UNIT 3 TURMOIL AND TRAGEDY



HISTORY 12CAUSES OF WORLD WAR IIPacific and EuropeNOTESBen LeporeApril 2, 2018(V2)Causes of World War II in the PacificJapan and ChinaRepublic of China Chiang Kai-shek and the Kuomintang 1927 General Chiang Kai-shek becomes leader of the Nationalists Party/ Kuomintang and Republic of ChinaMao Zedong and the Communist Party Mao Zedong lead the Communist Party who appealed to the peasantryChiang attempts to destroy the communist and a civil war ensues between the Nationalists and Communists1931 Japan invades Manchuria as Nationalist movement grew Japanese plotted to secure recognition of their claim to Manchuria before they became stronger and to this end went to war in 1931Manchuria was crucial to Japan’s economic prosperity and it could not lose its remaining source of raw materials and markets without risking economic collapseDepression caused an economic crisis and proved the army’s case that military expansion was essential to survival and conquest could end crisis in the economyJapan invaded and occupied Manchuria in 1931Chiang refused to use his army against the Japanese because he wanted to maintain the pressure on Mao’s communist forces and instead he appealed to the League to take action against Japan > it appointed the Lytton Commissionthe Commission recognized Japan’s economic interest in Manchuria and financial investments, permitted it to maintain military forces in Manchuria to guard against Chinese or U.S.S.R attack and named Japan as aggressorJapan responded to the Lytton Report by withdrawing from the League which brought an end to any necessity of the League to take collective action Roosevelt proposed a principle of non-recognition of any territorial changes made by aggression – Stimson Doctrine – making U.S. a potential enemy of Japansignificance: Japan’s actions undermined the League and rendered it ineffective against aggressive and expansionist nations1937 Japan invades China and Pacific War July 1, 1937 Japanese patrol guarding Marco Polo Bridge in Beijing fired at Chinese Nationalist soldiers and Japanese army followed incident with an invasionChina’s coastal cities fell to the Japanese army and by December the capital of Nanjing was threatened but Chiang refused to surrender Japanese invasion halted in front of the Yangtze gorges which was heavily defended and out of their aircraft range > the war entered into a six-year undeclared truce and major fighting would not resume until 1944Chiang believed his allies (U.S., Britain) would defeat Japan and he would save his army’s strength to fight the communist by 1939 Japan controlled most of eastern China which provided vast resources but its armies were unable to eliminate the Kuomintang and so to bring about their final defeat it planned to cut off their supply linksJapanese army supported a northern strategy and attacked the Soviet armies guarding Vladivostok but Soviet counter-attack was swift and the Japanese withdrew > army attacked Nomonhan in Mongolia but again were forced to retreatJapanese navy supported an attack south across the Pacific Islands to capture the mineral wealth of Southeast Asia (especially oil) > admirals disguised their drive for hegemony in an anti-imperialist crusade known as the Co-Prosperity Sphere and “Asia for the Asians”Britain and France were at war with Germany in Europe so timing favoured Japan Japan and the U.S. at War spring 1941 Japanese convinced the U.S.S.R. would defeat Germany in a prolonged war and agreed to a non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union > Stalin can now withdraw Siberian armies in Asia and move them west against Germans July 1941 Japan seized French air bases in Indo-China and was now able to conduct air strikes against Malaya, Burma, and the Philippines British and Americans respond to Japanese aggression and imposed economic sanctions restricting delivery of strategic war material and fuel oil by summer of 1941 Japan faced a critical oil shortage and decided if a solution to the fuel problem was not found by the end of November a war would result > Japan would have to attack to seize oil resources in Southeast AsiaAmericans demanded the Japanese respect the territorial integrity of China and withdraw from their occupation zones November 25, 1941 Roosevelt issued an ultimatum demanding Japanese withdrawal from mainland Asia November 26 Japanese attack fleet set sails for HawaiiDecember 7 Japanese attack Pearl HarbourDecember 8 U.S. declares war on Japan289560020891500-92583020447000Causes of World War II in Europe General Causes - Underlying