"The Move to Global War" - Unit 2: German and Italian Expansion

Giuseppe Garibaldi

Italian patriot whose conquest of Sicily and Naples led to the formation of a unified Italian state. Regarded as a hero in Italy.

Liberal Italy

1870 - 1923; era in Italy when an attempt at democracy was made:

-lacked national identity

-breakdown between Catholic Church and state

-voting limited to wealthy elites

-heavy corruption

-working class protests

Italian Socialist Party

Leftist Party of Italy also known as the PSI:

-Promoted a less authoritarian view of communism

-murdered/kidnapped/bombed rightist groups

-Suffered from policy disputes + political scandals

Giovani Giolitti

prime minister of Italy for three terms dominating pre-war Italian politics:

-willing to work with moderate socialists to offer electoral and welfare reform

-attempted to gain religious support from churches by allowing religious education in schools

-domestic goals hindered by his support for Italian-Turkish war of 1911-12. Seized Libya from Turkey

Italian Nationalist Association

Italy's first nationalist political party founded in 1910, under the influence of Italian nationalists. Believed Italian unification was incomplete as regions Trentino and Trieste remained under Austrian rule. Later merged into the fascist party in 1923.

Futurist Movement

1909-1944 movement established by Filippo Marinetti glorifying war and criticizing liberal governments for failing to become a "Great Power", which was believed to be Italy's destiny after unification.

Triple Entente

A military alliance between Great Britain, France, and Russia in the years preceding World War I.

Triple Alliance

An alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy in the years preceding WWI.

Intervention Crisis

Crisis that developed in Italy at the start of WWI

-Italy remained neutral at first despite being part of Triple Alliance

-right-wing liberals hoped that if Italy joined the Entente (with UK, France, and Russia) that they would gain the Italian-speaking territories from Austria-Hungary. Supported by king Victor Emmanuel III

Treaty of London

1915 treaty that joined Italy into the Entente with Britain, France, and Russia

Fascism

A political system that in general promotes nationalism, strong leader/dictator, one-party government, empire building, and militarism

Treaty of St. Germain

1919 signed by Austria ending WWI. Ceded South Tyrol, Trentino, and Istria to Italy. Angered Italy who was also promised Dalmatia and Austrian colonies in the Treaty of London (also wanted Fiume port though not promised; led to Fiume affair)

Fiume Affair

1919, nationalist Gabriele D'Annunzio led 2,000 ex-soldiers to occupy Fiume port, to protest against the Italian government's agreement to hand it over to Yugoslavia.

-Expressed level of anger Italians held toward the government over the terms of the WWI peace talks.

-Italian govt. could not dislodge ex-soldiers until 1920 undermining democratic system

Bolshevik Revolution

1917 uprising in Russia led by Vladimir Lenin which established a communist government and withdrew Russia from World War I. Caused widespread fear of communism across Europe.

Two Red Years

1919-1920 period in Italy with massive unrest with Socialists attempting to catalyze revolution

March on Rome

planned march of 40,000 Fascist "Black shirts" take control of Rome. In response King Victor Emmanuel makes Mussolini the Prime Minister of Italy

Law on Powers of Head of Government

December 1925, this law gave Mussolini significant executive powers. Political parties and trade unions were banned. The press was now controlled. Local elected officials were replaced by appointed by government officials

OVRA

Mussolini's secret police that enforced his laws prohibiting speaking against the government/religion

Living Space

"lebensraum" in Germany, "spazio vitale" in Italy. Propaganda message encouraging expansion for more territories in Italy and Germany.

Autarky

Mussolini's goal of making Italy entirely self-sufficient (not depending on trade)

Productivism

vague term created by Mussolini describing increased intent to increase productivity. Mainly used as propaganda to boost idea of autarky and Cooperate State

Corporate State

Mussolini's alternative to both capitalism and socialism:

-believed neither employers nor workers would lose

-society would work together for the national good

-based on system of cooperation with all benefits of both capitalism and socialism

-kept divergent political forces from causing problems

*in practice exploited labor and was called an "elaborate fraud"

Corfu Affair

1932 Italian seizure of the Greek island of Corfu after an Italian official was killed on Greek border. Forced to withdraw by League, but was paid 50 million lire compensation from Greece

*Mussolini realized he can only bully smaller states

Pact of Rome

Signed January of 1924 between Italy and Yugoslavia; gave Fiume to Italy

Kellogg-Briand Pact

Agreement signed in 1928 in which nations agreed not to pose the threat of war against one another.

