudetenland Nazis to reject self governance
Munich Conference 1938
high point of appeasement
last minute meeting on 29 September 1938 on Mussolini’s request
Mussolini, Chamberlain, Daladier & Hitler met to decide the faith of Czechoslovakia
decided that Czechoslovakia should give Germany the Sudetenland
Czechs were forced to give in
Invasion of Czechoslovakia 1938
German troops entered the Sudetenland on October 1 1938, faced no opposition
By 15 March Germany had taken Bohemia and Moravia
Poland and Hungary took land
Slovakia was made an independent state under German protection
appeasement destroyed the Czechs
British and French appeasement was over by the end of 1938
‘Pact of Steel’ & Nazi-Soviet Pact 1939
Hitler & Mussolini signed the ‘Pact of Steel’ in May 1939
Did not want to fight on two fronts
Hitler took advantage of Stalin’s suspicion of Britain and France
Hitler and Stalin agreed not to attack each other, would divide Poland between them
Pact revealed to the world in August 1939
Stalin knew Germany would eventually attack the USSR
Invasion of Poland 1939
Hitler sought the ‘Polish Corridor’ and Free City of Danzig which were created by the Treaty of Versailles, end East Prussia’s isolation
On March 31 Britain and France pledged to support Poland if it was attacked
In March Hitler ordered his army to be ready to invade from September 1
Hitler moved troops into Poland in September 1939
Outbreak of World War II 1939
On September 3, two days after the invasion of Poland, Britain and France declared war on Germany
Meant the war would involve German military actions on its eastern and western fronts
Orthodox view, also called the Intentionalist School
assumption of the Nuremberg Trials was that Hitler planned the war before coming to power, Mein Kampf used as evidence
first criticised by A.J.P Taylor
Revisionist-structuralist view
rejects the idea that Hitler had firm control of foreign affairs and a master plan
Hitler improvised his foreign policy
Historian A Bullock
connection between Mein Kampf and Hitler’s later foreign policy direction
concedes that Hitler used opportunism as a tactic in the short term
Historians G Weinberg and M Hauner
Hitler had a personal direction in foreign policy thus strong control over it
Hitler did not let competing views or factions disrupt his foreign policy direction
Historians A Hillgruber and K Hilderbrand
Hitler was following a careful plan for world domination
Hitler intended to go beyond Europe in his conquest which would culminate in a war against the USA
Historian K D Bracher
Hitler’s foreign policy was spontaneous and based on internal problems and external opportunities
Historian T Mason
Hitler’s foreign policy was limited by economic problems in the 1930s
more confused than planned
Hitler used foreign policy to try escape Germany’s economic problems
