IB History 12 SL

Purposeful German retreat to the strongly fortified line constructed in 1916. More easily defended and with less manpower. Closer to supply lines.
resulted in G's success in France

America declares war on the Central Powers as not an Ally, but as an "associated" power in reaction to the German unrestricted submarine warfare campaign b/c since 1914, American economy had become dependent on shipping goods to Allies.

with help of the American navy, Allied shipping was escorted by warships.

• tanks show their potential as a possible solution to the stalemate --> finally glimpsed war of movement !
• used by the British to attack the German Hindenburg line successfully advances forward 4 to 6 miles over the supposedly impregnable line
• however over the next week, Germans won back almost all of the land

Wilson announces his 14 points

1) no more secret diplomacy (treaties)
2) freedom of the seas
3) removal of economic barriers
4) reduction of arms/disarmament
5) national self-determination
6) evacuation of all Russian territory
7) Belgium to be evacuated and restored while keeping her sovereignty
8 ) French territory returned - Alsace-Lorraine from Franco-Prussian War 1871
9) re-adjustment of frontiers of Italy - keeping in mind nationalities of the populations concerned
10) A-H to be allowed autonomous development
11) Romania, Serbia and Montenegro evacuated. Serbia given access to the sea. Balkan state borders secured along historic lines of nationality and allegiance
12) Turkey assured sovereignty, Dardanelles permanently open for free passage
13) Independent Poland given all territories with polish majority and access to the sea
14) formation of the League of Nations to secure political independence and territorial integrity for all nations

SU pulls out of war and signs peace treaty with Germany that gives independence to Poland, the Baltic provinces, Ukraine, Finland and the Caucasus.

Ludendorff and Hindenburg conceded defeat, advised Kaiser to appeal to Wilson's 14 points in an armistrice

Border dispute between Polanlish and Ukraine Republics against Soviet Russia and Soviet Ukraine

Poland won and gained some territory

By Jan 1920, ratified by all great powers except USA

USA goes into isolationism, doesn't want to be pulled into defending other nations from aggression. Anglo-American military guarantee of France voided. Treaty of Versailles would have to be carried by by Britain and France alone.

Dealt with Austria.

dissolved monarch

Self-determination - Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Yugoslavia granted independence

huge chunks of land given to Italy and Romania
Galicia given to Poland
Istria, Trieste and St. Tyrol with some 230,000 ethnic germans given to Italy.
forbid anschluss (union with Germany)

reparations (for 30 years)

army limited to 30,000

navy disbanded and split among the allies (lost her coast)

dealt with Bulgaria

ceded lands to Greece, Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (Yugoslavia), Romania

became landlocked

limited army to 20, 000, one weaponry factory, no importing of weapons

reparations

but later 75% of the treaty was remitted (not applied)

lost 72% of territory and 64% of population

self-determination was impossible to apply since ethnic lines were not clear cut in Hungary

ceded lands to Austria, Czechoslovakia, Romania and Yugoslavia

trade system became rigid as it lost 62% of its railways and had become landlocked (had to pay numerous tolls and tariffs)

lost majority of financial institutions

still had to pay war reparations

army redued to 35 000. lost navy and air force.

created bitterness, unemployment, worsened inflation.

Dealt with Turkey

France & Britain very involved here. Britain wants to strengthen Greece but France already had pre-war investments in Turkey.

Constantinople remains Turkish. Thrace and Dardanelles given to Greece.

Never put into effect by Turkish gov. Instead a nationalist group under Mustapha Kemal creates a rebel gov.

Aug 1922, Turkish troops ready to engage allied troops occupying Constantinople and the Straits

1923 Treaty of Lausanne - revised the terms of the Treaty of Sevres. Allied powers given freedom of navigation through the straits, but areas remain Turkish and no more foreign interference in Turkish finances (French influence is removed)

• Finland and Sweden conflict over islands
• League's verdict is acceped though not altogether popular - islands to remain Finnish but the civil rights of the ethnic Swedish of the islands must be ensured

• Albania appeals for help against Greek and Yugoslavian aggression
• Success: League oversees Yugoslav withdrawal
• However, the role of League's threat of economic sanctions was secondary to allied powers (personal dispatch from Britain forced Conference of Ambassadors to fix borders) and Italy was made protector of Albania's independence

