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International Relations > Dictators and Appeasement > Flashcards

Dictators and Appeasement Flashcards

1
Q

Why did Hitler’s foreign policy cause Appeasement to fail?

A
  • Expansionism (e.g. Anschluss) - France and Britain kept giving in
  • Chamberlain misunderstood Hitler - believed he was reasonable and honourable
  • Rome-Berlin Axis - alliance between Italy and Germany
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2
Q

Why did the role of the USSR cause Appeasement to fail?

A
  • Nazi-Soviet Pact - non-aggression pact between Germany and the USSR that allowed a joint invasion of Poland
  • Communism - bigger threat than Nazism. Appeasement meant that an Anti-Communist Germany would form a buffer between the Allies and Communism
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3
Q

Why did Britain and France’s self-interest cause Appeasement to fail?

A
  • Allowed Germany to remilitarise the Rhineland (Britain said Germany was stepping into its own backyard)
  • Allowed Hitler to take the Sudetenland
  • Allowed Mussolini to take Abyssinia, so Hitler saw himself as free to do whatever he wanted (e.g. Poland or Czechoslovakia)
  • Great Depression meant many countries put their own needs before others
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4
Q

What triggered the Great Depression in 1929?

A

Wall Street Crash

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5
Q

What was the Wall Street Crash’s impact on international relations?

A

Global catastrophe → marked a turning point in international relations

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6
Q

What figures did unemployment rise to in Germany and Britain as a result of the Depression?

A
  • Germany = 6 million
  • Britain = 3 million
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7
Q

Why were France and Britain in a better position than Germany, Italy and Japan during the Depression?

A

The size of the British and French Empires

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8
Q

What was the impact of the Depression on Germany?

A

Led to the rise of Hitler

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9
Q

What was the impact of the Depression on Japan?

A

Led to the invasion of Manchuria

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10
Q

What was the impact of the Depression on Italy?

A

Led to Mussolini’s invasion of Abyssinia

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11
Q

What triggered an arms race in 1935?

A

Germany rearming

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12
Q

Military experts thought in terms of WW1 tactics, so what did the French build along its border with Germany?

A

Maginot Line

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13
Q

Why did rearmament cause huge financial problems for Germany?

A
  • Goering’s 4 year plan prepared Germany for war by 1940
  • Goering raised taxes, cut expenditure and secured government loans
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14
Q

How many aircraft were in the Luftwaffe and how many men were in the German army as a result of Goering’s Four Year Plan?

A
  • Luftwaffe = 4000 aircraft
  • Army = 3 million men
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15
Q

Why did rearmament cause huge financial problems for France?

A

Had to devalue currency 3 times to pay for rearmament

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16
Q

Outline Britain’s Four Year Plan in preparation for war

A
  • Priority given to navy and air force
  • Between 1936 and 1939, government spending on rearmament went from £185.9 million to £719 million
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17
Q

Even though the German rearmament programme would not be completed until 1943, what did Hitler do in 1939?

A

Invaded Poland and Czechoslovakia

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18
Q

What years were Britain and France on target to be ready for war for, even though neither wanted war?

A

1939 / 1940

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19
Q

What year did Britain and France see as the best time to take advantage of their strength and what they assumed to be German weaknesses?

A

1940

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20
Q

Why did Appeasement fail to achieve a lasting settlement?

A

Hitler kept upping his demands

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21
Q

What was the result of the Guilty Men book accusing Chamberlain of being a traitor?

A

Chamberlain’s reputation and policies were seen to be in tatters

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22
Q

Why did Chamberlain become the scapegoat in Britain AND France?

A

There were claims that he bullied the French into appeasing Hitler

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23
Q

What excuse did some Germans give for supporting Hitler?

A

Chamberlain didn’t stand up to him

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24
Q

Why was Appeasement popular in terms of the Treaty of Versailles?

A

Attitudes to Versailles had changed by the 1930s

25
Q

Why did people not want to go to war to defend the Treaty of Versailles?

