Part+I+An+Uneasy+Peace,+1929-35+(pg.+2-9)+yipsumw2013+01.13.10

FOUND AWESOMENESS:

"World's Highest Standard of Living"

This is a picture showing a group of desolate, miserable people queuing up for possible things such as jobs and food, somewhere in America during the Great Depression of 1929-33. They stand next to a billboard titled "World's Highest Standard of Living" with a slogan "There's no way like the American Way", and depicts a happy family of four driving ecstatically across the country, supposedly on the "American Way". This is the stark irony and contrast between people's fantasy in the "American Dream" with reality.

Mukden Incident Railway Sabotage

This is a photograph taken when Japanese officials went to inspect the damage done to the South Manchurian Railway which was supposedly inflicted by Chinese bombers. This led to the Japanese capture of Shenyang and started the second Sino-Japanese War from 1931-1933. The war eventually led to the forming of a new nation, Manchukuo, and almost the complete capture of Manchuria.

OWN AWESOMENESS:



I drew this cartoon that depicts the Treaty of Versailles. Please do not mistake it for Cinderella and her stepsisters :) It is a very rough drawing because I didn't want to spend more time than I had already spent on it :P Please appreciate the minimal time I had after China Cup to complete this drawing, thanks :DD

ANALYSIS: The woman in the middle represents Germany. She is a wealthy woman, and is beautiful and prosperous as we can see by her multiple accessories. Her bag represents the war repartitions paid to the Allies (particularly France) that were demanded by the Treaty of Versailles, her necklace represents the colonies that were taken away from her. The bowtie/band thing around her waist represents the land that she had to give up to her surrounding neighbors. Her hair represents the military, which was cut down to a bare minimum, and the brand which is scorched upon her arm (yes I know it is gruesome) which states "I started WWI" represents the War Guilt Clause that Germany was forced to accept (if you look closely you can see the smoke rising from the tongs LOL). The evil people around her represent the League of Nations (or, we shall say, the evil stepsisters/stepmother) and they are tugging away/inflicting/cutting these things from/on her. She is screaming and fighting and mad because she does not like it and because she is trying to hold on to these things so dearly. The people around her look sadistic and brutal (no, it was not a mistake) because they are the League and it is, ironically, their job to keep world peace.

The Treaty of Versailles was very unfair and harsh on Germany. It is an important treaty because it sparked the anger and madness in Germany which allowed Hitler's rise to power possible. Had the treaty not been imposed on Germany, mass hysteria would not have started and people may have been able to see the extremity in Hitler's ideals.

NOTES Part ONE: An Uneasy Peace, 1929-35


 * CHAPTER 1: **
 * The “New Era”: Hopes for Peace in 1929 **

- 1929: People believed they were entering peace, reasons:

Locarno and the ‘New Era’ - hopes first raise in 1925 - European statesmen had a conference in Locarno (Switzerland) and discussed the animosity between Germany and France (which had reached its peak in 1923 when French occupied German Ruhr Valley) - Conference resulted in ** Locarno Treaties **: o Between France, Germany, Belgium: would respect each other’s borders o France would support Poland, Csechoslovakia if Germany was evil o All countries agreed that they wouldn’t go to war even if there was a dispute

Friendship between nations - 1929: ** Kellog Briand Pact ** was introduced by Foreign Ministers of U.S. and France, Kellog and Briand and signed--> agreed not to go to war to solve disputes (64 countries had signed it by July 1929) - USSR signed ** Eastern Pact ** with six neighbors agreeing to same thing. - Pacts of friendship made between Greece + Yugoslavia, Chile + Peru, Arabia + Turkey, Iran + Iraq

League of Nations - 10th anniversary of LON - created in 1919 by peace treaties, ended WWI, aimed to KEEP PEACE BETWEEN NATIONS AND MAKE A WORLD A BETTER PLACE FOR ALL - member countries would not fight amongst each other - if a war broke out, would defend country = under attack (** collective security **) - would undertake three measures prevent war: o deal with issues legally – in League’s Permanent Court of International Justice o impose economic ** sanctions **on country – blockade of goods o impose military sanctions – fight - dealt with nine disputes in 10 years - ** Disarmament Commission ** – a department that tried to get member countries to reduce weapon stocks, trust collective security - Announced 1st disarmament conference held in Geneva in 1932

Limitations of the League - Not every nation was a member (not US, USSR) - Some members lacked enthusiasm (Germany) - HOWEVER was still highly regarded around world


 * CHAPTER 2: **
 * The GREAT DEPRESSION **

1929: a year of unfortunate events

Great Depression - 1929-33   - October 1929 share prices on Wall street stock exchange plummeted to worst in history - Thousands of firms --> bankrupt, millions of shareholders --> ruined - Spread to other countries : trade lessened, profits lessened, factories close, umemployment high - RESULTS: o governments imposed new economic policies § Ex. Raised custom duties of imports --> ** protectionism ** --> aimed to boost demands for goods manufactured in own countries by blocking foreign goods. § Tried to become self-sufficient § RESULT: hurt international relations (was selfish), against world co-operation of LON o Caused social unrest due to mass unemployment § Ex. 6/64 million in Germany were unemployed § Ex. ½ of Japans’ factories were idle, millions starved § CAUSED many to blame their governments, gave way to extreme political parties who promised to help if elected --> led to fall of democracy in Germany and Japan § Extreme political parties act aggressively to other nations in hopes of improving own country

