Transcript Hitler and Immediate Causes

Hitler and Immediate
Causes
1939
S
Munich Conference
Mussolini, Hitler,
Daladier, Chamberlain
Results of Munich
S
Hitler put Europe on the brink of
war
S Aggressor, Britain and France
sough peace
S
Clear Poland would be next
S Britain and France issue
another warning
S Appeasement was at an end
S Britain and France unaware
Germany has been meeting
with Soviet Union
Results of Munich
S
One of the most controversial
agreements in history
S Nazi-Soviet Pact
S Agreed not to attack one
another, secretly agreed to
divide Poland
S Short-term benefit for Hitler,
no risk of a two-front war
S Would gain staging area for
future invasion of Soviet
Union
Cartoon Analysis
Why Did Germany Sign?
S Hitler wanted to avoid a war on two fronts
S Did not believe Britain and France would intervene if he
allied with Stalin
S Economic aid from USSR would negate impact of Anglo-
French blockage
S Hitler would deal with the West before the Soviet Union
Why Did USSR Sign?
S USSR would not have to get involved in a war in the West
S Already faced a threat from Japan in the East, Army had been
weakened by Stalin’s purges
S Gave Stalin time to prepare for war, always hope that Germany
and the West would weaken each other in the war and USSR
would be left strongest
S Stalin would gain half of Poland and opportunity to take Finland
and Baltic States
S Germany was still the USSR’s major trading partner
The Invasion of Poland
S
Most immediate cause of WWII
S
Poland had been created after
WWI, given land corridor through
former German territory
S Danzig was meant to be a free
city for Poles to use
S Knew this would cause future
tension, Germans never
accepted it
S Nazis came to power there
after Hitler
The Invasion of Poland
S
Poland was also threatened by the Soviets
S
1920, Red Army had invaded and attempted
to consolidate control of Eastern Europe
S
Poles had rallied at Warsaw, key for national
identity, important so that they not make
concessions in 1939
S
Hitler demanded Danzig in 1939, Poles respond by
mobilizing
S
March 1939, Britain and France guarantee support
S
S
Saw the issue as between German ambition
and Polish determination to defend themselves
Hitler invades September 1, war declared
S
Maybe not the enemies he had envisioned
Appeasement
S
British policy throughout 1930s
S
May have encouraged Hitler
S
Further alienated the USSR
S
Stalin thought it was meant to start conflict
between him and Germany
Hitler gambled on this with Poland
S
S
Was Hitler acting or reacting?
S
The fault Hitler’s or other European statesmen?
S
Case against appeasement
S
With more territory, Germany became better
defended, had more soldiers, workers, materials,
industry
S
Britain had not even prepared by 1939
S
Had led to Nazi-Soviet Pact
Justification for Appeasement
S
Shaped foreign policy since WWII
S
Situation was complex for Chamberlain
though
S
British economy down, rearmament difficult
S
Memories of WWI
S
People had to want war
S
Hitler’s demands were seen as just revision of
Versailles
S
Many thought it was too harsh
S
Munich was the end
Chamberlain
S
Thought there were three key
issues to be resolved
S Territorial grievances
S Economic problems
S Absence of raw materials
S Appeasement would lead to a
more moderate Germany,
which would benefit the world
S
Himself, did not believe in peace at
any price
S Would not have been prepared
to fight Hitler in 1930s
France
S
France took the lead from Britain, could
not have acted alone
S
Rhineland had not been policed effectively
S
Focused on rebuilding of Maginot Line
S
Government was suffering internal
division
S
Thought military response may build
support for Nazis
S
Overall, fears of communism did not help,
Hitler may have been lesser of two evils