conflict and tension part three Flashcards
only 8.5 - chap 9, add 7 + rest of 8 later + make sure to add 8.7 (145 cards)
1
Q
where was the Sudetenland?
A
in Czechoslovakia on the border by Germany - home to forts, railways, and industries - useful for war effort
2
Q
what did many factories in the Sudetenland produce?
A
glass and lignite ( a type of coal) which could be used to build tanks and other weapons
3
Q
how many people could speak German in the Sudetenland?
A
3 million (~20%)
4
Q
what did Hitler use as an excuse to get the sudetenland?
A
the german-speaking population of the Sudetenland claimed they were being persecuted by the Czechs and were starting riots - so Hitler stepped in to ‘save’ them
5
Q
why was owning the Sudetenland a good strategic move?
A
easy to launch an attack on Czechoslovakia from it
6
Q
how was owning the Sudetenland part of overturning the ToV?
A
Czechoslovakia had been set up in the ToV so Hitler saw taking the Sudetenland to be a way of ‘righting’ the ‘wrongs’ of the Treaty
7
Q
what were the four main reasons Hitler targeted the Sudetenland?
A
- it was set up in the ToV
- had factories
- home to many German speakers
- strategically placed
8
Q
when did Hitler make it clear he was willing to fight for the Sudetenland?
A
May 1938
9
Q
what would France and Britain be obligated to do if Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia?
A
they would have to declare war and protect Czechoslovakia
10
Q
why did Britain and France not want Hitler to invade Czechoslovakia?
A
they didn’t want to declare war
11
Q
when did Chamberlain meet with Hitler and where?
A
15th September 1938, in Berchtesgaden (Hitler’s holiday home)
12
Q
what did Chamberlain agree to with Hitler at Berchtesgaden?
A
he agreed to give Hitler the Sudetenland as long as all his actions were peaceful (appeasement) - he then met with the Czechs and forced them to agree
13
Q
when did Chamberlain return to Germany to meet with Hitler for a second time and where?
A
on the 22nd September 1938, at Bad Godesberg
14
Q
what were Hitler’s new demands (ab Sudetenland) at the bad godesberg?
A
wanted the Sudetenland handed over by 1st October and insisted that Hungary and Poland should receive Czech land, Hitler promised peace in Europe in return for the sudetenland
15
Q
where did Chamberlain and Daladier attend to accept Hitler’s demands?
A
the Munich conference
16
Q
why were Chamberlain and Daladier happy about the Munich conference?
A
they believed they had prevented war, and that Czechoslovakia’s borders were safe, so B+F upheld their promise to protect it from Hitler
17
Q
who was the french president during the munich conference?
A
daladier
18
Q
when did Hitler march his troops into the Sudetenland?
A
the 10th of October 1938
19
Q
had the Czech gov been consulted ab the Munich agreement?
A
no
20
Q
how did the people living in the Sudetenland react to Hitler’s occupation of it?
A
the German Sudetens greeted the nazis with flowers but the Czech Sudetens were fearful
21
Q
what did the USSR think of the munich agreement?
A
- Stalin felt betrayed and angry that he wasn’t involved in the munich agreement
- worried that Hitler was getting closer to countries that USSR had close relationships with and was questioning what he could do to prevent an invasion- and didn’t think Britain or France would be a part of that plan
22
Q
when was the munich agreement?
A
30th september 1938
23
Q
what did Hitler and chamberlain sign the day after the Munich agreement?
A
they signed an Anglo-German declaration - they agreed that they would never go to war against each other
24
Q
what did Chamberlain claim he had achieved at the munich conference?
A
‘peace in our time’
25
why was the invasion of czechoslovakia significant?
- it was the first time Hitler invaded a country he had no claim in
- Czechoslovakia was a strong country
- Britain and France had alienated the USSR and lost a valuable ally against Hitler
- Hitler broke the promises he made at the Munich conference and in the Anglo-German declaration - Chamberlain had to admit that appeasement had failed
- Chamberlain promised Poland, which looked to be Hitler's next target that Britain would guarantee its independence
26
what were the arguments for appeasement?