and Immediate Causes Treaty of VersaillesGermans resented the treaty as it was imposed (diktat) on them not negotiated and Germany was forced to sign or face invasionGermans thought the terms were harsh and unfair > Article 231 (War Guilt clause) blamed Germany for starting the warit contributed to Hitler’s rise to powerHitler violated the treaty (cancelled reparations, rearmed, occupied Rhineland) but the League of Nations did not stop him by enforcing the termsLeague of Nationspurpose of the League was to prevent war through collective security (all members support a member attacked) but it was weak and ineffective for several reasons:the U.S. was not a membercouncil members had the power of veto (cancel vote)Britain and France were the most powerful members of the League but were unwilling to enforce economic sanctions (economic restrictions) against aggressorsthe invasion of Manchuria and Ethiopia are examples that demonstrate the League’s weakness to deal with aggressors1931 Japan invaded Manchuria (China) and League did not impose sanctions1935 Italy invaded Ethiopia and although League imposed sanctions but many important resources were excluded such as oil making sanctions ineffective Great Depressionthe Depression was a contributing factor to Hitler’s rise to powerthe Depression prompted Japan to pursue territorial expansion by conquest to solve its economic problems caused by the Depression1936-1939 Spanish Civil Warthe civil war pitted the left-wing Republican government (coalition of Socialist, Communists, workers) against the right-wing Nationalist forces (General Francisco Franco, army, landowners, fascists, Church)Hitler and Mussolini supported the right-wing Nationalists (army) while Stalin supported Republicans (government)Hitler used the civil war to test his new air force, the Luftwaffe, and bombing strategy (bombing of cities and civilians) Britain and France did not get involved in the war (non-intervention policy)Hitler learned Britain and France were unwilling to use force to stop aggressorshistorians refer to the civil war as a dress rehearsal for World War IIHitler’s Policies and AggressionHitler wanted to expand German territory into Eastern Europe as part of his concept of lebensraum (living space) as indicated in his book Mein Kampf (My Struggle)Hitler wanted to overturn the terms of the Treaty of Versailles March 1936 Hitler reoccupied the Rhineland (map #1)March 1938 Hitler annexed Austria (Anschluss or union) (map #2)October 1938 Hitler annexed Sudetenland (Czechoslovakia) (map #3)March 1939 Hitler occupied Czechoslovakia (map #4)September 1939 Hitler invaded Poland (World War II begins) (map #5,6)Appeasementappeasement was the policy adopted by British PM Chamberlain and supported by France in dealing with Hitler’s aggressionappeasement means to grant concessions in order to maintain peace and avoid warthe idea was that Hitler had certain reasonable demands and that if these demands were granted then he would be satisfied and a war would be avoidedthe annexation of the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia by Germany October 1938 is an example of appeasement Spanish Civil War 1936-1939Spanish Civil War 1936-1939Causes workers demand better working conditions and redistribution of wealth of the Church and landowners and a republican form of governmentpeasants demand the breakup of large estates held by aristocracyCatalonia and Basque regions wanted self-government (autonomy)1931 elections brought a left-wing government (socialists and liberals) to power promising reforms > Church would have less control of education, provinces given powers of self-government and land reformthe nation was divided: cities supported the republic while rural areas supported the monarchy > 1931 King abdicated the pace of change was too slow for many people and violent strikes, riots and church burnings were organized by the extreme left and shifted public support against the left and a right-wing government was elected in 1933the left organized general strikes aimed at bringing down the government and were brutally suppressed by the army led by General Francisco Franco and as a result public opinion swung back to the left and a left-wing coalition government was elected in February 1936 called Popular Front (socialists, communists, anarchists)government moved to break up the landowners' estates and it supporters went on a rampage plundering churches and abusing churchmen and women > propertied classes retaliated with equal violence and the streets became battlegroundsJune 1936 General Francisco