History notes

The peace treaties after the First World War

The mood in 1919:

Big three had to deal severely with Germany

Felt strongly that Germany was responsible for war, and should be punished
Germany should pay for the damage and destruction caused by war
Economies, industries were in bad state
Millions of young men were killed or injured
Total French and British casualties mounted to 9 million
Civilians faced shortages of food and medicine
Village and towns devastated
In Britain, almost every family had lost a member in fighting

Germany had treated Russia harshly in the treaty of Brest- Litovsk (1918). The
allies felt that this was proof of the evil ambitions of the German regime, and it
was probably what would have been done to them if Germany had won.
The Big Three:
Georges Clemenceau:
France had suffered enormous damage to land, industry, people and self
confidence
War had almost affected an entire generation
He saw the treaty as a way to cripple Germany, so it couldnt attack France
again
He was a realist, and was aware that he would have to compromise in some
issues
Hard tough politician, uncompromising
Woodrow Wilson:

An idealist
President of USA
Wanted to build a better and more peaceful world
Wanted to punish Germany but not too harshly

 Believed that if treated harshly, Germany would someday rise and want
revenge
Published 14 points League of nations
Believed in self-determination
David Lloyd George:
Middle ground between Clemenceau and Wilson
Wanted Germany to lose its navy and colonies as Britain felt threatened
Wanted Germany and Britain to trade again as it meant trade for them
Disagreements and compromises:
Clemenceau clashed with Woodrow Wilson: USA had not suffered as much
as Germany. Clemenceau resented Wilsons more generous attitude to
Germany. They disagreed about Rhineland and coalfields in the Saar.
He also clashed with Lloyd George: over his desire not to treat Germany too
harshly
Wilson and Lloyd George: with point 2 of the 14 points, allowing all nations
access to the seas. Wilsons view on ruling people was somewhat threatening
to Britain.
The terms of the treaty:
1. War guilt:
This clause was seen by Germans as extremely harsh, as it had to accept the
blame for starting the war
2. Reparations:
Germany had to pay the allies, for the damage caused by the war 6600
million
3. German territories and colonies:
Germanys overseas empire taken away. Former German colonies (mandate)
controlled by League of Nations (Britain and France)
4. Germany not allowed to join together with former ally Austria
5. Germanys armed forces:
Limited to 100,000 men
Conscription banned: soldiers had to be volunteers
Armored vehicles (submarines, aircrafts) banned
Navy could only use 6 battleships

 Rhineland was a demilitarized zone, German troops not allowed into

the area.
6. Germany not allowed to enter the League (until it proved to be a peace
loving country)
German reaction to the treaty of Versailles:
Germany would lose
o 10% of its land
o All of its overseas colonies
o 12.5% of its population
o 16% of its coalfields
o Hal of its iron and steel industry
Overall reaction was horror and outrage
They did not feel that they lost the war
Population was angry with government for signing the treaty
War guilt and reparation:
o Germans felt that the blame should be shared
o Its economy was in tatters, people had little food, and they knew
reparations would cripple them
Disarmament
o An army of 100,000 people was too small for its size and pride
German territories:
o Lost a lot of territory
o Major blow to German pride and economy
o As Germany was losing land, Britain and France were increasing their
empires
Felt insulted by not being allowed to enter the league
Germany was not allowed self-determination, as it was forbidden
ANSCHLUSS with Austria
Impact of the treaty on Germany:
Tipped Germany into chaos
When Germany fell behind its reparations (1922/1923) French and Belgian
soldiers entered the Ruhr region and took what was owed to them in the
form of raw materials and goods
German government ordered workers to go on strike, so no goods would be
produced. The French reacted harshly by killing over 100 workers and

