International Relations 2.22 - International response to German, Italian and Japanese aggression

When did Hitler march into the Rhineland?

7th March 1936

Why was the remilitarisation of the Rhineland a gamble for Hitler?

His troops had been given the command to retreat if the French sent troops to oppose them. Had France sent soldiers, Germany’s retreat would have been humiliating.

What was Hitler’s excuse for the remilitarisation of the Rhineland?

The Treaty of Mutual Assistance between France and Russia threatened German security.

What was Britain’s response to the remilitarisation of the Rhineland?

They did nothing, one politician claiming that Hitler was only ‘walking into his own back garden’.

What was France’s response to the remilitarisation of the Rhineland?

The government was deeply troubled, but was unable to take action.

Why did France not respond to the remilitarisation of the Rhineland?

• The government was deeply divided and on the lead-up to a general election. Neither side wanted to advocate intervention in cae it lost them votes.

• French generals overestimated the size of the German army and did not want to risk a skirmish.

• They felt unable to act without the British.

What was the Maginot Line?

The heavy line of defences that covered France’s Eastern border with Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg.

Outline France’s military policy from 1936

It became more defensive

When did Belgium declare its neutrality?

1937

When did the USSR join the League of Nations?

September 1934

Which country was the only one to openly protest Germany’s marching into the Rhineland?

The USSR

When did Hitler attempt Anschluss for a second time?

March 1938

When did Hitler meet with the Austrian PM to discuss the situation in Austria?

February 1938

Who became PM of Austria in 1934, and what were his politics like?

Kurt Schuschnigg. He was right-wing, but anti-Nazi.

How did Schuschnigg deal with Nazi lobbies for Anschluss in Austria?

He ordered a plebiscite on 13th March, believing that most Austrians would vote to remain independent.

How did Hitler respond to the suggestion of a plebiscite in 1938?

Hitler demanded an invasion of Austria should the plebiscite go ahead. Schuschnigg agreed on a compromise: he would resign and be replaced by the Nazi fanatical, Seyss-Inquart, who immediately sent an invitation for Hitler to send troops into Austria to ‘restore order’.

When did Hitler march into Austria?

14th March 1938

Why did Britain not do anything about Anschluss?

Halifax, the foreign minister, sympathised with Germany’s ambitions to expand, and was impressed with their recovery after the depression. Furthermore, he saw them as a valuable buffer zone against the Bolsheviks, and saw no issue with Hitler as long as he carried out his aims peacefully.

Why did France not do anything about Anschluss?

They were in the midst of a political crisis and did not have a leader while it was going down.

Why did Italy not do anything about Anschluss?

Mussolini had aligned himself with Hitler in previous treaties, and was also preoccupied with the Abyssinian invasion and the Spanish Civil War. Though the annexation worried him, there was realistically nothing he could do.

When was the Spanish Civil War?

1936-9

What was the conflict at the heart of the Spanish Civil War?

Right wing nationalists rebelled against the Republican left-wing government.

Who won the Spanish Civil War, and how?

The Nationalists, dud to the intervention of Germany and Italy.

Who was the nationalist leader of Spain?

Franco

Why did Hitler and Mussolini readily help the nationalists in the Spanish Civil War?

• Their ideologies aligned well, particular;y their commitments to crushing communism.

• It was a useful ‘testing ground’ for new military weapons, and for Hitler to use the Luftwaffe in action.

• It provided an opportunity for new alliances: Hitler saw Italy as a more natural ally than Britain or France, and Mussolini was tempted by the possibility of fascist expansionism supported by Hitler.

How did Western democracies respond to the Spanish Civil War?

They didn’t.

How many planes and soldiers did Germany provide to Spanish Nationalists?

100 planes, 12,000 soldiers.

When and what was the Non Intervention Committee?

An agreement of 24 nations - including Italy and Germany - not to get involved in the Spanish Civil War.

What was the International Brigade?

Am amateur brigade of ley wing sympathisers from European countries who went to Spain to fight against the nationalists, often against the express wishes of their home governments.

Why was Stalin reluctant to help the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War?

It was difficult to get supplies to Spain from Russia, and Stalin did not want to leave his Western border open to German aggression.

When did Mussolini invade Albania?

1939

What and what were the treaties of Tirana?

1924 and 1926; treaties between Italy and Albania that gradually increased Italian influence in the region.

Why did Mussolini invade Albania?

King Zog of Albania refused to renew the Treaties of Tirana in 1931, but Mussolini was unable to respond at that time. In March 1939, he sent Zog an ultimatum, demanding that Italy should be allowed to annex Albania. On 6th March, Zog broadcast his resistance, and Mussolini invaded the next day.

What happened in the aftermath of the invasion of Albania?

Zog was deposed and the throne was given to Victor Emmanuel of Italy.

Why was there no direct international opposition to the invasion of Albania?

Because everyone was preoccupied with Hitler’s invasion of Czechoslovakia

What did Britain and France do in response to the Albanian invasion?

They extended the Polish guarantee to Greece and Romania on 13th April.

When was War in China?

1937-41

How did all-out war between Japan and China break out?

An exchange of fire on the Marco Polo bridge escalated to a full-scale Japanese invasion into Beijing.

When and what was the ‘Rape of Nanjing’?

December 1937; the brutal conquest of Nanjing, in which 250,000 Chinese civilian and soldiers were murdered, and far more brutalised.

How did the Western democracies respond to war in China?

They sent financial aid to the Chinese resistance

How did the USSR respond to war in China?

they signed a non aggression pact with the chinese and sent aircraft to help them resist the Japanese.

When and what was the Berlin Agreement?

1936; the formal alliance of the Axis powers.

When and what was the Anti-Comintern Pact?

November 1936 and November 1937; Germany and Japan allied against communism.

What was the Western reaction to the Anti-Comintern Pact?

They did nit respond, as they were also ideologically opposed to communism.

When and what was the ‘Pact of Steel’?

1939; The formalisation of the Axis witgh military backing on both sides.