Events Leading to WWII: Treaty of Versailles to Japan's Invasion of Manchuria
Events like the Treaty of Versailles, Great Inflation in Germany, the October 1929 Depression, and Japan's invasion of Manchuria were significant precursors to World War II. The flawed Treaty of Versailles, economic turmoil in Germany, global depression, and territorial ambitions of Japan all contributed to the coming conflict.
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June 1919: Treaty of Versailles signed Flaws of treaty: Reparations unrealistic, placed all blame on Germany- hatred & bitterness in their hearts; LON is powerless Why it later led to WWII: Caused inflation, weakened countries and allowed for dictators to take control
1923: Great Inflation in Germany How Treaty of Versailles caused it: Forced Germany to pay reparations which were impossible; Germany overprinted money Examples of how bad inflation was: people had to get paid twice a day just to buy food $1 was worth 4.2 trillion marks in Nov. 1923: worst it got kids used to play with money b/c they couldn t afford toys; people took wheelbarrows to the store to buy things How Germany recovered from it - the Dawes Plan: Allies helped Germany pay reparations, US loaned money to Germany to pay other countries - Germany had to get rid of the worthless currency & start a new one
October 1929: Depression began How it spiraled downward from stock market crash: US could no longer loan money to Germany; banks called in loans and banks went under How it spread to rest of world: Germany couldn t make payments, many countries stopped international trade- which hurt everyone s economies Why it was worse in Germany than elsewhere (ex. unemployment): Most companies went bankrupt in Germany and the workers were laid off. No country could help now that America was in depression.
September 1931: Japan invaded Manchuria What Japan was after in Manchuria: Natural resources: land (overcrowded); minerals, forestry, and rich agricultural land - mainly iron and coal What happened in Manchuria (Mukden Incident): 9/18/31- small quantity of dynamite detonated; hardly caused any damage. Japanese accused Chinese dissidents (although they had staged the attack)- led to a full invasion of Manchuria
What League of Nations did at Chinas request: Demanded Japan pull out- sent a commission to investigate the Manchurian Incident; commission found that China was not at fault & Japan had made an unprovoked attack What Japan was ordered to do and why: Ordered to get out of China, but Japan had no control over their army. LON was going to impose sanctions, but huge problem with depression LON decided Manchuria should be semi- dependent country and not return to Chinese rule
March 1933: Japan withdrew from League of Nations 2 countries that led League of Nations: Britain and France There were no consequences paid by Japan for this withdrawal; others would learn a lesson from this Beginning of the policy of appeasement: Make concessions to an aggressor to avoid war Reasons why League of Nations used this policy (at least 2): Could not really enforce the rules; wanted to avoid war; were in the middle of a depression - and could not afford to impose economic punishments in case they rebounded against themselves (worsening their own economies)
March 1935: Hitler announced Germany would refuse to obey Treaty of Versailles What he said publicly about why this was needed: Allies had violated the treaty failed to initiate military limitations themselves. Also to restore German honor First thing Hitler did to show he meant it was to stop the reparations payments Why League of Nations allowed that: They thought the communists were more of a threat; said Hitler was just taking back lands that were taken unfairly, wanted to avoid another war at all costs **Hitler prepared to back down with demands at most steps in the face of aggressive action- but never had to deal with it What Hitler secretly started doing with money instead: five-fold increase in army; rebuilding arms
October 1935: Italy invaded Ethiopia Mussolini s goal for Italy as a reactionary: return to the glory days of Ancient Rome Why Ethiopia was the target: Abyssinians controlled- Italy had suffered a humiliating defeat by them in 1896. Wanted to add to Italian East Africa. Also, Mussolini felt left out- catching up with major European imperialist powers What the Emperor of Ethiopia asked League of Nations to do: investigate this unprovoked attack & help them get Italians out of Ethiopia
Responses discussed by League of Nations but ultimately not taken: serious economic sanctions discussed (cutting off some trade items to Italy, maybe closing the Suez Canal to Italian ships) Why League of Nations didn t take strong action against Italy: Unable to control Italy and protect Ethiopia at this time. Not taken because they were afraid economic sanctions would boomerang back on them & they didn t want to drive Mussolini into Hitler s arms Did policy of appeasement appear to be working at this time? YES - Japan was quiet in China & appeasement worked so well with Mussolini he didn t go to war in 1939 when Hitler did - Mussolini waited a whole year before he invaded France in 1940 - so LON thought appeasement was working
March 1936: Hitler remilitarized the Rhineland What Germany did: 1936- talks with Britain about exchanging re-militarization for no-bomb air pact showed Germany Remilitarization was not that big of a deal (something to be traded instead of forbidden) Hitler was nervous about this, but France did nothing which was a major turning point in his actions ** Hitler sent more than 30,000 troops into the Rhineland!!!! How France wanted to respond: Wanted to mobilize troops but psychologically unprepared to attack- thought it would lead to Franco-German war also would need GB as backup.
