German expansion events & historiography

most successful disarmament conference however successes were limited and temporary

naval armament ratio of 5:5:3 agreed to for US:UK:Japan

signed at the Washington Conference 1921-1922

involved the UK, US, France and Japan

they agreed to defend each other in the event of an attack

agreed on all their rights to their possessions in Asia

replaced the 1902 Anglo-Japanese Treaty, change benefitted the US

last Treaty signed at the Washington Conference

US, UK, Japan, France, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Portugal, China

signatories would respect the territorial integrity of China

recognised Japanese dominance in Manchuria but that all nations had interests in doing business in China

collapsed in 1931 when Japan invaded Manchuria

organised by the League of Nations and attended by over 60 nations

Germany demanded ‘equality of status’ — Hitler would disarm if all nations disarmed, contradictory to the Treaty of Versailles

tensions with France led Germany to leave the Conference and League of Nations in October 1933

Britain convinced Germany to return to Geneva by proposing that Germany and France should both have armies of 200,000 but Germany’s Air Force should be half the size of France’s

after Geneva Hitler reintroduced conscription and re-established the Luftwaffe

by 1935 Germany had an army of 800,000, 2000 aeroplanes and 47 U-boats

Britain, France and Italy met at Stresa to discuss Germany’s defiance of the agreement at Geneva

formed the ‘Stress Front’ which was a treaty of mutual assistance to protect peace in Europe

US, UK, France, Italy & Japan met to revise the Washington Conference agreements

naval armament ratio changed to 10:10:7 for US:UK:Japan

France and Italy continued the ban on building ships for an additional 5 years

Treaty signed remained in place until 1936

did not include the US and USSR

had to co-exist with the Conference of Ambassadors (Britain, France, Italy & Japan), which was sometimes more powerful

dominated by Britain and France who did not agree on whether the League should be used to enforce the Paris peace treaties

Hitler signed a 10 year non-aggression pact with Poland in January 1934 to appear peaceful

then encouraged Nazis in Austria to stage an uprising, they assassinated Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss who wanted Austria to retain its independence

Hitler backed down when Mussolini sent 100,000 troops to the Austrian frontier

Treaty of Versailles put the Saarland under the League’s control for 15 years

anti-Nazis fled to the Saarland after 1933

Nazis in the Saarland believed it should belong to Germany again, formed a ‘German Front’ with the Catholics & were helped by the Gestapo

Nazi Saarlanders threatened to impose Nazi rule, stopped when Britain offered to send soldiers there to keep peace

vote held on January 15 1935, 90.3% voted to return to Germany

Judges from Italy and Holland, US history professor oversaw the plebiscite and deemed it fair

necessary first step on Hitlers Road to War

encouraged after regaining the Saarland, Hitler sent German troops into the demilitarised zone of the Rhineland

breached the Treaty of Versailles and Locarno Pact

Britain did not see the re-occupation as important

gave him confidence to be more aggressive

Hitler instructed Goring to have the German army operational and economy fit for war within 4 years in October 1936

On November 5 1937 Hitler led a meeting with his military chiefs outlining his plan to acquire Lebensraum

initially the Great Powers agreed to stay out of the war

Hitler and Mussolini sent troops to help the Nationalists

Britain, France & the USA stayed neutral

in 1937 the Spanish city of Guernica was heavily bombed by German planes

Hitler described Mussolini as the ‘leading statement in the world’ and the two were further aligned via the Spanish Civil War

Rome-Berlin Axis signed in 1936

Japan and Germany signed the Anti-Comintern Pact in 1936 which threatened the USSR from the east and west

in 1937 Mussolini joined the Anti-Comintern Pact leading to the formation of the Rome-Tokyo-Berlin Axis 1937

on 12 February 1938 Hitler attempted to force Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg to give Austrian Nazis a large share in government

Schuschnigg called for Austrian’s to vote on whether they want to retain their independence, led to his resignation

replaced by Nazi leader Seyss-Inquart

Austria received no international support

German troops entered Austria on 13 March 1938 and Anschluss was declared

successor state formed at the Paris Peace Conference, 3.5 million Germans lived in the Sudetenland which bordered Germany and was rich in resources

in April 1938 the Sudeten German Party began riots and demands for independence in the Sudetenland

Chamberlain & French PM Daladier, then Mussolini urged the Czechs to preserve peace

Czech Premier Benes agreed to self governance for the Sudetenland on 5 September

Hitler told the Sudetenland Nazis to reject self governance

high point of appeasement

last minute meeting on 29 September 1938 on Mussolini’s request

Mussolini, Chamberlain, Daladier & Hitler met to decide the faith of Czechoslovakia

decided that Czechoslovakia should give Germany the Sudetenland

Czechs were forced to give in

German troops entered the Sudetenland on October 1 1938, faced no opposition

By 15 March Germany had taken Bohemia and Moravia

Poland and Hungary took land

Slovakia was made an independent state under German protection

appeasement destroyed the Czechs

British and French appeasement was over by the end of 1938

Hitler & Mussolini signed the ‘Pact of Steel’ in May 1939

Did not want to fight on two fronts

Hitler took advantage of Stalin’s suspicion of Britain and France

Hitler and Stalin agreed not to attack each other, would divide Poland between them

Pact revealed to the world in August 1939

Stalin knew Germany would eventually attack the USSR

Hitler sought the ‘Polish Corridor’ and Free City of Danzig which were created by the Treaty of Versailles, end East Prussia’s isolation

On March 31 Britain and France pledged to support Poland if it was attacked

In March Hitler ordered his army to be ready to invade from September 1

Hitler moved troops into Poland in September 1939

On September 3, two days after the invasion of Poland, Britain and France declared war on Germany

Meant the war would involve German military actions on its eastern and western fronts

assumption of the Nuremberg Trials was that Hitler planned the war before coming to power, Mein Kampf used as evidence

first criticised by A.J.P Taylor

rejects the idea that Hitler had firm control of foreign affairs and a master plan

Hitler improvised his foreign policy

connection between Mein Kampf and Hitler’s later foreign policy direction

concedes that Hitler used opportunism as a tactic in the short term

Hitler had a personal direction in foreign policy thus strong control over it

Hitler did not let competing views or factions disrupt his foreign policy direction

Hitler was following a careful plan for world domination

Hitler intended to go beyond Europe in his conquest which would culminate in a war against the USA

Hitler’s foreign policy was spontaneous and based on internal problems and external opportunities

Hitler’s foreign policy was limited by economic problems in the 1930s

more confused than planned

Hitler used foreign policy to try escape Germany’s economic problems