Download World War II Prevention Committee

World War II Prevention Committee
Jack Kingston, Rachel Lubbe
JJMUNC
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Introduction to the Issue: Once Germany signed the First Armistice at Compiègne on November 11, 1918, World War I finally came to an end. As a result, over thirty nations met at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919 in order to come up with a peace treaty for the war. However, when the Treaty of Versailles was drafted at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, tensions between winners and losers ran high. Being the victors of the Great War, many allied powers controlled negotiations and treaty clauses that were extraordinarily unfavorable to axis powers. The most controversial treaty terms that we will debate in this committee are also the terms that gave rise the the Second World War and the immense devastation that came with it. It is your job as the heads of your respective states to fix the damage caused by the treaty and to make both domestic and foreign efforts to avoid WWII because, frankly, if the crisis team delivers a message that the UK and France have declared war on Germany, you lose. This committee is for intermediate to advanced delegates who are able to respond to crises and negotiate with foes. The Treaty of Versailles (1918) War Guilt Clause: Under Article 231 of the Treaty was a statement that said that Germany had to accept full responsibility for starting the war (the war guilt clause). This meant Germany took full responsibility to all the damage done throughout Europe. Not only was Article 231 a blow to the German confidence-­‐-­‐ they weren’t the only belligerent nations-­‐-­‐ but it had far reaching economic effects. By claiming responsibility for the “war to end all wars”, Germany made itself responsible for the war-­‐ caused damages to infrastructure and civilian livelihood. This would lead to territorial losses and reparation payments that would cripple the German economy and strength, as well as military limitations which would later be obliterated by Adolf Hitler. 2
Reparations: World War I reparations refers to the payments and transfers of property and equipment that Germany was forced to make under the Treaty of Versailles (1919) following its defeat during World War I. Article 231 of the Treaty (the so-­‐called 'war guilt' clause) declared Germany and its allies responsible for all 'loss and damage' suffered by the Allies during the war and provided the basis for reparations. In January 1921, the total sum due was decided by an Inter-­‐Allied Reparations Commission and was set at 269 billion gold marks (the equivalent of around 100,000 tonnes of pure gold), about £13 billion or US$64 billion ($785 billion in 2011).1 Germany, however, was experiencing its own economic crisis, and tolling reparations were simply out of the question. With inflation through the roof, Germany was at an all-­‐time low, almost reaching bankruptcy. With the Treaty looming over them, Germany would have no chance of boosting its economy back to normal. To Germany, it was clear that the Allied powers wanted nothing more than for Germany to become bankrupt, as evident with the loss of industrial territory. Germany was unable to form a superstate with Austria, making it harder for the nation to stay away from bankruptcy. The yearly amount paid was reduced in 1924 and in 1929 the total sum to be paid was reduced by over 50%. Payments ceased when Adolf Hitler's National Socialist German Workers' Party took power in 1933, with about one-­‐eighth of the initial reparations paid. The final payments were made on 4 October 2010, the twentieth anniversary of German reunification.1 Territorial losses: In the west, Germany returned Alsace-­‐Lorraine to France. It had been seized by Germany more than 40 years earlier. Further, Belgium received Eupen and Malmedy, the industrial Saar region was placed under the administration of the League of Nations for 15 years, and 3
Denmark received Northern Schleswig. Finally, the Rhineland was demilitarized; no German military forces or fortifications were permitted there. In the east, Poland received parts of West Prussia and Silesia from Germany. In addition, Czechoslovakia received the Hultschin district from Germany, the largely German city of Danzig became a free city under the protection of the League of Nations, and Memel, a small strip of territory in East Prussia along the Baltic Sea, was ultimately placed under Lithuanian control. Outside Europe, Germany lost all of its colonies. In sum, Germany forfeited 13 percent of its European territory (more than 27,000 square miles) and one-­‐tenth of its population (between 6.5 and 7 million people).2 Military limitations: ARTICLE 160 of the Treaty states specific limitations on the German military that had been a powerhouse prior to the start of the war. According to the Western powers that created the document, Germany wasn’t allowed to exceed ranks of 100,000 men -­‐-­‐ and was not allowed a standing army. Its navy that had rivaled that of England earlier in the century would now be limited to 15,000 personnel. By November of 1918, all German warships that were not docked in Germany ceased to belong to the Germans, and were international property. Actions of Adolf Hitler, and later appeasement: Adolf Hitler rose to power in the 20 years before he was elected Chancellor of Germany. During World War I, Adolf Hitler entered the ranks as a soldier in the German army. At the conclusion of World War I, Hitler joined the German Worker’s party as an undercover agent with the German army. However, after reading a pamphlet written by Anton Drexler, the founder of the party, Hitler was excited to see that Drexler’s political views were similar to his, building a strong nationalist, pro-­‐military, anti-­‐Semitic party made up of working class people. He then was accepted into the party, following a letter from Drexler. Hitler became 4
