The Road To World War' II
In This module you will learn:
1. FIVE new words 2. Hi’rler's THREE aims in his Foreign Policy.
3. SIX steps To war.
4. SEVEN key da’res in The Sudefenland crisis. 5
6
7
. EIGHT views of appeasement. . NINETEEN reasons Chamberlain appeased Hi’rler [A-S]. . THREE reasons British policy 'fowar'ds Hi’rler changed, 1938—
1939.
8. FOUR reasons Anglo-Soviet Talks failed [SCAB].
9. FOUR reasons Russia allied itself ’ro Germany in 1939
[THUG]
Key Words
Anschlussr a German word meaning ‘iink'.
Lebensmurn: A German word meaning “living space'.
Source A
The Versailles Trea‘ry is worfhless. 60 million
German hearts and
minds are on fire wi’rh anger- and shame. They will cry ouT “We wan’r war!’
Mel}? Kampf (a book wriT’ren by HiTier-in 1924).
Source B
IT will be The dufy of German foreign policy To get large spaces 1‘0 feed and house growing popula’rion of Germany. Destiny poinTs us Towards Russia.
Source C
The menace of Russia hangs over' Germany. All our sTrengTh is needed To rescue our nation from This inferna’rioncll snake.
The League of Nafions' Failures
When you studied the League of Nations, you learned The? it had Two gran? failures in The 19305:
1. Manchuria (1931) 2. Abyssinia (1935)
A much grea’resf disas’rer for- The League, however (aifhough pupils usually forge? men’rion it in Their essaysl), was:
3. The failure to stop Hifler in Europe
(1933-39)
Hitler's Aims T.U.L
In 1935, The historian HAL Fisher wr'o’re Tha’r “a coun’rry which is deTer'mined To have a war' can always have Hi’rler was determined ’ro des’rroy the League, and it is doubTful if anyfhl'ng could have saved if.
Hitler had three aims:
. To abolish The Treaty of Versailles
The Germans ha’red i’r, especially:
. Tiny armed forces,
o Rhineland demili’rar'ised,
. Anschlusswi’rh Aus’rria forbidden,
o Germans forced to live in Czechoslovakia
(the Sudefenland) and Poland (including
Danzig).
The Treaty was a consicmf reminder To The
Germans of Their humilia'l'ion in World War
I. Hitler did no’r believe That The German
army had [05? The war, and he was
deTer'mined To make Germany great again.
2. Uni'l'e all Germans.
Hitler wanted To unite all German speaking people who had been separafed from Germany because of The Treaty of Versailles.
3.To expand German Territory
(Lebensmum)
The German populafion was growing. Hi‘rler said That the German nation needed more Lebensraum ('Iiving spuce‘). He was determined to ge’r Lebensr'aum by conquering land in eosTer'n Europe (Poland).
Six STeps To War'
1 CONSCRIPTION 81 RE-ARMAMENT
Hitler began to build up his armed forces. In 1935 he introduced conscription (calling up men to the army). This broke the Treaty of Versailles, but Britain and France let him get away with it.
2 RHINELAND
Hi’rler invaded The Rhineland on 7 March 1936.
This broke The Treaty of Versailles. IT was a bluff - The German army had only 22,000 soldiers and had orders To re‘rrea’r if They met any resistance. Bu? once again, Brifain and France did noihing.
3 AUSTRIA
In 1938, Took over AusTria. FirsT, Hi’rler encouraged the Austrian Nazis demand union with Germany. Then invaded Austria. This broke The Trea’ry of Versailles, bu’r Bri'rain - and France did na’rhin'g.
4 MUNICH
In 1938, Hi’rler Tried To Take over The Sude’renlcmd. F ir's’r, Hi’rler' encouraged 1'he SudeTen Nazis to demand union with Germany. Then, Hitler made plans 10 invade Czechoslovakia.
Neville Chamberlain appeased Hitler. Munich, on 29 Sep‘rember 1938, Britain and France gave The Sudelenland.
5 CZECHOSLOVAKIA
In March 1939, Hi'rler's Troops marched mm The resT of Czechoslovakia. This, for mosT BriTish people, was The Time when They realised ThaT The only Thing ThaT would sTop HiTler was a war.