Czech., Romania, Yugo. to prevent Hungary from reclaiming land

lead to economic and military co-operation between these states

Defensive alliance. Would come to the other's aid if invaded (by Germany)

Four Power Treaty - US, Jp, Fr, Br
- anglo-jap alliance ended
- recognize others possessions in the pacific, diplomatic solutions

Five Power Treaty - USA, Br, Fr, Japan, It
limitations on naval fleets - wanted to restrain Japan, & also because couldn't afford a naval race at this point
ratio of naval strength to be US-5, Brit-5, Jap-3, Fr-1.67, It-1.67
agreed to respect each other's holdings in Pacific

9 Power - US, Jp, Fr, Br, Italy, China, Belgium, Netherlands, Portugal
- open door policy China

to discuss global economic problems following WWI & strategies to rebuild central and eastern Europe --> how to approach Ger & the new Red Russia

Ger & SU band together during Genoa conference, both denied LN

agreement to establish full diplomatic relations
union against Poland, both lost territories to it
both agree to cancel any financial claims on each other from the war
--> secret agreements for military and economic cooperation
--> G to avoid military restrictions of Treaty of V by testing in Russian territory

• assassination of 3 Italians in Greek territory
• Italy issues a deliberately unacceptable ultimatum
• Greece refused 3 of the demands
• Italian troops occupy Greece ****** League of Nations insists Greece pays fine of 50 million $, Italian troops then withdraw --> Major powers can do as they please regardless of the league

Mussolini hailed as a hero for standing up for Italy.

French and Belgian troops occupy the Ruhr - Germany's "industrial heartland" to force payment of reparations

Britain is benevolently neutral, America does nothing.

France blocks Britain & Sweden's attempts to refer the crisis to the League of Nations

• Germany requests a three year moratorium, Britain declares that because they have to repay America, France has to repay Britain.

9 months of worker's passive resistance and strikes financed by German gov --> hyperinflation in Germany, weakening of the Franc

***Last attempt to carry out Versailles treaty by force.

Not strictly anti-German, only if Anschluss occured

• Private American loans to Ger. Ger stabilize financial and industrial sectors, pay back reparations
• Germany paid approx $1 billion but received $2 billion from US
• 2 year moratorium

• Introduction of Dawes Plan and agreement to withdraw French and Belgian forces from the Ruhr within 12 months
• Fr diplomatic defeat - US and Br agree to band together to restrain France from re-occupying the Ruhr

• territorial dispute
• League's commission of inquiry's verdict is accepted by both sides --> SUCCESS

conference included Germany (first inclusion as an equal)
--> general purpose: prevent war

"Spirit of Locarno" - nations working together peacefully

undermined Treaty of Versailles --> Ger. Fr. Belgium agree to frontiers established at Versailles conference

Ger. arbitration treaties with Poland and Czech --> doesn't guarantee their borders, but promised to seek international resolution to these borders

Fr. treaties with Poland and Czech. guaranteeing military aid for Ger aggression

Br offers military aid against ger aggression for Belgium and Fr but NOT poland and Czech

Guaranteeing Romanian Frontiers
motivated by Romanian suspicion of the growing Italian influence in Albania

Germany joined League of Nations

Franco-Yugoslav Treaty of Friendship

• following the "Locarno Spirit"
• condemned war as a solution to international problems
• signed by 65 nations

France, wary of a new German attack, builds this defensive line. However, it was a failure as G once again invaded from Belgium.

• triggered by the Wall Street Crash Oct. 1929 and spread around the world due to the new interdependence of the economies of all nations (US dominance)

• world trade fell by 70%
  -economic crisis : unemployment hit 13 mil Americans, 6 mil Germans, 3 mil British.

