Conflict in Europe1935 - 1945

ByS. Angelo

Head Teacher HistoryEast Hills Girls Technology High School

2009

Growth of European tensions

Dictatorships in Germany & ItalyLeague of Nations and collapse of

collective securityAbyssiniaSpanish Civil War

Britain, France and the policy of appeasement: - assessment

Significance of the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact

Path to the Dictatorship in Germany

Dictatorship in Germany

Dictatorship in Germany

Dictatorship in Italy

HITLER’S AIMS

NEWTON Hitler-Papen gov’t 1933 Emergency Decree 28/2/1933 Elections – 43.9% NSDAP Goebbels – propaganda Enabling Act Vatican Concordat Political parties banned Germany leaves League of Nations 1934 Hitler visits Mussolini in Venice Pro-Nazi coup lead to murder of Dollfuss –

Schuschnigg – Austrian Chancellor Death of Hindenburg – Hitler becomes

Fuhrer Totalitarianism 1935 – rearmament; allied confusion 1936 – Rhineland & Spain 1937 – alliance with Italy – seeks alliance

with Britain Mussolini visits Berlin Hossbach Memorandum on Lebensraum Italy, Germany & Spain – Anti-Comintern

Pact Lord Halifax visits Hitler at Berchtesgaden

1938 – Austria & Sudentenland

CANTWELL Hitler – frustrated artist Fought in WWI & profound nationalist

– common with Mussolini Drexler et al formed a German

Worker’s Party to revolutionise the nation – 1919 (just before the creation of the Fascist Party)

Drexler saw the potential in Hitler to be an outstanding orator – another trait he had in common with Mussolini

Hitler’s Brownshirts & Mussolini’s Blackshirts – indoctrinated militia

Mein Kampf & Doctrine of Fascism Nazi salute came from Mussolini’s

Blackshirts Hitler & Mussolini arrested Hitler & Mussolini recognised need for

public support Hitler & Mussolini resorted to violence

if necessary to achieve aims

HITLER’S AIMS WEBB

Ideology – lebensraum & racial purity Pragmatist – pursue policies that

achieved short term gains even if it contradicted his long term gains

Opportunist Revisionist Autarky – self sufficiency France first Creation of GrossDeutschland

Poland, Czechoslovakia Anschluss

Said what people wanted to hear Not military dominance but equality Peaceful Europe Return of territory taken in 1919 Bulwark against spread of

communism Last territorial demand in Europe

DENNETT & DIXON Rescue the German people from

the shame of defeat in WWI Free Germany from restrictions of

Treaty of Versailles Could only be achieved “by the

sword” Supported by military Harnessed economic strength of

Germany Germany still relied on imported

raw materials (iron ore, copper, rubber, oil)

Built up military strength – but still under equipped & short of munitions

German navy could not match Britain’s

MUSSOLINI’S AIMS

NEWTON Mussolini’s attack on Abyssinia

was a blow against the Stresa Front

Invasion of Abyssinia caused concerns for Britain & France

Hoare-Laval Pact – Britain & France wanted to buy off Mussolini & divide Abyssinia up - collapse of negotiations

Hitler noted western powers preferred “appeasement” to confrontation

This showed weakness of Britain & France

Mussolini sent 1000s of troops to help Franco

Mussolini proposed the Munich Agreement that led to Germany gaining the Sudentenland

CANTWELL Totalitarian Regimes Extensive legal & constitutional changes Elimination of political opponents &

parties Propaganda Reduction of personal freedoms & rights Economy & workforce accountable to

State Direct impact on culture and society

(youth groups, education, women, art, music, church) Use of terror & repression Secret police forces Control of media & publishing National armies for aggressive purposes Intolerance of alternate political systems Single dictator as leader Belief regimes could not be defeated

MUSSOLINI’S AIMS

WEBB Major social, economic & political

problems post WWI Hoped to make territorial gains at Peace

Conference – not met High unemployment, civil disorder –

Mussolini grabbed power in 1922 with march on Rome

Set up Corporate State; Secret police Major expansion in primary & secondary

education Improved working conditions Hydro-electric schemes Pontine marshes drained Lateran Accord – Vatican & Italy Italian strength & military glory Foreign policy similar to Germany Land; rearmament; conscription, military

strength SERIOUS MAJOR EUROPEAN POWER

DENNETT & DIXON Pledged to restore Italy to its

former glory Roman/Italian empire Invaded Abyssinia 1935 Italy had been poorly treated by

the Treaty of Versailles Program of modernisation

hindered by Small scale primary industry Reliance on imports (raw

materials – coal, oil, scrap iron, copper, rubber)

Britain controlled naval bases at Gibraltar & Suez & could blockade Italian supplies

Italy relied on British ships

HISTORIANS

Medlicott: The Coming of War in 1939 Hitler’s aims remained the same - lebensraum Hitler was an opportunist

Kershaw: Hitler 1936-45 – Nemesis Expansion Hitler used politics to restore Germany’s greatness

Taylor: Origins of the Second World War War produced the demand for lebensraum

Mack Smith: Mussolini Italians needed to have their character forged in battle Mussolini proud of the terrorist methods used by them in

Spanish Civil War Thomson: Europe Since Napoleon

Hitler main beneficiary from Italian-German relationship & Spanish Civil War

Hitler kept Mussolini pre-occupied in Spain while extending German influence in the Balkans: Italy was Germany’s “cat’s paw”