Edexcel Gcse Unit 1: Section 3

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1. The Wall Street Crash

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In the USA (October 1929) this helped to set off a worldwide economic depression. Many countries suffered unemployment and economic problems. This strained international relations; some countries chose authoritarian governments in the hope of solving the problems.

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2. The Manchurian Crisis: Japan's population and economy.

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Japan's population was over 65 million by 1929; it needed more land for its people to live and grow food. Japan was badly affected by the depression as its economy depended on exports and the USA had put a tariff (tax) on Japanese goods. This led to some Japanese army leaders to seek new land abroad.

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3. The Manchurian Crisis (1931)

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Manchuria was a province of China (rich in natural resources like coal and iron ore) where the Japanese owned a railway. A bomb blew up part of the railway at Mukden in 1931. The Japanese army used this as an excuse to send troops into Manchuria, take over, and rule it under the new name Manchukuo.

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4. The League's reaction to Manchuria: The Lytton Inquiry.

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China appealed to the League of Nations for help. The League could have applied economic sanctions, but these were likely to have been ineffective since Japan mainly traded with the USA, which wasn't a member of the League. Instead the League set up the Lytton Inquiry to investigate the invasion of Manchuria. It took a whole year to report and decided that Japan acted illegally, so the League told Japan to withdraw.

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5. Japan's reaction.

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Japan ignored the League's request to leave Manchuria. Japan left the League, and, in 1933, invaded Jehol, another Chinese province. The League had been proved ineffective, and had lost a powerful member.

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6. Results of the Manchurian crisis.

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This was the first major crisis the League had faced, and it had been proved powerless. Japan had simply ignored the League’s requests to leave. The League’s reluctance to act may have been because the incident didn’t threaten its key members, Britain and France. If a similar problem occurred in Europe it was hoped the League would act more decisively.

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7. Italy invades Abyssinia (1935) - causes.

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Mussolini had wanted an Italian empire in Africa to prove Italy was as strong a nation as other European powers like Britain. Abyssinia was situated between two Italian colonies (Eritrea and Italian Somaliland) so seemed like the perfect country to takeover. Mussolini also wanted to avenge a humilating defeat which Italy had suffered at the hands of Abyssinia in 1896.

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8. Italy invades Abyssinia (1935) - the event.

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In October 1935 Mussolini put his plan into action, sending Italian troops into Abyssinia using bomber planes and tanks. The Abyssinian spears were no match for this modern weaponry. The Abyssinian leader, Haile Selassie, asked the League of Nations for help.

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9. The League fails to save Abyssinia.

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The League of nations imposed some economic sanctions on Italy, although stopped short of banning trade in oil since they felt Italy could just get it from the USA and they didn't want to damage their own economies further. Britain and France, the leading League members did not want to annoy Mussolini and force him into an alliance with Hitler. Because of this they didn't close the British controlled Suez Canal which Mussolini was using to ship weapons and troops to Abyssinia.

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10. The Abyssinian crisis: the Hoare-Laval pact.

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The League of Nations banned secret treaties between its members. But in 1935, Britain and France made the secret Hoare-Laval pact, which would have allowed Italy to divide Abyssinia and keep most of it. The plan was leaked to the press so never went ahead and Hoare (the British foreign minister) and Laval (the French foreign minister) were forced to resign.

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11. The Abyssinian crisis: impact on the League.

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The League seemed weak. Powerful members like Britain and France followed their own political or economic needs rather than support the League in all disputes. The Hoare-Laval pact showed Britain and France trying to act together 'behind the back' of the League which undermined its authority.

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12. The Rome-Berlin Axis (1936).

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This was an agreement between Italy and Germany to work more closely together. It dismayed Britain and France because it gave Hitler a powerful ally.

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13. Hitler's aims.

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Hitler wanted to take more land from neighbouring countries to make a 'Greater Germany' (Grossdeutschland) and gain more 'living space' (lebensraum) for German speaking people. By doing this he would break the Treaty of Versailles.

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14. Undoing Versailles.