Franco and the army moved in to restore order and overthrow republican governmentthus began three years of civil war between the Republican government - Popular Front - and the Nationalists forces lead by the armyThe Civil War: Republicans vs Nationaliststhe Republicans were supported by socialists, communists, anarchists and any supporters of the existing governmentNationalists were supported by the army, landowners, Church, Falange (fascists)during the war the Nationalists dominated the south and rural areas while the Republicans held the cities and Basque regionboth sides armed the workers and peasants changing the nature of the fighting and extreme acts of violence and atrocities were committedRepublicans (left)Nationalists (right)Popular Front Government(socialists, communists, anarchists)Basque & CataloniaCitiesInternational BrigadeSoviet UnionArmy (Franco)ChurchLandownersFalange (Fascists)Rural areasGermanyItalyForeign Interventionthe role of the major powers is important to the background to WW II because it pitted fascism against democracy and communism which would eventually become the alignment in WW IIGermany became involved because Hitler saw the war as an opportunity to give his armed forces some experience and test bombing strategies so he provided the Nationalists the support of the Luftwaffe > Hitler hoped to receive military support in WW II from Franco in return for his support of the Nationalists > Hitler also saw the war as a crusade against communismItaly became involved because Mussolini saw the war as an opportunity to expand Italian influence in the Mediterranean so he provided 60, 000 troops > Mussolini also saw the war as a crusade against communismU.S.S.R. became involved in part because it wanted mutual defence agreements with France and Britain to oppose Germany but when this did not happen the Soviets dropped their support for the Republicans which ultimately led to the Republicans defeat in 1939France did not become involved and adopted a policy of non-intervention because Prime Minister Leon Blum was afraid that French involvement may provoke French fascists and start a civil war in France > there was also no public support for military interventionBritain also adopted a non-intervention policy because it wanted to maintain good relations with Italy to prevent an alliance with Germany and did not want to be involved in a war and there was no public support for military intervention International Brigades were composed of communists, socialists, idealists and others from various European countries, U.S. and Canada and joined the Republican army > winter 1937 the brigades were taken over by the SovietsSignificance and Impact on European AffairsHitlerHitler learned that the democracies, Britain and France, were unwilling or unable to use force to resist aggression by the Nazis and Fascists MussoliniMussolini hoped to expand his influence in the Mediterranean but this would bring him into conflict with Britain and France who also had interests in the Mediterranean so Mussolini hoped that his involvement in the civil war would bring Italy and Germany established closer relations and formed an alliance called the Rome-Berlin AxisStalinStalin learned that if Germany attacked the U.S.S.R. Britain and France would not interveneStalin did not achieve his objective and obtain mutual defence agreements with France and Britain and this influenced Stalin’s decision to enter an agreement later with Hitler > 1939 Nazi-Soviet PactHitler’s Aggression and Appeasement 1936-1939Rhineland and Austria 1936-19381933 Geneva Disarmament ConferenceGerman representatives walked out of conference when it was decided Germany could not have banned weapons and withdrew from the League of NationsJanuary 1934 German-Polish non-aggression pactGermany signed a non-aggression pact with Poland to undermine France's influence in Eastern Europe Central and Eastern European nations entered into trade agreements and adopted pro-German policiesJuly 1934 Anschluss (union)Austrian Nazis attempted to overthrow government of Chancellor Engelbert Dolfuss who was killed but the revolt failed after Mussolini threatened to use Italian troops > Kurt von Schuschnigg became the new chancellorMarch 1935 German RearmamentGoering announced the existence of the Luftwaffe (air force) and a week later Hitler announced compulsory military service > it violated the Treaty of VersaillesApril 1935 Stresa FrontGermany's violation of the Treaty of Versailles resulted in an agreement between Italy, France and Britain to guarantee Austrian independenceMay 