Causes of WW2

Causes of WW2

Anschluss(Union)
1. Hitler's aims was to unite all German speaking people
  1. He wants to re-unite with home country Austria
    1. Austria has German speaking people
    2. Forbidden to join with Austria due to the Treaty of Versailles
2. Failed coup
  1. Austrian Chancellor, Engerlbert Dolfuss, wants to get rid of Nazi and Socialist Parties because he believes its tearing apart the country
    1. Dolfuss banned the Nazi Party
  2. In 1934, Hitler orders Austrian Nazis to riot in Austria as an attempt to overpower Austrian Goverment
    1. Dolfuss is murdered, but the attempted failed as a whole because the Austrian Military got involved and backed up the Goverment
  3. In 1934, Italy made an agreement that it would protect Austria. So when Hitler invaded Mussolini moved Italian troops to Austria boarders to deter Hitler from invading
3. Events leading up to Anschluss
  1. Spanish Civil War broke in 1936, both Hitler and Mussolini support Spanish fascist General Francisco Franco
    1. Hitler uses the civil war to gain army experience in tank formations and dive-bombing
    2. Italy and Germany become closer
      1. In 1936,Italy and Germany sign the Rome-Berlin Axis. Austria loss protection from Italy
        Later followed by the Anti-Comintern Pact of 1937 which saw Italy, Germany and Japan join to prevent the spread of communism
        Italy attacked Albania and signed the Pact of Steel with Germany in 1938
        Mussolini couldn't intervene when Hitler joins with Austria
  2. In 1936, Hitler and new Austrian Chancellor, Kurt von Schuschnigg sign the German-Austrian Agreement.
    1. The pact recognized Austria's independence, but the Austrian's foreign policy had to be consistent with Germany
  3. January 1938, Chancellor Schuschnigg discovers a plot by Austrian Nazis to revolt against the government.
    1. He goes to Hitler for help,but instead Hitler berates him to give government to Austrian Nazis
      1. Hitler moves troops to Austrian boarder and threats to invade. Schuschnigg arranges a vote to decide whether or not to unite with Germany
  4. Austrian Nazis riot in the streets. Schuschnigg and government resigned expect for Seyss-Inquarter.
    1. Seyss-Inquarter invites Germany into Austria. 80,000 of Hitler opponents are imprisoned
      1. 12th March 1938, Hitler enters Austria and union with Austria is established 2 days later. The vote was 99.75% 'yes'
Rhineland
1. De-militarised zone under the term of the Treaty of Versailles
  1. Hitler still has political control of area, but unable to station troops in the region
2. In March 1936, Hitler orders troops to re-enter Rhineland
  1. In doing this he broke the Treaty of Versailles and the Locarno Treaties of 1925 which guaranteed Germany's frontiers
  2. This was a huge gamble for Hitler, if he was forced to withdraw he would lose faith from the military and be humiliated
  3. Hitler actually ordered his generals to retreat if the French showed any slight sign of taking military action
    1. This did not occur and over 32,000 German police and soldiers crossed its own frontiers
3. Hitler had chosen the right time well, as France and USSR had just signed an agreement in which the countries agree to protect each other from a German attack
  1. Hitler used this claim that Germany was under threat
    1. If Germany was under threat, his argument continued, Germany should be allowed to place troops on its own frontier
4. The main reason France didn't attack was that it was in a political crisis, there was a general election and nobody wanted to take responsibility fro plunging France into a war
  1. On top of this the League of Nations was largely concerned with Abyssinian and thought it would condemned Hitler's actions, it did not actively intervene to force him to withdraw
5. Lots of people in Britain felt that Hitler had the right to station troops in the Rhineland so they didn't intervene
Saar
1. Germany lost the Saar to the League of Nations through the Treaty of Versailles
  1. Hitler's aims to reunite all German speaking and destroy the Treaty of Versailles
2. A vote was held 15 years after Germany was separated from the Saar to determine whether the Saarland's would re-join with Germany
  1. The Nazis made a huge campaign as they day got closer to try and persuade the Saarland's to vote for Germany
    1. Communists and Socialist organized campaigns against Germany, so the Nazis threatened or beat them up
3. The vote was 90% to join Germany, Hitler acted like it was a big deal and had a party. This was the first undoing of the Treaty of Versailles

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