InNo+mengxinw2013+01.10.11


 * AWESOME PART **

This is a picture from the Great Depression, which caused the economic crash of the whole world. This became a threat to world peace in 1929.
 * Photographs **

This is a picture of Adolf Hitler, who became the Chancellor of Germany in 1933. He felt that the Treaty of Versailles was unfair, and eventually started WWII.


 * Events that Eventually Led to the Second World War **

- governments of countries protected the economy with an act called protectionism - caused unrest among people of many countries, result of mass unemployment - in many countries, people blamed their governments for what had happened; people gave support to extremem political parties which promised to help them if elected to power - democratic governments in countries collapsed, and anti-democratic governments came to power - anti-democratic governments started to act aggressively towards other countries in an attempt to improve the situation in their own country - Britain and France owned the largest empires in 1929; some countries envied them - increased resentment of Italy, Japan and Germany because Britain and France were able to increase trade with their empires during the worst times of the Depression
 * The Great Depression**

- Kwantung army took control of Manchuria against government orders - League of Nations unable to stop this after China asked for help; damaged League of Nations' reputation, people had doubts about League's ability to maintain world peace
 * Japan and Manchuria**

- Hitler became Chancellor in 1933 after the Nazi Party came to power - aimed to tear up Treaty of Versailles; unite all German-speaking people in one country; give Germans living space - aims could only be achieved by conquering much of Europe - secretly increased the armed forces which trebled in size
 * Hitler and Germany**


 * NOTES **

· Hope for lasting world peace first raised in 1915 in Swiss town, Locarno · Discussed a number of problems that had not been settled at the end of Great War · Germany and France at bad terms · Hostility depened when French + Belgian armies occupied German’s Ruhr Valley after German government said they couldn’t pay for damages done to France and Belgium · Result was group of agreements known as Locarno Treaties · First was between France, Germany, Belgium, agreeing to respect each other’s borders like they did before · Britain and Italy agreed to make sure terms were not broken · France promised to support Poland and Czechoslovakia if Germany ever quarreled with them · Countries involved agreed they would never go to war if a dispute took place between them · Locarno Treaties removed many of the suspicions between Germany and her neighbours
 * Locarno and the New Era**

· Seemed that a “new era” really had begun · World peace except for border clash between Paraguay and Bolivia disturbed the calm, but was quickly over · Many countries signed agreements of peace with each other in 1929, most important was KELLOGG-BRIAND PACT o an agreement thought up by Foreign Ministers of the United States and France o not to use war as a way of settling disputes o when came into force, 65 countries had signed it  · other peace agreements made in 1929 o USSR signed EASTERN PACT with 6 of its neighboring states agreeing not to use war to settle disputes o Number of pacts of friendship made between countries which had recently been in dispute with each other o Greece and Yugoslavia o Chile and Peru o Arabia and Turkey o Iran and Iraq
 * Friendship between nations**

· In 1929, 10th anniversary of the world’s first peace keeping organization · Created in 1919 by peace treaties that ended the Great War · 2 aims, keep peace between nations; make world a better place for all people · to help achieve aims of keeping world peace, countries which joined League had to sign promise not to go to war with any other members of the League · if any member attack another, other members would join forces to defend the country which was under attack · this idea of keeping peace known as COLLECTIVE SECURITY · rules of League stated it would take “any action” to keep peace between antions · only three peace-keeping actions that League could realistically consider taking o deal with dispute by legal means in Leagues’ Permanent Court of International Justice o impose economic sanctions on an attacker; all other League members would refuse to trade with the attacker, threatening it with economic ruin o impose military sanctions against attacker; would mean forming a League of Nations army from the armies of League members · 1st ten years, League asked to deal with 9 disputes between member countries, settled 7 disputes without having to use sanctions · League had a number of special departments which were doing valuable work to improve international relations, including DISARMAMENT COMMISSION, tried to persuade member nations to reduce weapon and rely on collective security · Great hopes for Commission’s 60 nations meet in Geneva in 1932 for word’s first disarmament conference
 * League of Nations**