- ToV was too harsh - Hitler should be allowed to overturn parts
- ww1 still fresh, didn't want another war
- hitler kept telling the British that he was a man of peace (and they believed him)
- many of hitler's actions gave people what they wanted - Anschluss pleased 99% of Austrians so it was democratically right to unite them
- the people of Britain didn't want war and voted against military action
- the depression meant B+F couldn't afford war - had to deal with their own problems
- threat of communism - strong Germany prevented spread of communism from USSR
- Britain wasn't ready for war and needed to buy time to fully rearm
- the USA signed two neutrality acts in 1930s saying they wouldn't get involved if Europe went to war, so B+F left to fend for themselves
27
what were the arguments against appeasement?
- people misjudged hitler, they thought he was reasonable but he wasn't and they should've known better
- people missed opportunities to stop hitler
- the more Hitler was given, the more confident he became and the more he took
- appeasement was morally wrong; it left countries like Austria and Czechoslovakia occupied by the nazis who treated people brutally with no mercy - political games should not have been played at the expense of these people's lives
- the appeasers forced Czechoslovakia to back down to hitler, but with a little support, Hitler could've been stopped
- appeasement alienated the USSR - the USSR didn't feel that it could rely on Britan and France if Hitler invaded but B+F needed USSR if wore broke out
28
when was the peace ballot and what was the result?
1934 - people voted that they had faith in LoN and they didn't want to resort to military action
29
what was hitler's next step for lebensraum after Austria and Czechoslovakia?
Poland
30
who was the foreign minister of Germany in 1939?
Joachim von Ribbentrop
31
when was the Nazi-soviet pact signed?
23rd August 1939
32
why did Stalin feel that he couldn't trust his old allies?
- joined LoN and saw how weak it was
- France + USSR signed an agreement that F would protect USSR if invasion but F didn't stop Rhineland
- B + F followed policy of appeasement - used Hitler as barrier against commies so they didn't trust stalin
- Stalin not consulted in Munich agreement
- Lord Halifax and Chamberlain hated communism, didn't really want to meet Stalin and questioned USSR military strength
- Polish troops knew Russians hated them and wanted territory back so didn't want Russian troops protecting them
- Hitler sent Ribbentrop to meet with him (senior Nazi) - more respect than B+F's ignorance
33
how did Chamberlain and Lord Halifax insult Stalin?
- refused to meet with Stalin when he first invited them to Russia to talk
- then sent Reginald Drax in April 1939 to USSR after Czechoslovakia situation got worse
- Drax travelled by boat (very slow)
- Drax didn't really have authority and kept referring issues back to London
- Halifax questioned how powerful USSR military actually was
34
why did stalin sign the Nazi-Soviet pact?
- Hitler and Stalin secretly split Poland - would be able to gain back territory without fighting for it
- knew Hitler would turn against him but was buying himself time to raise an army
- the USSR could see B + F would not stand up to Hitler and USSR felt isolated
- owning territory in Poland would create a buffer zone - helpful for if (when) Hitler invaded Russia
35
why did Hitler sign Nazi-soviet pact?
so Germany wouldn't have to fight on two sides again - take USSR out of equation
36
what was the significance of the Nazi-Soviet Pact?
- some say it made war inevitable - Hitler now knew he could invade poland w/o having war on two fronts
- B+F promised to protect Poland after realising Appeasement was useless
- B+F would fight war without support of USSR
- persuaded Britain that war was imminent - they formalised previous agreement with poland
37
what percentage of Danzig German population?
90%
38
when did Germany open fire on Danzig?
1st September 1939 4.45am
39
which German battleship opened fire on Poland?
Schleswig-Holstein
40
how many divisions of the German army invaded Poland?
62
41
how many Luftwaffe aeroplanes invaded poland?
1300
42
what happened to the Polish airforce?
it was caught on the ground and obliterated
43
what did Hitler's generals think of Hitler's invasion of Poland?
they were worried that Germany wasn't ready for war yet and even leaked plans to the British to get Hitler to abandon his plans
44
when did Britain send the ultimatum to Germany?
3rd September 1939
45
what did the British ultimatum say?
that the Germans were to withdraw their troops by 11am or Britain would be in a state of war with Germany and would send troops to Europe
46
what were the five causes of ww2?
- Hitler
- failure of LoN
- depression
- appeasement
- Nazi-soviet pact
47
what did Adolf Hitler promise to solve?
