History Notes

World War I known as Great War or War to end all wars Allies against Central Powers Lasted four years 10,000,000 soldiers died Cost US$180 billion In 1916, Wilson made a 14 Point Peace Programme to end the war rejected because both sides thought they could win Germany & Austria-Hungary had to fight on two fronts Brest-Litosvk Treaty enabled Germany to take advantage of Bolshevik Revolution By 1918 Germany faced defeat and was forced into a surrender based on the 14 Point Peace Programme. Henry Cabot-Lodge opposed Wilsons power to sign the Treaty and join the proposed League of Nations. Woodrow Wilson strongly advised forming the League of Nations to keep international peace. Georges Clemenceau strongy advised the weakening or division of Germany, and the imposition of reparations. David Lloyd-George strongly advised the removal of the German navy. Vittorio Orlando wanted land rewards from Austria. Only the victor nations attended the Paris Peace Conference Russia was not invited because of its Communist regime Germany had no representation Wilson wanted new, independent nations to be formed and the League of Nations to be set up France wanted Germany broken up into small, weak states to prevent future invasions Britain wanted total disarmament of Germany Italy wanted reparations imposed Germany to take all blame for the war Territory to be given up to Poland and France Germany to be disarmed Germany to lose its colonies Joining with Austria was forbidden Wilson wanted: Territory to be given up to Poland and France Formation of independent Baltic states from German territory Formation of Hungary and Yugoslavia Formation of the League of Nations Maintainance of the German state Formation of Poland Clemenceau wanted: Germany to pay unlimited reparations Germany to be disarmed Military alliances to be set up, 1921-23 The Treaty of Versailles caused issues that contributed to tension between the nations of Europe Germany felt that the reparations were unfair because hey were unlimited Germany felt resentment at being given all the blame Germany felt resentment at not having any say in the Treaty negotiations Germanys army remained politically influential, despite being forced to disarm

France was concerned for its own military safety Britain felt safer since the German navy was gone Italy and Austria had a dispute over the former Austrian territory The creation of Poland caused tension with Germany, the USSR, Lithuania and Czechoslovakia Small, weak states in need of protection and with internal social problems had been created in the east Economic markets were disrupted by the breaking-up of Europe, governments were unstable Fear of the emerging USSR (despite its weakness) The USA isolated itself under a new government Dictatorships emerged in Italy, Hungary, Yugoslavia and Poland Spain underwent a revolution against the monarchy Benito Mussolini set up the first fascist dictatorship Henri Poincare played a major role in setting up alliances to surround Germany Henri Poincare played a major role in occupying the Rhineland in 1923 Calvin Coolidge played a major role in maintaining US isolation Gustav Stresemann played a major role in arranging loans to cover German reparations repayments Dawes Plan loans relieved immediate pressure of reparation / war debt repayments for Germany Young Plan reduced the reparation burden on Germany Stresa Front combined forces from Italy, France and Britain to resist Germany Kellogg-Briand Pact banned the use of war in foreign policy Treaty of Locarno guaranteed Franco-German Western border from attack from either side Aggression caused Germany to invade Poland Economic depression put pressure on governments because of unemployment Treaty of Versailles caused German resentment over blame and reparations Weakness of peacekeepers in the League of Nations allowed Britain and France to cut defence budgets Aggressive dictators saw war as a way to gain their objectives (e.g. Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini) Failure of collective security permitted Benito Mussolini to invade Abyssinia Appeasement allowed Germany to increase in strength (e.g. Neville Chamberlains peace in our time agreement) Isolation of the USA restricted President Roosevelts actions (e.g. Neutrality Acts) Failure of the League encouraged France to strengthen its own defences Germany was excluded from the League of Nations until 1926 Russia was excluded from the League of Nations until 1934 The Great Depression of 1929 challenged the peace of the 1930s The effects of the depression encouraged a rise in fascism The Wall Street stock market crash resulted in the US recalling loans which crippled debt-based European economies Caused unprecedented bankruptcy and unemployment Russian Communists claimed a world revolution and the capitalism was collapsing -Caused fear in Britain and France, both cut costs (also in defence not in a position to go to war if needed). -Caused USA to cut spending Japan, Italy and Germany became more assertive Japan saw conquering countries as developing a better export market Benito Mussolini used war as a national distraction Adolf Hitler promised a new future free of the problems of Communists, Jews and the Treaty of Versailles Charles Dawes played a major role in providing American loans for German recovery Aristide Briand set up the policy of appeasement Owen Young set out a plan to limit and ease German reparations Austen Chamberlain, Aristide Briand and Gustav Stresemann signed the Locarno Pact

