Podcast
Questions and Answers
What was one of the main reasons for Italy's invasion of Abyssinia in 1935?
What was one of the main reasons for Italy's invasion of Abyssinia in 1935?
What significant action did Hitler take in 1936 that violated international treaties?
What significant action did Hitler take in 1936 that violated international treaties?
What underlying ideology drove both Mussolini's and Hitler's expansionist policies?
What underlying ideology drove both Mussolini's and Hitler's expansionist policies?
What critical agreement enabled Germany to annex the Sudetenland in 1938?
What critical agreement enabled Germany to annex the Sudetenland in 1938?
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How did the League of Nations respond to Italy's invasion of Abyssinia?
How did the League of Nations respond to Italy's invasion of Abyssinia?
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Study Notes
Italian Expansionism Pre-WWII
- Mussolini, Italy's Prime Minister, sought to recreate the Roman Empire.
- Consolidated power through a dictatorship in 1922.
- Violated international law by invading Abyssinia (Ethiopia) in 1935, leading to ineffective League of Nations response.
- Formed the Rome-Berlin Axis with Germany in 1936.
- Invaded Albania in 1939 to assert dominance in the Balkans.
- Expansion driven by economic needs, national pride, and power aspirations.
German Expansionism Pre-WWII
- Hitler aimed for a Greater Germany and "living space" (Lebensraum) in Eastern Europe.
- Hitler's rise to power in 1933 undermined the Treaty of Versailles.
- Violated treaty and Locarno Pact by remilitarizing the Rhineland in 1936.
- Annexed Austria (Anschluss) in 1938, absorbing it into Germany without opposition.
- Used appeasement to gain the Sudetenland (Czechoslovakia) in 1938.
- Occupied the rest of Czechoslovakia in 1939, defying the Munich Agreement.
- Signed a non-aggression pact with the USSR (Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact) in 1939, including a secret agreement to divide Poland.
- Invaded Poland in September 1939, prompting Britain and France to declare war, initiating World War II.
Similarities
- Both nations used aggressive tactics to expand.
- Both exploited weaknesses in international organizations like the League of Nations.
- Nationalistic ideologies and military ambitions fueled both expansionist drives.
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Description
This quiz explores the aggressive expansionist policies of Italy and Germany leading up to World War II. It covers key events, including Mussolini's invasion of Ethiopia and Hitler's annexation of Austria, as well as the political ramifications and the failures of international responses. Test your knowledge on the motivations and actions that shaped the pre-war landscape in Europe.