1935 French-Soviet Alliance/Franco-Soviet Pact February 1936France and USSR and entered into an agreement of mutual assistance against aggression aimed at Germanyhowever the Soviets would have to go through Poland to strike Germany and Poland was anti-Russian and would not support the Red Army entering PolandJune 1935 Anglo-German Naval AgreementGermany agreed to limit its naval forces to 35% of Britain’sBritain wanted to ensure that Germany's navy was smaller but it was accomplished by violating the Treaty of Versailles and damaged the Stresa FrontOctober 1935 Italian invasion of EthiopiaLeague of Nations and British and French attempts to resolve the crisis failed and Italy completed its conquest by May 1936 > the crisis ended the Stresa Frontcenter7366000March 1936 Re-occupation of the RhinelandGerman troops occupied the demilitarized area in violation of the Treaty of Versailles and 1925 Locarno PactFrance wanted to retaliate but the British did not support military action and without British support France was not willing to go it alone British believed Hitler was retaking German territory that should not have been taken away in the Treaty of Versailles > first example of appeasementsignificance: the Treaty of Versailles no longer applied as far as Germany was concerned, the last guarantee France had against Germany was removed, appeasement became the accepted policy to avoid war, France was unwilling to do anything without British support, and Hitler realized Britain and France were unwilling to actHitler’s Aggression in Europe 1936-1939 - Rhinelandcenter142875001936-1939 Spanish Civil WarNationalists defeated Republicans and General Franco established a dictatorshipOctober 1936 Rome-Berlin Axispartly as a result of their involvement in the Spanish Civil War Mussolini and Hitler developed a closer relationship and after coming to an understanding over previous differences on Austria formed an “axis”November 1936 Anti-Comintern PactGermany and Japan agreed on a mutual non-aggression pact that did not include any military commitments and was intended to halt the spread of communismJapan wanted German assurances of support for an attack on the USSR and Germany wanted Japanese support in keeping Britain and the U.S. occupied in Asia and distracted from Europe > Italy joined November 1937Britain was concerned because it linked together the aggressive nation - Japan - that may soon threaten their empire in the Far East with the power that started to undermine peace in Europe – GermanyJuly 1937 Japan and the Pacific WarJapan invades China to crush Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists and starts Pacific WarBritish concerned about their colonies in the Far East and when Italy joined the Anti-Comintern Pact in November the British become even more concerned any attempt to halt Japanese expansion however required American support but the U.S. remained isolationistcenter123825001938 Annexation of Austria - AnschlussFebruary Hitler forced Austrian Chancellor Schuschnigg to accept the Austrian Nazi leader, Arthur Seyss-Inquart, into his governmentSchuschnigg was concerned about Austrian independence and seeking support to resist Hitler he called for a plebiscite on independence Hitler threatened to invade if the plebiscite went ahead and as a result Schusnigg resigned and was replaced by Arthur Seyss-Inquart and the plebiscite was cancelledMarch 12 German forces entered Austria and faced no resistance and on March 13 Hitler announced the Anschluss of Germany with Austriasignificance: Austria no longer existed, it proved the effectiveness of Nazi methods, and Hitler now gave the impression that he was interested in conquest because he had to use forcethe road to war began with the Anschluss of AustriaHitler’s Aggression in Europe 1936-1939center27749500 - AustriaHitler’s Aggression and Appeasement 1936-1939Czechoslovakian Crisis, Munich Conference and Poland1938 Munich Conference – SudetenlandCzechoslovakia was the cornerstone of the French security system as it was the strongest member of the Little Entente (alliance) that along with France was supposed to contain German expansion in Central EuropeSeptember 12 1938 Hitler demanded self-determination for the Sudeten Germans prompting British PM Neville Chamberlain to meet with Hitler at Berchtesgaden on September 15 > Hitler told Chamberlain he would risk war to bring the Sudeten Germans into the Reich alarmed at the possibility of a general war France, which had treaty commitments to defend Czechoslovakia, and Britain urged the Czechs to negotiate a