HISTORY CHAP3 NOTES

What were the long-term consequences of the peace treaties of 1919–23?

• What were the consequences of the

failures of the League in the 1930s?

• How far was Hitler’s foreign policy to

blame for the outbreak of war in 1939?

• Was the policy of appeasement justified?

• How important was the Nazi–Soviet Pact?

• Why did Britain and France declare war on

Germany in September 1939?

 \n

^^1935: Anglo-German Naval Agreement^^

  • Britain followed a policy of appeasement afterwards

\ %%REASONS FOR APPEASEMENT:%%

  • Fear of communism: Hitler was seen as a buffer to the threat of a communist expansion
  • Trusting Hitler: Many believed Hitler’s promises were his final demands
  • Memories of WWI: Both French and British leaders wanted to avoid a repeat of horrors of WWI
  • British Empire: Britain needed support of its empire and Commonwealth → would not support another war against Germany
  • TOV: Many felt the treaty was unfair to Germany
  • USA: US support was vital to WWI but they followed isolationist policies afterwards → determined not to be dragged into European wars
  • British Arms: British government believed armed forces were not ready for war against Germany
  • LON: League failed to stand up to aggression before (ITALY, JPN, MANCHURIA)
  • Economic problems: Britain and France still had large debt from WWI → could not afford war
  • Public Opinion: British public against rearming and focusing on reducing unemployment

\ ==REASONS AGAINST APPEASEMENT:==

  • Needed to make a stand: Hitler was a gambler who took increasing risks → would have to be confronted to prevent a bigger move in the future
  • USSR: Hitler was planning to expand eastward → shows GBR and FRA would not support USSR in the face of a German invasion
  • German rearmament: Germany was rearming publicly and was stronger than GBR and FRA
  • LON: The League was set up to solve disputes → British public had faith in the League to prevent war

\ ^^1938: Anschluss with Austria^^

1934:

  • Hitler tried to take over Austria but Mussolini stopped him

1938:

  • Hitler and Mussolini are now allies
  • Hitler told Austrian Nazis to stir up trouble
  • Hitler told Austrian Chancellor Schuschnigg only Anschluss could stop chaos
  • MARCH: Hitler sent troops to Austria to guarantee a trouble-free plebiscite   * 99.75% votes for an Anschluss

\ ^^Czech Crisis^^

AFTER ANSCHLUSS: Western Czechoslovakia is surrounded on three sides by German territory

The Sudetenland: 3.5M Ethnic Germans

  • contains much of Czechoslovakia industry, communications and border fortifications → defenceless without them

Sudeten Nazis began agitating for autonomy for Sudeten Germans

  • Hitler threatened to support the Sudeten Germans with military force
  • Czechs appeal to Britain and France for support

\ ^^29 September 1938: Munich Agreement^^

AT MUNICH: GBR, FRA, ITA AND DEU agreed that Germany could take the Sudetenland

  • Czechoslovakia and USSR not invited to the talks

October 1938: Hitler marched into Sudetenland unopposed

\ %%CONSEQUENCES OF MUNICH AGREEMENT%%

14 March: Slovakia seceded from Czechoslovakia and became a separate pro-Nazi state

\ 15 March: Czech president agrees to the German occupation of the remainder of Czechoslovakia

  • after being threatened with the bombing of the Prague

Anglo-Polish Military Alliance

\ Germany: gained 2175 field guns and cannons, 469 tanks, 500 anti-aircraft artillery pieces, 43,000 machine guns, 1M military rifles, 114,000 pistols, 1B rounds of small-arms ammunition, 3M rounds of anti-aircraft ammunition

  • Czechoslovak weaponry later played major part in German conquest of Poland and France

\ Stalin: believe GBR and FRA were encouraging Hitler to expand east → led the Nazi-Soviet Pact

\ Chamberlain: realised appeasement towards Hitler had failed → Nazi seizure of Czechoslovakia

  • immediately began to mobilise British armed forces - FRANCE FOLLOWED

\ Italy: makes territorial demands to France → France refuses → Germany offers military support to Italy

\ ^^August 1939: Nazi-Soviet Pact^^

  • non-aggression pact between DEU AND USSR
  • signed after Munich Agreement - NOT AN ALLIANCE
  • secret protocol that defined the borders of Soviet and German spheres of influence
  • groundwork for future division of Poland between DEU and USSR

\ ^^Polish Crisis^^

Hitler:

  • wanted Polish Corridor back for acquisition of Lebensraum
  • wanted Danzig to be returned to Germany for Lebensraum
  • occupation of Poland was essential preliminary to the invasion of Russia → necessary for description of communism

September 1939: FRA AND GBR declare war on Germany

  • Germany was making clear bid for European dominance
  • 31 March 1939: British-French guarantee was given, promising Poland would receive support and assistance - GBR AND FRA FORCED TO HELP

Nazi-Soviet Pact cleared the way for Germany to invade Poland

\ {{1 Sep 1939: German army invaded Poland from the West{{

{{3 Sep 1939: Britain and France declared war on Germany{{

{{17 Sep 1939: USSR invades Poland from the East{{

\ \