Homework 4

Chapter 1
A

1. Almost 200 people were either wounded or killed on the first day of World War II. Streets were lined with German soldiers. The invasion into their country ruined a stable, safe, and secure place in which they lived.
2. a) They were anonymous because the original authors clearly didn't want their names known when speaking out against the invasion. They were afraid of what would happen to them if German soldiers found the sources with their names. It gains a limitation because we do not know anything about the authors.
   b) Source D provides the visual that Sources A and C describe.
   c) They were published probably as propoganda to support the war.
   d) I think it's biased because its all about the German invasion from Polish people who were being invaded. 

B

1. Nothing in those sources promote anything 'humane.' Everything in them are cruel.
2. They killed women and children and burned down houses and buildings without warning. People were killed at random.
3. They don't prove anything because they fail to provide any facts. The only thing that could be taken as fact is the picture, which only shows burned buildings. Burned buildings do not mean they were inhumane, as that could be expected from war.

C

1. I DONT KNOW
2. The men and women were forced to wear gas masks due to fear of consuming gas from enemy bombs.
3. Because no fighting took palce between Britain, France and Germany in the first 9 months of the war.
4. They shouldnt.

Chapter 2
A

1. "Blood, oil, toil, tears, and sweat." The alternative would be peace without fighting, which wasn't possible by this point.
2. It promotes the sense of nationalism in the country. "Victory" is what they want. They want to remain free from the fighting, and are going to get it by whatever means.

Homework 1

1. What attempts were made at improving international relations in the 1920s and 30s and how successful were they?
In the 1920s and 30s the world attempted to improve international relations. These attempts were hardly successful. One of the first attempts made was a committee for promoting collective security, the League of Nations. It had few successes, but the successes were outnumbered by a vast collection of failures that seemed to happen on after another. The League itself made few attempts. The attempts it did make never really sufficed to anything, with a select few successes in less-powerful countries in the world. The attempts made to solve issues in the major world powers such as the US, Great Britain, France, Germany, the USSR, China, Italy, and Japan could have been better. But the problem in the league was that the world powers were never apart of the committee at the same time. This prevented agreements from being agreed upon by all the countries. Events such as the invasion of the Rhineland by Germany never even had attempts made to fix. The events of the Ethiopian invasion by Italy had an attempt at economic sanctions, but was not upheld. No attempts were made to stop Japan from invading Manchuria. Appeasement was the attempt being used for Germany and Japan. It was successful for Japan and Germany, but not for the rest of the world who would be forced to suffer at the hands of Germany and Japan.

2. Knowing what you know now, what could the international community have done differently to make collective security more effective in the 1920s and 30s?

If the US joined the league of nations that came from Wilson's fourteen points, the attempts made might have actually worked. There would have been a way to enforce an economic sanction on Italy for oil, which was not possible with the US not in the league since the US was Italy's main supplier of oil. Also, there would have been more strength in the league in general to enforce it's attempts at collective security.
The League also could have cracked a whip down on Germany when she broke agreements from the treaty of versailles. Especially during the militirization of the Rhineland. A simple group of troops sent from GB or France would have forced Germany to retreat and give up on the Rhineland. Appeasement should never have been employed as way to promote collective security because it only provoked Germany and Japan to continue with their actions.

Homework 3

Discuss a political cause of WWII that could be related to the reading.

• A political cause of WWII could be the Anti-Comintern pact of 1936. The pact was a response to the growing threat of communism in the middle-east. This pact also solidified Germany and Japans alliance, a growing threat already.
  

Discuss an economic cause of WWII that could be related the the reading. 

•  An economic cause was the trade ban issue against Japan after the Japanese invasion of China. This was a huge blow to Japan's economy.
  

Discuss an ideological cause of WWII that could be related to the reading. 

• An ideological cause of WWII was the different types of governments believing theirs was right. It is demonstrated in the Anti-Comintern Pact and the call for a Communist revolution.
  

Answer question A from Chapter 8. 

• The country being represented by the black sun is Japan
• The dark clouds could be a representation of the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, with the clouds being Japan.
• The cartoonist could be trying to say that the Japanese invasion was ominous, that it was a bad thing it was a bad thing in the world. Or something along those lines.
  

Answer question B from Chapter 8. 

