Move to Global War

• Pacifism is the idea that war should be avoided at all costs; supported by Britain and France.
• Revisionist countries are not content with the terms of the Paris Peace Conference (Treaty of Versailles). They are willing to go to war to change the status quo. Revisionist countries include Japan, Germany, Italy, and Russia.
• Isolationism is the idea of neutral legislation. If a country recognizes another country as prone to conflict, they will limit interaction (trading, export of ammunition). Isolationist countries, like America, remain separate and apart from foreign affairs.
• The Maginot Line, built in 1929, was a defensive line built between the Eastern French and German border as a means to protect France from a possible German invasion.
• Collective security is an international action against aggression; countries will act against a singular, aggressive country to maintain peace and security.
• Economic nationalism is the prioritization of one nation's own economy, keeping their money within their own borders. This is typically done through trade barriers, like protective tariffs. Economic nationalism was triggered by the Great Depression.
• The Treaty of Rapallo, signed in April 1922, united Germany and Russia. Germans could train their soldiers in Russia, allowing them to secretly rearm despite the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.
• The Washington Naval Conference, held in November 1921, called for disarmament.
• Principles of fascism included militarism, nationalism, and a strong leader; a totalitarian form of governing.
• Mussolini dreamt that Italy would mirror ancient Rome and become a global power. He initiated the Battle for Grain and Lira and pursued land reclamation to help Italy's problems post-WWI.
• Japan successfully invaded China's Manchuria in November 1931, setting the precedent of the failure of collective security. This marked the green light for other invasions.
• Mussolini viewed invading Ethiopia, a country in Africa, as an opportunity to improve Italy's economy and his own image upon success. He invaded and annexed Ethiopia in October 1935.
• To discontinue Italy's aggression towards Ethiopia, they imposed economic sanctions on Italy. The sanctions were slow and America still supplied arms, and Italy still had access to the Suez Canal, making Italy travel to Ethiopia easy, rendering the sanctions useless.
• In December 1935, the Hoare-Laval Pact between Britain and France to hand Ethiopia to Italy to preserve peace. It was met with public outrage and was ended. This was a form of appeasement.
• The Saar Referendum of January 1935 proved Hitler's popularity and his power was rising, making him harder to stop. His rise of popularity encouraged his expansionist policies. Filled with coal, the Saar plebiscite, given to France in the Treaty of Versailles, joined Germany in March 1935.
• The Anglo-German Naval Pact signed in June 1935 between Britain and France revised the Treaty of Versailles terms and allowed Germany to rearm to a fraction of Britain's military force. The British did not consult, which would later serve as a reason why the Stresa Front dissolved.
• In April 1935, the Stresa Front between Italy, British, and France formed in response to Hitler's growing threat (like the Saar Referendum). It later collapsed after the Anglo-German Naval Treaty of June 1935 and Ethiopia's invasion, as the sanctions imposed turned Italy towards Germany, not France and Britain.
• Germany remilitarized Rhineland in March 1936 under the premise that the Franco-Soviet Mutual Assistance Treaty encircled Germany, which broke the Treaty of Locarno. Furthermore, Rhineland was forcibly unmilitarized per the Treaty of Versailles, and the events of 1936, like the Ethiopia Crisis distracted France and Britain. Hitler also claimed that he would've retreated upon French opposition and was very uncertain. However, the militarization demonstrated how none of the other countries would not act upon his advancements.
• The Spanish Civil War of July 1936 would outline the alignment of Germany and Italy. It also served to show how war was slowly becoming more accepting of the notion of war. Francisco Franco led the Nationalists of the Spanish Civil War. Germany and Italy assisted the Nationalists, through Germany's Condor Legion (the fighting force). Their involvement was so severe, that they bombed Guernica Square and its civilians.
• Strengthened by the collaboration of Italy and Germany, the Rome-Berlin Axis was signed in November 1936 as a military alliance. This was an illustration of Germany and Italy's growing connection.
• Also in November 1936, Germany aligned itself with Japan in the Anti-Comintern, which turned Germany and Japan against the Soviet Union.
• Germany's second attempt of Anschluss in March 1938 was successful. German troops invaded Austria and was received with little Italian opposition due to Italy's and Germany's close relationships.
• Germany's first attempt at Anschluss was opposed by Mussolini, who was weary of his ambition in 1934. Nazi-Austrians were influenced by German-Nazis, who staged a coup and assassinated the Chancellor of Austria. While Hitler was not directly connected, it was still an attempt at Anschluss.
• Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia had many ethnic Germans, which became apart of Czechoslovakia under the dissolution of Austria-Hungary. Under this premise and the claim that the ethnic Germans were being mistreated, Hitler wanted to annex Sudetenland, which was also covered in mountains as a defense and had many raw materials. So the Munich Pact in September 1938, another act of appeasement, gave Sudetenland to Germany. The French saw no obligation to protect Czechoslovakia and the British were not in a place to offer military support.
• In March 1939, Germany successfully took control of Czechoslovakia. This undermined Chamberlain's trust in Germany and France moved to support Czechoslovakia.
• In May 1939, the Pact of Steel solidified the alliance between Italy and Germany, which later included Japan. It set the outline of the Axis powers between Italy, Germany, and Japan.
• The Nazi-Soviet Pact of May 1939 was a non-aggression pact that allowed Germany to invade Poland without Soviet resistance and secretly divided the territories between the two countries between them, like Lithuania.
• The Hossbach Memorandum of November 1937 outlined Hitler's expansionist policies of small wars of plunder instead of a war with Britain and France. It was a summary of a meeting attended by Hitler and his top personnel, written by Count Hossbach.
• The Albanian Invasion of April 1939 was Italy's response to the Czechoslovakian invasion by Germany, demonstrating Italy's military prowess as well.
• Winston Churchill was Britain's prime minister and opposed appeasement.
• Edouard Daladier was France's leader.
• Neville Chamberlain was also Britian's prime minister who supported appeasement.