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The Year Treaty of Versailles was Signed
signed in June 1919, formally ending World War I
Who’s excluded in TOV
Germany and its allies were excluded from the Treaty of Versailles negotiations, facing significant reparations and territorial losses.
& Soviet Union & Japan
War Guilt Clause
The clause in the Treaty of Versailles that assigned full blame for World War I to Germany, leading to heavy reparations and territorial concessions.
Germany’s punishments
The severe consequences includes reparations (132m gold marks), territorial losses (13% of territory), and military restrictions, and Rhineland demilitarised & occupied for 15 years as defined by the Treaty of Versailles.
Impact of TOV
significant political, economic, and social repercussions for Germany and other nations
contributing to the rise of extremism
Humiliation and resentment in Germany skyrocketed and fuelled nationalist movements (Hitler), creating fertile ground for radical politics (Nazism)
Policy of Appeasement
A diplomatic strategy aimed at avoiding conflict by making concessions to an aggressive power, specifically associated with Britain and France toward Nazi Germany in the 1930s.
Key event during the Policy of Appeasement
Munich Agreement of 1938 → Chamberlain allowed Hitler to take Sudetenland (Czechoslovakia) without Czech consent, in exchange for promise of no war (which he broke later on).
Reasons for the Policy of Appeasement
to prevent another large-scale war
to buy time for Britain’s military rearmament
to maintain peace in Europe
Hitler’s TOV complaints seemed fair
Strong Germany could act as a barrier against communism
economic hardship post-depression
Results of the Policy of Appeasement
both sides gained a year for rearmament & Hitler got stronger
Czechoslovakia weakened (lost land)
Hitler saw Britain & France as weak
USSR lost faith in Britain & France → later signed Nazi-Soviet Pact
Year of The Great Depression
1929 onwards
Impacts of the Great Depression
Reparations & Depression crippled Germany’s economy
Hyperinflation (1923) destroyed savings & stock market crash
Unemployment skyrocketed
Radical right-wing groups (Nazi Party) gained support by promising to overturn TOV and restore power (people lost faith in the Weimar Government)
Hitler used the crisis to gain power and promised: to end the TOV, rebuild Germany & restore national pride
Year of the Remilitarisation of Rhineland
1936
Features of the Rise of Fascism in Germany
Dictatorship under a central leader
Extreme nationalism
Total government control
Focus on military strength
Hitler promised to restore Germany’s power and pride
Suppressed opposition (silenced/eliminated anyone who disagreed) to maintain national “brotherhood” — unity
Nazi Ideology
survival of the strongest
anti-communism (linked to his hatred towards Jews)
aryan racial superiority
gain Lebensraum → expand into non-Aryan lands
Rise of the Nazi Party
1923 – Munich Putsch; Hitler jailed, writes Mein Kampf
1933 – Hitler becomes Chancellor → Fuhrer (1934)
1936 – Remilitarisation of Rhineland
1938 – Anschluss with Austria; Sudetenland annexed
1939 – Invasion of Czechoslovakia
List all the Long Term Causes
Treaty of Versailles
The Great Depression
Policy of Appeasement
The Rise of Fascism in Germany
Rise of the Nazi Party
Expansionism (Japanese & Germany)
Expansionism of Japan
Empire building (Manchuria, Taiwan, Korea)
1931 – Invaded Manchuria
1937 – War with China
1941 – Attacked Pearl Harbor → Pacific War
Expansionism in Germany
Lebensraum policy (eastern territorial expansion for more space and resources)
destroy TOV, unite all Germans
List of all the Short-Term Causes
Hitler’s Foreign Policy Goals (undo TOV, unite Germans, expand east, destroy communism)
Rearmament
Lebensraum
Invasion of Poland (1939)
Japanese Invasion of Manchuria (1931 & 1937)
Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact (Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact) (1939)
Hitler’s Foreign Policy Goals
destroy TOV
unite German-speaking people
expand east (Lebensraum)
destroy communism
Rearmament of Germany
began secretly after 1933; openly in 1935
army went over 500,000
Lebensraum
Justification for eastern expansion; land taken from non-Aryans
Invasion of Poland
by Germany, 1 Sept 1939
Triggered Britain & France to declare war 2 days later (final straw)
Japanese Invasion of Manchuria (1931-32 & 1937)
1931: railway sabotage excuse → japanese takeover
1932: attacked Shanghai; league of nations orders withdrawal but Japan leaves League
1937: Japan invades China fully
shows the League failed and is too weak to enforce its rules → encourages other aggressive powers (Italy & Germany)
Nazi-Soviet Non-Agression Pact (Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact)
1939
Germany & USSR (Soviet union) not to attack each other for 10 years
Secret protocol to divide Poland between them
The USSR would also take Estonia, Latvia, and Bessarabia
Operation Barbarossa — Invasion of Russia
June 1941
Location: USSR — Eastern Front
Cause: Hitler aimed to destroy communism, gain Lebensraum, and secure resources (oil, grain)
Significance: Initially successful, but the German advance stalled due to harsh winter and Soviet resistance
Germany now faced a two-front war (against the USSR in the east and the Allies in the west
weakened Germany’s position & a major shift in momentum
failed
Seige of Tobruk
April-Dec 1941
Location: Tobruk, Libya (North Africa)
Cause: Strategic port needed to control supply routes in North Africa
Holding Tobruk allowed the Allies to have access to food, weapons, fuel, and equipment to keep fighting, while denying them to the Axis
Significance: “Rats of Tobruk” (Australian troops) held out against German/Italian forces; delayed Axis advance in North Africa.
