WWII Causes Flashcards

Spartacus League

• Left-wing Marxist revolutionary movement in Germany during and post-World War I.

Article 231

• Known as the "Guilt Clause" in the Treaty of Versailles (1919).
• Germany was held responsible for initiating World War I.
• Primarily influenced by the United Kingdom and France, with limited input from the United States.

Wilson's 14 Points

• Advocated for self-determination of nations and freedom of the seas.
• Proposed the establishment of the League of Nations.
• Opposed punitive war reparations.

League of Nations

• Established to prevent future wars, envisioned by President Woodrow Wilson.
• The U.S. did not ratify the Treaty of Versailles and thus remained outside the League.
• Lacked authority to enforce decisions or prevent conflicts.

Churchill

• Prominent British statesman and leader during World War II.

Chamberlain

• British Prime Minister known for the Munich Agreement with Adolf Hitler.

Weimar Republic

• Germany's new government post-WWI, faced severe economic burdens, needing to pay annual reparations of $33 billion.
• Reparations reduced based on Germany's economic recovery; relied on U.S. loans.

John Maynard Keynes

• British economist advocating for deficit spending as a recovery strategy during economic downturns.
• Opposed reparations, believing they hindered recovery.

Carthaginian Peace

• Refers to the harsh terms imposed on a defeated nation.

Appeasement

• Policy of satisfying the demands of dissatisfied powers to maintain peace and stability.

Ruhr Crisis

• 1922 invasion of the Ruhr Valley by France to enforce reparation payments from Germany.

Outcome of Ruhr Crisis

• Resulted in France being morally defeated and losing credibility.

Spirit of Locarno

• Series of treaties settling Germany's borders with France, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, and Poland.
• Enabled Germany and the Soviet Union to join the League of Nations.

Locarno Agreement

• Seven agreements aimed at securing post-war territorial settlements in Europe.
• Divided borders into guaranteed western borders and reviseable eastern borders.

Stresemann

• German leader who signed an important treaty with Russia to gain credibility for Germany.

Dawes Plan

• U.S. financial assistance to revive the German economy and facilitate reparation payments to England and France.
• Created a successful circular flow of money.

Young Plan

• Established total German reparations at roughly $26.35 billion to be paid over 58½ years.
• Adopted in 1930 to replace the Dawes Plan.

Freedom Law

• Law that rejected the "War Guilt" clause from the Treaty of Versailles.

Revanche

• French sentiment for revenge against Germany over losses incurred during the Franco-Prussian War (1870).

Article 48

• Allowed the Chancellor to assume dictatorial powers in emergencies, exploited by Bruning.

Anschluss

• Union between Germany and Austria proclaimed by Hitler, occurring without resistance in Austria.

Geneva Disarmament Conference

• 1933 meeting where Hitler withdrew in protest of European military policies, strengthening his domestic position.

Lytton Commission

• Established by the League of Nations to investigate the Japanese invasion of Manchuria.