• I cant even see the picture. It's too dark...
• They were immigrating somewhere else so that they didn't have the Japanese all up in their grill.
• ahah. :D
  

Causes of World War II - Paper 2

 World War Two began in 1939 when Germany invaded Poland. Great Britain and France, who had alliances with Poland, declared war almost immediately after the invasion. The argument most historians make is that World War II was caused by Germany’s actions after world war one. But the actual cause of the Second World War was the failures of the League of Nations and the attempts at Collective security. Germany’s actions do tie in to the failures, but they are not the main cause.
    The League of Nations was a failure from the beginning. One of the greatest failures of the league was that the main world powers were never apart of the league at the same time. In fact, one of the greatest weaknesses of this was that the US never joined, despite the idea coming from Woodrow Wilson. The US’s non-involvement would prove to be a large factor in the cause of world war two when the Ethiopian crisis occurred.  The League of Nations did not permit Germany to enter until 1926. Seven years later Germany would leave the league so that Hitler could continue his work at Lebensraum. The USSR would join in 1934, and would remain in for the rest of the League’s life. In 1935 Italy left to invade Ethiopia. The League of Nations never could have promoted Collective Security if there was never a chance for the world’s main powers to work collectively to resolve domestic and international issues.
    There was another failure in the League of Nations that would prevent Collective Security. There was a perception by the members of the League that it was run by Great Britain and France. This perception was justified because it seemed as if France and Great Britain were the strongest members in the league, were the first to join, and never left. However, though the perception is that these two countries dominated over the others in the League, it is not completely true, and it would have made no difference even if they did. It would be a good thing and a bad thing that they ran the league. It would be good because they were the strongest world powers involved (the US was a rival for their standing in the world, but not apart of the league). It would be bad because the other countries would feel cheated. Realistically speaking, France and Great Britain were the strongest in the league, but not strong enough to put the League’s aims in action. Because of the World Economic Crisis of 1929 GB and France couldn't afford to send armies or rebuild the armies for Peacemaking in the League of Nations. They were also a lack of will to enforce the attempts made because of their current economic standing, thus the attempts at Collective Security failed.
    World War II probably could have been prevented if the League of Nations had all of the World Powers. There would have been more support to enforce collective security, and there wouldn’t be the perception that two countries were dominating over the others.
    In 1935 Mussolini left the League of Nations. There was an incident at the natural borderline set up by Italy and Ethiopia, known as the Welwel, where Italian and Ethiopian soldiers got into a turf battle. This small fight went against the 1928 pact made between Mussolini and Haile Sellassie (emperor of Ethiopia) to remain neutral. Mussolini used this incident to accuse Ethiopia of being aggressive and in turn to invade the country. Mussolini did invade in October of 1935. Upon being invaded The Emperor of Ethiopia went to the League of Nations for support. The League of Nations set up economic sanctions on Italy, but they were not effective until six months after fighting began in Ethiopia. These sanctions were a good attempt, but unfortunately for Ethiopia, not enough. The League sanctioned nearly everything except oil, one of two things that could have stopped the invasion from being as devastating as it was. The US was Italy’s main supplier of oil, and because they were not apart of the League of Nations, a sanction of oil would have been ineffective. Great Britain could have prevented the invasion as well if they had closed the Suez canal to Italian ships, but due to a lack of will to enforce collective security, the Italian invasion of Ethiopia was a success for Italy, and Germany as well, for Germany and Mussolini were strongly allied at this point of time.
    Through all these failed attempts by the League of Nations, Germany was rebuilding her forces and doing her own bit of invading herself. As was her ally, Japan. The League of Nations used appeasement to promote peace-making. It was the worst choice the League could have made. Appeasement was giving Germany (and Japan when she invaded Manchuria in 1936) the “OK” to go against treaties made. One of the greatest failures of the League of Nations that would be a main cause of World War II was the lack of will to enforce the Treaty of Versailles. Germany was unhappy with these conditions, they felt they were too harshly treated in the treaty, and therefore sought to abolish it. They retook the Rhineland and made it a military zone once again. If the League of Nations had sent any number of troops into the Rhine to stop Hitler, they would have been able to. Hitler was gambling. He only sent a small number of soldiers into the Rhine to test the League. They would have been forced to retreat if any number of French or British troops had gone in, but no troops were sent to stop Germany.
    This sort of peacemaking by allowing Germany to break treaties was not just a one time deal.  In fact, the League of Nations let Hitler get away with everything they did except for the invasion of Poland. Germany was able to rebuild her army and navy, even though the Treaty of Versailles clearly stated that Germany could have only six naval ships, no tanks, no air force, and no submarines. Germany had all four by the start of World War II.
    There is an argument made that states that Germany would have done these things anyway even if Britain and France and the League didn’t use appeasement. They would have, yes, but they would have failed. No way would they have been able to take the Rhineland if the League intervened. It was preventable. The invasion of Poland was preventable, too. All the League had to do was enforce a treaty and Germany would not have been able to rearm and rebuild and invade countries for land. They would not have been able to invade Poland, and the declarations of war from Great Britain and France would not have been issued.
    The League of Nations was weak. There were solid attempts made to promote Collective Security, and some did in fact succeed, but these successes were outnumbered by the failures. The League of Nations could have prevented World War II if they had the main world powers involved, if they had the will to enforce the attempts made, and if they did not allow Germany and Japan to invade and take over countries and break agreements from the treaty of the first world war. The League of Nations wanted to prevent another war, but they were unable to do so because of its own failures at Peacemaking after World War One.

