Chapter 4: Outbreak of WWII in Europe

Lesson Objectives

1) Weaknesses of the LON2) Hitler’s Expansionist Goals

Weaknesses of LON

Weaknesses of LON

i) Failure to Disarmii) Failure to maintain world

peace/resolve conflicts

Failure to Disarm

In the 1920s and 1930s, there were efforts at disarmament to reduce the chances of another war.

However, most of the successes were led by powerful nations and not the League.

Failure to Disarm

Successes at limiting weapons: Efforts apart from the LON▪ Washington Conference (1921)

Set ratio for tonnage of capital ships

Failure to Disarm

Successes at limiting weapons: Efforts apart from the LON▪ Locarno Treaties (1925)

Guaranteed French and Belgian borders with Germany

Demilitarisation of the Rhineland

What is the Rhineland? A German territory west of the

Rhine River along the French border.

Failure to Disarm

Failures: Efforts by the LON League Commission to prepare for

World Disarmament Conference (1926)▪ Britain and France not cooperative

World Disarmament Conference (1932-1934)▪ Hitler withdrew from conference and LON

Failure to Disarm

Learning Points▪ USA seemed to command more respect

than LON▪ National interests of major powers like

Britain and France were more important than those of the LON▪ LON’s failure at disarmament

atmosphere of tension and distrust

Abyssinian Crisis (1935)

Italy was interested in Abysinnia▪ Revenge for 1896 Defeat▪ Restoring ‘Roman Empire’▪ Abyssinia’s mineral wealth▪ Italy had interests in neighbouring Somalia

Mussolini

Abyssinian Crisis (1935)

What did the League do?▪ Imposed trade sanctions on Italy

Not painful enough – oil, coal, steel not sanctioned.

League members cared for their own economic interests

Abyssinian Crisis (1935)

What did Britain and France do?▪ Suez Canal left open to Italian ships –

Italian war supplies could proceed to Abyssinia▪ Hoare-Laval Pact

Abyssinian Crisis (1935)

Results? Rome-Berlin Axis est. in 1936 LON’s failure to act encouraged

Hitler’s expansionist aims - no country or organisation could stop him if he were to pursue his aggressive policies

Hitler’s Expansionist Policy

Withdrawal from LON/ Geneva Conference (Oct 1933) Hitler demanded that France disarm

to same level as Germany did under TOV France refused – why? Hitler withdraws

from conference and LON

Hitler free to re-introduce conscription and rearmament in violation of TOV

Conscription and RearmamentHitler began to build up

Germany’s air force (Luftwaffe) and reintroduce conscription 1935: plans for 2,500-plane Luftwaffe and 550,000 army put in place VIOLATING TOV

Hitler claimed that these were defensive acts

Conscription and Rearmament Countries like Britain and France

were unwilling to risk another war – why? – and did not act decisively against German violations Britain even signed the Anglo-German

Agreement in 1935 which allowed Germany to build up her navy

Conscription and Rearmament What do you think was the impact of

British and French responses (or the lack thereof)?

Independent Activity!!

 1) You will be assigned to study one of the following events:

Remilitarisation of RhinelandSpanish Civil WarAnschluss (Union with Austria)Munich AgreementNazi-Soviet Pact

2) Fill in the graphic organizer (Annex A)