Outbreak of WW2
IMMEDIATE causes of WW2
why peace was threatened (1920s-30s)
short term factors that catalysed WW2
made Europe less peaceful, higher possibility of war
Hitler
LON’s weaknesses (2)
lost respect and authority among countries
Expansionist policy (3)
Hitler’s actions
aimed to break the terms of ToV
lack of credibility, authority
Too weak to maintain peace (1930s)
Post-war Attitude
too weary from ww1
Failure to deal w/ aggressors
1 Sept 1939 - 2 Sept 1945
set up to preserve world peace / collective security
failed ❌
Theatres of war
Europe
Asia Pacific
Germany
Allied Powers
Japan
War in Asia
Nazi-Soviet Non-Agression Pact ⭐
Hitler felt that ToV was putting down Germany, limiting it
Remilitarisation of Rhineland
fighting Communism
attempted Austria Anschluss (union)
Italy stopped most serious attempt (1934)
Austria (March 1938)
made trouble for Austria
LON did nothing
Anglo-German Naval Treaty violated ToV
do not trust neighbouring countries
gave countries (Germany/Mussolini/Japan) confidence to challenge further
Hitler’s invasion of Poland
Britain ended the policy of Appeasement (March 1939)
Britain + France rearming
in case appeasement fails
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)
Hitler + Stalin: wary of aggression from the other country
partial catalyst: Stalin’s failure to reach a deal w/ Britain + France
Hitler’s next target: Poland (Polish corridor + Danzig)
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
allowed Hitler to risk a war w/ Britain + France
avoided fighting on 2 fronts (russians)
big blow to Britain -> war w/ Germany more likely
many saw it as main trigger to full-scale war w/ Britain
1/9/1939
secured Germany its Eastern Front
Britain + France declared war on Germany
wanted to keep their promise to Poland
no aggression against each other for the next 10 yrs
invasion of Czechoslovakia (1938-39)
war w/ communist Russia
destroy communism
land + resources
exterminate Jews in East Europe (gained power)
b4 it annihilated Germany
make East Europe ‘pure’
he hates Jews
establish the “superior Aryan race”
German troops marched in unopposed
Franco-Soviet Union
allowed Germany to expand its navy (against military cut-down)
Spanish Civil War (1937)
sent war resources to Spanish Nationalist forces
involvement meant to distract Britain + France from expansion plans into East Europe
test his army + air force while fighting alleged communists
encouraged Italy to join
portrayed himself as defender against communism
LON took no actions as Br + Fr supported it (also anti-communist)
plebiscite (99.75% of pop. voted for anschluss)
ToV prevented a union
Ge + Aus felt it contradicted the principle of self-determination (supported by Allies)
Abyssinian Crisis (1935 - 36) ⭐
Mussolini (Italy) invaded Abyssinia
LoN’s imposed sanctions (arm sales ban + economic sanctions)
not taken seriously bc of:
lack of authority
LoN’s reputation diminished
secret Hoare-Laval Pact w/ Mussolini
split Abyssinia among Br + Fr + Ita
used clash between troops as an excuse
allowed him to occupy 2/3 of Abyssinia
no military power
meant to prevent further aggression from Ita
Manchuria: Japan (1931)
made him look good (anti-communist)
Italy (1936)
made ‘friends’ w/ Mussolini
Rome-Berlin Axis
only one (Mussolini = dictator) who could stop Hitler
threatened with demonstrations + riots by Austrian Nazis
Austria had war resources (gold + iron, army + weapons)
gave Hitler confidence to challenge ToV further
stopped after Nazi-Soviet Non-aggression Pact was formed
Britain was reluctant to offend Hitler -> start another war
as Ge marched in, Austrians cheered them on
Hitler just marched in, unopposed
Policy of Appeasement (PoA) (1935-39) ⭐
avoiding war by giving in to aggressive demands of a country
occupation of Sudetenland (29 Sept 1938)
invasion of rest of Czechoslovakia (16 Mar 1939)
3 visits to Germany for negotiations (Chamberlain)
Sudetenland consisted mainly of German-speaking
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
allowed him to occupy Sudetenland
if Czech wanted to resist, no support given
richest Western country
main purpose: give Br + Fr more time to build up military
Stalin + Hitler had been more efficient in military build-up
reasons for policy
Stalin: not trusting of Allied Powers, thought they supported Ge’s expansion
wanted breathing space from Ge for military build-up
start of WW2
ensure USSR was not involved in invasion
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
exterminate ‘inferior races’
rebuilding Ge’s armed forces
claimed Germany was threatened by France, needed to defend itself
Russia and Poland are east of Germany
bc of Expansionist Policy
less efficient than USSR and Ge
USSR needed buffer land in case Ge attacked
Ge did attack (June 1941)
could not go to war with Hitler even w/o PoA
started bc of Hitler's Expansionist Policy
Stalin’s military build-up was due to expansionism (Hitler anti-communist, wanted USSR’s resources)
most important reason for WW2
people lost respect for LoN
2nd most important reason for WW2
Members put their own (country’s) interests first (attitude)
pacify aggrieved countries through negotiations
border dispute
want to avoid another war (fear of war)
LoN delayed trading ban on oil to protect members’ economies
lack of credibility
lack of credibility
gave Stalin, Hitler courage to push for Expansionist policy and country progression
Failure of Disarmament (1920s + 1930s)
countries were unwilling to disarm
did not trust other countries not to attack them
stirred more distrust, tension among countries
USSR + Ge were enemies (USSR: communist, Hitler: anti-communist)
principle of self-determination not applied to Ge
Hitler wanted to unite all German-speakers together under Ge
wanted to make her great again
Structural Weaknesses
Hitler broke the pact less than 2 yrs later (22/6/1941 (23/8/1939))
ended up fighting on 2 fronts (Br + Fr and USSR)
strategic mistake
23/8/1939
gave Hitler confidence to challenge them further
loss of credibility
USA was not a member
military, economic power
followed a principle of isolationism after ww1
LoN didn’t have the military power
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
USSR + Ge: growing nations w/ economic and military power
USSR: communist, Br + Fr: anti-communists
higher chance of war (Ge vs Br+Fr)
USSR more likely to attack
lack of credibility, authority
properly enforce sanctions against agressive countries effectively
4 main members (Br, Fr, Ita, Jap) + 38 other inter-changing members
could only make a decision if the vote was unanimous
don’t have the military power, economic support to go to war
USSR: large size, popn
LoN didn’t have the military power
could not properly enforce sanctions against agressive countries effectively
lack of authority
lack of authority
isolate country from alliance, agreements, affairs of other countries
maintain peace by avoiding involvement in foreign affairs
PWAt
resources, efforts are devoted to advance own country
avoid conflict for Br + Fr
won more trust fro LoN (Br + Fr: also anti-communist)
negotiate with aggressive countries
don’t take up arms against them
LoN took a long time to resolve issues