German unemployment, which had reached almost 6,000,000 by 1933
48
what things did Hitler identify as things he intended to do in order to make Germany a world power again?
- overturn the ToV
- rearm Germany
- take lebensraum (living space in the east)
- unite Volksdeutsche (German people w/o german citizenship) and create a Greater Germany
- anschluss
- destroy communism
49
why did Hitler want to get rid of the ToV?
he felt that it had humiliated Germany and should be abolished
50
why did Hitler want to rearm Germany?
to make Germany strong again and create jobs in munitions factories and the armed forces
51
why did Hitler want to take Lebensraum?
the ToV redistributed 13% of German land so Hitler wanted to make sure the Germans had enough land to live on and farm
52
why did Hitler want to unite Volksdeutsche and create a Greater Germany?
10% of the German population found themselves living outside of Germany after 1919, and some had been badly treated by the countries they were living in
53
why did Hitler want to destroy communism?
a Jewish man called Karl Marx had developed the idea of communism, and Hitler hated Jewish people and thought they were ruining Germany, so he believed that communism would destroy Germany if he didn't destroy it first
54
why would lebensraum lead to war?
Hitler wanted land in the east, to get this, he would have to invade countries in Eastern Europe. this would be considered an act of war and other countries might try to protect the ones being invaded
55
why would rearmament lead to war?
under the ToV, Germany's military power was severely restricted and the Rhineland had been demiliterised. Hitler wanted to introduce conscription and build a luftwaffe (air force) to help reduce unemployment and make Germany strong again, but this broke international law and other countries would become suspicious about why Germany needed such a big army
56
why would reuniting German-speaking people and creating a Greater Germany lead to war?
to build a greater germany, Hitler planned to reclaim land that had been lost in the treaty of versailles. he also planned to unite areas that were no longer German but where Volksdeutsche were living as a part of Germany. However, it was unlikely that other countries would give up these regions without a fight and once again Hitler was breaking international law
57
why would destroying communism lead to war?
the USSR had a massive army and had began to develop better relationships with Britain and France. the USSR was also allied with many of the Eastern European countries that Hitler was targeting for Lebensraum. Hitler was provoking a powerful nation that was bound to fight back
58
who was Britain's PM from 1937 to 1940?
Neville Chamberlain
59
what was Chamberlain's policy to deal with Hitler until 1939?
appeasement
60
how had public opinion on the treaty of versailles changed in Britain?
- many felt that it was too harsh
- felt that Germany should be allowed to reclaim some of what land had been lost which would help it become strong
- wanted Germany strong to help stop the expansion of the communist USSR
61
what did Winston Churchill think of Chamberlain's policy of appeasement?
he believed it was a mistake
62
which three countries signed the stresa front, what was it, and when was it signed?
Britain, France, Italy agreed to unite against the threat of Hitler, protect the terms of the Locarno treaty, and protect Austrian independence in April 1935
63
what was proof that Britain was pacifist (didn't want war)?
- 1933 by-election in Fulham East
- should've been an easy win for tory candidate
- but tory said that he was in favour of British rearmament and opinion shifted
- labour candidate won with 58% of vote
64
who was the president of France during most of the 1930s?
Edouard Daladier
65
why couldn't the French gov focus on Hitler?
their people suffered from the depression and some began to rebel against the gov, they had too many problems of their own and there was no way France could have afforded to act against hitler without help from Britain
66
who was the dictator of the USSR when Hitler was in power?
Joseph Stalin
67
what were the USSR's international relationships like during the 1930s?
they were often hostile because their communist gov was very different to most western govs
68
how did Stalin feel about Hitler?
he was concerned ab him because he promised to destroy communism
69
which countries signed a treaty of mutual assistance, what was it, and when was it signed?
France and USSR in May 1935, said that the two countries would work together - Stalin decided it was worth cooperating with capitalist states if it meant that Hitler's expansion into the East could be stopped, also called Franco-Soviet pact
70
who came to power in the US in 1932?
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR)
71
what policy did America follow during the 1920s and 30s?
a policy of isolationism - they avoided getting involved in European affairs
72
what did unemployment rise to in the US in the 1930s?
rose to 25% (because of wall street crash)
73
what was the opinion of the people of the US on being involved in ww1 and the possibility of being in ww2?
a poll published in 1934 said that 70% of americans thought the USA shouldn't have gotten involved and that if there is a second war, the US shouldn't intervene
74
when did the LoN hold a disarmament conference?