German statesman Gustav Stresemann kept the option of Eastern expansion open Aristide Briand and Frank Kellogg set up a pact to ban war Stanley Baldwin wanted to depend on the Stresa Front unity Benito Mussolini and Englebert Dollfuss resisted Anschluss in 1934 Emperor Hirohito was the head of state which invaded Manchuria in 1931 Sir Samuel Hoare and Pierre Laval formed a plan to solve the Abyssinia Crisis Adolf Hitler walked out of the Disarmament Conference in 1933 Bentio Mussolini invaded Abyssinia in 1934 The League of Nations sent Lord Lytton to investigate aggression in Manchuria Haile Selassie ruled Abyssinia at the beginning of 1935 The statesmen involved in the 1931 Manchurian Crisis were Lord Lytton and Emperor Hirohito The victim in the 1931 Manchurian Crisis was China The agressor in the 1935 Abyssinian Crisis was Italy The victim in the 1935 Abyssinian Crisis was Abyssinia The statesmen involved in the 1935 Abyssinian Crisis were Benito Mussolini, Samuel Hoare, Pierre Laval and Haile Selassie The 1934 Anschluss failed The 1931 Manchurian aggression succeeded The aggressor in the 1931 Manchurian Crisis was Japan The statesmen involved in the 1934 Anschluss Crisis were Englebert Dollfuss, Benito Mussolini, Adolf Hitler and Pierre Laval The Abyssinian aggression succeeded The victim in the 1934 Anschluss Crisis was Austria The aggressor in the 1934 Anschluss Crisis was Germany Adolf Hitler ordered the remilitarization of the Rhineland in 1936 Francisco Franco (of Spain) attacked his own government in 1936 Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini intervened in the Spanish Civil War Kurt von Schuschnigg was forced into Anschluss in 1938 Benito Mussolini resisted Anschluss in 1938 Neville Chamberlain favoured appeasement Adolf Hitler demanded the Sudetenland in 1938 Eduard Benes (of Czechoslovakia) planned to resist the German attack on the Sudetenland Nevile Chamberlain, Adolf Hitler, Edouard Daladier and Benito Mussolini were present at the Munich Conference of 1938 Joseph Stalin and Eduard Benes were not at the Munich Conference of 1938 Neville Chamberlain and Edouard Daladier guaranteed support for Poland in 1939 Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin made a pact to divide Poland Adolf Hitler invaded Poland in 1938 Neville Chamberlain and Edouard Daladier declared war on Germany The 1938 Czechoslovakian aggression succeeded The victim in the 1938 Czechoslovakian Crisis was Czechoslovakia Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler were involved in the 1939 Polish Crisis Adolf Hitler, Edouard Daladier and Neville Chamberlain were involved in the 1938 Czechoslovakian Crisis Neville Chamberlain, Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler were involved in the 1938 Anschluss Crisis The victim in the 1939 Polish Crisis was Poland The aggressor in the 1938 Anschluss Crisis was Germany The aggressor in the 1939 Polish Crisis was Germany The 1938 Anschluss succeeded The aggressor in the 1938 Czechoslovakian Crisis was Germany The victim in the 1938 Anschluss Crisis was Austria The 1939 Polish aggression succeeded