Attack on Pearl Harbour
Dec 1941
Location: Pearl Harbour, Hawaii (US Naval Base)
Cause: Japan sought to wipeout US Pacific Fleet to prevent interference with its planned expansion in Asia
Significance: Destroyed/damaged US fleet, brought the US into WW2, including the Pacific War
Kokoda Campaign
July-Nov 1942
Location: Kokoda Track, Papua New Guinea
Cause: Japan sought to capture Port Moresby to threaten Australia and control supply lines in the Pacific
Significance: harsh jungle fighting; Australian victory stopped Japanese southward advance; boosted national morale
Bombing of Darwin (Attacks on Australia)
Feb 1942 + raids till 1943
Location: Darwin & Northern Australia
Cause: Japan aimed to disrupt Allied supply lines & weaken northern defences
Significance: Largest attack on Australia; caused fear of invasion; strengthened defence measures and military presence
Dropping of the Atomic Bomb of Japan
Date: Hiroshima (6 Aug 1945); Nagasaki (9 Aug 1945)
Location: Japan
Cause: US sought to force Japan’s unconditional surrender and avoid costly land invasion
Significance: Immediate devastation & massive casualties; Japan surrendered 15 Aug 1945; beginning of nuclear era
Pacific Theatre of War
1941-45
Location: Pacific islands, Southeast Asia, North Australia
Cause: Japanese expansion across the Pacific; Allied counter-offensive (including USA, Australia, Britain, etc) who fought back
Significance:
Major campaigns (Coral Sea, Midway, Guadalcanal, Kokoda): Key battles where the Allies slowed or defeated Japan.
Island-hopping strategy: Instead of attacking every Japanese-held island, the Allies targeted strategic islands, skipping others, to get closer to Japan efficiently.
Japan defeated.
Impacts of War on the Australian Homefront
Cause: Total war effort required mobilisation of all sectors of society
Government introduced conscription, censorship, rationing & manpower regulations
Conscription – compulsory military or war work.
Censorship – controlled news to protect morale.
Rationing – limited goods for civilians.
Manpower regulations – redirected workers to war industries.
Civilians faced shortages; increased war production
Women entered the workforce & auxiliary services in large numbers
Roles in Women in Australia
Location: Australia and overseas in military and support roles.
Cause: With many men enlisted, there were labour shortages, and the war required support from all sectors of society.
Significance:
Joined AWAS, WRANS, WAAAF and other services.
Took on industrial, agricultural, and clerical jobs.
Shifted perceptions of women’s capabilities (challenged traditional gender roles), though many many women left these roles as men returned from military service.
Role of Indigenous Australians in War
Location: Served within Australia, across the Pacific, and in overseas services
Cause: Volunteered despite discrimination; some conscripted in certain roles
Significance: Contribute in
Infantry → fought alongside other Australian soldiers in frontline roles
labour units → Worked in essential construction, logistics, and supply roles.
coastwatchers → Watched enemy movements and providing vital intelligence.
contributions often unrecognised, limited post-war benefits compared to non-Indigenous veterans
Propaganda
public advertisements or information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote a political cause or point of view.
Crucial to Hitler’s rise to and cementing of power in 1930s
Common objectives of Propaganda
Unify the people of a country to support a war – eliminate any opposition
Convince people to save resources like food, oil, steel – necessary to fight a war
Recruit soldiers
To persuade people to participate in home-front organizations to support the war effort
Persuasive Techniques used in Propagandas
Demonisation: convinces people to hate the enemy by depicting them as evil
Name Calling: uses loaded labels to encourage hatred of the enemy (e.g. Japs, Huns to reinforce stereotypes)
Patriotic Symbols: used to promote nationalism within a country
E.g. French (tricolor hat); Americans (statue of liberty/an eagle); Britain (Union Jack/Bulldog); Germany (moustaches, spiked helmet, grey uniform)
Catchy Slogan: uses memorable phrases to encourage support for the war
Appeal to Fear: builds support by creating fear in population