· Although League achieved much in its first ten years, supporters admitted that it had some serious limitations · Not every nation belonged to the League · USA was not a member, US government of 1020s followed “policy of isolation” from affairs of Europe; did not want to get involved in unnecessary foreign affairs · USSR not a member because communist leaders saw League as club of capitalist countries opposed to communism · Although there were only 10 non-members, fact that these two major power did not belong to League was serious weakness · Some members lacked enthusiasm for the League · German excluded until 1926, even after admission, Germans looked on League as “club of victors” · 3rd problem was League’s ability to keep peace had never been fully tested by 1929 · even though solved many disputes brought before it, none had involved the world’s major powers, none had required the use of sanctions · no proof as yet that League could settle dispute between 2 major powers · League was an established feature of the world scene by 1929, highly regarded by people all over the world · Britain had 400,000 people joining League of Nations Union, a body aimed to promote League’s work in the country
 * Limitations of the League**

· 1929 saw start of breakdown in the world economy, Great Depression from 1929-33 · share prices on Wall Street stock exchange fell to all-time low · thousands of American firms bankrupted; millions of share-holders ruined · US economy nose-dived into deepest slump in history · Began in USA quickly spread to most other countries; trade dwindled, profits fell, factories + businesses closed down, millions of people lost jobs · Governments of the countries hit hardest by Depression tried to protect their people with new economic policies; raised customs duties on foreign goods coming into their countries · PROTECTIONISM – aim to boost the demand for goods made in their own countries by keeping out foreign goods · Governments hoped that this would create more jobs for their people · In Italy, they tried to keep out foreign goods entirely · In the long run, policies of protectionism and self-sufficiency harmed international relations · More selfishly each country acted to protect its people, more they forgot the ideas of world co-operation · Caused unrest among people of many countries, due to mass unemployment · People blamed governments for mass unemployment · Without food and work, people often gave support to extreme political parties which promised to help them if elected to power · In Germany and Japan, this led to collapse of democratic governments, anti-democratic governments came to power, quickly started to act aggressively towards other countries in an attempt to improve the situations in their own country
 * Great Depression**

· Great Depression added to a problem that was already a threat to world peace in 1929; the division of world into power which owned large empires and those which did not · French and British owned the largest empires as result of victory in WWI, took Germany’s colonies · Some countries envied French and British empires, wanted to enlarge their own · Italians who were on winning side in Great War thought it unfair that they were not given any German colonies · Japanese, on the winning side, had been given some German islands in Pacific Ocean, but were small and little value · Japanese wanted to add to their empire with land nearer · Germans angered by loss of their entire empire · Great Depression increased resentment of Italy, Japan, Germany, when Depression worsened, Britain and France able to increase their trade with their empires able to avoid its worst effects · Ambitious soldiers and politicians in Italy, Japan, Germany began to think that adding colonies to their own empires would also help them to avoid the worst effects of the Depression; even if this meant grabbing land from other countries · In Britain and France’s colonies, native people were demanding the right to govern themselves, often led to violent clashes, therefore Britain and France kept large military forces in colonies · This was expensive as well as it could not fully support the aim for world peace and disarmament
 * Problem of Empires**

· Japan already took over 4 areas in + around China; Formosa, Korea, Liaodong, Kiaochow · Manchuria was the area which Japanese wanted more than all others · 1931, Japanese controlled most of Manchuria’s economy · owned all its most important mines, railways, factories, ports · kept large army in Kwantung in South Manchuria to protect those · when Japanese government unable to help the effects of the Great Depression, there was widespread unrest among people · army officers talked about conquering foreign land as way out of Depression; new colonies would gain raw materials, trade, jobs
 * Attraction of Manchuria**

· acting against orders of Japanese government, officers of Kwantung army plotted military take-over of Manchuria · 1931, Japanese soldiers blew up a section of South Manchuria Railway, blamed Chinese people, and used the excuse to occupy Shenyang · China asked League of Nations for help, League ordered Japanese government to withdraw its troops · Even though Japanese delegate agreed, Kwantung army continued to advance into Manchuria · By end of 1931, occupied it, and made it into semi-independent state called Manchukuo · Government lost control of Kwantung army, officers acting against their orders
 * Japan invades Manchuria**

