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Failure to Disarm

World Disarmnament Conference 1932-34

Started in 1932. Disunited, reluctant to participate

1) Tried to control offensive weapons.

Could not agree on what offensive and defensive weapons were.

Resolutions passed did very little to ensure how limitations on weapons would be achieved.

Failure to agree to abolish planes capable of bombing.

Failed to ban manufacture of chemical weapons.

2) Could not decide what to do with Germany.

Disagreement on how to treat Germany fairly.

1st option was to be very harsh on disarming Germany .

2nd option was to allow Germany to rearm closer to the level of other powers.

Both options received reluctance from different powers.

France was very cautious of Germany and demanded to own a larger armed forces. Or United States and Britain must guarantee to fight alongside France if a war ever broke out again between France and Germany.

3) Germany withdrew from the League of Nations, 1933.

Germany had a new leader, Adolf Hitler.

He appeared to be genuinely interested in disarmament but was secretly rearming in Germany.

He promised not to rearm and put pressure on other powers especially France to disarm drastically.

Hitler knew full well that the other powers would not agree to do so and this gave him the excuse rearm Germany and withdrew Germany from the League of Nations.

LON- COuld not make decisions, were very disunited. Germany took advantage of this.

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The Abyssinian Crisis 1934-36

Italian troops was previously defeated by Abyssinian tribesmen, in 1896.

Italian Dictator Mussolini not only wanted revenge but also the fertile land and rich minerals in Abyssinian.

1) In 1934, there was a dispute in Wal-Wal oasis in Abyssinia. Mussolini took this opportunity to invade.

Abyssinian Emperor (Haile Selassie) appealed to LON for help.

Britain and France, despite having colonies near Abyssinia, chose not to help.

2) Britain and France were careful not to upset Mussolini as they saw him as a potential ally against Hitler.

The LON planned to give some parts of Abyssinia to Mussolini but he rejected it.

In 1935, Mussolini invaded Abyssinia and the LON was slow to impose economic sanctions. Each delay allowed Mussolini to build up his raw materials in Abyssinia.

In 1936, the LON stopped oil sales to Italy but it was too late.

US refused to impose sanctions.

Suez Canal, owned by British and France also remained open to Italy’s supply ships.

Hence, 1936, Abyssinia fell to Italy.

LON lost its credibility and as a result, Hitler was convinced that the LON was not able to stop Germnay’s expansion plans.

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Hitler was interested in Czechoslovakia.

Sudetenland region was largely populated by Germans.

He encouraged the Nazis to stir up trouble in Sudetenland and demand to join Germany.

He claimed he was protecting the Sudeten Germans and demanded Czechoslovakia to hand over Sudetenland.

Tensions were escalating and Britain was preparing for war. Bu Chamberlain made 1 last effort to avoid war in Czechoslovakia.

Chamberlain flew to meet Hitler and they convinced Czechoslovakia to surrender parts of Sudetenland to keep peace in Europe.

But Hitler demanded the whole of the region. Britain, France , Italy and Germany met and gave in to Hitler’s demands without consulting Czechoslovakia, in return for a promise of peace- Munich Agreement.

1939- Hitler invaded the whole of Czechoslovakia.

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1) Anschluss (Union) with Austria

There was a strong Nazi party in Austria.

Hitler encouraged them to instigate union with Germany.

He started disorder but convinced the Austrian Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg that order can only be restored when German troops moved into Austria.

Chancellor appealed to the Britain and France, but they did nothing. 1938, Hitler held a vote in Austria. Through fraud and intimidation the votes 99.75% in favour of Union with Germany.

British and France did nothing. They underestimated and misunderstood Hitler. British also sympathised with Germany as they felt that treaty of Versailles was too harsh not to allow the union.

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Timeline of Increase Aggression 1933-37 

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Timeline of Increase Aggression 1933-37 

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1933- Left LON

1933-35- Rearmament

1935- reclaim Saar Region through Plebiscrate (voting).

90% of the people of Saar voted to join Hitler’s Germany.

1936- Remilitarisation of Rhineland- threatening France.

1936- Spanish Civil War. Germans helped Spanish General Franco. Took this opportunity to test out their military might. But Britain and France stayed out of the civil war and Hitler was convinced that Britain and France were reluctant to go to war.

1936- Anti Comintern Pact- Anti USSR/ Communism. Germany, Japan used anti- communism as an excuse to expand their influences.

1937- Axis Alliance - Italy, Germany and Japan.

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Nazi Soviet Pact and Invasion of Poland, 1939

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Nazi Soviet Pact and Invasion of Poland, 1939

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TB Pg 143-145

Hitler planned to invade Poland yet was cautious of USSR as Poland and USSR shared the same border.

Stalin was also concerned about Germany’s’ aggression and the LON’s tolerance of Hitler’s actions.

Stalin formed an alliance with Hitler.

Agreed not to attack each other.

To divide Poland between them- Hitler got the west Poland and Stalin took the east.

Stalin used this to buy time to get ready his troops for war.

Hitler, without USSR’s interference, invaded Poland and that marked the beginning of WW2.