Transcript Causes Of The Seco

Year Nine
NMG 2006
Treaty of Versailles
Demilitarised
the Rhineland
Cut Germany’s
armed forces
Troops into the
Rhineland 1936
Claimed the
Sudetenland
Took rest of
Czechoslovakia
Rearmament
1. Hitler’s
Foreign
Policy
Banned union
with Austria
Anschluss 1938
Deal made with Russia
Invasion of Poland
League of
Nations
set up to
prevent
conflict
Limited success with preventing trouble
in 1920s – all involving minor powers
Responsibility for world peace left to GB
& France
Disarmament
Conference
achieved nothing
Japanese attack on
China
The failure of The
League of Nations
Sanctions
applied
Problems caused by
Great Depression
Italian invasion of
Ethiopia
The Great Depression
World wide trade depression affected many countries causing
widespread unemployment
Some countries like Japan
turned to aggression to get
raw materials
Brought Hitler to power in
Germany
Some countries eg Britain felt that they could not
afford to build up their armed forces
What did Britain and France do?
Hitler announced rearmament programme
No reaction from Britain or
France
German troops into the
Rhineland
No reaction from Britain
or France
Hitler took over Austria
No reaction from Britain or
France
Hitler demanded the
Sudetenland
Concessions from Allies
Appeasement
War in Spain
• In 1936 the Spanish Army under Franco
rebelled against the left wing government
• Italy & Germany sent help to Franco
• Russia helped the left wing government
• Volunteers from Britain and France went to
fight too
• The war helped to bring Italy and Germany
together – they became allies
Could Britain and France have done
more to stop Hitler?
France
• Decided that defence
was best policy
• Made separate
alliances with Poland
and Czechs
• Built the Maginot Line
along German frontier
Britain
• Weakened by 1st WW
• Empire, not Europe,
was first consideration
• Along with France
became responsible
for maintaining
League of Nations
What about Russia?
• Poor relationship between Russia & western
powers
• Stalin was very suspicious of France &
Britain
• Was convinced they would support Hitler in
struggle between Russia and Germany
• Made agreement with Germans to divide up
Poland
What about the USA?
• The US government refused to sign the
Treaty of Versailles so the USA never joined
the League of Nations
• Many Americans felt that Europe should
sort out its own problems
• Japan seemed to be a bigger problem than
Germany
Treaty of
Versailles
Russia & the
USA
The Great Depression
Causes of
The Second
Failure of
the
League of
Nations
World War?
Spanish Civil
Britain and France
War
German foreign
policy