Actual response of League of Nations and why: Great Britain believed Versailles Treaty was unjust like Hitler claimed and didn t want to go to war to force Germans out of their own land (France did not own the Rhineland) so did not back up France s plan to invade Why this was a turning point on road to WWII for Hitler: Saw that no one would oppose his aggression. He can do whatever he wants.
July 1936: Spanish Civil War erupted Two sides in civil war: Nationalists are fascists led by Francisco Franco and supported by Hitler & Mussolini; republicans & communists allied together to try to stop the nationalists from taking over and their Gov t was supported by USSR and Mexico How Hitler and Mussolini got involved: Germany provided training for nationalist forces, troops, money, Bombing of Guernica Mussolini- troops, blockade, supplied guns, artillery -( both provided troops, planes, tanks, weapons)
How other world powers got involved: USSR: material assistance to republicans- only source of weapons France supported Republicans, but signed non- intervention - other democratic powers (US, Britain) allowed volunteers to serve but did not send troops to keep Spanish Civil War from becoming a world war What advantage this gave fascists later in WWII: - fascists had a huge head start in experience for their troops, especially their pilots, and had 3 years to try out every weapon, strategy, etc. they wanted to
October 1936: Rome-Berlin Axis Definition: Pact between Italy and Germany - formal military agreement Why it mattered that these 2 countries did this: Formal alliance the world would revolve around- united the Fascist powers and formed the Axis powers - alliances were cause of both world wars
July 1937: Full-scale war in Asia What caused it (Marco Polo Bridge Incident): Japanese occupied Marco Polo bridge in China- battle, Chinese retook the bridge - Japan launched a full invasion of all major coastal cities Who was successful initially and why: Japan took most of its major targets; destroyed the Chinese capital in the Rape of Nanking; Japan was far more industrialized than China and won most of the battles through 1941
Response of League of Nations: FDR was the one who really condemned the epidemic of lawlessness spreading in Asia since LON did not want this to become a world war either - Japan began paying more attention to US as a major threat to them What this means about WWII in Asia: Led to US economic sanctions on Japan. Japan led to join Axis powers. Experienced a drawn out war in China. - this is when WWII started in Asia: 2 full years before it started in Europe
March 1938: Anschluss achieved What it is: Pact between Germany and Austria What Treaty of Versailles said about it: Forbidden How it was achieved: Hitler annexed Austria; German troops invaded Reaction of Austrian public: Most prepared and pleased to be a part of greater Germany - troops welcomed in streets, flowers, beer
Response of League of Nations: loudly condemned Germany for moving outside of its borders. Acknowledged that all the German speaking people were now united and Hitler had better not make any more aggressive moves. No reason to declare war since majority of Austrians did not want anyone to force Hitler out.
September 1938: Hitler demanded the Sudetenland 2 reasons why Hitler wanted the Sudetenland: 2 million Germans there; felt it was original German land so he had claim to it (part of Germany until 1806). Some Germans there complained they were being discriminated against by the Czech gov t the second, secret reason is that the majority of Czechoslovakia s defenses were located in the mountains of the Sudetenland Initially, British Prime Minister was preparing to ask Parliament for a declaration of war What Hitler did that prevented war: Munich Conference- held conf. w/o USSR and Czechs.
What nations attended the conference: GB, France, Germany, Italy Munich Agreement: Hitler could have the Sudetenland; Hitler promised this was his last territorial demand in Europe Reaction of Europe to Munich: Peace in our time Chamberlain - he was greeted as a hero; newspapers cheered that the world had stepped back from the brink of world war What Hitler did 6 months later to violate agreement: Germany invades rest of Czechoslovakia Britain & France did not declare war at this time because their militaries were not prepared to go to war Chamberlain replaced with Churchill
August 1939: Nazi-Soviet Pact signed Why it makes no sense that the Nazis and Communists would do this: Nazis are reactionaries and Communists are radicals on the political wheel; they might be dictators but they hate each other Reasons Stalin signed it: he had been purging his own military & was not prepared for an invasion; USSR had still not industrialized enough & was afraid of another war with Germany
Reasons Hitler signed it: Planned ahead for war- no 2 front war for Germany Public agreement: German Soviet Non-Aggression pact Secret agreements: divide Poland between them to get back to pre-WWI borders; Germany was giving the Soviets the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) Did the two plan to keep the pact? not likely: Hitler was putting communists into concentration camps & was most likely biding his time
* September 1, 1939: Germany invaded Poland Why Poland: secret part of the Nazi-Soviet Pact; Poland had been created in the Versailles Treaty which Hitler was destroying; Poland was full of Jews & Slavs - inferior races that Hitler wanted to eliminate What Britain and France had promised to Poland: they would declare war if Germany invaded Response of Britain and France: they declared war on Sept 3, 1939 Why this event is significant: War declared Sept 3 1939 - this is the start of WWII in Europe and the deadliest war ever in human history