Locarno Treaties

1925, series of treaties that settled Germany's disputed borders with France, Belgium, Czech, and Poland

Kaiser Wilhelm II

Kaiser who led Germany into WWI.

Schilffen Plan

German plan to knock France out of the WWII by invading France through Belgium and Luxembourg. Failed and instead led to war of attrition

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

1918 treaty in which Russia lost substantial territory to the Germans. This ended Russian participation in the war.

General Ludendorff

Commander of German armies on the Western Front during WWI. Believed Germany was losing and would be invaded. Causes Kaiser Wilhem to abdicate and Germany to surrender hoping for less harsh terms. Angered many Germans who believed they were winning

Dolchstosslegende

The 'stab in the back' legend. The belief that spread in Germany after the First World War that the German army had not been defeated; rather it had been betrayed by various groups in German society, especially Jews.

Wilson's 14 Points

plan for world peace, divided into 3 parts consisting of 14 elements, #1-5=issues addressed to avoid war, #6-14 dealt with boundery changes

#1-13 rejected by allies

#14 founded League of Nations

Stormtroopers

ex-soldiers from WWI forming a Nazi paramilitary group led by Ernest Rohm. Led by Hitler until the start of WWII where they were purged during "the Night of Long Knives".

Kapp Putsch

1920 attempt to overthrow the Social Democratic Party (SPD) government, carried out by army officers, Freikorps members and right-wing nationalists

Lebensraum

Hitler's expansionist theory based on a drive to acquire "living space" for the Germanic people

Gross Deutschland

Key part of Hitler's policy also known as Pan-Germanism; idea of bringing all the German-speaking people into one country by uniting Germany and Austria and adding German minorities in Czechoslovakia, Poland, Luxembourg, Belgium Danzig, and France

Weimar Republic

German republic founded after the WWI and the downfall of the German Empire's monarchy and before Hitler's rise to power

Munich Putsch

1923, attempted revolt by Hitler inspired by Mussolini's March on Rome. Led 600 SA men in attempt to take over government buildings. Ended in disaster with Hitler being arrested for treason. However, ultimately made Hitler a national figure and promoted Nazism. Hitler writes Mein Kampf during his 1 year in prison.

Gustav Stresemann

German Foreign Minister who assumed leadership of government and helped recover the German economy before the Great Depression

- made French move out of the Ruhr

- halted hyperinflation with Renten mark

- negotiated Dawes plan with US, freezing German reparations for two years, scaling down repayments, and setting up loans from US

- negotiated Young Plan setting up more loans from US

*Efforts ultimately failed due to the Great Depression. This led to Hitler's rise to power

Ruhr Crisis

1923-1925 Germany announced they couldn't pay their reparations; France invades the Ruhr Valley to collect reparations

Worsens economic situation as many natural resources needed for industry were located in Ruhr Valley. Leads to Germany printing money causing hyperinflation

*Dispute settled with Dawes Plan from the US

Dawes Plan

1925 plan to revive the German economy, the United States loans Germany money which then can pay reparations to England and France, who can then pay back their loans from the U.S. This circular flow of money was a success

Reparations were also scaled down and frozen for 2 years allowing the German economy to recover first

Young Plan

1929 plan negotiated between Germany and US that cut Germany's total reparations from £6.6billion to £2 billion while offering more US loans. It also gave 59 years to pay reparations meaning Germany would be paying reparations until 1988.

Failed almost immediately due to the Wall Street Crash in 1929 starting a global Great Depression

Reichstag Fire

February 1933; the Reichstag was set on Fire. Communist Van der Lubber found inside and accused of crime. Hitler convinced President Hindenburg to suspend all civil rights for Communists, socialists, liberals, and trade unionists. Free speech is suspended, and many communists and socialists are imprisoned.

