the road to world war ii the result of a flawed peace settlement at versailles, but also other...
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The Road to World War IIThe Result of a flawed peace
settlement at Versailles, but also other causes, including the Great
Depression
Decisive Steps Involving Germany, Italy, Japan, and the Future Allies
• With each step it became increasingly apparent that certain aggressive hostile nations would not curtail their ambitions through talk and negotiation
• The League of Nations was ineffective in dealing with these crises
First Step: Japan Seizes Manchuria, 1931
• Taken from China• U.S. Secretary of State Henry Stimson (1867-
1950): no gains made by force would be recognized
• League of Nations condemned aggression in 1932 – Japan withdraws from the league in 1933
Second Step: German Rearmament, 1935-6
• October, 1933, Hitler withdraws from League of Nations
• March 1935, Hitler denounces Versailles Treaty related to German Rearmament; a month later league formally condemned Germany’s repudiation of Treaty obligations, but Hitler ignores league’s stance
• 1936, Germany sends troops into the Rhineland, demilitarized by Versailles Treaty
Rhineland, 1936
• France and Britain did nothing – perhaps this was the last opportunity to avert war in Europe
Step 3 – Ethiopia, 1935
• Ethiopia – an independent state in Africa
• 1934 – an incident at a desert post in Italian Somaliland
• Protests of Emperor Haile Selassie (1891-1976)• Ethiopia a member of League of Nations• Italy invades Ethiopia in October 1935• Invasion with modern weaponry• Italian King becomes Emperor of Ethiopia
League of Nations Invoked Economic Sanctions
• December 1937 Italy withdrew from the League
• 1936 – Mussolini signs a pact with Hitler establishing the Rome-Berlin Axis
Fourth Step: Japan, China and the Marco Polo Bridge, 1937
• July, 7, 1937 – a skirmish turned a lull in the war between China and Japan into a full scale conflict again.
• Near Peking• Junior field officers caused this to happen• Peking and Shanghai fell to Japanese• China appealed to League of Nations with no
effect
5th Step: Austria and Anschluss
• By 1938 Hitler had built his military capability to challenge the allies
• Austrians had desired unity with Germany beginning in 1919
• Propaganda campaign in Austria for annexation
• In March, 1938, German military moved into Austria
Sixth Step: Czechoslovakia Dismembered, 1938-1939
• Czechoslovakia only eastern European state with a successful parliamentary democracy
• 3.25 million Germans lived there – Sudetenland• Big Four Power Conference, September 1938 in
Munich• Sudetenland back to Germany• “Peace in our Time” – Neville Chamberlin• Spring 1939 German troops moved into
Czechoslovakia
Days of Appeasement were over, however
• Britain and France guaranteed Polish Borders• Britain began a peacetime draft
Final Step, Poland, September, 1939
• Issue of Polish Corridor• Danzig• Summer of 1939 negotiations with Russians • An Alliance between the totalitarian left and
totalitarian right• September1, Germany invades Poland• September 3, Britain and France declare war on
Germany – the 20 year truce comes to an end
The “Phony War”
• Between September 1939 and the Srping of 1940
• Hitler is patient• May 10, 1940, Germany Invades and Defeats
France• Hitler now the master of Europe• Britain Remains• And Hitler is still eager to expand to the east
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