Conflict and Tension 1918-1939

• In 1870 and 1914, Germany invaded France
• German representatives were forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles in June 1919
• In the ToV Germany lost 10% of its land, 12.5% of its population, 16% of its coal fields, and almost half of its iron and steel industry
• Army was limited to 100,000 men
• In 1921, reparations were fixed at £6.6 billion
• Germany had imposed a much harsher treaty on Russia in 1918, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
• Germany would be paying reparations until 1968
• France got back Alsace-Lorraine
• League of Nations received all of Germany's colonies and the Saarland for 15 years (then there would be a plebiscite)
• Germany's failure to pay reparations in 1922 led to France and Belgium invading the Ruhr
• The invasion of the Ruhr led to hyperinflation in 1923
• Assembly - every country sent a representative, met once a year and made unanimous decisions
• Council - had permanent and temporary members and met several times a year, decisions also had to be unanimous
• Secretariat - complied records and prepared reports
• Permanent Court of International Justice - intended to settle disputes between Nations
• Commissions dealt with major economic or social issues
• US Congress didn't allow US to join LoN as they didn't want 'European entanglements'
• Germany was admitted into LoN in 1926
• The USSR was only let into LoN in 1934
• Japan and Germany both withdrew from LoN in 1933
• 1921 - Upper Silesia dispute between Poland and Germany via a plebiscite
• 1920 - Aaland Islands dispute between Finland and Sweden, given to Finland and Sweden accepted
• Commissions:

  • The Refugees Commission
  • The Health Commission
  • The Mandates Commission
• 1920 - Vilna, failure, Poland ignored LoN
• The Locarno Treaties - 1925, Germany and France promised to not invade each other
• Kellogg-Briand Pact in 1928, signed by 61 countries and promised not to go to war in order to settle disputes
• Manchurian Crisis 1931-1933:

  The Lytton Commission took until after Japan completed its invasion, 7 months
• Abyssinian Crisis - 1935-36:

  Mussolini invaded for Abyssinia's mineral wealth

  Haile Selassie appealed to League for help

  Condemned and introduced sanctions, which didn't include oil

  Hoare-Leval Pact caused outrage
• 1933 - Hitler began rearming in secret
• March 1935 - began conscription poenly
• March 1935 - began conscription openly
• Hitler's Aims:

  • Abolish Treaty of Versailles
  • Expand German territory
  • Defeat Communism
• Held rearmament rallies in 1935
• In 1935 announced he had a peacetime army of 550,000
• 1934 - Dollfuss Affair
• 1935 - reunited with Saarland through a plebiscite, over 90% voted yes
• 1935 - Stresa Front - Britain, France and Italy
• Anglo-German Naval Agreement 1935 - 35% of British navy
• In March 1936, Hitler remilitarised the Rhineland without French opposition
• 1937 - Japan, Italy and Germany Anti-Comintern Pact