REASONS FOR THE OUTBREAK OF WORLD WAR 2

FALIURE OF DISARMAMENT

IN 1920 and 1930 there were efforts at disarmament to reduce chances of another world war and establish world peace.But the league had limited success success was only by major european powers powerful countries had military capacity for war and nothing to stop them.

EXAMPLES

SUCCESS

Limting the weapons of major countries .For example set a ration for tonnage of capital ships .This helped to curb arms race between major powers .

: negotiated outside the league

Organised by the usa

set following ratios

BRITIAN = 5 USA =5 JAPAN = 3

PARTIAL SUCCESS

LOCARNO TREATIES

Negotiated outside the league between Britain , Germany ,France , Czechoslovakia , Italy , Belgium and Poland

Guaranteed Belgian and French borders with Germany and demilitarisation of the Rhineland accepted by the Weimar Government.

FALIURES

league commission to prepare for world disarmament conference and Britain and France refused to cooperate

WORLD DISARMAMENT CONFERENCE 1932 TO 1934 .HELD at Geneva and Germany insisted on matching the other powers .France refused to limit their own armaments and Britain and USA refused to commit at a level requested by France . Therefore Hitler withdrew Germany from both the conference and the league .

KELLOGG-BRIAND PACT 1928 .Initiated by the american secretary of state frank kellogg and the French foreign minister and negotiated outside the leagues between 15 countries including USA FRANCE GERMANY Britain Italy and Japan . Agreement that all conflicts should only be solved by pacifist means.

The failure of the league to get major powers to disarm highlighted the importance of the involvement of the USA in the world affairs and USA was more succesful in persuading other major powers to disarm .

ABYSSINIAN CRISIS

IMPLICATIONS OF THE ABYSSINIAN CRISIS

BY 1935 the league had suffered many blows to its credibilities especially from its failure to intervene in the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931. However unlike Manchuria Abyssinian had common borders with the British colonies and was also much close to Europe . The leagues failure to impose meaningful sanctions not only signalled its demise but also resulted in the Italian takeover of Abyssinia in May 1936 .

MUSSOLINI.HE wanted to make Italy a great power and exact revenge for Italy's defeat to Abyssinia in1896 and exploit Abyssinia mineral wealth.

DEC 1934 : DISPUTE AT WAL-WAL OASIS IN ABYSSINIAN

JAN-OCT 1935 NEGOTIATING WITH THE LEAGUE

9MAY 1936 ITALY CONQURED ABYSSINIA

NOV 1936 MUSSOLINI AND HITLER SIGNED A TREATY OF FRIENDSHIP ESTABLISHING THE ROME BERLIN AXIS

HITLERS EXPANSIONIST POLICY

WITHDRAWAL FROM THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS AND THE GENEVA CONFERENCE OCT 1933

1. Hitler demanded that France disarm to the same level as Germany during the TOV. 2. FRANCE refused and Hitler gave and excuse to withdraw from the conference therefore hitler was free to re introduce conscription and rearmament .

CONSCRIOTION AND REARMAMENT 1933-1935

Hitler began building up Germanys air force the Luftwaffe and in 1935 hitler annouced 2,500 planes and 550,000 army and clearly violated the TOV. Hitler justify his actions as defensive as countries like Britain were willing to risk another war.Britain even signed the Anglo-German Agreement in 1935 and the spend large amount on military thus defences an excuse and Hitler violated the TOV.

Hitler send soldiers ,equipment , warplanes to support the Spanish Nationalist Forces . He hoped to divert Britain and Frances attention to his expansionist policy as well as to test his army and air force . Hitler justify his actions as defending against communism . Thus , Britain and France failed to intervene as he perceived them as weak .

ANSHULSS WITH AUSTRIA 1938

Hitlers foreign policy was to form political union but Anschluss was prohibited under the TOV and a plebiscite was held to decide whether Austria wanted political union. In March 1938 99.57 percent voted Anschluss once again hitler violated the TOV and Britain and FRANCE did not take actions .

In august 1939 Germany and USSR signed the Non-agreeion act where Germany and USSR would not attack each other and it divided Eastern Europe into USSR and Poland was divided for a two front , this benefited USSR as the pact build up its military strength . Therefore , they banked on inaction on Britain and France.

Under the influnence of the nazi party leader in Sudetenland germans in the area demanded to be part of Germany the CZECH leader Edward Benes called USSR BRITAIN AND FRANCE FOR help .Britain and France signed the Munich Agreement with Germany and Italy in 1938 to give Sudetenland exchange for other territories .In oct 1939 Hitler took over Czechoslovikia and Britain and France did not take action.

Germany attacked Poland 1september 1939 and Britain and France declared war this led to ww2.

REMILITARISATION OF RHIENLAND

Using the Franco-soviet alliance excuse Germany remilitarised Rhineland in March 1936 and HITLER said that defending its own frontiers was under threat by FRANCE ANDS USSR.France did not react to the situation and Britain felt sympathetic and therefore the inaction of them resulted in Hitler being more aggressive.

WW1 DEVASTATED BOTH Britain and France as they were not prepared .There was an economic hardship during the Great DEPRESSION and the lack of interest in Hitlers remilitarisation of Rhineland

The league was established to resolve international peace.The league was ineffective in dealing powerful countries and Britain adopt a policy of appeasement . Thus, the lack of credibility of the league to resolve disputes failed.

Chamberlain believe that Hitler was a man who could reason and hitlers aim was to revise TOV . Hence he mistaken believe could satisfied wit negotiations . Hence Chamberlain gave in to Hitlers demands .

Hitler - banned communist party put in concentration camps

Britain and France hated communism

communism bigger threat

stronger Germany act as a shield against USSR

HITLER potential leader

Chamberlain - TOV was to harsh

Chamberlain hitlers claim germans in Czechoslovakia was oppressed

He thought that Hitler grants Germans self determination

BY giving in avoid war

British politicians admire his actions

WW1 HAD WEAKEND BRITIAN and Frances economy and military.

Some historians believe that they followed and appeasement policy in part to give themselves time to rearm.