The problem of empires - Great Depression divided the world into powers which owned large/small/no empires - Britain and France ruled over one third of world (largest empires) due to victory in WWI - Japanese + Italians wanted more land, Germany angry that land was all taken - Feeling worsened due to GD because effects were less serious to Britain + France -> could increase trade within empires. Wanted to take land from other countries - Native people from British + French colonies wanted to self-govern, led to violence, B+F forced to keep large forces at home --> expensive + could not support LON for world peace + disarmament


 * CHAPTER 3: **
 * JAPAN, MANCHURIA AND THE LEAGUE, 1931-33 **

- Viscount Cecil (chief British representative in LON) believed world peace was a reality until Japan invaded Manchuria in Sep 1931 (a week later he pronounced his beliefs)

The attraction of Manchuria - Japan already had Formosa, Korea, Liaodong and Kiaochow (around China) - Owned the South Manchuria Railway Company - Wanted Manchuria most for its space (3 times as large), wealth of forestry, minerals and agricultural products, and for the high investment (440 million yen) involved in its railways, shipping, mining, forestry, steel manufacture, agriculture, and cattle-raising - 1931: controlled most of economy, mines, railways, factories, ports, kept army in Kwantung - Great Depression --> destroyed Japan --> unrest spreads to army --> wanted new colonies (Manchuria)

Japan invades Manchuria - 18 Sep 1931: Japan soldiers blew up section of SMR in Shenyang (plotted secretly) then blamed on Chinese and took over Shenyang - LON was asked to help which ordered Japan to withdraw troops. While J gov. agreed, army continued to advance, by end of 1931 occupied province and made into state called Manchukuo. - Japanese government = no power

The League and Manchuria - While League could use economic sanctions on Japan (boycott), no one wanted to do that because GD had already damaged trade between nations and no one wanted to worsen it   - Tried persuasion --> sent Commission of Enquiry led by Britain’s Lord Lytton to investigate, suggested that Japanese withdraw but Manchuria remain a semi-independent nation - Japan resigns from LON, occupied Chinese province Jehol - OVERALL: Japanese affair damaged rep. of LON --> failed to stop war between members, other members become worried

- 1930-1932: elections were held, Nazi Party voted a lot and Adolt Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in Jan 1933
 * CHAPTER 4 **
 * The REVIVAL OF GERMANY, 1933-35 **

Hitler’s foreign policy aims - Nazi Party set up in 1919 (after WWI) o Refused to accept Germany’s defeat, blamed on gov. ministers o Furious when ** Treaty of Versailles ** was signed: § Blamed Germany for starting WWI § Cut armed forces to minimum § Took away all colonies § Made Germany pay for war damage § Gave away large areas of land to neighboring states (millions of Germans under foreign rule) - Hitler had three aims when he became Chancellor: o To tear up the Treaty of Versailles o Unite all German-speaking people into one country (“Greater Germany”) o Give Germans **// lebensraum //** (“living space”) because it seemed that Germany was “overcrowded” o TO ACHIEVE ABOVE: had conquer land to east of Germany (ex. USSR and Poland) Rearmament - NEEDED army but had little (100,000 men, no air force, no submarines and six warships) - (early 1933) Secretly asked army generals to triple size of army, build 1000 aircraft, and secretly train pilots, build barracks, airfields, and forts. - (late 1933) withdrew from Geneva Disarmament Conference + LON - .. until 1935 had increased army size to 300,000 men and had 2500 aircraft… then decided didn’t have to keep secret, announced to all that military service was compulsory and goal was 550,000 men in army.

Reactions to German re-armament o While some were worried, none took serious action: Britain had own problems, French had little money (due to GD) and wanted to spend on the ** Maginot Line ** o Hitler wanted to take control of Austria (which had rebelled against their leader) and join w/ Germany, but Italian leader Mussolini threatened war with Austria if Hitler attacked o Prime Ministers of France, Britain, and Italy met at Stresa to form ** Stresa Front **, issued a protest against armament but nothing else. · By April 1935 peace was uneasy with events in Manchuria and Germany rebelling against the LON.

SUMMARY:

After WWI, the Locarno Treaties, Kellogg-Briand Pact, multiple peace pacts among other nations, and the Disarmament Conference in Geneva convinced many that a great peace was approaching. However, in the 1930s The Great Depression caused many nations to abhor those nations with more colonies and immobilized France and Britain’s support for world peace and disarmament. Soon after, Japan ignored the LON and took over Manchuria as to escape from the horrors of the Great Depression and because of Manchuria’s attractions. Finally, although the Treaty of Versailles, Geneva Disaramament Conference, and League of Nations attempted to restrict Germany’s rights, her new Chancellor Hitler ignored both and started to rearm his military in secret. The ability of powerful nations to defy the ideals and orders of the League starts to cause unrest within the League and its supporters.

QUESTIONS:


 * 1) What did opposing nations agree to in the Locarno Treaties?
 * 2) Why was Manchuria such an attraction to the Japanese?
 * 3) What were the results of the Great Depression and how did they impact world peace and stability?
 * 4) What did the Treaty of Versailles demand?
 * 5) Why was the rearmament of Germany not stopped?