IB History Review Guide/The Second World War

World War Two

The Anschluss

January 1938: Hitler strengthens his position by removing non-Nazis from key positions.
February 12th 1938: Hitler threatens the Austrian Chancellor Schluschnigg in order for him to remove anti-Nazi measures and allow Austrian Nazis to enter the government.
March 9th 1938: Schuschnigg declares that he will hold a referendum concerning Hitler's measures.
March 11th 1938: Schuschnigg orders the Austrian army not to fire on German troops. Hitler hears that Mussolini would not oppose a German move on Austria.
March 12th 1938: German troops enter Austria.
March 13th 1938: Hitler annexes Austria.

Takeover of Sudetenland

March 1938: Hitler meets with Sudeten-Nazi leader, Konrad Henlein, and tells him to make unacceptable demands for autonomy so Hitler could intervene.
April 1938: British and French urge Czechoslovakia to make the maximum number of concessions.
May 20th 1938: Czechoslovakian president orders partial mobilization. France warns Hitler against any invasion.
May 30th 1938: Hitler orders generals to prepare for an invasion by September if the issue isn't resolved.
September 7th 1938: Article in The Times suggests that Czechoslovakia should hand over the Sudetenland to Germany.
September 12th 1938: In a party speech, Hitler verbally attacks the Czechs.
September 13th 1938: Chamberlain suggests a meeting with Hitler.
September 15th 1938: Chamberlain goes to Berchtesgaden. Hitler agrees to wait for a peaceful settlement, but orders his generals to carry out the invasion anyway.
September 19th 1938: Chamberlain-Hitler meeting at Bad Godesberg. Hitler wants the entire Sudetenland. Chamberlain refuses.
September 24th 1938: Czech mobilization completed. The French call up the reserves.
September 28th 1938: British navy prepare for war.
September 29th-30th 1938: Munich Conference. Hitler is appeased and given the Sudetenland. Chamberlain foolishly declares that he has secured "Peace in our time".
March 1939: What is left of Czechoslovakia falls under German influence.

The Invasion of Poland

October 1938: Ribbentrop asks for the return of Danzig. Poland refuses.
January 5th 1939: Hitler offers the Ukraine (then Soviet territory) in return for Danzig and the Polish corridor.
March 1939: Britain offers to guarantee Polish territory.
April 3rd 1939: Hitler orders the army to prepare for plans to attack Poland.
April 28th 1939: Hitler denounces the non-aggression pact made with Poland in 1934.
May 22nd 1939: Pact of Steel between Germany and Italy. USSR makes an offer to ally with France and Britain, but negotiations are so slow that the USSR becomes suspicious of their motives.
August 24th 1939: Non-aggression pact between Russia and Germany. Contains a 'Secret Protocol' which agrees to divide Poland. England and France horrified at this alliance.
September 1st 1939: German troops invade Poland.
September 3rd 1939: Great Britain and France declare war on Germany.

Unopposed Aggression by Japan, Italy, and Germany

Japanese Aggression

Chinese appeal to the League of Nations. Council of the League asks both parties to withdraw their forces.
Japanese complete their conquest of Manchuria.
Lord Lytton Report condemns Japanese action and dubbed Manchukuo a puppet creation.
March 1933: Japan withdraws from the league of Nations.
The United States and the League of Nations take no action.
July 1937: Marco Polo Bridge incident.

Italian Aggresion

December 1934: Clash between Italian troops and an Abyssinian escort at Walwal. Abyssinia appeals to the league.
May 1935: Abysinnia appeals again to the league.
October 3rd 1935: Mussolini launches his attack on Abysinnia. League declares Italy to be an aggresor and imposes some limited economic sanctions.
Britain and France propose an unacceptable deal which secures Abysinnian territory for Italy.
May 1936: Italians capture capital of Addis Ababa.
Sanctions eventurally dropped.

German Aggresion

March 7th 1936: Hitler sends troops into the demilitarized Rhineland in opposition to the Versailles and Locarno treaties. Note: Officers carried notes to withdraw in the event of French resistance.

-Germany split up

-Superpower, middle power, little power

-COLD WAR

-1945- UN charter (this time America does join)

-Europe further split up SUCCESSOR STATES