March 2013 – World History II

Paths to World War II

Western democracies had declared non-intervention in the Spanish Civil War

Hitler is confident that his aggressions will go unchallenged

German Path to War

AppeasementSatisfying reasonable demands of dissatisfied

powers in an effort to maintain peace and stability

Great Britain leads this trend

European Response

Hitler now moves his attention to Austria

Versailles Treaty prohibited any union between Austria and Germany

Hitler wants Anschluss (union) with Austria Insists that Austrians are

a Germanic people who should be incorporated into the Third Reich

German Path to War

Hitler threatens invasion if Austrian Chancellor does not resign

Great Britain and France inform the Austrian Chancellor that they will not help in the event of a German invasion

Chancellor resigns, and Austrian Nazis take control of the government

Hitler orders troops to march into Austria to prevent violence

Austrian leaders declare Austria a province of the German Reich

Anschluss

The Sudetenland, inhabited by Germans, had been taken from Austro-Hungarian Empire and made part of the new Czechoslovakia as part of the Versailles settlement

But he’s just getting started….

The Munich Agreement

British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, French Prime Minister Edouard Daladier, German Chancellor Adolf Hitler, Italian leader Benito Mussolini, Italian Foreign Minister

European leaders meet in Munich in September 1938Czechoslovakian representative is not invitedHitler is allowed to annex Sudetenland in exchange

for a promise that he intends no further expansionIn March 1939, Nazi troops seize the rest of

CzechoslovakiaViolation of the Munich Agreement had two effects:

Britain and France are convinced that Hitler will not stop and that they must stand up to him next time

Stalin is convinced that Britain and France will do nothing to stop any further German aggression in Eastern Europe

The Munich Agreement

Signed on August 23, 1939Russia and Germany agree to remain neutral

if the other is involved in warThis means that Germany can invade Poland

and face no interference from the Soviet Union, even if other nations become involved.

Secret Protocol: in exchange for non-aggression, Germany promises to give USSR the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) and part of PolandUSSR denied the existence of this part of the

pact until 1989

Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact

Hitler believes that Britain and France will not challenge him and knows that USSR will not act

German forces invade Poland on September 1, 1939

Two days later, Britain and France declare war on Germany

The Second World War has begun

Invasion of Poland