1933 (technically between 1932-34)
75
what happened at the disarmament conference in 1933?
- Hitler agreed to disarm if every other country did as well
- if the other countries did not disarm, he wanted an army equal in size to the French
- France refused to cooperate
- gave Hitler the excuse to storm out
- then Hitler left the league (in October of 1933)
76
who became the Austrian chancellor in 1932?
Englebert Dollfuss
77
what did Dollfuss do as chancellor of Austria?
in March 1933, he shut down parliament and banned the Austrian Nazi party in order to become the fascist dictator of Austria
78
who became close allies to Dollfuss?
Mussolini because Dollfuss modelled his dictatorship on Mussolini
79
what did Hitler do in retaliation to Dollfuss banning the Austrian Nazi party?
(1934) he told Austrian Nazis to create havoc in the country and they murdered Dollfuss
80
what was the result of Hitler telling the Austrian nazis to create havoc in austria?
his plan failed because the Austrian army supported the gov and because mussolini moved his troops onto the austrian border, promising to stop Hitler's anschluss. Hitler realised his army was not yet strong enough so he backed down and claimed the Austrian Nazi party had acted alone
81
when was the 'freedom to rearm rally'?
March 1935
82
what happened at the 'freedom to rearm rally'?
- Hitler showed off weapons and troops that he had secretly been building
- announced he was reintroducing conscription
- announced he was expanding his army to 1 million men
- announced he was building a luftwaffe (air force)
83
what event marked the fact that Hitler was sure he could openly defy the ToV?
the freedom to rearm rally
84
when did Hitler reintroduce conscription?
1936
85
what was the Saar?
a rich industrial area which had been given to the LoN (france) for 15 years under the ToV
86
when was the Saar plebiscite?
13th January 1935
87
what was the outcome of the Saar plebiscite?
90% voted to rejoin Germany and Hitler was able to use this as propaganda to show that German-speaking people wanted to unite under the Nazis, and he gained rich coalfield which could be used to power his industry and build weapons ready for the future
88
when was the Anglo-German naval agreement signed?
18th June 1935
89
what was the Anglo-German naval agreement?
- Britain agreed to let Hitler build his navy to 35% of the size of the British one
- also allowed germany to build 45% the number of British submarines
90
what was the impact of the Anglo-german naval agreement?
- Hitler saw it as Britain admitting that the ToV was unfair and that they could therefore ignore it
- the military terms of the ToV were officially dead
- Britain didn't consult France or Italy before signing the agreement
91
what is the Rhineland?
the area of land around the River Rhine, part of Germany bordering France
92
when did Hitler send troops to the Rhineland?
7th March 1936
93
what was Hitler sending troops to the Rhineland a response to?
a response to the Franco-Soviet pact because Hitler claimed that Germany was under threat by having enemies on both fronts
94
how were the troops in the Rhineland greeted?
they were greeted by civilians with flowers
95
what did Hitler tell his generals to do if they were greeted by any resistance in the rhineland?
he told them to retreat because he knew that his army was still small
96
why did Britain react to the rearmament of the Rhineland?
- felt they had the right to protect their own borders and so they shouldn't have to intervene
- British troops were already busy dealing with the Italian invasion of Abyssinia
- the depression hit Britain hard and the nation could not afford to get involved in foreign affairs
- many people simply believed Hitler was reclaiming what was rightfully his
97
why did France react to the remiliterisation of the Rhineland?
- politicians in France were busy fighting a general election, no one wanted to be responsible for plunging France into a war bc it would lose them votes
- much of the French ary had been moved to Tunisia in case the situation in Abyssinia needed intervention
- French generals believed that the German army entering the Rhineland was much larger and better equipped than it actually was, they weren't prepared to risk their men
98
why didn't the LoN react to the rearmament of the Rhineland?
the league was concentrating its efforts on Mussolini in Abyssinia
99
could Hitler have been stopped from remiliterising the rhineland?
yes, army generals had warned Hitler that if France decided to uphold the ToV, the German army was not big enough to fight and financial ministers advised him that if he failed, Germany would have to pay crippling fines
100
what was the impact of the remiliterisation of the rhineland?
