German And Italian Expansion

Front 1

The Stresa Front

Back 1

An agreement between Italy, France and Britain, aimed at preventing any German breach of the Versailles Treaty. Initiated in 1935 and fell apart the same year due to Anglo-German Naval agreement and Italian invasion of Abyssinia.

Front 2

Appeasement policy

Back 2

The foreign policy pursued by Britain to avoid war by allowing Germany to make breaches to the Versailles Treaty (e.g. allowing the remilitarization of the Rhineland, Anschluss, and granting German claims to the Sudetenland).

Front 3

Anschluss

Back 3

The German annexation of Austria. Prohibited by The Versailles Treaty, but achieved anyway in 1938. Early step in Nazi-German expansion.

Front 4

The Dawes Plan

Back 4

The plan that would ease the war reparations Germany faced after WW1. Reparations would be paid over time, and the US lent Germany money so that her economy could recover. It lent support to German post-war economy.

Front 5

Fascism

Back 5

The ideology of Mussolini's Italy. Rested on the pillars of Nationalism, Militarism, Authoritarianism, Social Darwinism, and Social Unity.

Front 6

Hyperinflation

Back 6

Inflation is when the value of a currency is deflated. Hyperinflation is inflation gone haywire. The hyperinflation of Germany saw that the price of goods sky-rocketed.

Front 7

The Kellogg-Briand Pact

Back 7

This agreement from 1928 stipulated that countries would not use war as a solution to conflicts. It was signed by 62 nations; Japan, Germany and Italy were among these. The pact ushered in a feeling of peaceful cooperation, at least for a while.

Front 8

The Rapallo Treaty

Back 8

This 1922 treaty re-established diplamtic ties between Germany and Soviet(these had been cut since WW1) and initiated cooperation between the two. Secret clauses involved military cooperation that was in fact forbidden by the Versailles treaty (training of German officers in Russia for example).

Front 9

The Third Reich

Back 9

Hitler's Germany. The first Reich was the Holy Roman Empire, while the second Reich was the Germany founded by Bismarck after the war with France in 1870-71.

Front 10

The Wall Street Crash

Back 10

The Stock market crash in 1929 that started the Great Depression. This economic recession had an important impact on Germanty, Italy and Japan, and can be seen as a reason for their military expansion.

Front 11

The Weimar Republic

Back 11

The name of post-WW1 Germany prior to Hitler's take-over.

Front 12

The Young Plan

Back 12

The 1929 plan that replaced the Dawes Plan. It had the same purpose of resolving the German war debt problem. The Great Depression hindered this plan from succeeding.

Front 13

The Saar Plebiscite

Back 13

The 1935 referendum in which the population of the Saar chose to reunite with Germany.

Front 14

The Sudetenland

Back 14

An area in western Czechoslovakia with a large German minority. Hitler claimed that it should belong to Germany, and was granted to Germany at the Munich Conference in 1938.

Front 15

Danzig

Back 15

A Polish city run by the League of Nations, and accessible to both Poland and German. Germany demanded it be returned to them in 1939, but Poland refused.

Front 16

Memmel

Back 16

A Lithuanian city with a large German population. Hitler demanded it be returned to Germany, and Lithuania submitted to this demand.

Front 17

Spanish Civil War

Back 17

Civil strife between nationalists and republicans in Spain (1936-1939). The former were backed by Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany, while the latter was supported by Soviet. The outcome of the strife improved relations between Italy and Germany.

Front 18

German Rearmament

Back 18

The Versailles Treaty put limitations on German military size. Hitler ignored these and increased German military might during his reign.

Front 19

Lebensraum

Back 19

"Living space". Hitler's idea of expanding east, and settling mainly Poland and Russia with Germans. Native populations were to be "removed".

Front 20

Hossbach Memorandum

Back 20

This memorandum outlined the goals of German foreign policy with regards to expansion after 1937. These goals were to be achieved by force, and anticipated war with Czechoslovakia, Austria, France and Britain.

Front 21

Putsch

Back 21

A sudden and violent take-over of government, performed by a small group of people (Rogers & Thomas, p. 160). See "Coup d'état"

Front 22

Tripartite Axis Pact

Back 22

The alliance bloc between Germany, Italy and Japan. Signed in 1940.

Front 23

League of Nations

Back 23

Predecessor of the UN. An organization that aspired to uphold international peace through Collective Security.

Front 24

Collective Security

Back 24

The idea that the security of one is the same as the security for all.

Front 25

The Little Entente

Back 25

French-supported alliance between Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and Romania, formed to prevent Austria and Hungary to reclaim territory lost during WW1. (signed 1920/1921, fell apart in 1938)

Front 26

The SA

Back 26

The SA was the paramilitary wing of the Nazis. They attacked political opponents, marched in rallies and supported Hitler in his take-over of Germany.

Front 27

The SS

Back 27

This was an elite faction of the SA. Killings of opposition and control of the population of Germany were among its tasks. Held a powerful position in Hitler's Germany.

Front 28

The Blackshirts

Back 28

The Blackshirts was the paramilitary wing of Mussolini's fascists. Performing similar actions as the Nazi SA, they harrassed Mussolini's opponents and helped his rise to power.

Front 29

The Pact of Steel

Back 29

Military and economic alliance between Italy and Germany, signed in 1939.

Front 30

Ribbentrop

Back 30

Germany's foreign minister. Negotiated the Anglo-German Naval agreement, and signed the Nazi-Soviet Pact in 1939.

Front 31

Social Darwinism

Back 31

The application of Darwin's theory of natural selection on humanity, that the strong shall rule and the weak obey - or be exterminated.

Front 32

The Treaty of Versailles

Back 32

The peace treaty that followed WW1. Considered by Germany to be extraordinary harsh and unfair.

Front 33

The Rhineland

Back 33

An area in Germany bordering to France, that was to be demilitarized according to the Versailles Treaty. Germany remilitarized it in 1936.

Front 34

The Hoare-Laval Pact

Back 34

The French-British plan to grant Italy certain parts of Abyssinia, to broker peace between the countries. The pact leaked to the public and was never implemented.

Front 35

The Anti-Comintern pact

Back 35

Pact between Japan, Germany and Italy, stating that if any of the signatories were attacked by Soviet, the others would move to aid the defender. Signed in 1936.

Front 36

Neville Chamberlain

Back 36

Britain's Prime Minister 1937-1940 who dealt extensively with Hitler's Germany. Usually connected to the Appeasement policiy.

Front 37

The Munich Conference

Back 37

The Munich agreement was signed here, granting Germany the eastern territories of Czechoslovakia known as the Sudetenland (1938). Czechoslovakia and Soviet were not invited to this conference.

Front 38

The Disarmament Conference

Back 38

The purpose of this 1932 conference was to reduce armaments "to the lowest point consistent with national security". Both Germany and France were against this.

Front 39

Coup d'état

Back 39

Sudden and violent take over of government, performed by a small group of people (Rogers & Thomas, p. 160). See "Putsch"