Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Samenvatting Geschiedenis Causes of WW2 (second world war) Chapter 9. Causes of WW2. 9.1 Why did peace collapse in Europe in 1939? Between 1918 and 1933 Adolf Hitler rose from being a member of the defeated German army to become the dictator of Germany. How far was Hitler responsible for the outbreak of the Second World War? (THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR THE TEST (p. 256 new book) =>) In 1924 Hitler laid out his book Mein KampfӔwith his ideas about what he would do if the Nazis ever achieved power in Germany: abolish the Treaty of Versailles. It reminded him of their defeat and humiliation in and after WW1. Germans. expand the German territory. Get extra LebensraumӔ(living space) for defeat Communism. Hitler was an anti-Communist. He believed Communists had helped defeat Germany in WW1 and were trying to take over Germany now. Some people say Hitler planned everything he did between 1933 and 1939 step for step. Others say he just took the logical next step and Britain, The Allies and the League of Nations are to blame for letting Hitler get away with everything he did. Hitler came to power in 1933 and started to rearm Germany. In this way he reduced unemployment and kept his promise of making Germany strong again. He withdrew from the League of Nations. In 1935 he openly showed he was rearming. It boosted Nazi support. Britain had sympathy because of the Treaty of Versailles and they thought it was good for fighting against Communism Also in 1935 the League of Nations let the people in The Saar region vote on whether they wanted to return to German rule. Hitler won with 90% of the votes! In 1936 Hitler moved troops into the Rhineland area. Britain thought this was reasonable. At the exact same time the Abyssinian crisis was going on. France didnt want to act without Britain. So Hitler got away with it. In 1937 Hitler ғtried out his new armed forceson various Spanish cities, where a civil war was going on. In 1936 German and Japan signed an Anti-Comintern Pact (Anti-Communist International). In 1937 Italy also signed it. Now Hitler and Mussolini were Allies, Hitler say his chance to take over Austria. In 1938 the Austrian people could vote for ԓAnschluss (political union). Nor France, nor Britain did anything. They werenԒt prepared to go to war or to defend a silly treaty (the Treaty of Versailles). In 1933 Britain signed the Appeasement agreement with Germany. For the next three years, Britain would give Germany what he wanted. They did this because: - Hitler was standing up to Communism, they liked that Germany Commonwealth countries probably wouldnt support a war against - they wanted to keep peace, avoid an other world war - the USA wouldnҒt support them if they stood up to Hitler - they started to believe the Treaty of Versailles wasnt fair on Germany - their own economic problems were more important But there were also reasons against Appeasement: - it encouraged Hitler to be aggressive - it allowed Germany to grow too strong - it put too much trust in HitlerҒs promises it scared the USSR, they saw that Britain and France wouldnt stand in HitlerҒs way Edward Benes, the leader of Czechoslovakia, was horrified by the AnschlussӔ, he saw his country was the next on Hitlers list. In 1938 Hitler made clear he intended to fight Czechoslovakia if necessary. Many Germans lived in the Sudetenland area in Czechoslovakia. This time it wasnҒt that simple for Hitler, because Britain, France and the USSR had all promised to protect Czechoslovakia. In Britain people saw war coming and started digging air-raid shelters and buying gas masks. In a last effort to avert war, Chamberlain (Britain) met Hitler. They agreed Hitler could only take over a small part of the Sudetenland if the people there voted for him. But a few days later, Hitler wanted all of it! He said the Germans there were being mistreated by the Czech government. The leaders of Britain, Germany, France and Italy decided in the Munich Agreement, without asking the Czechs or the USSR, that Germany could have all Sudetenland. Chamberlain and Hitler published a joint declaration which would bring peace for our timeӢ_. Chamberlain received a heros welcome back in Britain. In 1939 German troops took over whole Czechoslovakia. This went too far. Britain and France said that if Hitler would invade Poland, they would declare war on Germany. The policy of Appeasement was ended. Hitler convinced himself that Britain and France wouldnҒt risk war over Poland, but he was less sure about Stalin and the USSR. Why? In 1934 Stalin had joined the League of Nations hoping they would help him defeat Germany. But he saw the League was powerless, they let Hitler do anything he liked, and they actually saw Communism as a bigger threat than Hitler. Stalin tried to get France and Britain into an nalliance against Hitler, but Chamberlain didnt want to commit Britain. But, also the Nazis wanted to ally with the Soviets. In 1939 Hitler and Stalin signed the Nazi-Soviet Pact. Stalin did this because: Hitler Stalin thought Britain and France werenҒt strong enough allies against he also wanted part of Poland (he secretly agreed with Hitler to divide Poland between them) he didnt really believe Hitler would keep his word, but he just needed time to build up his forces. So, in 1939 Germany and the Soviet forces invaded Poland. Surprisingly for Hitler, Britain and France kept their promise and declared war on Germany. Was Appeasement the right policy? - Wrong because it encourage Hitler - Right because Britain wasnҒt ready for war Focus Task p. 257 (new book). (IMPORTANT!) => Terms of the Treaty of Versailles What Hitler did and when The reasons he gave for his action The response from Britain and France Germanys armed forces to be severely limited 1933. Secretly started rearmament He said he did it to solve unemploy-ment and to defend itself They let Hitler do it. Britain had sympathy The Rhineland to be a demilitarised zone 1936. Moved his troops into the Rhineland area He said he was under threat of France and the USSR Britain was busy with Abys. French leaders didnҒt act because of elections Germany forbidden to unit with Austria 1938. Took over Austria He let the Austrian peoples vote ғcome true” No military confrontation from France or Britain The Sudetenland taken into the new state of Czechoslovakia marched into Sudetenland To save the GermansӔthere. Hitler what he wanted, to overcome war 1938 / 1939. Troops Finally did give The Polish Corridor given to Poland 1939. Germany and the Soviet forces take over Poland No good reason (more Lebens-raumӔfor Germans) He signed an agreement with Stalin Britain and France kept their promise. When Germany attacked Poland, they declared war!!! 9.2 How did the war become a world war? So, Germany invaded Poland. In 1940 it then also invaded France, the Netherlands and Belgium. And in 1941 also the USSR. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, a separate conflict was developing. In 1941 Pearl Harbor in Hawaii was attacked by the Japanese. It had made its play for domination in the Pacific: Rivalry between Japan and the USA had begun in the 1920s. In 1931 Japan invaded Manchuria, and in 1937 Japan launched a full-scale war on China. The USA watched with concern. Roosevelt and Churchill developed a close working relationship. Japan wanted to carve out an empire in the Far East. However, not only was this threatening to the USA, it also threatened Japans other large and powerful neighbour, the USSR. The second problem was solved when Hitler invaded the USSR in 1941. On 7 dec. 1941 Japan attacked the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor. The next day the US Congress declared war on Japan. Three days later Hitler declared war on the USA.