the main attraction at the meetings held by the party, attracting hundreds of supporters at the meetings. In these meetings, Hitler would speak out against the Treaty of Versailles, and would deliver many anti-­‐Semitic rants, and would blame the Jews for all of Germany’s problems. In one of his speeches, Hitler delivered his Twenty Five Points, the political platform of the Worker’s party. In these points, Hitler included the rejection of the Treaty of Versailles. Although membership of the Worker’s party kept increasing, Hitler realized the only thing missing was a symbol and a flag for the party. In 1920, Hitler created the symbol for the party, the swastika. In addition, Hitler also changed the name of the party to the National Socialist German Workers' Party, or Nazi for short. After only two short years of being a member of the party, Hitler was voted and introduced as the Führer of the Nazi Party on July 29, 1921. In 1923, Hitler was sentenced to 5 years in prison for treason, after his actions during the Beer Hall Putsch, which was a failed attempt by Hitler to seize power in Munich and Bavaria. It was this event that brought Hitler into the national spotlight. While in prison for treason, Hitler began writing the first volume of his book, Mein Kampf, which outlined Hitler's political and racial ideas in brutally intricate detail, serving both as a blueprint for future actions and as a warning to the world. However, when the book was published in 1925, it sold poorly. After serving only nine months in prison, Hitler was released from prison in December 1924. After being released, Hitler realized the only way to take over Germany was to be elected. In 1930, Hitler and the Nazi party began their election campaign. During the election, Hitler did everything he could to gain popularity, including delivering speeches, attending meetings, shaking hands, and soon became a celebrity in Germany, signing autographs and posing for pictures. Hitler also gave his supporters vague promises, never going into detail. The Nazi party received 6,371,000 votes on election day, over 18% of the 5
nation, and won 107 seats in the German Reichstag, propelling Hitler to international attention. After rising to international fame, Adolf Hitler decided to run for President in 1932, looking to oppose President Hindenburg’s bid for re-­‐election. In the September election, Hitler received 30% of the popular vote to President Hindenburg’s 49%, however, President Hindenburg was unable to win the majority of the popular vote, which meant there needed to be a runoff election. However, in the run-­‐off election, President Hindenburg received 53% and was re-­‐elected. However, much to the surprise of the whole nation, President Hindenburg appointed Adolf Hitler as Chancellor of Germany, in an attempt to keep Hitler and his Nazi party under control. However, this proved to be a disastrous result, as after the death of Hindenburg, Hitler combined both Chancellor of Germany and President and became Führer of Germany, or supreme ruler. As supreme ruler of Germany, democracy came to an end with the burning of the Reichstag building in February 1933. After becoming supreme ruler, Hitler began to militarize Germany, building weapons and infrastructure. This militarization decreased unemployment, as more jobs were created as a result. In 1935, only 17 years after the Treaty of Versailles was signed, Adolf Hitler broke the treaty by expanding the German military beyond the treaty’s parameters. The army was expanded to 600,000 troops, the navy was enlarged, and an air force was created by Hitler. However, to the surprise of Hitler, the allies didn’t respond to his actions. The following year, he sent troops into the Rhineland, another action that went against the Treaty of Versailles. Once again, he got no response from the allies, as it became apparent to them that the treaty was too harsh on Germany. Once the economy in Germany began to decline in 1936, Hitler made alliances with Italy and Japan. However, he wanted to form a union between Austria, Czechoslovakia and Germany in order for him to add his homeland into the Reich. While Austria fell quickly, Czechoslovakia refused to surrender the Sudetenland. The Czechs received the help of Britain and France, while Germany prepared to invade. 6
In order to prevent another situation similar to World War I, the Allied powers met at the Munich Conference and came up with an appeasement. The allies agreed to give Hitler the Sudetenland land he wanted so badly, and in return, he promised peace. However, despite the appeasement, Adolf Hitler and his German army invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. As a result of this invasion, Britain and France declared war on Germany. Soon enough, Japan and Italy joined on Germany’s side, thus creating another World War. In the end, Hitler’s actions led to a domino effect that in the end led to the death of over 50 million innocent citizens due to prejudice against Judaism. It was the harsh terms of the Treaty of Versailles that led to the beginning of Hitler’s rise to power, and this hatred towards the treaty stayed consistent as he continued to rise to power. Ultimately, upon becoming the supreme ruler of Germany, he broke off the treaty, and began to take it out on the allied powers, who had put Germany in the economic ruin they were in during the 1920’s. Had the Treaty of Versailles been less harsh, would that have prevented Hitler’s rise to power and the outbreak of World War II? Failure of the League of Nations: When World War I ended in 1918, Woodrow Wilson created his Fourteen Points, which was his basis for a peace program that should be included in the ensuing Treaty. In his Fourteen Points, Wilson included no more secret alliances, free navigation of all seas, and reduction of arms. However, his most known point was his point of creating a League of Nations, which would be set up to guarantee the political and territorial part independence of all states. In other words, the League of Nations would prevent another World War, and create stability between the nations. The League of Nations was to be set up in Geneva, Switzerland. Because Switzerland didn’t take part in World War I, it was viewed as a neutral country. Woodrow Wilson then presented his Fourteen Points to Congress, envisioning a better, more stable world. However, Congress refused to ratify the Treaty of Versailles because they rejected the creation of the League of Nations. Despite the recent Imperialistic actions by the United States, and the involvement during World War I, the 7