6 USSR/NAZI PACT & POLAND
In 1939, Tried To Take over Poland. Firs’r, The Germans in Danzig demanded union with Germany. Then, Hi’rler Threatened war'.
" Source D
This cartoon from 1938 shows Hi’rler‘ as Santa, popping into his sock, one-by—one, IiTfle coun‘rrizs who had gmL info bed wifh The family'. His sack says: Deufsch/and Uber Alles
(Germany over- all').
Q Source E This cur'Toon from 1938 shows HiTler' us a Poacher, s’realing Austria. Mussolini is shown as a gamekeeper'. ‘I never heard 0 shot, Adolf", he is
saying.
Revision Tasks
1. Match Hitler‘s Aims
1—3 wiTh Sources A-C from Mark Kampfi
2. What is The
cartoonist of Source D saying about HiTier'?
Chomber'ioin promised the Poles that Britain [3. What is the
Would support them if Germany attacked Poland. SOUP“
In August 1939, Hitler mode o secret tr'eoty
with Russia. He thought this would stop Britain 6: France helping Poland.
On 1 Sep’rember' 1939, Hitler invaded Poland. On 3 September 1939, Chamberlain declared war on Germany.
lliances 1936
us’rr'ia 1938
ppeasernem‘ 1938
guden’renland 1938 wanna 1939
New Words
Appeasement: giving way To a buliy.
Reich: :1 German word meaning ‘empire’.
Source A
Give Thanks to your God. Your children are Safe.
Peace is a for- all mankind. If we mus’r
have a vic’ror, le’r us choose Mr" Chamber lain.
The Daffy EXpr'ess, 19 3 Es.
Source B
IT is 0 mm! defeat. Czechusfovakia will be swallowed up by the Nazis. And do noT
suppose ThciT This is The end. This is onIy The beginning.
Churchill, speaking abouT The. Munich Agreement in 1938.
Revision Tasks
1. Divide Sources in’ro ’rhose which supported The poiicy of appeasement, and Those which cr‘i’ricised if
2. Which of Sources AD sugges’r Hitler would carry on as Eong as people kep’r appeasing him.
3. Wri‘re a paragraph
about each of
Sources C and D, explaining The cur’roon‘s meaning.
Appeasement
Nowadays, many people criticise Chamberlain for appeasing Hitler.
In 'rhe 19305, There were some people - most no’rably Wins’ron Churchiil - who opposed his policy.
BuT at The time, mos’r people Thoroughly agreed with Chamberlain, and praised him.
A British carToon of 1936. HiTlEl“ goose-slaps across The ‘spineless leaders of democracy'. The Three s’reps are labelled 'Rearmamen’r" ‘Rhineland' and ‘Danzig'.
Source D
A British cartoon of 1938 shows Germany crushing Austria. Next in line is Czechoslovakia. At the back, Britain says to France: ‘Why should we take a stand about someone pushing someone else when it’s all so far awa-y’.
Appeasemen'l' in Acfion
Before 1938, Britain had already given way To Hi'rier' on a number of occasions, but H was The events of The Sude'i'en crisis which showed appeasement in ac’rion - Trying To buy off Hi‘rlel" by giving way To his demands.
On 11 March 1938, Hi’rler invaded Ausfr'ia. It was ciear' he wanted To do The same in The Sude’renland.
On 7 September 1938, Ger-man Sude'ren
Party demanded union with Germany.
. There were rio’rs.
0 German newsreels showed 'evidence' of Czech ‘cn‘r'ociTies' agains’r ’rhe Sudehan Germans.
w Hi'rler‘ threatened To support The Sudeien
Germans with military force.
Then Chamberlain in’rer'vened.
1. Chamberlain me’r Hitler at Berchfesgaden (15
Sept).
o Hi’rler promised him The? This was The 'Ias’r
problem To be soIved‘.
o Chamberlain decided HiTIer was “a man who
can be relied upon'.
o He persuaded The Czechs To hand over' The
Sude’renland.
2. Chamberlain me’r Hi’rler a1 Bad Godesber'g (22
Sept)
o Hi’rler' made more demands.
0 A1 fir-sf Chamberlain refused, but Then he
decided The? Czechosiovakia was not one of The ‘grea't issues' which jusfified war, but jus’r “a quarrel in a far-away counTry be’rween people of whom we know no’rhing'.