expelling 100,000 protesters from the region. The strike showed that
Germany had no goods to trade, and no money to buy.
Germany solved this problem by printing extra money hyperinflation
Money became worthless, so priced shot up
None of the Big Three were satisfied with the treaty:
Clemenceau wanted a harsher treaty
David Lloyd George believed that another war would happen
Woodrow Wilson was very disappointed, and that if he were a German he
wouldnt have signed it.
Some historians believed that the treaty led to a second world war. But a more
generous treaty would have been completely unacceptable to public opinion in
Britain or France.
Other peace settlements:
Treaty of St Germain (1919): it dealt with Austria, to separate Austria and
Hungary. Austrian territories were divided, and much of its industry had
gone to Czechoslovakia.
Treaty of Neuilly (1919): Bulgaria lost land and its access to the
Mediterranean Sea. Limited armed force, and pay 100 million in
reparations. Many Bulgarians were governed were governed by foreign
powers.
Treaty of Trianon (1920): Dealt with Hungary. Main terms involved the
transfer of territories. Hungary lost a lot of territory and its population.
Industries suffered.
Treaty of Sevres (1920): dealt with Turkey. It lost control of straits running
into the black sea. Lost countries that were in their empire, which became
independent or under French and British protection.
The impact of the treaties on eastern and central Europe:
Czechoslovakia:
o Was the key country in the plans for the security of Europe
o It was created mainly out of the Austrian empire and some land from
Germany
o The allies wanted it to be economically and politically strong, so they
made sure that it had industries from its former empire.
o It included a wide range of nationalities

 Poland:
o The allies wanted Poland to act as a potential watch dog on Germany
in the years to come
o They also hoped it would be barrier against communism from Russia
o It had no natural frontiers so it was vulnerable to attack
o 30% of population werent ethnically polish
o It was given a strip of German land polish corridor
Yugoslavia:
o Was formed by merging Serbia with its neighboring countries
o It showed self-determination in action
o Allies hoped that a relatively large and powerful state could be
established in order to stabilize influence in the turbulent Balkans.

The League of Nations

It was an organization that would solve international problems without resorting to
war
It was decided that all the major nations would join the league. Woodrow Wilson
established a very ambitious plan. All the major countries would have to disarm. If
there was a dispute it was taken to the league. The countries promised to protect
each other.
It was a huge body blow to the league when USA did not join the league.
Why didnt USA join the league?
Some Americans hated the treaty of Versailles. Many Americans were recent
immigrants from Germany, who had never approved of USA joining the war
against Germany, and they did not want USA to prop up the League as it
squeezed reparation payments out of Germany. They wanted USA to have no
part in it.
To many Americans, the plans of the League of Nations suggested that USA
was promising to send its troops to settle every little conflict around the
world. And many Americans were appalled at the carnage (massacre) of
WW1. They wanted USA to stay out of such disputes.
Others were worried about the economic cost of joining the league. They
thought USA was signing a blank cheque, and that USA would promise to
resolve all international problems regardless of the cost. They felt USA
should stay out of European affairs and mind its own business.

 Some Americans were anti-British or anti-French. Americans believed in

freedom and opposed the whole idea of colonies and empires. Why should
USA get dragged into fighting for Britains empire??
Together many groups put a powerful opposition to the league, along with Wilsons
many political opponents, who saw this as an opportunity to defeat him. When the
congress voted in 1919, he was defeated. Hopes that the league, along with the
United States in the driving seat, could be a powerful peacemaker had shattered:
Britain and France (who were the most powerful countries in the league, had
been weakened by the war
Neither of them had the resources to fill the gap left by USA
Some felt that Americans were the only nation with the resources or
influence to make the league work
The aims of the League of Nations:

To discourage aggression from any nation

To encourage countries to co-operate, in business and trade
To encourage nations to disarm
To improve living conditions of people in all parts of the world

The league and border disputes:

