Theme 5

• International politics influenced the move towards war by the conditions it created
• After WW1, central and Eastern Europe was very unstable
• Borders, rulers and government systems had changed in most countries since 1914
• The policy of self-determination set up in the treaties that ended the war had created new, small, independent states like Estonia and Lithuania
• These states were economically, politically and militarily weak
• Many had border disputes that nearly spilled into war and the entire political atmosphere was one of unease
• Ideological divides across the world was also a cause of the Second World War
• There was a huge divide between the capitalist West and the communist East
• Russia set up Comintem, an organisation to spread the ideas of communism worldwide which led to increased communist-party membership in the West
• This made Western governments see communism as a real threat which affected international relations
• By the 1930s there was also a divide between democracy and dictatorships
• Germany was under Hitler, Italy under Mussolini and Japan under military leadership
• While there were differences between the ideologies of these countries they were united by their anti-communist beliefs, a resentment of the Treaty of Versailles, a rejection of democracy and a belief in the importance of a strong military that could impose the will of the state by force
• At first their anti-communist attitude appealed to Britain and France, who hoped to destroy the USSR
• But as the dictatorships became more powerful and aggressive, they began to see them as threats
• The USSR had a good army and would be a good ally against Germany but British capitalist values would not allow it
• As Lloyd George said, 'Britain needed the USSR, but did not want it