Causes_Lead+up+events


 * THE CAUSES OF WWII IN EUROPE **

=**Long Term Causes**= toc i) Weakness of the peace treaties of WWI


 * Humiliated and punished losers – enduring resentment
 * Created raft of small nations – economically weak and politically unstable
 * Divided Europe into 2 groups – those who accepted treaties (France, Britain, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Belgium) and those who didn’t (Germany, Austria, Hungry, Bulgaria, Italy)
 * Hostility to treaties strongest in Germany; this, in part, led to Nazism – aggressive and militaristic political movement

ii) Weakness in the League of Nations


 * Hopes invested in the League of Nations – would stop war and settle disputes
 * Was initially successful BUT eventually proved ineffective
 * Why?
 * US, Germany, Soviet Union not members at first – Germany in later
 * 1) Member nations placed individual interests ahead of collective good
 * 2) League of Nations had no power to enforce provisions

iii) Failure of other peace moves


 * National selfishness made other attempts at peace fail
 * Locarno Pact (1925) short term friendship between France and Germany but didn’t last – France thought it meant German acceptance of the Treaty of Versailles – Germany thought it meant revision of the treaty
 * Briand-Kellog Pact (1928) – attempt to outlaw war – 65 countries signed it BUT meaningless

iv) Refusal to Disarm


 * Countries refused to disarm
 * World Disarmament Conference (1932-33) failed because the German and French mistrust
 * This failure – Hitler walking out of League of Nations and eventually rearming

v) Depression


 * Democratic power pre-occupied with domestic concerns – most cut defence spending
 * Also contributed to rise of Nazis

vi) End of League of Nations prestige


 * Lack of responses to instances of aggression (eg; Japan in Manchuria, Italy in Abyssinia) meant League finally dealt death blow


 * Lead up to WWII in Europe**

January 1934: German-Polish Non-Aggression Pact


 * 10 year non-aggression pact
 * Secured Germany’s eastern border
 * Major surprise – in the long term, Hitler did not see future for independent Poland

March 1935: German Response


 * Hitler announces Germany has airforce and that the German army would increase to 500,000 men
 * Response? France, Italy and Britain met and resolved to resist any future change to the Treaty of Versailles with force
 * This was known as the Stresa Front

June 1935: Anglo-German Naval Agreement


 * Britain agrees that Germany could build up to 35% of Britain’s ships and was allowed parity in submarines
 * Agreement seriously damaged Stresa Front – Britain seen as condoning German rearmament

October 1935: Invasion of Abyssinia


 * Italy invaded Abyssinia – naked aggression BUT Britain and France worried about the future of the Stresa Front
 * Eventually Britain and France imposed economic sanctions BUT Italy ignored them
 * Possible a stronger stance against Mussolini may have deterred Hitler BUT could have created potential ally for Hitler in Italy

March 1936: Remilitarisation of the Rhineland


 * Troops into Rhineland
 * Large gamble – Germany too weak to fight a long war and 20,000 troops were given orders to retreat if there was any resistance
 * Britain and France did nothing – were not prepared to risk war and major chance to stop Hitler lost

June 1936: Spanish Civil War


 * Hitler sent troops to support the fascist General Franco, including planes and tanks
 * Gave Hitler the opportunity to test weapons and tactics

October 1936: Rome-Berlin Axis


 * Alliance between Italy and Germany – Germany gains first ally

November 1936: Anti-Comintern Pact


 * Pact between Germany and Japan – agreement to stop communism
 * Italy joined later

November 1937: Hossbach Conference


 * conference of Hitler’s leading commanders at which he outlined his foreign policy aims
 * 1) Intent on Lebensraum
 * 2) German army would not be ready before mid ‘40s BUT
 * 3) He couldn’t wait that long – if opportunities arose before then, he would take it
 * 4) First objective? Austria and Czechoslovakia

March 1938: Anschluss with Austria


 * Nazi Party had been active in Austria for some time
 * Schuschnigg – Chancellor of Austria, visited Hitler at Berch tesgaden where he was bullied and shouted at – accepted Nazis in cabinet
 * Schuschnigg then organised plebiscite on question of union
 * Hitler did not want vote and threatened invasion if vote not cancelled
 * Schuschnigg resigned, Nazis invited into government and then invited German troops in “to maintain order”
 * Takeover then received vote of support in Nazi-run election

September 1938: Sudenten crisis and Munich Conference


 * Hitler turned on Czechoslovakia
 * Claimed Sudenten Germans were being mistreated by Czech government
 * Chamberlain (British PM) flew to meet Hitler – protracted negotiations resulted in agreement, later ratified at Munich conference
 * Czechoslovakia lost most of her border lands and any chance of defending itself
 * Reason – APPEASEMENT

March 1939: Invasion of Czechoslovakia


 * Germany invaded after claiming Czechoslovakia was about to descend into Civil War

March 1939: Polish Guarantee


 * Britain and France in response gave guarantee to Poland that they will come to Poland’s aid if attacked
 * No love for Poland BUT clear signal to Hitler – appeasement is over
 * Britain begins conscription – begins negotiation with Soviet Union – came to nothing

August 1939: Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact


 * agreed not to attack each other and in secret divide Poland
 * Clear Poland is next step – Hitler covering war on two fronts
 * Stalin was buying time – Western Powers only offered war

1 September 1939: Germany invades Poland

3 September 1939: Britain and France declare was on Germany