Key: Blue rows: Manchuria 1931 Green rows: Disarmament Conference 1932-1933 Orange rows: Abyssinia Crisis 1935 Date Event Significance September 1931 Japanese Army claims Chinese troops sabotaged the “Plausible” reason to invade: in self-defence, not invasion per se railway (belonging to the Japanese), invaded Manchuria and expelled Chinese troops February 1932 Creation of the puppet state of Manchukuo, with Henry Pu “Puppet State” meant that the League of Nations could not Yi installed as the emperor directly accuse the Japanese of taking over Manchuria, since it is technically an independent state July 1932 Germany proposes option of allowing Germany to rearm to Shows that other countries did not see Germany as an equal, but the level of other powers in the Disarmament Conference. as a defeated nation Proposal rejected, Germany walks Late 1932 Japanese Imperial Army attached Shanghai with warplanes - and gunships, ignored civilian government’s instructions to withdraw. China appealed to the League to take action (banking on idea of collective security) September 1932 LoN officials present report after field trip; Japan was to - withdraw from Manchuria December 1932 Agreement to treat Germany equally Indecisiveness of League: took 5 months just to decide to treat Germany as an equal January 1933 Germany returns to the Conferences - February 1933 Hitler becomes Chancellor (quite obvious, no?) February 1933 Japan announced further expansion plans in China - 24 February 1933 League votes 42:1 on the subject (with the one being Japan, Illustrated very clearly the ineffectiveness of the League since it obviously wouldn’t vote against itself) policy—unable to obtain unanimous vote on issues concerning members of the League easily 24 March 1933 Japan withdraws from the League League could no longer control Japanese actions in any way April 1933 Japan invades the Chinese territory of Jehol The League had failed in stopping the Japanese invasion of China (ie, failed in keeping collective security) May 1933 Hitler promises not to rearm Germany conditionally (…false promises everywhere) October 1933 Germany withdraws from the League League could no longer control German actions in any wa. Illustrated the failure of the League by showing how they could not come to an agreement on disarmament, a key issue in promoting collective security December 1934 Border dispute at Wal-Wal, 80km inside Abyssinia. - Mussolini claimed it was Italian territory and prepared for invasion. Haile Selassie, the Abyssinian Emperor, appealed to LoN for help 4 September 1935 (after months of deliberation), the League proposed a Inefficiency of League: took close to a year to come to a (partial) compromise where Mussolini would be given part of decision Abyssinia, rejected by Mussolini October 1935 Italy invades Abyssinia Italy was clearly the aggressor and violated the League Convenant, an ideal case for the LoN to act firmly and demonstrate its purpose October 1935 Committee was set up to debate on imposing sanctions in Illustrated how the League’s purpose was secondary to national Italy. Time factor was critical, however these were delayed interest in trying times; even key members did not take League because of the economic interests of major powers (France, seriously. Foundation for failure of LoN? Britain). SUEZ CANAL REMAINED OPEN (this was to prove fatal) December 1935 Secret talks between Britain and France to divide LoN was essentially taken as nothing but a bureaucratic joke Abyssinia, 2/3 to Italy. France was insistent about this, and France and Britain bypassed the League in making their even wanted to present pact to Mussolini before presenting decision it to the LoN. Infamous Hoare-Laval pact. 7 March 1936 Hitler marches troops into Rhineland; France needed Italy France was thus prepared to sacrifice Abyssinia to Italy; needed more than ever as an ally against possible Nazi aggression Italy at all costs 9 May 1936 Italy formally annexes Abyssinia LoN again failed and this one cost them more than the previous ones because it was a clear cut case of Italy being the aggressor. All respect for LoN’s authority lost November 1936 Rome-Berlin Axis Showed that you could not trust Mussolini (allied with Hitler despite France’s desperation to pull Italy to their side). End Game: Hitler and Mussolini the ultimate winners, making use of national interest > League interest to manipulate the situation to their advantage Date Event British Reaction French Reaction Significance 1935 Rearmament and British were sympathetic: Anglo- French did not act. Unstable Beginning of Hitler’s preparation conscription, rebuilds German Naval Agreement which politically and economically, placed to war; in direct contravention of Luftwaffe allowed Germany to have a