- Hitler grew confident that he could do whatever he wanted
- Hitler turned his attention to other terms of ToV (eg Anschluss)
- Britain and France started rearming
- France had treaties with several Eastern European countries promising to protect them but now had to turn its attention to its own defences
- relationship between Britain and France tested; French felt they couldn't rely on Britain for help so Britain signed an agreement to strengthen the Locarno Treaty and reaffirmed they would protect each other
- Mussolini signed Rome-Berlin axis with Hitler
- Mussolini and Hitler also worked together to send weapons to Spain bc there was a civil war there
- Hitler was now ready to defend its western borders, so he could focus on Lebensraum in the East
101
why was sending weapons to Spain during Spain's civil war helpful for Hitler?
allowed him to test his weapons and develop them, and allowed his men to gain experience of war
102
what were the potential allies of Hitler?
- Britain
- Spain
- Italy
- Japan
103
why was Britain a potential ally for Hitler?
- he admired the British monarchy and many of Britain's traditions and values
- he was very keen to be allies
- suggested a non-aggression pact in 1936 that would last for 25 years
- Hitler wanted the two countries to agree to not fight each other if a war broke out
104
how did the British feel about allying with Hitler?
- some politicians wanted to cooperate with Hitler to avoid/postpone a war bc they needed tie to rearm/raise funds/persuade the British public to fight
- didn't have any plans to set up an official alliance
- after the remiliterisation of the Rhineland, Britain strengthened its agreement with France and Belgium
105
why was Spain a potential ally for Spain?
- 1936, civil war broke out between nationalist fascists (led by general Franco) and democratic republicans
- Hitler and Mussolini sent troops and weapons to Franco to test out weapons, have a potential ally in Franco won, USSR supported Franco's enemies and Hitler didn't want to let Spain become a strong Communist state in the west
106
how did Franco feel about Hitler and Mussolini's help?
he was delighted to have their help and by 1939, he was able to defeat the republicans and became the dictator of Spain. much of his victory was thanks to the support he received from the Nazis
107
why did Mussolini agree to work with Hitler?
mussolini's relationship with Britain and France had suffered, so agreeing to work with Hitler meant he was no longer isolated in Europe and he could continue to rebuild a 'new Roman empire' safe in the knowledge that he had an ally in other countries declared war in retaliation
108
how did Japan and Germany come together?
they signed the anti-comintern pact on 25th November 1936, agreeing to work together against communism (later joined by Mussolini too)
109
what was the comintern?
a group developed by USSR dedicated to spreading communism
110
which two countries did Germany almost get into a triple alliance with?
Italy and Japan
111
what were the problems with the proposed triple alliance with Italy and Japan?
they couldn't agree on the focus of the pact; Japan wanted the pact to focus on destroying the USSR while Mussolini wanted the pact to be against Britain and France
112
what had put a strain on the relationship between Japan and Russia?
the Manchurian invasion
113
which country did not sign the pact between Germany, Italy, and Japan?
Japan did not end up signing it
114
when was the Pact of Friendship and Alliance between --- and ---- signed, and which two countries signed it?
Germany and Italy signed on 22nd May 1939
115
what was the nickname of the pact of friendship and alliance between Germany and Italy?
Pact of Steel
116
when did Japan sign the Pact of Steel?
1940
117
who replaced Dollfuss in 1934?
Schuschnigg
118
what deal did Schuschnigg make with the Nazis and why?
he was worried because of what had happened with Dollfuss so he made a deal that they would support him and in return he would give them key positions in the Austrian gov
119
when did police raid the headquarters of the Austrian Nazi party and what did they find?
January 1938, they found plans to overthrow Schuschnigg
120
where did Schuschnigg and Hitler meet after the police raided the nazi headquarters?
Berchtesgaden (Hitler's mountain retreat)
121
who attended the meeting with Schuschnigg and Hitler?
three nazi generals to intimidate Schuschnigg
122
did Schuschnigg have a say over the terms he agreed to in the meeting with Hitler?
not really
123
what were Hitler's demands in the meeting with Schuschnigg?