Vilna (1920)
o Vilna was made the capital of Lithuania, but its population was highly
polish
o The polish army simply took control over it
o Lithuania appealed for help (it was like a crucial test case for the
league, as both countries were members
o The league protested to Poland but it did not withdraw
o The French did not send troops as it saw Poland as an ally against
Germany
o Britain was not prepared to act alone.
o The league did nothing, the Poles kept Vilna
Upper Silesia (1921)
o Industrial region on the border between Germany and Poland
o Inhabited both by German and polish people
o Both wanted control of it due to its rich iron and steel industry
o A plebiscite was organized for Silesians to vote

o French and British troops were sent to keep order at the polling booths
o Industrial regions voted for Germany
o Rural regions voted for Poland
o So it was divided along these lines
o Both countries accepted the decision
Aaland islands (1921)
o Sweden and Finland both wanted control of the region
o After appealing to the league it was decided that they should go to
Finland
o it was accepted by Sweden without causing any war
Corfu (1923)
o The border between Greece and Albania had to be sorted
o The conference of ambassadors was given the job
o Tellini was appointed to supervise it
o After surveying the Greece side of the frontier area, Tellini and his
team were ambushed and killed
o The Italian leader Mussolini was furious and blamed the Greek
government for the murders
o He demanded that compensation had to be paid to Italy
o And the murderers had to be executed
o But the Greeks had no idea who the murderers were
o Mussolini then bombarded and occupied the Greek island of Corfu
o Killing 15 people
o Greece appealed to the league for help
o The situation seemed like the one which triggered WW1
o It condemned Mussolinis actions
o Suggested that Greece pay compensation, but the money will be held
by the league
o This money would be paid to Italy if the killers were found
o Officially, Mussolini accepted the decision
o But behind the scenes, he persuaded the league to change its ruling
o The Greeks had to apologize and pay compensation directly to Italy
o Mussolini withdrew from Corfu, boasting his triumph
This incident was proof that the League of Nations could be undermined by its
own members.
Geneva protocol

Britain and France drew up the Geneva protocol in 1924:

If two members were in dispute they would have ask the League to sort out
the disagreement
And they would have to accept the councils decision
This was made in order to strengthen the League
But before the plan could be put into effect, there was a general election in
Britain
The new conservative government refused to sign the protocol
Worried that Britain would be forced to agree to something that was not in
its own interests
So it in fact weakened the League

Bulgaria (1925)
o Greek troops invaded Bulgaria, after an incident on the border in
which some Greek troops were killed
o Bulgaria appealed for help
o The league condemned the Greek action
o It ordered Greece to pull out and pay compensation to Bulgaria
o Faced with disapproval, the Greeks obeyed
o They felt that there was one rule for large states and another for
smaller ones
How did the League of Nations work for a better world?
Refugees:
The league did tremendous work in getting refugees and former prisoners of
war, back to their homelands. In the first few years after war, about 400,000
prisoners were returned to their homes by the Leagues agencies. When
refugee crisis hit Turkey in 1922, hundreds of people were housed in refugee
camps, and the league acted quickly to stamp out cholera, smallpox and
dysentery.
Working conditions:
o International labor organization set up
o In order to ban poisonous white lead from paint
o To limit the hours that small children were allowed to work

o Campaigned for employers to improve working conditions

o Introduced a resolution:
Maximum 48-hour week
Eight hour day
Health:
o Health committee (WHO)
o Worked hard to defeat leprosy
o Global campaign to exterminate mosquitos, to reduce cases of malaria
and yellow fever
Transport:
The league made recommendations on marking shipping lanes. Produced an
international highway code for road users.
Social problems:
o The league blacklisted four large German, Dutch, French and Swiss
companies that were involved in the illegal drug trade
o It organized raids against slave owners and traders in Burma
o It challenged the use of forced labor in Africa, where the death rate of
workers was 50%
o The league brought this down to 4%
The league kept careful records of what was going on and provided
information on problems such as:
o Drug trafficking
o Prostitution
o Slavery