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Hitler wanted to break the hated treaty of Versailles. He said he wanted an army of 600,000. He introduced conscription in 1935. he also started building an airforce, the Luftwaffe. In 1936 he sent German troops into the Rhineland, a part of Germany bordering France which was supposed to be a demilitarised zone. All of these things broke the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.

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15. Hitler begins to expand power: the Saar vote and the anti-Comintern pact.

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The Saar, an important coal mining region had been placed under League of Nations control by the Treaty of Versailles for 15 years. When that period ran out, the people of the Saar voted to rejoin Germany. Hitler was delighted, and claimed the vote showed how popular his rule was. In 1936, Hitler also signed the anti-comintern pact with Japan. They said they would work together to oppose communism. Italy joined this pact in 1937.

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16. Hitler's aims for Austria.

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Austria was German speaking. Hitler wanted it in his 'Greater Germany'. He held meetings in 1938 with Schuschnigg (the Austrian Chancellor), who accepted some Austrian Nazis in government but not a German takeover.

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17. Anschluss

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Anschluss means union. Hitler threatened Schuschnigg who stood down and was replaced by an Austrian nazi, Seyss-Inquart. With Seyss-Inquart's approval, German troops took over Austria in March 1938. Hitler succeeded, and Italy had supported him. Britain and France did nothing to prevent it.

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18. Appeasement and the Allies.

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The Treaty of Versailles seemed unfair on Germany. Britain did not want to risk war to keep it intact in far away countries. Appeasement also gave Britain and France more time to rearm. But to Hitler it made them seem weak.

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19. Appeasement and Hitler.

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Appeasement gave Hitler time to increase Germany's military strength and the confidence to go on invading neighbouring countries.

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20. The Sudetenland.

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The Sudetenland was part of Czechoslovakia. It had valuable coal deposits, the Skoda armaments factory, and 3 million German speakers, so Hitler demanded it as part of his 'Greater Germany'. This would be a breach of the Treaty of Versailles.

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21. The Munich Conference (Sept 1938).

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Gave part of the Sudetenland to Hitler. Britain and France were not prepared to go to war to protect it - an example of appeasement. Hitler had to promise to leave the rest of Czechoslovakia alone, but the Munich agreement convinced him that Britain and France would not go to war against him.

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22. Czechoslovakia.

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In March 1939, Hitler invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia - to expand German 'living space' and advance his aims for a 'Greater Germany'. This was a breach of the Treaty of Versailles and the Munich Agreement. Britain and France now knew Hitler could not be trusted.

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23. Memel.

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On the 20th March 1939 Hitler demanded the city of Memel in Lithuania be returned to Germany (it had been made a 'free city' in the Treaty of Versailles). Lithuania, fearing a German invasion handed Memel over to Hitler. The League of Nations was powerless, and Britain and France were not prepared to go to war over this matter but they did now realise they needed to take a stand against Hitler's aggression.

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24. Protecting Poland.

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Hitler's invasion of Czechoslovakia ended appeasement for Britain and France. They decided that Hitler could be given no more. In March 1939, they promised Poland military aid if it was invaded. This promise was strengthened in August when Britain agreed the Anglo-Polish Mutual Assistance Pact with Poland.

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25. The Pact of Steel (1939).

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Hitler knew that he needed strong allies; this could help persuade Britain and France not to fight him. If they did fight, his allies would help him. In 1939 he signed the Pact of Steel, a formal military alliance with Italy.

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26. The Nazi Soviet Pact (1939).

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This was signed between the USSR and Germany in August 1939. It meant that Hitler would not have to divide his troops fighting Britain and France in the West, and the USSR in the East. The pact secretly agreed that Germany and the USSR would divide Poland between them. It gave Stalin time to build up his army in the USSR. Britain and France were shocked at this pact signed between two such bitter enemies and knew Hitler must be preparing for war.

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27. War breaks out.

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Germany invaded Poland on 1st September 1939 - to expand German 'living space' and create a 'Greater Germany'. It was another breach of Versailles. Britain and France no longer saw Hitler's aims as reasonable. They declared war on the 3rd September.