· No member of the League wanted to use sanctions against Japan · Most powerful members of the League doubted whether they could enforce sanctions · League tried by means of persuasion, sent Lord Lytton to Manchuria to investigate crisis · Lytton Commission produced report trying to satisfy both China and Japan; suggested Japanese should leave Manchuria, but region should continue to be semi-independent country · Approved by League, but Japan resigned from the league and went on to occupy Chinese province of Jehol · Manchuria affair damaged reputation of League of Nations; one of its leading members had gone to war with another member and League failed to stop it  · Even Leagues’ strongest supporters had doubts about its ability to maintain world peace
 * League and Manchuria**

· Hitler + Nazis had strong views about Germany’s place in world · Nazi Party set up in 1919 after Germany’s defeat · Nazis refused to believe German army had been beaten · Blamed Germany’s defeat on government ministers whom they accused of cowardice · Angrier when Germany was forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles · Treaty of Versailles blamed Germany for starting the Great War, cut out armed forces, took away colonies, ordered her to pay for war damage and gave large areas of her land to neighboring states · Many Germans felt this treaty was harsh and unfair · Treaty did not allow German-speaking people of Austria to unite with Germany in a single German nation, unlike Poles and Czechs. · Transfer of German land to neighboring states meant millions of Germans now living under foreign rule · Hitler had three basic aims in his foreign policy after he became Chancellor in 1933 o Tear up the Treaty of Versailles o Unite all German-speaking people in one country o Give Germans LEBENSRAUM, living space, because Germany was overcrowded; did not have enough food or raw materials; way to get these things would be to take over land east of Germany, particularly USSR and Poland · Hitler aware aims only achieved by conquering much of Europe
 * Hitler’s foreign policy aims**

· None of Hitler’s aims could be achieved without large armed forces · Armed forces weak when Hitler became Chancellor · Hitler would have to build up armed forces in defiance of the treaty, which limited the army numbers · Secretly, army trebled in size to 300,000, new Air Ministry build 1000 aircraft; train pilots in civilian flying clubs · Withdrew from Geneva Disarmament Conference and from League of Nations · German armed forces re-armed in secret for the next two years · New air force had 2500 aircraft and army had 300,000 men · Hitler decided there was no longer any need to re-arm in secrecy · Announced in public that there would be compulsory military service for all men and army was to increase to 550,000
 * Re-armament**

· Germany crippled by Great Depression when Hitler became Chancellor · Armed forces were weak, political turmoil · Germany’s re-armament could have been halted by any major powers · British didn’t want to be deeply involved in European affairs · French were putting their efforts into defending France with the MAGINOT LINE · Italian came close to taking actions when Nazis in Austria tried to overthrow Austrian government, killing Austrian Chancellor, people thought Hitler would try to take control of Austria · Italian leader Mussolini prevented this by placing army units in threatening positions on the border between Italy and Austria · Clear warning to Hitler, therefore abandoned any plans he might have had for a take-over of Austria · Announcement of compulsory military service 1935 alarmed other European powers but again they took no military action · PM of France, Britain, Italy met to form what they called the STRESA FRONT, issued protest against Hitler’s rearmament plans, but took no other action
 * Reactions to German re-armament**


 * Summary **

In 1929, the world was entering a period of peace, where countries signed agreements of peace with each other, including the Kellogg-Briand Pact, the Locarno Treaties and the Eastern Pact. The Great Depression of 1929-33 started, and spread to most other countries, threatening world peace. The Japanese Kwantung army, against the government’s orders, had a military take-over of Manchuria, and the League of Nations was unable to stop it. The Nazi Party in Germany took power, its leader, Hitler, became Chancellor of Germany, who rearmed Germany because he had the aim to conquer most of Europe.


 * Questions **

1. What was the Kellogg-Briand Pact? 2. How does collective security work? 3. How did the Great Depression become a threat to world peace? 4. Why was the League of Nations unable to stop Japan from invading Manchuria? 5. Who became the Chancellor of Germany in 1933?