3. Britain and France meT Hi’rler' again a’r Munich
(29 September). a They gave The Sude’renland 10 Germany.
On 30 September, Chamberlain r'e’rur'ned To
Source E
Hisforicms have said the?
appeasement:
1. le’r Hi'rler grow
stronger.
2. gave Bri’rain fime To
arm.
3. humiliated Britain - no
country in cenfr'ul Europe ever Trusted Bri‘min again.
4. abandoned millions of
people To The Nazis.
5. caused The war, by
encouraging Hitler To Think he could do anything.
6. gave Britain +he morale high ground - when war came, Britons knew They had done everything possible To keep the peace.
7. Would never have
s’ropped H i’rler, who was determined To go
war.
8. was a fine cs’r’remp’r To
prevenf The deaths of millions of people in a
war:
Source F
Thus we begin our march info the grea‘r German future.
Hi’rler, speaking after The Munich Agreement in 1938.
‘Tasks
1. You are a journalisf who
does not agree wi'rh appeasement. For" The 7 key dates, wr'iTe an imaginary diary,
England wiTh his famous piece of paper. ‘I EmPhOSiSiHQ how believe ET is peace for our ’rime‘, he Told The Chamberlain appeased
- - Hitler Throughout cheering CPOWd- 2. Study Source E. Divide
, . | The sfafemen'rs in’ro Czechoslovakla was no? even mvrred To The Talks.
IHVIIUU IU II'IE IUIRD. The Czechs were free To fight if They wished, appeasement and *hose buT fhey had no supPor'T. They chose no’r To which criticise i’r.
figh’r.
On 1 October 1938, Hitler marched unopposed
info The Sude’renland. He said that iT was The Hart of a 1000—year German Reich (empire).
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Why Chamberlain Appeased Hitler - 19 Essay
Ideas
1. Aggroval
Many Conservafives liked and supported Hitler's s'rr'ong, right-wing
gover'nmeni'v
2. BritQin was weak
Br'i‘l'ain's small army was 'roo weak to 90 To war in 1938; needed firne to
re-arm.
3. Communism
Many Britons saw Hitler- as a defence against Russian Communism.
4. Democracy
The critical factor. Chamberlain was not a dictator with the right to start a war if he pleased. He could not go to war without the support of the people - and until 1939 most people wanted peace, almost at any prlce.
5. Emgire
Br'i’rain could not defend her empire AND fight a war in Euorpe.
6. France
Did no? want war; and Br'i’rcu'n could no? fight Germany aione.
7. German QFOQQQGHdCI
claimed That Germans in The Sudeienland and Poland were being misfrem‘ed.
8. Home
The Labour Party won‘ted to spend on housing and social care, not rearmament
9. 151‘ World War
Chamberlain & many others remembered The slaugh’rer of The First World War.
10. Justice
The Treaty of Versailles was unfair and Hitler's Six Steps all seemed
reasonable. Other countries were conscripfing To reduce unemployment.
11. K05?
Rearmamenf mean? high taxes, which made democratic leaders unpopular.
12. League of Nations
Many people beiieved in The League, and That quarrels could be ended by nego’ria’rion. 13. Main
It was RIGHT to try everything possible to keep peace: ‘War is a terrible thing, and we must make sure that it is the great issues that are involved'. 14. Neville Chamberlain
misjudged Hi’rler' - he beiieved 'was a man who could be relied on'. 15. gm of siqh’r, ouT of mind
r'eur'med/ persecufed The Jews eTc, in secret Wes1'er'n coun‘i'r'ies didn'T
know.
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16.
17.
18.
19.
Peace Movemen?
Many people, especially young people, wanted peace.
9m
Hitler promised in 1938 Th Rama-e Sudefenland was +he Iasf clcum I have To make“.
Czechoslovakia was far away (none of our- business?)/ Br'iTain could no? help.
Spanish Civil War Guernica showed what German bombers could do To Br'i’rain if There was a war.
Revision Task
Write an essay, ‘Why did Chamberlain appease Hi’rler".
Chose lhe TEN mosT powerful reasans from We list above - each idea will Take a paragraph. In each paragraph, pu’r the Point you are making, find some Evidence To support i’r, Then Explain how this persuaded Chamberlain he had to appease Hitler. Your first paragraph may start:
'The first reason why Chamberlain followed 0 policy of appeasemenT was...'.
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