League of Nations and Appeasement Policy

League of Nations

• Established in 1920 after World War I as an international organization to promote peace and security
• Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland
• Primary goal: Prevent war and promote collective security
• Limited success due to:
  • Lack of military power to enforce decisions
  • Veto power of permanent members (France, UK, Italy)
  • Inability to prevent Japanese invasion of Manchuria (1931) and Italian invasion of Ethiopia (1935)

Appeasement Policy

• Policy of giving in to Germany's demands to avoid war
• Implemented by UK and France in the 1930s
• Key events:
  • Remilitarization of the Rhineland (1936): Germany reoccupied the Rhineland, violating the Treaty of Versailles
  • Anschluss with Austria (1938): Germany annexed Austria
  • Munich Agreement (1938): UK and France allowed Germany to annex Sudetenland (Czechoslovakia)
  • Invasion of Czechoslovakia (1939): Germany occupied the rest of Czechoslovakia
• Appeasement policy failed to prevent war and emboldened Germany's aggression

Global Economic Crisis

• The Great Depression (1929-1939): global economic downturn caused by stock market crash, protectionism, and decline of international trade
• Effects:
  • High unemployment rates (up to 30% in some countries)
  • Rise of extremist ideologies (fascism, communism)
  • Increased international tensions
  • Protectionist policies (e.g., Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act) worsened the crisis

International Relations

• Rise of nationalist and fascist ideologies
• Aggressive expansion by Japan, Italy, and Germany
• Failure of the League of Nations to prevent aggression
• Isolationist policies in the United States and the UK

Rise of Fascism

• Ideology: authoritarian, nationalist, and militaristic
• Key fascist leaders:
  • Benito Mussolini (Italy)
  • Adolf Hitler (Germany)
  • Francisco Franco (Spain)
• Characteristics:
  • Suppression of opposition and dissent
  • Aggressive expansion and militarization
  • Anti-communist and anti-Semitic rhetoric
  • Charismatic leadership and propaganda

League of Nations

• Established in 1920 after World War I to promote peace and security
• Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland
• Primary goal: prevent war and promote collective security
• Limited success due to lack of military power, veto power of permanent members, and inability to prevent Japanese invasion of Manchuria and Italian invasion of Ethiopia

Appeasement Policy

• Implemented by UK and France in the 1930s to avoid war
• Involves giving in to Germany's demands
• Key events:
  • Germany remilitarized the Rhineland in 1936, violating the Treaty of Versailles
  • Germany annexed Austria in 1938
  • Germany annexed Sudetenland in 1938, followed by the rest of Czechoslovakia in 1939
• Policy failed to prevent war and emboldened Germany's aggression

Global Economic Crisis

• The Great Depression lasted from 1929 to 1939
• Caused by stock market crash, protectionism, and decline of international trade
• Effects:
  • High unemployment rates (up to 30% in some countries)
  • Rise of extremist ideologies (fascism, communism)
  • Increased international tensions
  • Protectionist policies worsened the crisis

International Relations

• Rise of nationalist and fascist ideologies
• Aggressive expansion by Japan, Italy, and Germany
• Failure of the League of Nations to prevent aggression
• Isolationist policies in the United States and the UK

Rise of Fascism

• Ideology: authoritarian, nationalist, and militaristic
• Key fascist leaders:
  • Benito Mussolini (Italy)
  • Adolf Hitler (Germany)
  • Francisco Franco (Spain)
• Characteristics:
  • Suppression of opposition and dissent
  • Aggressive expansion and militarization
  • Anti-communist and anti-Semitic rhetoric
  • Charismatic leadership and propaganda