A

There was very little enthusiasm for sanctioning Hitler when he broke Versailles several times, with almost no consequences

26
Q

Why was Appeasement popular in terms of WW1?

A
  • The horrors of WW1 had not been forgotten
  • Any settlement would’ve been preferable to another war
27
Q

Why was Appeasement popular in terms of Communism?

A
  • Communism seen as a much greater threat
  • A strong Anti-Communist Germany would be a barrier against Communism spreading westwards
28
Q

Why did Lloyd George have nothing but praise for Hitler when he visited in 1936?

A

Hitler had convinced many that he was a reasonable man

29
Q

Outline the process of Hitler achieving Anschluss

A
  • Austrian Chancellor Schuschnigg wanted Austria to remain independent, so organised a referendum
  • Hitler, unwilling to risk the results of the referendum, ordered the German army to occupy Austria
  • Then he decided to make Austria part of the German Reich and achieve Anschluss
30
Q

What was Britain and France’s reaction to Anschluss?

A
  • Protested but would not go to war over Austria, even though Hitler’s actions broke the treaties of Versailles and St. Germain
  • By not doing anything about Austria, Chamberlain could’ve been buying more time to rearm or giving peace another chance
31
Q

What was Mussolini’s reaction to Anschluss?

A

Decided Austria was within Germany’s sphere of influence, so did not support Britain and France’s protests

32
Q

Why was Czechoslovakia more vulnerable after Anschluss?

A

It was surrounded by Nazi territory on 3 sides

33
Q

How many Germans were in the Sudetenland?

A

3 million

34
Q

What was Britain and France’s plan for “dealing with” Czechoslovakia?

A
  • Britain not prepared to guarantee the security of Czechoslovakia, but France was obliged by 2 treaties to assist
  • France was in no position to help, so followed British lead of STRIVING FOR A PEACEFUL SOLUTION
35
Q

What did Hitler make clear in his speech at the Nuremburg Rally?

A

He would support the Germans in the Sudetenland

36
Q

What was agreed between Chamberlain and Hitler at Berchtesgaden, following the Nuremburg Rally?

A

Czechoslovakia should give up areas in the Sudetenland that had a German population of more than 50%

37
Q

What happened at Godesberg (1 week after Berchtesgaden) that made Britain and France reluctantly begin to mobilise?

A

Hitler had changed his demands

38
Q

What 3 things did the four powers agree to at Munich?

A
  • Allow Hitler to take the Sudetenland
  • Guarantee the independence of Czechoslovakia
  • Britain and Germany would never go to war
39
Q

How was Chamberlain viewed after the Munich Agreement?

A

Hero - “peace in our time”

40
Q

Why was France unhappy after the Munich Agreement?

A

Unhappy with Hitler’s scheming and the fact he’d made another territorial conquest, but little could be done without British support

41
Q

Why was Hitler pleased but also annoyed after the Munich Agreement?

A

Secured the Sudetenland, but the Munich Agreement spoiled his real aim of conquering Czechoslovakia

42
Q

What did Britain and France guarantee to Poland in 1939?

A
  • Protection against a German attack
  • HOWEVER, Britain and France did not have the military capacity to defend Poland, but the German occupation of Czechoslovakia indicated that Hitler couldn’t be trusted
  • APPEASEMENT WAS AT AN END
43
Q

What aim of Hitler’s did Poland reject regarding the Polish Corridor?

A

Hitler wanted to build a road and rail link through the Polish Corridor

44
Q

What did Britain and France’s guarantee to Poland convince Hitler of?

A

He’d have to eliminate Poland, even if this meant war with Britain and France

45
Q

What was Italy’s foreign policy under Mussolini?

A
  • Wanted to reestablish Roman empire
  • Mussolini thought conquered territory = sign of a great power - his justification for Abyssinia
  • Grievances over Versailles - Italy should be allowed sphere of influence in the Mediterranean
46
Q

What was the Rome-Berlin Axis 1936?

