CHAPTER – 3

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

Dissatisfy power

- Japan
o Wanted Greater share of German formal colonies
o Trading right in China
- Italy
o Greater share of German formal colonies
o And Turkey colonies
- Germany
o Every aspect in treaty of Treaty of Versailles

This later lead to rise of extremist government

Rise of Hitler

Hitler plans are stated in Mein Kampf

- Abolishment of Treaty of Versailles

o Treaty was Versailles was unjust
o November criminals
- Expand German territory
o To unite with Austria
o German minorities in other country to rejoin German (eg. Czechoslovakia)
o Lebensraum: Living space for Germany (mainly affect Russia territory)
- Defeat Communism
o Hitler is anti-communist
o He thought communist wanted to take over Germany
- Build up European Empire

Hitler’s Foreign Policy

- 1933 → Took Germany out of League; began rearming

- 1934 → Try to take over Austria but prevented by Mussolini
- 1935 → Held massive rearmament rallies; Saar plebiscite
- 1936 → Reintroduction of conscription; sending troops in Rhineland; Spanish Civil Wars; Formed alliance
- 1938 → Anschluss; Sudeten Land
- 1939 → Czechoslovakia; Non-aggression Pact; invade Poland
Impact on Britain and France

- Britain
o Satisfy by harsh treaty at first
o Later, opinion change; Treaty of Versailles was too harsh
o Nazi was understandable
o Assist Germany with achieving peaceful vision of Treaty
- France
o Not harsh enough
o Not confident to stand up Hitler alone without Britain

Settlements are inconsistent

- Separation of East Prussia by Polish Corridors

- Placing three and half million Germans in Sudetenland

Worldwide economic depression (1929)

- Rise of extreme government

- Limit what League cold do

How far was Hitler’s foreign policy to blame for the outbreak of war in 1939?

Rearmament (1933)

- Increase German armed forces

- Unemployed soldiers draft to army
- Kept secret at first
- He makes public display that he only rearms as other countries refuse to disarm
- 1933 → Walk out of disarmament conference
- 1935 → openly staged a massive rally
- 1935 → Anglo-German Naval Agreement
o Allow Germany to keep up to 35% of size of British navy
- 1936 → reintroduce conscription

Saar Plebiscite (1935)

- Run by League in 1919

- Promised plebiscite was held in 1935
- Hitler succeeds
- Propaganda minister Joseph Gobbles mounted massive campaign
- 90% of population vote to be under Hitler
- Hitler declare ‘no other territorial demand to make of France’
Remilitarization of the Rhineland 1936

- Hitler move troops to Rhineland

- Demilitarization of Rhineland is one of the terms in treaty of Versailles
- To protect France from German invasion
- German also accepted in Locarno Pact
- If he was forced to withdrawn, he would face humiliation and lost support from army
Why Hitler succeeds?
- But he did it in right time
o France signed treaty with USSR in 1935
o He used this as reason as Germany was under threat
o He argued he should be allowed to place troop in his own frontier
- Sympathy of Britain
o Public opinion in Britain
o He was confident that Britain won’t intervene
- League attention was on Abyssinia crisis
o League just condemns
- Election was holding in France
o None of the leader was prepared to take responsibility for war

Spanish Civil War 1936

- Between right-wing nationalist General Franco and Republican Government

- USSR supported Republican
- Around 50 countries supported Republican government
- Hitler and Mussolini support General Franco
- Britain and France didn’t intervene
- France did some weapon support
- German and Italy also greed not to intervene blatantly according to Non-Intervention Pact
- Mussolini and Hitler sent troops unofficially as volunteer
- German sent air forces from North Africa to Spain
- Nationalist won the war

Consequences

- German air forces like Luftwaffe to be tested

- Opportunity to form alliance with Germany
- Convince Hitler that Britain won’t stop him for future act