The League of Nations and Causes of WWII

The aim of the league of nations was to promote collective security and prevent another world war.

Failures of the League

• Main world powers never were in the league at the same time.
• the US never joined, even though it was Wilson who suggested the idea
• Germany wasn't able to join until 1926, and then left in 1933.
• the USSR didn' join until 1934
• Italy left in 1935
• Perception that it was "run by" Great Britain and France. (Victors of WWI)
• France and GB made mandates out of the Middle East
• Took away colonies from Germany in Africa and the Pacific

Long and Short Terms Causes of WWII

• World Wide Economic Crisis 1929
• US Stock Market collapses, US cuts off loans to Germany.
• Crisis spreads to Europe and Asia.
• Countries began focusing on domestic issues rather than foreign policy.
• Lack of will to enforce collective security.
• GB and France couldn't afford to send armies or rebuild the armies for Peacemaking in the League of Nations.
• Treaty of Versailles - regain territories and restore German pride
• League of Nations
• Japan invades Manchuria in 1931
• Some consider this the start of WWII
• in the late 20s and 30s military takes control of the Japanese Government
• Japanese exports shrink
• silk trade goes down
• hurts Japanese farmers
• Chinese squeeze out some Japanese Business
• 1931 the Army invades Manchuria without Governments Permission
• Japanese PM objects and is assassinated
• PM, who was friendly to the army, was put into office.
• Washington Naval Conference 1921-1922
• USA and Japan (and Great Britain) have conflicting economic interests in Asia.
• Fight over who would get control over raw materials
• Japanese ideology in the 1930s was "Asians for the Asians
• The purpose of the Naval Conference was to improve relations between Japan and the USA (and Great Britain)
• The conference wanted to prevent another Naval Race
• Agreement: The Japanese Navy would be 3/5 the size of US and British Navies.
• Great Britain and the USA promise not to build any more Navy bases within striking distance of Japan. Bases already set up in the Philippines and Guam would remain.
• US, France, Great Britain, and Japan agree to the Neutrality of China
• German Invasion of Poland - 1939
• Immediate cause of World War II.
• Germany invades Poland, expecting Britain and France to remain passive.
• Upon invading Poland, Britain and France declare war almost immediately.
• Italian Invasion of Ethiopia
• Mussolini and Haile Selassie signed a pact to remain non-aggressive.
• Mussolini breaks the pact after accusing Ethiopia of aggression after a class at Wal Wal.
• The League of Nations attempted to impose economic sanctions on Italy. This attempt took six weeks before it started working, but even then it wasn't enough. There was a  sanction on goods like steel and gold, but a sanction on oil could have halted the invasion immediately.
• The League could not stop the invasion, mainly because the US was not apart of the LoN.
• This invasion was a blow to the attempts at peacemaking in the 1930s, and would be a factor in war.

Paper 2

Question :
Evaluate the successes and failures of one single-party state.