- he had to appoint a Nazi solicitor called Seyss-Inquart as minister for the interior, with full power over the police
- Nazis were also to take the roles of ministers of finance and war
- also had to lift any restrictions on the nazi party
- had to release nazis from prison
124
what did Hitler say he'd do if Schuschnigg did not make the changes he demanded in their meeting at Berchtesgaden?
he said he'd invade if the changes weren't made within three days
125
what was Schuschnigg's plan after the Berchtesgaden meeting?
hold a plebiscite to allow the people of Austria to vote for/against anschluss - Hitler would lose his excuse to invade if he lost the plebiscite
126
when did Hitler demand for the plebiscite to be postponed?
11th March 1938
127
did Schuschnigg agree to postpone the plebiscite?
yes because he feared that Britain, France, and Italy would not support him if he defied Hitler
128
what did Hitler force Schuschnigg to do on the 11th of March 1938?
he forced him to resign
129
who took over after Schuschnigg was forced to resign?
Seyss-Inquart
130
what did Seyss-Inquart immediately do when he took over as chancellor?
he claimed that Austria was in a state of chaos and requested German help to help restore peace
131
when did Nazi troops invade austria?
12th March 1938
132
what happened when the Nazis invaded Austria?
- it was badly planned
- tanks had to stop at Austrian petrol stations to fill up with fuel
- commanders had to use tourist guides to find the Capital (Vienna)
- no blood was shed
- people cheered for the troops, giving gifts and flowers to the soldiers
- mussolini stayed true to the pact and didn't intervene
133
when was the plebiscite held in Austria?
10th April 1938
134
what was the result of the plebiscite in Austria?
99% of Austrians voted in favour of Anschluss (though there was a heavy presence from Nazi stormtroopers at the voting booths)
135
what was the impact of the Nazi invasion on Jewish citizens of Austria?
- as soon as they invaded, anti-semitic attacks took place on the streets of Austria
- Jewish people were arrested at random and imprisoned
- some were forced to scrub the streets or public toilets with their sacred prayer cloths
- thousands left Austria as quickly as they could, fearing that there was no future for them under Nazi control
136
how many jewish people lived in Austria (before the nazi invasion i think)?
180,000
137
how did most Austrian people react to the invasion of the Nazis?
- they had lost a lot of pride and wealth because of the Treaty of St Germain so many people were hungry and hopeless
- many were delighted to unite with the nazis bc they believed it might make Austria great again
138
what did Hitler supposedly do when the document making Anschluss legal was presented to him?
he was said to have shed a tear
139
what did the propaganda in nazi-controlled newspapers say after Anschluss?
described the chaos in Austria (that was started by the Nazis on Hitler's request) and of Seyss-Inquart's request that Hitler should save the day and restore order - showed Hitler as the hero who saved Austria from doom and despair
140
what was the impact of Anschluss on Germany?
- made Germany stronger
- hitler was closer to uniting german speakers
- was closer to righting the wrongs of the tov
- rich in natural resources (eg steel and iron ore) which could be used to fuel rearmament
- was a propaganda success which led to heightened popularity for Hitler
141
what did Winston Churchill think of Anschluss?
he opposed it, believed if Austria wanted Anschluss, then Germany should have negotiated it rather than sending its troops in
142
how did people in Britain react to Anschluss?
- most people felt Austria and Germany were essentially the same country so they should be allowed to unite
- most people still held anti-war and anti-Versailles sentiments so didn't want to get involved anyway
143
what did France think of Anschluss?
they had its own political problems that were seen as more pressing than the fate of Austria; just two days before Hitler invaded Austria, the whole French gov resigned bc of unrest caused by economic issues
144
how did Czechoslovakia react to anschluss?
- knew Hitler wanted lebensraum so Czecho would be next
- turned to Britain and France (who were bound by a previous treaty to protect Czech independence)
- Chamberlain wanted to find a peaceful solution and asked Hitler what his intentions were towards Czecho
- Hitler gave Chamberlain his word of honour that the Czechs had nothing to fear
145
what were the overall consequences of Anschluss?
- had access to the East for Lebensraum
- Austrian army of 100,000 men added strength
- Austrian resources (eg steel and iron ore) helped fuel rearmament
- Germany now bordered western Czechoslovakia on tree sides