The league failed in bringing about disarmament. No other country had disarmed
as much as Germany.
The Locarno treaties:
Representatives of France, Britain, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Poland and
Czechoslovakia met in Locarno in Switzerland.
They emerged with some important agreements:
o Germany accepted the borders with France and Belgium that were
laid out in the ToV.
o Britain and Italy promised to protect France if Germany violated
these borders.
o Germany accepted that Rhineland was a demilitarized zone

o France and Germany agreed to settle and future disputes through the
league of nations
These agreements were greeted with terrific enthusiasm especially in France.
France felt that at last it was being given some guarantee of border security.
This also paved way for Germany to enter the League.it was like a new and better
chapter of international relations.
The Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928):
Greeted as a turning point in History
Terms:
o The parties condemn war as a means of solving international disputes
o And reject it as an instrument of policy
o The settlement or solution of all disputes should only be sought out by
peaceful means
The world was now a safer place
Why did the League fail in the 1930s?
Wall street crash
o USA was the richest country in the world
o Many countries traded with USA and took loans from USA
o Wall street crash caused a long depression
o Causing economic problems throughout the world
o Damaged the trade and industry of all countries
o Affected relations between countries
o Also led to political changes
o Affects industries
o Decreases employment
o Decreases profits
Britain suffered high levels of unemployment. Was not willing
to get involved in international disputes when own economy
was suffering
In Germany unemployment and poverty caused people to elect
the Nazis
In Japan there was a complete collapse of the industry, causing
it to invade Manchuria

 In Italy, problems encouraged Mussolini to try and build and

overseas empire to distract people form the problems the
government faced
France began a series of border defenses on its border with
Germany
USA unwilling to support economic sanctions when its own
trade was a mess
Why did the Japanese invade Manchuria?
By 1920 Japan was a major power:
Had a very powerful army and navy
Had a strong industry
Had a growing empire
The Wall Street crash:

The depression hit Japan badly

Both China and USA put trade barriers against Japanese goods
This put its economy in crisis
Japan could not feed its people
The only solution build up and empire by force

Their opportunity:
Japanese army controlled the South Manchurian railway
In September 1931, they claimed that Chinese soldiers had sabotaged the
railway
In retaliation, they overran Manchuria and threw out all Chinese force
They set up a puppet government in Manchuria Manchuko
Which did exactly what the Japanese told it to
Later (1932) Japanese aero planes and gunships bombed Shanghai
China appealed to league: serious test, as Japan was a leading member of the
league
Long frustrating delay
League officials sailed around the world to assess the situation themselves
After 1 year they presented their report
Japan has acted unlawfully: Manchuria should be returned to the Chinese

 But instead of withdrawing they intended to invade more of China: on the

pretext of self defense
Voting: Japan resigned from the league
Invaded Jehol
The league was powerless
It couldnt impose economic sanctions on Japan, without the USA (its main
trading partner)
Britain seemed more interested in keeping good relations with Japan
Discussed on banning arm sales on Japan: but they worried that Japan would
retaliate and war would escalate
Britain and France did not want to risk their navies or armies in a war with
Japan
Only the USA or USSR would have the resources to do that
Excuses made by league:
It was far away
It was a special case
Significance of the Manchurian crisis:
The league was powerless if a strong nation decided to pursue and
aggressive policy and invade its neighbors
Japan had committed a blatant aggression and got away with it
Hitler and Mussolini looked with interest
Why did disarmament fail in the 1930s? (The next big failure for the league)
There was an increased pressure for the League to do something about
disarmament. The Germans were angry. Other countries spent more on arming than
what they did before the war.
July 1932 (Germany proposed for all countries to disarm down to its level.
When the conference failed to agree the principle of equality, the Germans
walked out.)
September 1932 (a note was sent to Germany from the British that went
some way in agreeing with equality but the superior tone angered the
Germans even more.)
December 1932 (an agreement to finally treat Germany properly.)
January 1933 (Germany announced it was coming back.)