Enabling Act

Act that enabled Hitler to get rid of the Reichstag parliament and pass laws without reference to parliament

Nuremberg Laws

1935 laws defining the status of Jews and withdrawing citizenship from persons of non-Aryan blood

The Stresa Conference

1935 conference where Britain, France and Italy met to say they would unite if Germany attacked Austria and condemned German rearmament in the Four Power Pact

Four Power Pact

1933 agreement made by the United States, Britain, France, and Japan to not seek further Pacific expansion or increased naval strength in the region. The countries also agreed to respect the Pacific holdings of the other countries signing the agreement. The signatories agreed to consult each other in the event of a dispute over territorial possessions

Anschluss

Union of Austria and Germany

Stresa Front

created 1933, made up by Italy, France, and Britain to keep the status quo in Europe when Hitler decided to rearm Germany

*weak with no methods to uphold their aims

Wal Wal Incident

December 1934 a skirmish occurred at Wal Wal Oasis in Abyssinia between Italy and Abyssinian forces. 30 Italians were killed (along with more than 100 Ethiopians). Mussolini used this as an excuse to invade Ethiopia/Abyssinia the following year.

Neutrality Acts

4 laws passed in the late 1930s that were designed to keep the US out of international incidents

1935- US would not supply arms to either side of wars

1936- no loans can be made to belligerents

1937- established "cash and carry" policy for export of materials other than arms

1939- expands "cash-and-carry" policy to include the export of arms

Saar Plebiscite

1935, in accordance with the Treaty of Versailles plebiscite was held on whether the French controlled region of Saar should be returned to Germany. 90% Voted to return to Germany

Anti-Comintern Pact

1936 Pact signed between Japan and Germany, later included Italy. It was in opposition to Communism but actually proved to be the foundation for diplomatic alliance between these three powers to eventually form the Axis powers.

*Following this alliance, Italy allows Germany to invade Austria completing Anschluss

Rome-Berlin Axis

1936 alliance between Italy and Germany (Mussolini and Hitler)

Hossbach Memorandum

a summary of a meeting on 5 November 1937 between German dictator Adolf Hitler and his military and foreign policy leadership where Hitler's future expansionist policies of conquering Czechoslovakia and Austria simultaneously were outlined

Sudentenland Crisis

1938 crisis when Hitler invades the Sudetenland, an eastern portion of Czechoslovakia inhabited by Germanic people. Mussolini stepped in as a negotiator and resolved crisis in Munich Agreement

Four Power Conference

1938 conference in Munich between Germany, Italy, Britain, and France. Munich Agreement is created in which Hitler is given the Sudetenland in return for agreeing not to take any more territory.

Czechoslovakia forced to agree with these conditions.

Munich Agreement

1938 agreement between Germany and Great Britain in which Hitler is given the Sudetenland in return for agreeing not to take any more territory.

*Hitler would ignore this and invade the rest of Czechoslovakia the next year

May Crisis

In May 1938 there were false rumors that Germany was making military preparations on the Czechoslovakian border. Czechoslovakia mobilized its troops and Britain and France sent warnings to Hitler.

Hitler forced to deny these claims. It embarrassed him to look like he was backing down. Further encouraged him to take over Czechoslovakia later.

Pact of Steel

May 1939 Pact between Italy and Germany; turned the Rome-Beline axis into a full-scale military and political alliance

Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact

1939 Russian and German non-aggression agreement at the start of WWII, also to divide up Poland

Anglo-Polish Treaty

1939 Agreement of Mutual Assistance between the United Kingdom and Poland was signed. The agreement contained promises of mutual military assistance between the nations in the event either was attacked by Germany. Written two days after Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact signed between Germany and Russia

Phoney War

period between September 1939 and April 1940 where Britain declared war on Germany after its invasion of Poland but didn't send over any troops and Germany offered peace proposals that were not accepted.

the Blitz

Sustained bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 1940 and 1941

Battle for Britain

1940 series of battles that takes place between RAF and Luftwaffe on coast of Britain

Operation Barbarossa

1941 Codename for Nazi Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II

Lend-Lease Act

1941 US act that allowed sales or loans of war materials to any country whose defense the president deems vital to the defense of the U.S. Allowed the US to give aid to Allies