A
  • Abyssinia isolated Italy from other western countries so sided with Germany
  • Axis aligned Italy and Germany’s foreign policies and aims
  • Worrying for Britain and France - Mussolini = counterbalance to threat of Hitler
  • Now fascist domination in Europe with expansionist foreign policies
47
Q

What was the Pact of Steel 1939?

A
  • Full military alliance between Italy and Germany
  • European alliance - so seen as being against Britain and France
48
Q

How did Italy’s foreign policy lead to outbreak of war in 1941?

A
  • Italy told Germany it wouldn’t be ready for war for 3 years
  • Germany invaded Poland in 1939, Mussolini would honour Pact of Steel if Hitler sent petrol, coal, oil and steel to help war effort - Hitler refused so Italy temporarily became neutral
  • 1940 - Italy joined Germany and was offered Mediterranean as a reward
  • Declared war on France and Britain in 1940
49
Q

What caused the Spanish Civil War? (5 points)

A
  • Worries about influence of military in the government - fear of military coup
  • Depression - falling agricultural prices, unemployment, falling wages and living standards
  • Parliament dominated by socialists - right wing party angered by their policies
  • Right wing government reversed socialist policies - led to revolutionary violence
  • Right became convinced only way to restore order was military dictatorship - Franco led nationalist revolt - triggered Spanish Civil War
50
Q

Why did the Spanish Civil War become an international issue? (2 points)

A
  • Both sides asked for help
  • General Franco (nationalist) went to Germany and Italy, Republicans went to Britain, France and USSR
51
Q

How did Hitler and Mussolini help Franco in the Spanish Civil War?

A
  • Hitler - 6000 troops and 100 aircraft to Franco
  • Didn’t want Spain to become Communist, wanted friendly relations with Madrid
  • Mussolini supported Franco because he wanted one of the Balearic islands as an Italian naval base but got nothing out of it
  • Hitler bombed Guernica killing 200-300 people
  • Goering saw this as a testing ground for the Luftwaffe
52
Q

Why did Britain and France sign a non-intervention agreement about the Spanish Civil War?

A
  • Britain - too risky to support a fractured country
  • Britain saw Spain as a side issue and focussed on a peace settlement with Germany instead
  • Britain, France and 27 others signed agreement (Italy and Germany didn’t)
53
Q

How did the USSR help the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War?

A
  • Stalin sent military advisers and equipment to Republicans
  • Stalin saw Spain as a way of dividing his enemies
  • Wanted to prevent Franco’s win - worried about power of 3 fascist dictators against him
54
Q

What was USSR’s foreign policy?

A
  • Germany only country Stalin was concerned about
  • Policy determined by others - due to trade, if Britain or France changed policies, USSR would have to too
  • Signed Kellogg-Briand Pact
  • Non-aggression pact with France
  • 1934 - joined League as permanent member of the Council
  • 1935 alliance with France - if one was attacked unprovoked, other would help - similar deal made with Czechoslovakia
55
Q

What was the Nazi-Soviet Pact?

A
  • Stalin wanted right to intervene on western borders if threatened by Nazis - Britain rejected this
  • After this, negotiations with Britain and France slow, so turned to Hitler
  • Hitler agreed to Stalin’s terms and signed pact
  • Outlined Nazi and Soviet spheres of influence in Eastern Europe and Poland divided between the two
  • German attack on Poland = less risky and avoided two front war
56
Q

What were the results of the Nazi-Soviet Pact?

A
  • Britain - knew Nazi attack on Poland inevitable
  • Stalin wanted to form alliance with western democracies but when this failed, sided with Hitler
  • Despite Stalin’s economic plans, USSR not ready for war = another motive for Pact
57
Q

What were the main reasons for the outbreak of WW2? (3 points)

A
  • Lord Halifax (British foreign secretary) declared Britain would defend Poland
  • Hitler thought invasion of Poland wouldn’t mean war with Britain and France
  • 1939 - Hitler invaded Poland - Britain and France gave him chance to withdraw, he didn’t so declared war on him
58
Q

How did the war in Europe expand?

A

International Relations (5 decks)

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