navy their trust in the Maginot Line ToV. Anglo-German Naval 35% the size of the Royal Navy Agreement undermined the Treaty 1936 Hitler marched 22,000 Sympathetic: seen as reclaiming Did not act. Unstable government Beginning of the policy of German troops into the what was theirs. Weak (Hitler acted between appeasement, illustration of British Rhineland (supposedly a economically and militarily, did governments) and would not act sympathy and French indecision demilitarised area) in direct not want to commit to war; without British support. Relied on contravention of the Treaty. troops had been moved to the Maginot Line. French generals Offered France and Britain a Mediterranean because of the thought the German occupying 25-year non-aggression pact Abyssinia crisis forces were much bigger than they actually were 1938 12 March: German troops Did not act. Chamberlain was Did not act. French politics were in France and Britain chose to allow marched into Austria; determined to appease Hitler, turmoil; French government Hitler to break the ToV (which Anschluss with Austria and the British population were resigned two days before Germany stated that Germany was not opposed to another war invaded Austria. Obviously, not in a permitted to Anschluss with (economically and militarily not position to oppose. Austria). Hitler gained 7,000,000 ready). Anschluss was not seen population, 100,000 troops and as a threat since both were resources. The balance of power in Germanic nations south-eastern Europe shited in favour of Germany, Czechoslovakia surrounded on three fronts by the German Empire 1938- Sudetenland Crisis 1939 Mar Hitler orders the Sudeten - - Significance of Sudetenland to 1938 Nazi Party to make Czechoslovakia: extensive border demands, citing persecution defences; losing this area would (partial truth) mean losing these May Hitler moves troops to the - - Was Hitler gambling? 1938 Czech border in the show of Czechoslovakia had a modern force ; Czechoslovakia army and extensive border mobilises defences 15 - Chamberlain relegates part of - Again, appeasement comes into Sep Sudetenland to Hitler play. 1939 22 Hitler demands all of British mobilises the Royal Navy: - Note date: less than a week after Sep Sudetenland; demands for war seemed imminent Chamberlain relegates part of 1938 Czechoslovak army to Sudetenland to Hitler; Hitler’s withdraw from the growing ambition Sudetenland by 1 Oct 29 Munich Conference Turning point in road to war: to Sep Hitler, this was solid evidence that 1938 Britain and France would not act 30 Munich Agreement, in which Sudetenland in its entirety would be relegated to Hitler and Hitler against him unless their national Sep promises not to make any more territorial demands in Europe interest was directly threatened 1938 15 (barely 6 months after the (17 March) Chamberlain gave a French did nothing to stop Hitler. Showed the failure of the policy of Mar Munich Agreement) German speech stating that you could not appeasement; instead of appeasing 1939 troops marched into trust Hitler (about time you Hitler, merely boosted his Czechoslovakia and took caught on too, huh). However, did confidence and ambition. Britain over Bohemia nothing to stop Hitler and France had severely underestimated Hitler and trusted him too much Note: don’t bother reading this unless you want to see the full flow of events; loads of things outside our syllabus and not really relevant. Made this for fun, oops. The only part to take note of would be the partitioning of Poland (Non-aggression pact with USSR) right at the end! Key: G—Germany R—USSR B—Britain J—Japan F—France I—Italy Date Event G B F R J I Significance 1924 Stalin becomes dictator Russia a Communist base in Europe 1929 France begins construction of - Maginot Line 1930 France completely withdraws - troops from the Rhineland (as part of the Locarno Treaties) September Japanese Army invades Breaking of the Convenant of the LoN (despite 1931 Manchuria; set up puppet state of how it was supposedly done in “self-defence”) Manchukuo January 1933 Hitler becomes Chancellor Beginning of sequence of events hat would lead to WWII 27 Feburary Reichstag Fire, Emergency Decree Used by Hitler to blame and arrest Communists 1933 (28 Feb) 24 March Enabling Act Hitler had full power and effectively dictatorship 1933 24 March Japan withdraws from the League LoN no longer held any power over Japan 1933 of Nations April 1933 Japan invades Chinese territory of Illustrates failure of LoN, therefore indirectly Jehol boosting Hitler’s confidence that they would not act April – July Civil Service Purge, Banning of Consolidated Hitler’s power by eliminating all 1933 Trade Unions and new parties, opposition; Hitler could now focus on his ideals Employment Law, Concordat with