Anti-Comin tern Pact

- Signed with General Tojo, Japan in 1936

- Joined by Italy in 1937
- Rome-Berlin-Tokyo axis is formed
Anschluss 1938

- Austria was mainly German

- Austria supported idea of union with Germany, since their country is economically weak
- Hitler make his first attempt in 1934 but stopped by Mussolini
- There was strong Nazi Party in Austria
- Nazis stirred up trouble for government
- Demonstrations calling for union with Germany
- Austria Chancellor Schuschnigg was pressured that Anschluss was only solution
- Seyss-Inquart was appointed as Chancellor
- Schuschnigg appeal for sanction
- British and France fail to support
- Plebiscite was held
- Hitler sent troops into Austria
- 99.75 percent voted of Anschluss
- British Prime Minister, Chamberlin felt union was right, treaty was wrong to separate them
- Austria soldiers, weapon and minerals are added to Germany
- Boost Hitler confidence for upcoming gambles

Sudetenland 1938

Background
- Czechoslovakia is created my Treaty of Versailles
- It included densely populated Germans

- Czech leader was fear by Anschluss

- Britain and France weren’t prepared to stand up Hitler
- French was bound by treaty
- Hitler promised that he had no aim for Czechoslovakia

- Henlein, leader of Nazi, stirred up the trouble; demand to be part of Germany

- Britain, France and USSR promised to support Czech
- Czech leader, Benes was prepared to fight

- Chamberlain meet Hitler in September

- Hitler moderated he was only interested in parts of Sudetenland
- French and Britain plan to give part of Sudetenland
- But Hitler want all Sudetenland

Munich agreement

- Britain, Germany, Italy and France decided fate of Czechoslovakia

- Didn’t consult Czechs and USSR
- Czech lose Sudetenland to Germany

Consequences

- Hitler gambled that British and France won’t risk war with him
- German troop marched into Sudetenland
- Hungary and Poland helped themselves to Czech territory where Hungarian and Poles are living
- British public started to question about appeasement
Czechoslovakia 1939

- German troops took over rest of the country

- No assistance from Czechs
- Show that Hitler can’t be trusted
- Czechs didn’t belong to Germany
- His next target was Poland
- Britain and France told that if Hitler invade Poland, they would declare war

Was the policy of appeasement justified?

For

- Correcting injustices of Treaty of Versailles

- German have strong alliance; Japan and Italy
- British wasn’t ready to go on war
- Public opinion in Britain sympathize Germany
- Britain want Germany as buffer against communist

Against

- It was unfair for other country

- Britain and France could be assisted by Russia
- German is not that powerful yet
- Every appeasement made German stronger

How important was the Nazi–Soviet Pact?

Background

- Nazi-Soviet Pact was signed in 1939

- They agree not to attack each other
- Agree to divide Poland between them

Why did Stalin sign the treaty?

- To get enough preparation time for future war

o Hitler clearly stated in Mein Kampf that he want living space (Lebensraum)
o Hitler was anti-communist
- Suspect toward Britain and France (Appeasement Policy)
o Spanish Civil War
o Munich Agreement
- Ineffectiveness of League
o Join league in 1934, hoping guarantee
o But can’t take action to Manchuria and Abyssinia crisis
- France is unreliable
o 1935 signed treaty that France would help in case
o Can’t stop German not to militarized Rhineland in 1936
- British and France give guarantee to Poland
o War is unavoidable
Why did German sign the treaty?

- Avoid 2 front in case if there’s war with Britain and France

- Reduce the power of alliance of France and Britain
- Could overcome Poland easily

Why did Britain and France declare war on Germany in September 1939?

Guarantee given to Poland

- Created by Treaty of Versailles

- Polish corridor separate Germany
- Britain and France give guarantee that they will protect Poland

European domination

- Ignore the ultimatum given

- If they don’t declare war it will show they accept domination
- It’s not self-determination like previous cases

Hitler’s surprise

- Didn’t expect Poland would be given effective help

- He think he could get away like previous issues