settlementSeptember 18-21 Chamberlain and French PM Eduard Daladier persuaded Czech President Edward Benes to agree to give the Sudetenland to GermanySeptember 22 Chamberlain met Hitler at Godesberg to deliver Sudetenland but Hitler increased demands and announced German forces would occupy the Sudetenland October 1 and Czechs must also accept Polish and Hungarian claims to Czech territoryBritish and French were concerned because the Czech army would resist a military occupation and war would resultMussolini proposed a conference to settle the crisis and France, Britain, Germany and Italy met in Munich on September 29 Munich Conference/Pact: it was agreed that German forces would occupy the Sudetenland by October 10 and other regions where the population was more than 50% GermanSeptember 30 Chamberlain returned to London and referring to the success of the conference proclaimed, "I believe it is peace for our time." Hitler’s Aggression in Europe 1936-1939 – Sudetenland center12255500March 1939 Czechoslovakia March 1939 the Czechoslovakian government dismissed the local Slovak government who wanted autonomy (Hitler encouraged Slovak independence) and the Czech army prepared to move in but on March 13 German forces moved into Moravia and Bohemia to assist the SlovaksMarch 15 Hitler forced new Czech President Emil Hacha to agree to surrender Czechoslovakia's independence and after German troops march into Prague Hitler announced the creation of the German Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia on March 16; one week later Slovakia placed itself under the protection of the ReichMarch 30 Chamberlain announced an official end to appeasement when he guaranteed Poland's independencesignificance: Hitler lost credibility, appeasement was finished as the events of March proved Hitler was an aggressorHitler’s Aggression in Europe 1936-1939 - Czechoslovakia014414500Poland 1939Hitler demanded self-determination for the Germans in Danzig and the Polish corridor but Poland refused to negotiateApril 13 Britain and France guaranteed Romania and Greece's independenceApril 18 U.S.S.R. asked Britain and France to join them in a treaty of mutual military assistance but the British refused because they were suspicious of Stalin's motives, unsure of the effectiveness of the Red Army because of Stalin's purges and could not persuade Poland to allow Soviet troops to enter Poland if war broke outStalin wanted to reclaim areas in Eastern Europe (i.e. Poland) lost in 1918 and Japan was a threat and he wanted to avoid a two front war so Stalin agreed to an non-aggression pact with GermanyAugust 23 Nazi-Soviet Pact Germany and the U.S.S.R. agreed not to fight one another in the event of war and divide Poland (secret part of the pact)September 1 Germany invaded PolandSeptember 3 Britain and France declared war on GermanyHitler’s Aggression in Europe 1936-1939 – Poland014224000Appeasement: Reasons Britain and France appeased HitlerBritain and France saw Hitler as a defence against the spread of communismBritain and France were democracies and could not declare war without public support and most people in Britain and France did not want war until 1939the slaughter of World War I was still fresh and motivated Britain and France to avoid warmany British thought the Treaty of Versailles was unfair and Hitler’s demands were reasonablethe Depression was the primary focus for the British and French and the cost of rearmament meant higher taxes and difficult to justify during the Depression Britain and France were military weaker than Germany and appeasement provided time to rearmGerman bombing of cities in the Spanish Civil War - Guernica - demonstrated that British and French cities could also be subjected to German bombardmentHitler’s remilitarization of the Rhineland was accepted by the British (and French) and he justified it on the grounds of national rights to securityChamberlain believed negotiations can bring peaceChamberlain believed Hitler could be appeased Britain and France accepted the German annexation of Austria - Anschluss - on the grounds of self-determinationHitler uses the argument of self-determination – which Britain and France accepted – to justify taking the SudetenlandHitler promised the Sudetenland was his last territorial demand after the Munich Conference and Chamberlain believed Hitler would keep his promiseBritain and France could not effectively provide military assistance to Czechoslovakia if Germany attacked because of its geographical locationSource: ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download