appeasement Flashcards
(33 cards)
What was the treaty of versailles?
The treaty of versailles (June 28th 1919), was an agreement after ww1 that disarmed germany, limiting it to: no airforce, no tanks, a navy of only 6 warships and no submarines, and an infantry force of only 100,00. Germany lost 10% of its land all its colonies and was to pay 6.6 billion pounds in reparations and was split due to the polish corridor as to allow poland access to the sea. Additionally the rhine land had to be demilitarised.
What was the munich agreement
The munich agreement (29TH SEPTEMBER 1938) was that Czechoslovakia cede the Sudetenland (The northern part of Czechoslovakia) to Germany, Czechoslovakia had 12 hours to accept this and 10 days to implement this. The munich
What was the pact of steel
The pact of steel was a mutual assistance pact between germany and italy, under the assumption war in europe would break out in the next 3 years, this pact was created on the 22nd of may 1939
What was the Anglo-Polish alliance?
The Anglo-Polish Alliance (31 March 1939) where the British govt. said they would be ‘bound at once to lend the Polish Govt. all support in their power’ in the event of German aggression/invasion
What was the Nazi-Soviet non aggression pact?
On the 23rd August, the two sides signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact or the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression
Pact. They agreed not to attack each other or join any alliances against the other
What was the anglo-german Naval agreement
The anglo-german Naval agreement (1935) was an agreement that allowed Germany to have a navy of up to 35% the size of the British common wealth navy
What effect did world war 1 have on France
France had suffered
enormous damage to its
land, industry and
population. Over 71% of
France’s military had been
either killed or injured during
the war. Many people in France now felt threatened by Germany
How did world war 1 effect america
The US had only been
involved in war for just over a
year so losses were smaller
than the other countries.
The US Government wanted
to make sure Europe stayed
peaceful so it did not have to
get involved in any more
wars.
How did world war 1 affect Britain
Britain suffered great
damage throughout the war.
Over 41% of Britain’s military
had been either killed or
injured during the war.
Before the war, Germany had
been Britain’s second largest
trading partner. Many
politicians were keen on
resuming these trading links.
Britain wanted to protect the
British Empire from any
threats.
What were the terms of the treaty of versailles
Germany to lose 10% of its land, including Alsace Lorraine to France.
• Germany was split because the Polish Corridor was created to provide Poland access to the sea.
• An area called the Rhineland was to be demilitarised. This meant it was to remain part of Germany
but the German government was not allowed to put an army or defences in this area.
• Germany and Austria were not allowed to join together in a union (or, Anschluss).
• Germany lost all her colonies (overseas lands she controlled).
• The German army was reduced to 100,000 men.
• The German army was not allowed to have tanks.
• Germany was to have no air force.
• The German navy was only allowed 6 warships and no submarines.
• Germany had to accept to pay reparations of £6.6 billion (or, 132 million Deutsche marks).
• Germany lost coal mines and iron works as the Sarr region was put under the control of the League
of Nations for 15 years.
• Germany had no choice but to sign Article 231 of the Treaty which said Germany alone accepted
the blame for having caused the war.
What was the German reaction to the treaty of versailles
Germany believed the treaty of versailles was too harsh and cruel in every term and that this was dictated piece or “diktat”
What was the French reaction to the Treaty of versailles
France fully supported the
treaty – they felt threatened
by an aggressive Germany
on their border. Led to
disagreement between
Britain and France. Many
French people looked at the
terrible cost of the war and
believed that France had
suffered far more than
Germany.
What was the British reaction to the treaty of versailles
Initially, people in Britain felt
that the terms were fair.
However, this quickly
changed. The British soon
viewed the treaty as too
harsh, and this is one reason
why no action was taken
against Hitler in the 1930s.
British people were said to
have “Versailles Guilt”.
What happened in Germany after the Treaty of Versailles was signed?
Attacks from communists.
The communist Spartacist uprising in January 1919 was defeated by the German
government.
Attacks from right
During the Kapp Putsch, March 1920, right-wing nationalists seized power in Berlin.
