Causes Of The Second World War

CAUSES OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR

Hitler’s plans

His three main aims weer:

● Abolish the treaty of Versailles: Hitler believed that it was unjust. The treaty was a constant reminder of their defeat in WW1 and their humiliation by the Allies. Hitler promised to reverse it.

● Expand German territory: the treaty of Versailles had taken away territory from Germany. Hitler wanted it back. He wanted Germany to unite with Austria and an empire in eastern Europe.

● Defeat communism: Hitler was anti-communist. He thought Bolsheviks had helped to defeat Germany and wanted to take over Germany.

Hitler’s actions:

1933: took Germany out of League of Nations. Began rearming Germany.

1934: tried to take over Austria, Mussolini prevented it.

1935: held massive rearmament rally

1936: sent German troops into Rhineland. Made an anti-communist alliance with Japan.

1937: intervine in Spanish Civil War. Made an anti-communist alliance with Italy.

1938: Took over Austria. Took over Sudetenland.

1939: invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia. Invaded Poland.

Rearmament:

Hitler came to power in Germany in 1933 and his first step was to increase Germany’s armed forces. He draft unemployed people into the army. He reduced unemployment and made Germany strong again. Hitler knew this will cause alarm in other countries, so at first it began secretly, saying he only did it because other countries didn’t want to disarm. Then, he left the League of Nations. Britain thought limits put on Germany were too tight and that Germany will be a good buffer against communism. Britain helped by signing a naval agreement with Hitler, allowing him to increase its navy.

The Saar plebiscite:

In 1935 the League of Nations held the plebiscite in the Saar region, for people to vote if they should return to German rule. Hitler succeeded in an entirely legal way.

Remilitarization of the Rhineland:

In 1936, Hitler moved his troops into the Rhineland area of Germany although demilitarization of the Rhineland was one of the terms in the Treaty of Versailles. France had just signed a treaty with the USSR to protect each other against German attack. Hitler used this agreement to claim that Germany was under threat so he should be allowed to place troops. The League only condemned his action but did nothing else. France refused to act without Britain’s support.

The Spanish Civil War:

In 1936, a civil war broke out in Spain between Communist and right-wing rebels. Hitler saw this as an opportunity to fight against communism and try his arms. In 1937, Germans bombed Spanish cities. The destruction of Guernica was terrible.

The Anti-Comintern Pact:

Hitler and Mussolini saw that they had much in common with the military dictatorship in Japan. In 1936, Germany and Japan signed the Anti-comintern pact. In 1937, Mussolini signed it too. The aim of the pact was to limit communist influence around the world.

Anschluss with Austria:

Austrian people were mainly German and Hitler wanted the two countries together as one German nation. Hitler encouraged the Nazi party in Austria to generate trouble for the government. Hitler told Austrian Chancellor that the only way to solve these problems was by Anschluss (political union) and pressured it to agree. France and Britain didn’t help Austria. So a plebiscite was called. Hitler sent troops to Austria and under the watchful eye of the troops, the people voted for Anschluss, in 1938. Britain felt the treaty was wrong in separating them.

Policy of Appeasement: Britain followed a policy of giving Hitler what he wanted (appeasement)

Reasons:

● Hitler stood up to communism: they were more concerned about the spread of Communism than Hitler. Many saw Hitler as the buffer against communism.

● The attitude of Britain’s Empire: states wouldn’t support a war against Germany.

● We must not repeat the horrors of the Great War: they wanted to avoid another war at any cost.

● Britain is not ready for war.

● Our own economic problems are higher priority: Britain and France still suffering effects of depression.

● Hitler is right -treaty of Versailles is unfair: they assumed that when these wrongs were put right Hitler will calm down.

● The USA will not support us against Hitler: Americans were determined not to be dragged to war again.

Consequences:

● It encouraged Hitler to be aggressive: each gamble he got away with, encouraged him to take bigger risks.

● It put too much trust in Hitler’s promises.

● It allowed Germany to grow too strong: Germany was not only recovering lost ground, but becoming more powerful than Britain and France

● It scared the USSR: Hitler wanted to expand eastwards. Appeasement showed that Britain and France will not stand in Hitler’s way.

Sudetenland:

The leader of Czechoslovakia, Benes, realized Czechoslovakia would be the next country Hitler will take over. He guaranteed France and Britain support. France was bound by a pact. Britain was bound to support France. Hitler promised he didn’t have plans to do that, but he did. The Nazis in the Sudetenland demanded to be part of Germany. Hitler made said he intended to fight if necessary. Chamberlin met with Hitler. Hitler moderated his demands, only parts of the Sudetenland. But there was a second meeting, in which Hitler increased the demands into all of it. He said the Czech government was mistreating the Germans in the Sudetenland. A final meeting was held. Leaders of Britain, Germany, France and Italy decided to give Hitler what he wanted in the Munich agreement. They didn’t consult the Czechs or the USSR.

The end of Appeasement

Czechoslovakia

In 1939, German troops took over the rest of Czechoslovakia. Britain and France didn’t do anything. This was an invasion. Britain and France told Hitler that if he invaded Poland they will declared him war. The policy of Appeasement was ended. Hitler didn’t believe they would risk war.

The Nazi-Soviet Pact

Background

Stalin was worried that Hitler wanted to conquer Russian land. He signed a treaty with France saying France would help the USSR if Germany invaded. He didn’t trust France as they failed in stopping Hitler from moving into their own borders, the Rhineland. Stalin concluded from the Munich agreement that Britain and France were powerless to stop Hitler. In 1939 Stalin signed the Nazi-Soviet Pact with Hitler agreeing not to attack each other and divide Poland between them. Reasons why Stalin signed it:

● He was not convinced that Britain and France would help him against Hitler

● He also had design on sections of eastern Poland

● He didn’t believe Hitler would keep his word, but he was buying time.

War

In 1939, the German army invaded Poland from the west and Soviet forces, from the east. Britain and France declared war on Germany. Hitler had started a war too soon and against the wrong opponents.

Was Appeasement the right policy?

Appeasement was a controversial policy, there are two main views:

● It was the wrong policy because it encouraged Hitler: Chamberlain’s critics say that if Britain or France had squared up to him at the start, he would have back off.

● it was the right policy because Britain was not ready for war: Chamberlain’s defenders say that to face up Hitler Britain had to be prepared for war. Public opinion, important countries in the empire and the USA was against it and Britain’s army was not ready.

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