 February 1933 (Hitler became chancellor of Germany, and started rearming

Germany secretly)
May 1933 (Hitler promised not to rearm Germany, if all the other nations
destroyed their arms)
June 1933 (Britain introduced an ambitious disarmament plan)
October 1933 (Hitler withdrew from the Disarmament conference, and soon
out of the League)
Reasons for the disarmament conference to end in 1934:
Doomed from the start
Not taken seriously
Britain (who thought treaty of Versailles was unfair) and France was
dismayed when Britain signed an agreement with Germany that Germany
could build its navy as long as it stayed under 35% of Britains, without
consulting the allies
It seemed that each country was looking after itself and ignoring the league
How did Mussolinis invasion of Abyssinia damage the League?
Background:
Italian troops had tried to invade Abyssinia but had been defeated by a
poorly equipped group of tribesmen
Mussolini wanted revenge for this humiliating defeat
He also had his eye on the fertile lands and mineral wealth of Abyssinia
Most importantly he wanted glory and conquest
In December 1934 there was a dispute between Italian and Ethiopian
soldiers at the Wal-Wal oasis- 80km inside Abyssinia
Mussolini took this as his cue and claimed that it was actually Italian
territory
He demanded an apology and began preparing for the invasion of Abyssinia
The Abyssinian emperor Haile Selassie appealed to the league for help
The leagues plays for time
Mussolini was negotiating with the league to settle the dispute
At the same time he was shipping his vast army to Africa and whipping up
war fever among the Italian people
He was preparing for a full scale invasion

 The British and the French failed to take the situation seriously
They played for time
They were desperate to keep good relations with Mussolini (as he was a
great ally against Hitler)
They signed an agreement in 1935 which formalized a protest against
German rearmament and a commitment to stand united against Germany
Stresa pact
There was public outcry against Italian behavior
A majority of British people supported the use of military force to defend
Abyssinia
But the league never did anything to discourage Mussolini
The league put forward a plan that would give Mussolini some of Abyssinia
Mussolini rejected it
Sanctions or not?
In October 1935 he launched a full-scale invasion of Abyssinia
Despite brave resistance the Abyssinians were no match for the modern
Italian army (with tanks, aero planes, poison gas)
Clear cut case of a large powerful state attacking a smaller man
The league was designed for this and ideally placed to act
It was decided to impose sanctions
Sanctions would work only if they were imposed quickly and decisively
The league imposed and immediate ban on arm sales to Italy, while allowing
them to stay in Abyssinia
It banned all loans to Italy
It banned all imports and exports connected to Italy (rubber, tin, metals)
However the league delayed a decision for two months on banning oil
exports to Italy
It feared that the Americans would not support the Sanctions
If coal exports to Italy was banned, it was found that that 30,000 coal miners
would lose their job
The Suez Canal:
It was owned by the British and the French
It was not closed to Mussolinis supply ships
Closing it would have ended the campaign very quickly

 But they were afraid to close the canal as they feared it would lead to a war
with Italy
Secret dealing between the French and the British:
British and French foreign ministers were hatching a plan (Hoare and Laval)
They planned to give Mussolini 2/3 of Abyssinia in return for his calling off
his invasion
Laval proposed to put the plan to Mussolini before showing it to the league
or Haile Selassie
Laval told the British if they did not agree to the plan, then the French will
not support economic sanctions against Italy
But the details were leaked to the French press
It proved quite disastrous for the league
in Britain and France it was seen as a blatant act of treachery
both of them were sacked
the sanctions decisions lost all momentum
it was further delayed
but it was too late
Americans were discussed by the ditherings of the French and the British
and stepped up exports to Italy
Mussolini obtains Abyssinia:

Hitler marched into Rhineland

French were desperate for the support of Italy
Haile Selassie forced to exile
Mussolini annexed the whole country
The league watched helplessly

Why did the League of Nations fail?

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

The self-interest of leading members

The USA and other important countries were absent
Economic sanctions did not work
Lack of troops
The treaties it had to upload were seen as unfair
Decisions were slow

Causes of the Second World War

Hitlers plans:
Abolish the treaty of Versailles
Expand German territory
Defeat communism
1933
1934
1935
1936

1937
1938
1939

Took Germany out of league. Begins rearmament.

