HIS103Y1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 28: Condor Legion, Appeasement, International Brigades
French doing what they can to enforce Versailles
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Begins to fall apart
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Different states that were working to maintain the order defect
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100th anniversary of Battle of Waterloo
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British entered into secret agreement with Germans
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Allowed German navy to exceed size set out in Versailles
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British have intelligence that Germans are going to build ships anyways - do whatever they can to
ensure the ships won't operate against British
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Italy needs colonies
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Italy attacks Ethiopia - Independent state in Africa
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Ethiopia is a member of League
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Europeans invoke principles of League, but do not uphold principles by enforcing blockade - don't
stop Italians
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Shows bankruptcy of League - no one does anything about violations
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Italians defect from system: Mussolini (fascist ruler of Italy) is intent on build new, more masculine
Roman Empire, prove strength of empire
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June 18th
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1935, Europe
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Agreement between states - Vote in Paris
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Hitler sees opportunity to take advantage of relations
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Insists that any alliance between France and Soviet Union would violate spirit of Locarno (if agreement
were to go through, Germany would have no choice but to remilitarize the Rhineland)
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Excuse to militarize full West of Germany's borders - Begin building fortifications
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Franco-Soviet relations
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Critical piece of geography
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When Germans invest Rhineland with troops, no one reacts
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French hardly respond - defensive strategy (already build line, nothing they could do about Rhineland,
essentially wrote it off already)
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Need to avoid another war in Europe
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British: as long as Germans aren't attacking anyone from the Rhineland, they don't object
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Clear that Hitler would have gone to war over Rhineland - not a bluff, but could call British / French
bluff by threatening war - power over them
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Rhineland
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If British / French won't do anything about militarization of Rhineland, Eastern states begin to give up
belief on French / British promises --> doubt
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Poland and German Entente
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Belgians will revert to traditional neutrality - end alliance with France
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Eastern provinces
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1936
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Appeasement
March 27, 2017
7:36 PM
LECTURE Page 151
Belgians will revert to traditional neutrality - end alliance with France
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Protections of Versailles order are crumbling
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World is distracted by Civil War in Spain
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Large amount of attention
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Left-leaning government had been elected in Spain
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Spanish army officers in Spanish Morocco rebelled against leftish government
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Navy and air force do not rebel - army is trapped in Spanish Morocco
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German and Italians ferry military from Spanish Morocco to Spain --> played a role in civil war
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Italian infantry fighting in war
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Hitler sends bombs 'condor legion' - set of German bombers to practice methods of war that Hitler
expects to need to use
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Fighting on side of rebels 'Nationalists'
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Other side is 'Republicans' - supported by various different groups : Soviet Union, International
Brigades : volunteer groups from civilians to organize to fight for Republican cause (come from France,
Britain, Canada, U.S.)
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States of West do not support Spanish Republic
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British are governed by Conservative party - won't cooperate with socialists / communists in Spain (won't
support Republic)
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French don't cooperate to maintain relations with British
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Horrific civil war - large amounts of civilians killed purposefully
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Britain is eager to stand aside from war on Continent even when its ideological brethren are fighting
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Spanish Civil War 1936-39
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Deepening ties with Italians and Japanese
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Dramatically reshaping German economy so that it could stand alone in a war
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Working to annex Austria and destroy Czechoslovakia
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Swift, isolated attacks on enemies
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Take over regions that could support economy and develop even further
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Developing synthetic oils, etc. materials needed to support tanks / aircrafts - core of strategy of
Blitzkrieg 'lightening war'
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Pressure on Vienna so that Austria's policies are in line with Hitler's goals
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Laying groundwork for future annexation of Austria
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Gradual evolutionary process of absorption
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Not a fear for Germans because of way of voting anymore (South Germans outvoting North
Prussians)
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Austrians raid Nazi headquarters in Austria - suggest collusion with Germany
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Very likely they would have voted to join Germany anyways
Hitler wouldn't take risk of vote
German tanks roll into Austria - then Hitler agrees to hold plebiscite
Austrians ask for assistance from Britain / France
Hold plebiscite - vote which state they would like to belong to
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Austria
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Hitler's Preparations
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LECTURE Page 152
Document Summary
French doing what they can to enforce versailles. Different states that were working to maintain the order defect. Allowed german navy to exceed size set out in versailles. British have intelligence that germans are going to build ships anyways - do whatever they can to ensure the ships won"t operate against british. Italians defect from system: mussolini (fascist ruler of italy) is intent on build new, more masculine. Italy attacks ethiopia - independent state in africa. Europeans invoke principles of league, but do not uphold principles by enforcing blockade - don"t stop italians. Shows bankruptcy of league - no one does anything about violations. Hitler sees opportunity to take advantage of relations. Insists that any alliance between france and soviet union would violate spirit of locarno (if agreement were to go through, germany would have no choice but to remilitarize the rhineland) Excuse to militarize full west of germany"s borders - begin building fortifications.
