1. The International Response to Fascist Aggression
To what extent did the failures of the International Community contribute to the outbreak of the Second World War?

2. Discussion!
Why was appeasement pursued by Britain and France?

3. Appeasement
Giving in to the demands of an aggressive nation in the hopes of maintaining peace
Why did Britain agree to this?
Why did France agree to this?

5. Why should we take a stand about someone pushing someone else when it’s all so far away…

6. Appeasement Chamberlain at the Munich Conference 
“I got the impression that here was a man who could be relied upon when he had given his word.”
“Armed conflict is a nightmare to me. . . War is a terrible thing, and we must be very clear, before we embark on it, that it is really the great issues that are at stake.”

7. But what about the League of Nations???

8. But what about the U.S.??? Surely they would want to save democracy and protect human rights….

10. But what about the USSR??? Surely those Nazi-hating commies would help…

11. Partner Discussion
How might the policy of appeasement encourage expansionism? Can you think of any examples?

12. Review: Responses by the International Community
Stresa Front
Abyssinia
Hoare-Laval Pact
Re-militarization of the Rhineland
Spanish Civil War
Invasion of Albania

13. Stresa Front (April 1935) Agreement between France, Britain and Italy
Response to German rearmament & Hitler’s first (failed) attempt to take Austria
Formal protest of Hitler’s TofV violations
Reaffirmed commitment at Locarno & Austrian independence
Could have deterred Hitler, except…..
Franco-Soviet Mutual Assistance Treaty  Russia joined League  Italy unwilling to work with communists
Concerns over Japan  Anglo-German Naval Agreement  Italy & France offended!
Mussolini’s invasion of Abyssinia (May 1935)

14. Page 215

15. International Response to Abyssinian Crisis (203)

16. Hoare-Laval Pact( Dec. 1935)
What did this suggest?
How did this undermine the League?
“It is us today. It will be you tomorrow!” – Selassie after League decides to lift Italian sanctions and recognize Italian control of Abyssinia.

17. Impact on the League Hoare-Laval Pact exposed this as a scam!
Undermined their authority
Showed countries in power acting in own self-interest
Improved German/Italian relations
Ended Stresa Front
After no response from the League  shifted balance of power to favor Hitler = invade Rhineland!

18. How did the international community respond to Hitler’s remilitarization of the Rhineland? (March 1936)
They didn’t! Here’s why…..
France
political divisions during election year made it impossible to act
Military unprepared and knew this would lead to long, drawn-out war
Public and government did NOT want another war!
Britain
unwilling to fight over Rhineland; not a threat
Overstretched military
Simultaneous negotiations with Hitler made appeasement appealing
Turning point: seen as the last chance to stop Hitler without war!

19. Response to Spanish-Civil War (July 1936)
Wanted to prevent the Civil War from becoming a wider conflict  no international intervention!
France proposed Non-Intervention Committee: 16 countries joined (including USSR, Germany and Italy)
Believed nationalists would win and did not want an enemy in Franco
Republican side was aided by USSR  do not aide communists!
British business interests in Spain  financial chaos if Franco lost and communists came to power

21. Compare
What similarities do you notice in Britain’s unwillingness to get involved after German aggression in the Rhineland, Austria, and Czechoslovakia?

22. Themes in British Non-Intervention
Economic Problems
Imperial Commitments
Public Opinion
Injustices of the Treaty of Versailles
Self-Interest

23. End of appeasement with Hitler
Even after Hitler invaded Austria, the response was minimal  League of Nations weak after Abyssinia & Britain thought action was inevitable.
This will all change with Czechoslovakia…
Munich Conference = appeasement
March 1939: takeover of the rest of Czechoslovakia proved that Hitler’s aims were not limited
Shift of opinion in Britain! Chamberlain outraged! Pressure to take firmer stance!

24. International Response to Invasion of Albania (April 1939)
Italy previously guaranteed sovereignty of Balkans  invasion was turning point for Chamberlain!
Took more aggressive action:
Promised to protect Greek borders with military
Italy declared war on Britain
1940  Mussolini invaded Egypt and Greece from Albania
British forces launched counter-attack in North Africa
Battles in the Mediterranean destroyed half of Italy’s naval fleet by November 1940.

25. Invasion of Poland September 1, 1939
Two days later, Chamberlain issued ultimatum to Germany  no response
Declared war! Very little aide given to Poland
After Hitler invaded Norway a few weeks later  Chamberlain resigned and was replaced by Churchill

27. ABC Brainstorm: Failure of the International Community
This is a strategy that challenges you to remember important concepts from a large topic or section of content.
Focus: International Response to Aggression
Japan (1.3), Italy (2.6) and Germany (2.7)
On a sheet of paper, list the letters of the alphabet: A-Z
While reviewing the section, you are going to try and come up with an important term, idea, concept or person that matches with each letter.
You will then describe it, or write a sentence. Your description needs to focus on the international response!
Try and get all 26 letters!!

28. ABC Brainstorm: Failure of the International Community
GOOD examples:
S: Stresa Front – agreement between France, Britain and Italy to uphold TofV; undermined by side agreements and Abyssinia
S: Sanctions were the main form of punishment by the League and imposed on both Italy (post-Abyssinia) and Japan (post-Manchuria). They were ineffective, especially during the GD
BAD examples:
S: Stresa Front
S: Sanctions were ineffective
S: Several years ago, Japan expanded and the League was angry.
S: Sudetenland – Hitler invaded this region of Czechoslovakia to unite German territories; violated the T of V.

29. Venn Diagram

30. Timeline Review Project
The Move to Global War