Tried to take over Austria, prevented by Mussolini
Massive rearmament rally in Germany
Reintroduced conscription in Germany.
Sent troops to Rhineland
Made anti-communist alliance with Japan
Tried out new weapons in Spanish civil war
Made anti-communist alliance with Italy
Took over Austria
Took over Sudetenland
Invaded rest of Czechoslovakia
WAR

Rearmament:

Wanted to reduce unemployment

Wanted to make Germany strong again
Wanted to challenge the terms of treaty of Versailles
But he knew it would cause an alarm in other countries
So he began secretly
He made a great public display of his desire not to rearm Germany
Then, like Japan, he withdrew from the league of nations
In 1935, stages a massive military rally
He was breaking the terms of the treaty of Versailles
Rearmament was a popular move on Germany
It boosted Nazi support
He knew that Britain had some sympathy on this issue (they thought treaty
of Versailles was too unfair)
Britain thought that a strong Germany would be a good buffer for
communism
The Saar plebiscite:

 The Saar region of Germany had been run by the league

In 1935, there was a plebiscite for people to vote if they should return to
German rule
Around 90% voted to return
This was a great morale boost for Hitler
Remilitarization of the Rhineland:
If Hitler had been forced to withdraw he would have faced humiliation and
list the support of the German army
Hitler knew the risk but he had chosen the time and place well
France and the USSR had signed a treaty to protect each other from German
attacks
Hitler used this to claim that Germany was under threat
He argued that he should be allowed to place troops on his own frontier
He was fairly confident that the British would not intervene
Germanys army was no match for the French army (it lacked essential
equipment and air support)
The attention of the league of nations was on the Abyssinian crisis
The French did not know how weak the German army was and refused to act
without French support
The Spanish civil war
Hitler was now filled with confidence
1936- civil war broke out in Spain between communists and right-wing
rebels
He saw this as an opportunity to fight communists
And also try his new armed forces
1937- German aircraft made devastating bombing raids on the civilian
population
The destruction was horrible
The Anti-Comintern Pact (1936-7):
Hitler and Mussolini saw that they had a lot in common
In 1936 and 1937, Germany, Japan and Italy signed an Anti-Comintern Pact

 The aim was to limit communist influence around the world

This new alliance was called the Axis Alliance
Anschluss with Austria (1938):

Hitler strongly felt that both nations belonged together

Many in Austria also supported it as their economy was weak
He thought it would make a greater Germany
When he tried to take over in 1934, Mussolini stopped him
But now, in 1938, they were allies
There was a strong Nazi party in Austria
Hitler encouraged them to stir up trouble for the government
They called riots and staged demonstration for union with Germany
Hitler then pressurized Austrian chancellor (Schuschnigg) to agree
He called a plebiscite to see what the Austrian people wanted
Hitler was not prepared to risk this
So he sent troops to guarantee a trouble free plebiscite
Under their watchful eye, 99.75% voted for Anschluss
France or Britain did not confront Germany militarily

What Hitler got/ why did he want Austria:

Austrian soldiers
Weapons
Rich deposits of gold and iron
Abolishing the treaty of Versailles
More lebensraum

Hitler was Austrian (NB)

8 million German speaking people
was banned by treaty of Versailles (revise treaty)
to help make Germany strong

The British and the French were not prepared to go to war to defend a flawed
treaty.