United States were still trying to maintain their isolationist policy. Congress saw the League of Nations as going against that policy. However, Wilson wasn’t done appealing to Congress. At the Paris Peace Conference in January 1919, Wilson pitched his idea of a League of Nations to some of the biggest world powers, including France, Great Britain, and Italy. By getting these three countries on board with the League of Nations, Wilson hoped that Congress would change their decision on US involvement. However, once Wilson returned from Paris, his plan was once again rejected by the Republican majority in Congress. Due to the legal loopholes regarding America’s sovereignty, Congress refused to ratify the Treaty. However, Wilson still wasn’t done. On September 3, 1919, President Woodrow Wilson began a tour across the United States, in an attempt to promote American involvement in the League of Nations. Wilson hoped that citizens would see that American involvement would help solve any conflicts between other nations, and would in fact prevent another outbreak of World War I. During this tour, Wilson argued that isolationism didn’t work in a world with violent revolutions over national borders. He stressed that the League of Nations embodied the same values of self-­‐government as the United States, and that the League of Nations would work to settle conflicts peacefully. However, in the end, Congress continued to reject the League of Nations, and the United States were unable to join. Congress’s rejection of the involvement of the United States, a world power, and the country that came up with the idea of the League of Nations was a severe blow to the image of the League. In addition, Germany was not allowed to join the League for many reasons. Since Germany started the war, the Treaty of Versailles stated that they were no longer considered a part of the international community. While this was a big blow to Germany, this was equally as bad for the League of Nations. Without Germany, another world power, the League was unable to use Germany’s strengths to help support its campaigns. In addition, Russia was not allowed to join the League of Nations either. Russia, being a communist nation, generated fear in western Europe. Due to the many issues within the country, Russia was not allowed to take their place in the League. As a result, three of the major world powers -­‐-­‐ United States, Germany, and Russia -­‐-­‐ did not participate in the 8
League of Nations, causing the League to lose its prestige. Britain and France were ineffective in the League, as they both had suffered greatly financially and militarily during the war, and did not want to get involved in issues that didn’t directly affect western Europe. Although three of the world powers were unable to participate, and two other world powers had no interest in participating beyond issues in western Europe, the League of Nations pressed on, with the intentions of creating stability within every nation, and preventing another war like World War I. Because of the lack of support from the bigger and more powerful nations, the League of Nations was never able to be as successful as it could’ve been. The failure of the League of Nations led to the rise of Adolf Hitler in Germany, and failed to prevent Hitler from invading other countries in Europe. Hitler’s actions ultimately caused World War II, something that the League of Nations was created to prevent. In the end, a more effective League, with every nation’s participation, could have potentially prevented the rise of Hitler, thus preventing World War II. Had the US Congress allowed the US to join the League of Nations, would the League have prevented World War II? Questions to consider in your research: -­‐ How can the clauses be revised or manipulated to produce a more peaceful outcome? -­‐ What can be done to minimize the popularity of non-­‐democratic leaders in Germany? -­‐ Can appeasement be avoided? If so, how can you prevent Hitler from making territorial claims? -­‐ What conditions would have to exist for WWI to hold true to its nickname at the time: “the war to end all wars” ? Bibliography: 9
"Adolf Hitler and the Road to War (1934-­‐1939)." Examiner.com. Web. 24 June 2014. "The History Place -­‐ Rise of Hitler: Hitler Becomes Dictator of Germany." The History Place -­‐ Rise of Hitler: Hitler Becomes Dictator of Germany. Web. 23 June 2014. "Hitler Appeased at Munich." History.com. A&E Television Networks. Web. 24 June 2014. "League of Nations." League of Nations. Web. 22 June 2014. "The Paris Peace Conference and the Treaty of Versailles -­‐ 1914–1920 -­‐ Milestones -­‐ Office of the Historian." The Paris Peace Conference and the Treaty of Versailles -­‐ 1914–1920 -­‐ Milestones -­‐ Office of the Historian. Web. 23 June 2014. "The Treaty of Versailles." The Treaty of Versailles. Web. 23 June 2014. "Wilson Embarks on Tour to Promote League of Nations." History.com. A&E Television Networks. Web. 24 June 2014. 10