The German government called on workers to strike and many did, so the Kapp
Putsch failed.
Hyperinflation (1923)
The government printed money to pay reparations, wages and so on, which meant
that money quickly became worthless. Living conditions declined as taxes were
increased.
Occupation of the Ruhr
French troops occupied the Ruhr in January 1923 when Germany failed to pay
reparations. German workers wrecked equipment in retaliation.
Hitler’s Beer Hall Putsch (1923)
As the leader of the NAZI party, Hitler unsuccessfully attempted to launch a revolution in
Munich. His trial received mass media coverage, and he was imprisoned a year later.
What were the aims of the League of Nations?
The idea of the League was to eliminate four fatal flaws of the old European states:
1. in place of competing monarchical empires , the principle of national self-determination would
create a world of independent nation states, free of outside interference.
2. the secret diplomacy of the old order would be replaced by the open discussion and resolution of
disputes.
3. the military alliance blocs would be replaced by a system of collective guarantees of security –
based on the concept of collective security.
4. agreed disarmament would prevent the recurrence of the kind of arms race that had racked up
international tensions in the pre-war decade
What countries were a part of the League of Nations?
The League of Nations started with 42 members. These were all countries that had fought for or
supported the Allies in the Great War. Crucially, the US Congress voted not to join the League, even
though Woodrow Wilson was key in its foundation. Though the US was the most powerful and wealthy nation in the world during the 1920s, Congress did not want to be involved in European disputes.
What countries were barred from joining the League of Nations and why?
defeated countries were not
allowed to join, as such Germany was barred but was eventually admitted in 1926. The USSR were also not let in until 1934 due to
a European-wide fear of Communism.
What were the powers of the League of
Nations
The League of Nations followed a three-step
policy against aggressors:
1. Moral sanctions - The Council of the League
could, in an international dispute, decide who
was in the wrong and could cut
communications with the aggressor.
2. Economic sanctions – The League could tell
member states not to trade with the
aggressor.
3. Military sanctions – The Council could instruct
its members to provide troops to fight against
the aggressor.
What was one of the main weaknesses of the league of nations
It did not have a standing army and relied heavily on persuasion in the 1920’s
Why did Japan invade Manchuria?
During the 1920s, Japan faced grave economic
difficulties due to the Great Depression. A lot of
its economy was based around silk, however:
1. By 1932, silk was worth 1/5th of what it had
been during the 1920s.
2. Production and employment had fallen 30%
in 1931.
The north-east Chinese region of Manchuria was
known as an important industrial area and other
nations, including Japan, had factories there,
Japan was also facing a political crisis as their
Liberal government was threatened by
aggressive, neo-fascist nationalism.
How did Japan invade Manchuria
The Japanese army, which dominated the government, wanted to invade Manchuria, but they
needed an excuse to do so. On 18 September 1931 they deliberately sabotaged a railway that they owned and blamed it on China and invaded Manchuria as “retribution” The Japanese government wasn’t happy, but the invasion was popular with the people. Manchuria was renamed Manchukuo, and the Japanese put a former Chinese emperor, Pu Yi, in charge as a puppet ruler
How did the League of Nations react to the Manchurian crisis
China appealed directly to the League of Nations for support in the matter, as part of their
territory had been invaded by Japan. The League sent Lord Lytton to Manchuria, but the journey
was long, it took a significant amount of time for the officials to arrive. It was therefore, only in
1932 that the League was able to publish the Lytton report into the situation in Manchuria. The
report itself was detailed and declared that Japan was in the wrong and the league imposed
moral condemnation. The japanese ignored it and simply left the league of nations in 1933. A major blow to the LoN. The remains of LoN attempted to sanction Japan economically but weren’t very successful as the US (Japan’s largest trading partner) was no a part of the LoN.
What did Japan do following the manchurian crisis
The following year (1933), Japan invaded the Chinese
region of Jehol, and in 1937 began a full-scale invasion of China.
When was Manchuria
renamed
Manchukuo
Feb. 1932
