Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Outbreak of WW2 - Coggle Diagram
Outbreak of WW2
Theatres of war
Europe
Germany
Allied Powers
Asia Pacific
Japan
War in Asia
IMMEDIATE causes of WW2
short term factors that catalysed WW2
Nazi-Soviet Non-Agression Pact :star:
Hitler + Stalin: wary of aggression from the other country
Hitler’s next target: Poland (Polish corridor + Danzig)
ensure USSR was not involved in invasion
bc of Expansionist Policy
Stalin: not trusting of Allied Powers, thought they supported Ge’s expansion
wanted breathing space from Ge for military build-up
Hitler broke the pact less than 2 yrs later (22/6/1941 (23/8/1939))
partial catalyst: Stalin’s failure to reach a deal w/ Britain + France
surprising -> Hitler attacked communism, Stalin prevented growth of German power
Terms
USSR stays neutral in German-Polish war
secret clause: Germany + USSR divide Poland between them
USSR needed buffer land in case Ge attacked
Ge did attack (June 1941)
no aggression against each other for the next 10 yrs
allowed Hitler to risk a war w/ Britain + France
avoided fighting on 2 fronts (russians)
ended up fighting on 2 fronts (Br + Fr and USSR)
strategic mistake
big blow to Britain -> war w/ Germany more likely
many saw it as main trigger to full-scale war w/ Britain
secured Germany its Eastern Front
Russia and Poland are east of Germany
reason for Poland invasion -> reason for end of PoA -> reason for Br + Fr vs Ge war ->
reason for WW2
reason for PoA
reason for ‘Br + Fr vs Ge’ war
start for WW2
23/8/1939
Hitler’s invasion of Poland
1/9/1939
Britain + France declared war on Germany
wanted to keep their promise to Poland
start of WW2
Britain ended the policy of Appeasement (March 1939)
Britain + France rearming
in case appeasement fails
less efficient than USSR and Ge
could not go to war with Hitler even w/o PoA
German invasion of Czechoslovakia
Convinced that Hitler could not be trusted
More aggressive action needed to deal w/ him
Poland seemed the likely next victim
Britain + France signed an agreement to aid Poland if Germany invaded (March 1939)
why peace was threatened (1920s-30s)
made Europe less peaceful, higher possibility of war
Hitler
Expansionist policy (3)
aimed to break the terms of ToV
Hitler felt that ToV was putting down Germany, limiting it
wanted to make her great again
principle of self-determination not applied to Ge
Hitler wanted to unite all German-speakers together under Ge
Remilitarisation of Rhineland
German troops marched in
unopposed
Britain was reluctant to offend Hitler -> start another war
Franco-Soviet Union
claimed Germany was threatened by France, needed to defend itself
USSR + Ge were enemies (USSR: communist, Hitler: anti-communist)
fighting Communism
war w/ communist Russia
destroy communism
b4 it annihilated Germany
land + resources
exterminate Jews in East Europe (gained power)
make East Europe ‘pure’
establish the “superior Aryan race”
2 more items...
he
hates
Jews
stopped after Nazi-Soviet Non-aggression Pact was formed
Stalin’s military build-up was due to expansionism (Hitler anti-communist, wanted USSR’s resources)
attempted Austria Anschluss (union)
Italy stopped most serious attempt (1934)
Italy (1936)
made ‘friends’ w/ Mussolini
Rome-Berlin Axis
only one (Mussolini = dictator) who could stop Hitler
Austria (March 1938)
made trouble for Austria
plebiscite (99.75% of pop. voted for anschluss)
as Ge marched in, Austrians cheered them on
threatened with demonstrations + riots by Austrian Nazis
ToV prevented a union
Ge + Aus felt it contradicted the principle of self-determination (supported by Allies)
Austria had war resources (gold + iron, army + weapons)
Hitler just marched in,
unopposed
LON did nothing
gave Hitler confidence to challenge ToV further
most important reason for WW2
Hitler’s actions
invasion of Czechoslovakia (1938-39)
occupation of Sudetenland (29 Sept 1938)
Sudetenland consisted mainly of German-speaking
invasion of rest of Czechoslovakia (16 Mar 1939)
3 visits to Germany for negotiations (Chamberlain)
1st: Hitler threatened with war
promises to negotiate with Czech gov
2nd: offered parts of Sudetenland with 50%< German-speaking
Hitler threatened with war
3rd: Br, Fr, Ita, Ge,
no Czech or SU reps
signing Munich Agreement (19 Sept 1938)
gave almost
everything
Hitler demanded
1 more item...
richest Western country
Spanish Civil War (1937)
sent war resources to Spanish Nationalist forces
test his army + air force while fighting alleged communists
involvement meant to distract Britain + France from expansion plans into East Europe
portrayed himself as defender against communism
LON took no actions as Br + Fr supported it (also anti-communist)
gave Hitler confidence to challenge them further
loss of credibility
won more trust fro LoN (Br + Fr: also anti-communist)
made him look good (anti-communist)
encouraged Italy to join
LON’s weaknesses (2)
lost respect and authority among countries
lack of credibility, authority
Too weak to maintain peace (1930s)
Post-war Attitude
too weary from ww1
Failure to deal w/ aggressors
1 more item...
want to avoid another war (fear of war)
1 more item...
do not trust neighbouring countries
Failure of Disarmament (1920s + 1930s)
1 more item...
Policy of Appeasement (PoA)
(1935-39)
:star:
avoiding war by giving in to aggressive demands of a country
1 more item...
main purpose: give Br + Fr more time to build up military
1 more item...
reasons for policy
started bc of Hitler's Expansionist Policy
negotiate with aggressive countries
1 more item...
Members put their own (country’s) interests first (attitude)
set up to preserve world peace / collective security
failed :red_cross:
Anglo-German Naval Treaty violated ToV
allowed Germany to expand its navy (against military cut-down)
people lost respect for LoN
lack of credibility, authority
Structural Weaknesses
USA was not a member
military, economic power
followed a principle of isolationism after ww1
isolate country from alliance, agreements, affairs of other countries
maintain peace by avoiding involvement in foreign affairs
resources, efforts are devoted to advance own country
PWAt
LoN didn’t have the military power
properly enforce sanctions against agressive countries effectively
lack of authority
defeated countries of ww1 were
not
invited
did not seem inclusive
lack of credibility
limited range of opinions, priorities
USSR, Ge not invited
Ge: ToV + exclusion from LoN made them bitter
higher chance of war (Ge vs Br+Fr)
USSR + Ge: growing nations w/ economic and military power
LoN didn’t have the military power
could not properly enforce sanctions against agressive countries effectively
1 more item...
USSR: communist, Br + Fr: anti-communists
USSR more likely to attack
USSR: large size, popn
4 main members (Br, Fr, Ita, Jap) + 38 other inter-changing members
could only make a decision if the vote was
unanimous
LoN took a long time to resolve issues
2nd most important reason for WW2
gave Stalin, Hitler courage to push for Expansionist policy and country progression
1 Sept 1939 - 2 Sept 1945