In 1936, Hitler took advantage of the Abyssinian Crisis and remilitarized the Rhineland This was a risk because (at the time) the military strength of Germany was inferior to France The French Government failed to act because of political divisions and a lack of confidence in Britains and Italys willingness to support them. In 1938, Hitler (wanting to achieve Anschluss) threatened Kurt von Schuschnigg with war if he didnt take Nazis into his government -The Austrian Chancellor called a plebiscite Winston Churchill led the fight to hold out and resist German and Italian conquest between 1940 and 1941, until the rest of the world was drawn in by the danger Hideki Tojo ordered the attack on Pearl Harbour, thus forcing the Americans into war Franklin Roosevelt set up the lend lease and cash and carry programmes enabling America to supply Britain and its allies Joseph Stalin stood up to the main force of the Wehrmacht and wore the German army down between 1941 and 1943 The aggressor in the 1941 Operation Barbarossa was Germany The victim in the 1941 Operation Barbarossa was USSR The statesmen involved in the 1941 Operation Barbarossa were Joseph Stalin and Adolf Hitler Operation Barbarossa succeeded in the short term The aggressor in the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbour was Japan The victim in the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbour was USA The statesmen involved in the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbour were Emperor Hirohito, Admiral Tojo and President Roosevelt The attack on Pearl Harbour succeeded in the short term Barbarossa: Code name for invasion of USSR Panzer: German for armoured vehicle Vichy: French Government formed because of defeat by Germans Isolationism: American political opinion opposing involvement in European wars Stalingrad: Furtherest point reached by German invasion of USSR, and turning point of war Wehrmacht: German army

The Path To Destruction

The British Commonwealth, France, Belgium, Russia, Serbia, Japan, USA and Italy were members of the Allies in World War One Germany, Austro-Hungary, Turkey and Bulgaria were member of the Central powers in World War One The Armistice was signed 11 November 1918 The Treaty of Versailles was signed in June 1919 The five main poits of the Treaty of Versailles were reparations, war guilt, disarm, no Anschluss and land loss Germany was not present at the negotiations The four other treaties signed around the same time were the St Germain-Austria, Neuilly-Bulgaria, SevresTurkey and Trianon-Hungary Poland was set up after the war Italy was given part of Austria after the war Wilsons 14 Points were the basis for the League of Nations Germany had to pay 6 billion pounds sterling for reparations France invaded the Ruhr when Germany had difficulty paying the reparations Germany joined the League of Nations in 1926 The Treaty of Locarno guaranteed French boundaries The Dawes Plan was to ease the reparation payments for Germany The Kellog-Briand Pact was 65 countries renouncing war but no provision for punishing any trangression

The Young Plan reduced the amount of reparations The stock market collaps took place in October 1929 The ensuing depression affected Japan through idle factories, unrest - spread to army The first area Japan took over in Asia was Manchuria The Germans turned to Hitler during the depression Hitler became Chancellor-PM in 1933 The four aims Hitler initally had were to regain power, dump Treaty, reclaim foreign Germans, and Lebensraum to the East Hitler withdrew Germany from the League in 1932 Htler announced the rebuilding of the Luftwaffe in 1935 Britain, France and Italy reacted to the German rearmament by forming the Stresa Front, however this only lasted 6 months when Italy attacked Abyssinia The Hoare-Laval Pact was Britain and France meeting secretly to appease Italy, however the idea was quickly dropped The result of the plebiscite in the Saar in 1935 was Saar Germans voting to rejoin Germany Hitler invaded the Rhinedland in 1936 Socialists, communists and left wing groups supported Republicans in Spain Italy and Germany came to the arrangement of the Rome-Berlin Axis in 1936 Germany and Japan signed the anti-Comintern / anti-communist in 1936 The Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis grouping was formed in 1937 Guernica, Spain, was destroyed by German planes in 1937 96 percent of Austrians are German speaking Schuschnigg was the Austrian Chancellor that forced Hitler out Anschluss was the name of the union between Germany and Austria Czechoslovakia was next on Hitlers list to invade Neville Chamberlain went to reason with Hitler The Munich Agreement (signed by Britain, Italy and France) was signed to carve up Czechoslovakia Britain and France pledged their support of Poland, 31 March 1939 The Pact of Steel, 22 May 1939, was the promise between Germany and Italy to protect each other in a war A non-aggression pact was the arrangement between Germany and Russia The Blitzkrieg was lightning war The phoney war was the quet time after the declaration of war France surrendered to Germany 22 June 1940 On 22 June 1941, Germany launched Operation Barbarossa on Russia At this time, the USA foreign policy was isolationism The USA passed the Lend-Lease Act in 1941 The USA annoyed Japan by freezing their assets and banning oil The attack on Pearl Harbour was 7 December, 1941 The main causes of World War Two were the Treaty of Versailles, League of Nations, the depression, Hitler and appeasement