• devastating blow to progress towards new framework for peaceful international co-operation

• sudden tread to make nations self-sufficient economically (via tariff barriers) - huge colonial empires would be an advantage --> prompted have-nots to want one like those of France and Britain

• resulted in a surge in aggression for Germany, Italy and Japan: helped bring Hitler to power, strengthened Japan's will to annex Manchuria, prompted Italian preparation for the conquest of Abyssinia

• weakened Allies - delayed their rearmament programs and each suspected the other of causing their problems

• payments owed by Germany cut down by 25%
• Br & Fr forces with evacuate Rhineland in 1930, 5 years before what the Treaty of Versailles dictated
• International loan $200 million
• if met financial difficulties, could ask for 2 year moratorium
• annual payments fixed to run until 1966

extension of Washington Conference
Am, Br, Japan agree to 5:5:3 ratio of all ships

• Japan invades and occupies Manchuria
• League responds cautiously with a slow commission of inquiry while Japan continued occupation due partly to a lack of support from US and Br
• Japan left the League Feb 24 1933, once the verdict asks Japan to compromise. Only armed intervention would stop Japan. Japan ditches restriction of Washington Conference 1922

• Also known as Geneva Disarmament Conference
• Germany attained "equality of rights" in League of Nations
• Failure : June 1933 - Hitler extracts Germany from the World Disarmament Conference while assuring Britain and Italy of peaceful intentions by the Four Power Pact, assuming France would not ratify it (true – drive wedge between France and allies)
• Nov. begins plans of increasing military spending, enacted by 1938

fixed reparation payments to be very low in light of the Great Depression

Communists do really well, won 100 seats and evoked fear

• long term plan for increases in armed forces, independent Luftwaff (air force)
• naval program for a moderate naval fleet (still keeping option of a British alliance open)
• reintroduced conscription!!!!!

Hitler becomes Fuhrer without election

Failed but caused deterioration of relations between Ger & Italy

• Germany wanted Austria as a satellite
• Italy wanted Austria as a buffer between Italy and Germany
• Germany also wanted South Tyrol back, a German-speaking region given to Italy in the Treaty of Versailles

Franco-Italian agreement to act together :
- if Germany rearms by itself
- if Austria' s independence is threatened.

• Allies discuss forming a front against Germany seeing German rearmament ignored the restrictions of the Versailles Treaty.
• It, Fr, Br, --> Stresa Front : to prevent German revision of the Versailles Treaty by force, maintain Locarno and support independence of Austria
• Hitler reassures them of peaceful German intentions through speech : proposed a series of non-aggression pacts with neighbors, promised to observe Locarno and accept OVERALL limitation on armaments
• Anglo-German Naval Agreement - Ger proposed a limit on Ger. Navy to 35% of Royal Navy

Treaty of Mutual Assistance signed

• Fr doesn't follow up with military staff talks, mistrust
• aimed to restrain Russia from moving closer to Germany (Rapallo Agreement 1922)

Italian conquest of Abyssinia is not stopped by the LN

Br & Fr - domestic unrest, divided public opinion in midst of an election - passive action

• feared diplomatic consequences of alienating Italy ( Fr wanted good relations as a possible ally against Ger. with US & Br isolationism while Br had a similar situation with Egypt)

October Protocols signed by Ger & It

• It. relations with Br Fr (Abyssinian Crisis) & USSR (Spanish Civil War) had deteriorated
• came to agreement over Austria, It. accepts German intentions to make Austria a German Satellite

Policy of appeasement
B wanted G as a strong trading partner, felt they were within their rights
G claimed to was for self defense due to the alliance b/w F & SU
Fr refused to invade (prepared for defensive war) without 100% Br backup

Direct violation of the Treaty of Versailles - Allied Policy of Appeasement

Met with little resistance from the people
Austrian Chancellor replaced by a pro-Nazi one

Area of Czechoslovakia with a large German population

Air battle, Ger vs Br

Area bombing to destroy Britain's means of production

no stalemate
total war - accidental bombing of London at night...

Usage of radar and sonar allow Britain to break German cipher (codes) and track German U-boats

Germany, Italy and Japan - the "have-nots", didn't have vast territories or economic resources

Germany was beginning to gain influence, since had similar expansionist, nationalistic and militaristic ambitions ( & was also feared by other European nations), attracted allies

German succeeds with the Blizkrieg tactic
France falls quicker than expected after Germans bypass their Maginot line (defeated after 1 month - June)

Brings America into the war

Island hopping - America aims for areas with strategic importance to create a path to bomb Japan

usage of aircraft carriers

Largest tank battle in history