Appeasement
Reasons:
Hitler was against communism: many saw Hitler as the buffer to the threat
of spreading communism
The attitude of Britains empire: it was not sure if they would support a war
against Germany
They did not want to repeat the horror of World war one
Britain was not ready for war
Britain and France were suffering from effects of depression, economic
problems, debts and unemployment
Many felt Hitler was right, the treaty of Versailles was unfair
American leaders were determined not to be dragged into another war:
Britain and French could not face Germany without the guarantee of
American support
Problems:
It encouraged Hitler to be aggressive (each gamble he got away with
encouraged him to take a bigger risk)
It allowed Germany to go too strong (Germany was recovering lost ground
and becoming more powerful that Britain and France)
It put too much trust on Hitlers promises (appeasement was based on the
mistaken idea that Hitler was trustworthy
It scared the USSR (appeasement sent the secret message that Britain and
France would not stand in Hitlers way)
It delayed war instead of preventing it
Sudetenland, 1938
Hitlers growing confidence was putting the peace of Europe in danger
The leader of Czechoslovakia (Edward Benes) feared that it would be the
next country on Hitlers list for takeover
He sought guarantees from the British and the French that they would honor
their commitment to defend Czechoslovakia if invaded
The French were bound by a treaty and reluctantly said they would
The British felt bound to support the French

 Chamberlain asked Hitler if he had plans to take over, and was reassured by
Hitlers promise
But Hitler did have designs on Czechoslovakia
This new state included a large number of Germans
The Sudetenland also had former subject of the Austrian Hungarian empire
Henlein (leader of the Nazis in Sudetenland) stirred up trouble among the
Germans there
And they demanded to be a part of Germany
Hitler made it clear that he intended to fight Czechoslovakia if necessary
The news put Europe on full war alert
Britain, France and USSR had promised to support Czechoslovakia if it
came to war
Without Sudetenland (with its forts, railways, industries) Czechoslovakia
would be defenseless
The tension rose in Europe
In a last-ditch effort to avert war Chamberlain flew to meet Hitler
Hitler moderated his demands saying that he was interested in only parts of
Sudetenland, and that he wanted a plebiscite
Chamberlain thought it was reasonable and was convinced that if he got
what he wanted he would be satisfied
The French and the British planned to give the parts of Sudetenland he
wanted
But 3 days later, he increased his demands
HE WANTED ALL OF SUDENTENLAND:
Power stations
Good framing land
The Skoda arms works, the biggest in Europe
Protection, bohemian Alps and chain of fortresses.
People there spoke German
Coal and copper mines
:0

 Hitler claimed that the government was mistreating Germans in the

Sudetenland and he wanted to rescue them
Chamberlain told him that his demands were unreasonable
The British navy was mobilized
War seemed imminent
The Munich conference:

A final meeting was held in Munich

Britain, Germany, France and Italy would decide the fate of Czechoslovakia
They decided to give Hitler what he wanted
Czechoslovakia would lose Sudetenland
They did not consult the Czechs
They did not consult the USSR
Chamberlain and Hitler published a joint declaration which Chamberlain
said would bring peace to our time
The prize of Sudetenland was given to him without a shot being fired
The Czechs had been betrayed
Benes resigned
Europe breathed a sigh of relief
He received a heroic welcome

The end of appeasement: Czechoslovakia

The British people did not trust Hitler

Most believed that he had further territorial plans in Europe
They were right
In March 1939, with Czechoslovakia in chaos, German troops took over the
rest of Czechoslovakia

The Nazi-Soviet Pact

Hitler had openly stated his interest in conquering Russian land

He had denounced communism
And killed communists in Germany
But Stalin could not reach a lasting agreement with Britain and France

Stalins point of view:

 He saw the leagues powerlessness in the Abyssinian crisis and the Spanish
civil war
And when they did not resist German rearmament
He knew that some in Britain welcomed a stronger Germany in order to fight
communism
His suspicions grew
He signed a treaty with France which stated to help USSR in case of a
Russian invasion
He doubted if the French would stick to it, especially if they werent able to
stop the Germans marching into Rhineland with was at their own border
The Munich increased his concerns (as he was not consulted about it)
He understood that they were powerless
Worse, they were happy if Hitler took over eastern Europe
He decided to talk to Britain and France about an alliance against Hitler
But Chamberlain was reluctant to commit Britain
Stalin was not convinced that Britain and France would be strong or reliable
enough
He wanted to take over large sections of eastern Europe
Could use Poland as a buffer zone
He wanted to buy time to build up his forces