    Adolf Hitler led his country for about thirteen to fifteen years. During his rule he made his aims very clear and specific. Though some historians may argue that Hitler's aims were unspecific and unsuccessful, there are many reasons to support that Hitler's rule was in fact mostly successful.
    Hitler wanted the world to think he only wanted peace. He knew the other countries looked down upon his country, and in order to gain a place in the world he knew he had to make them believe his intentions to be good. One of the ways he did this was through making alliances with other countries, including Poland, Russia, and Italy.
    In 1934 Hitler signed a Ten Year Non Aggression Pact with Poland. He did this because he knew the Poles and her allies were afraid that Germany would soon start to try and take back the German parts of the country. In order to make the Eastern world calm down, Hitler knew what he had to do. He agreed to not go to war with Poland or to have any sort of quarrel for ten years. This was definitely one of Hitler's greatest successes at the time. Britain took this pact as further evidence of his peaceful intentions, it ruined the French's Little Entente_{, which was mostly dependent on Poland, and it guaranteed Poland neutrality when Germany made actions against Austria and Czechoslovakia.} Though this pact would end up broken in five years due to Germany's invasion, it can still be considered a success when it was first made. This pact made it possible in those five years for Hitler to continue building his military, navy, and country.
    The Saar was returned to Germany (January 1935) after a plebiscite resulting in a 90% vote in favour. Though the plebiscite had been provided for at Versailles, Nazi propaganda made the most of the success, and Hitler announced that now all causes of grievance between France and Germany had been removed.
    After World War One, Hitler and the rest of Germany believed they were mistreated in the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler took advantages of these negative feelings towards the treaty and made it a public aim to abolish the treaty.
    Hitler’s first successful breach of Versailles came in March 1935 when he announced the reintroduction of a draft. His excuse was that Britain had just announced air force increases and France had extended their draft from 12 to 18 months (their justification was German rearmament). Much to their dismay, Hitler told his startled generals and the rest of the world that he would build up his peacetime army to 36 divisions (about 600,000 men). The generals need not have worried: although the Stresa Front (a planned alliance between France, Britain and Italy) condemned this violation of Versailles, no action was taken, the League was helpless, and the Front collapsed anyway as a result of Hitler’s next success, the militarising of the Rhineland.
    The treaty of Versailles called for the demilitarization of the Rhineland. This was dangerous for Germans to not have a defense in place if France chose to invade through the Rhine. Hitler aimed to remilitiraize as soon as he could.
    He took the opportunity in March of 1936. He sent a small army, small enough that if Britain or France reacted to the illegal action, Germany would have to retreat and suffer the consequences. Britain was completely unprepared to take any action. France would not do anything without British support, and Germany was backed up by Mussolini. Germany was able to militarize the Rhineland due to his decision to gamble. Historians argue that it was the conditions in the other countries that made this successful. But the fact of the matter is, the world knew it was going to happen. It was anticipated for years, the only question was when Germany would act. Hitler took the chance when he saw the opening.
    Hitler allied himself with Mussolini when Italy invaded Ethiopia. This alliance would make German militarization of the Rhine more possible. If France had in fact acted, Germany would have had the support from Mussolini to succeed anyway. Hitler's choice to ally with Italy during the invasion of Ethiopia was looked down upon in the world, but it was a success of Hitler in the end.
    Hitler and Mussolini made the alliance more concrete with the Rome - Berlin Axis. Japan and Germany also made an alliance at the same time, known as the Anti-Comintern pact that Italy would later join. Hitler's aim to ally himself with other countries succeeded.
    Germany had many foreign policy aims. These aims were almost all successful at first, but due to poor planning the successes became failures. It is argued that because they became failures they were not at all successful. But when looked at with the time they were made and the immediate effect the aims had, they were successful. Germany also had many domestic policies that lasted throughout Hitler's rule.
    The aims included Hitler Youth, the Law for the Enforcement of Marriage, the Hitler schools, improved work situations, and more. These all lasted throughout his rule and were supported by the country. The only reason why these aims would eventually fail was because of Germany's surrender in World War II.
    Whatever the truth about his long-term intentions, Hitler began his foreign policy with a series of brilliant successes (one of the main reasons for his popularity in Germany). By the end of 1938 almost every one of Hitler’s aims had been achieved, without war and with the approval of Britain. Only the Germans of Poland remained to be brought within the Reich. Unfortunately, it was when he failed to achieve this by peaceful means that Hitler took his fateful decision to invade Poland. His domestic policies were also succeeding, but it would be Hitler's fatal mistake of invading Poland that would bring about his failure.