Additional Notes The Move to Global War 1930s-1940s PDF

Additional Notes The move to Global War Japan The impact of militarist and nationalist thinking continued to be important in encouraging expansionist foreign policy. Crisis at home meant these forces had the upper hand. From 1929 Japanese exports fell drastically, especially silk. Unemployment ro...

Additional Notes The move to Global War Japan The impact of militarist and nationalist thinking continued to be important in encouraging expansionist foreign policy. Crisis at home meant these forces had the upper hand. From 1929 Japanese exports fell drastically, especially silk. Unemployment rose to 3m. Manchuria was rich in timber, coal and iron as well as rice. These resources looked particularly appealing to Japan, as well as Manchuria being a market for its manufactured goods and living space for an over-populated Japan. Before and after the invasion of Manchuria in 1931 the government in Japan often had to go along with decisions made by the Kwantung army in China. War expanded from 1937 after fighting broke out between Japanese and Chinese forces near Beijing. The war spread to Shanghai and Nanjing and further along the coast and then inland. This was not a war the Japanese wanted, as it stretched their forces and supply lines and led to a full-scale war that was to last until 1945. The USA started to become concerned with Japan when Prime Minister Konoe announced on 3rd November 1938 that Japan wanted to create a New Order in Asia (East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere). The USA was also worried that if it didn’t increase its support to the GMD, the USSR would start to increase its influence with Chiang. In June 1940 Japan decided to expand its ambitions for the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere to also include South East Asia. From 22nd to 26th September 1940 the Japanese invaded Northern Indochina (A French colony) to stop China importing fuel and arms through the port of Haiphong in modern day Vietnam. In November 1940 Japan pressured occupied France into permitting Japan’s forces to have troops and airfields in Indo-China. This would be the first stage of its occupation of South East Asia. In September 1940 the Tripartite Axis Pact was signed, which agreed that Germany and Italy would dominate Europe and leave Asia to Japan. Nazi victories in Europe gave Japan opportunities to take over Asian colonies of Britain and France and the Netherlands. They moved into Southern Indochina on 24th July 1941. This alarmed Britain and the USA who were concerned that Siam (Thailand), Malaya and the Dutch East Indies would be next. They froze Japanese assets bringing trade with Japan to a halt. They also strengthened their forces in the area and increased aid to Chiang Kai Shek. Why did Japan attack Pearl Harbor 7th December 1941? The US changed their policy towards Japan from 1938 onwards from one of isolation and neutrality on the part of America. They saw the Tripartite Pact as a threat to the world as it united Germany, Italy and Japan against any threat to any one of them. In the eyes of Americans the war in Europe and the one in Asia became the same war. From January 1939 various embargos were placed on Japan, whilst at the same time millions of dollars in aid were given to the GMD in aid. In July 1941 as Japan moved further southwards Japanese assets were frozen and then in November a complete embargo on trade was imposed which included oil. The war in China could not continue without oil and the Japanese people would not agree to a withdrawal from China. Negotiations had taken place between Japan and the USA, but came to nothing. Japan felt surrounded. On 7th December Japanese planes attacked Pearl Harbor in an attempt to destroy the US aircraft carrier capability. Although it destroyed many ships, it failed to do the above. Japanese simultaneously attacked Hong Kong, Singapore, followed by the Dutch East Indies, the Philippines and Malaya on 8th December. By mid-1941 they had taken all these places. Italy Economic problems meant Mussolini had to distract the Italian public with a more dynamic foreign policy, e.g. Abyssinia and involvement in the Spanish Civil War. Mussolini’s policy emphasis on autarchy and his foreign wars further undermined the economy. In 1933 Mussolini decided to develop an alternative to the League for European diplomacy. The Four Power Pact or Quadripartite Pact was signed on 15th July 1933 by Britain, France, Italy and Germany, agreeing that smaller nations should have less say in, “Great Power” relations. The pact had little meaning and was dismissed by other powers, although Mussolini heralded it as a success. Mussolini opposed Anschluss in 1934. When Dollfuss, the Austrian Chancellor was murdered by Austrian Nazis, Mussolini mobilised his forces, which deterred Germany. The Stresa Front was a vague agreement between Italy, Britain and France. Mussolini believed it gave him the consent to invade Abyssinia. Mussolini believed that the Anglo-German Naval Agreement in June 1935 condoned German naval rearmament and thus ended the agreement. The invasion of Abyssinia in 3rd October 1935 was designed to consolidate Mussolini’s personality cult (II Duce) and to rally support behind the regime. Mussolini got involved in the Spanish Civil War, because he hoped to gain naval bases in the Balearic Islands from Franco and had aspirations to re-establish the Mediterranean Roman Empire. He also wanted to assist another fascist state and to stop the spread of communism. Italy drew closer to Germany after the war. Italy’s military weakness had been shown up (They had been defeated by the International Brigades at the Battle of Guadalajara and their arms stocks had been reduced). There was increased tension with both Britain and France. The Rome-Berlin Axis was signed on 25th October 1936. Then the Anti-Comintern Pact with Germany and Japan in November 1937. This was the formation of the Axis Powers and would safeguard each against any Soviet threat. Italy left the League in December 1937. This new relationship meant that he now accepted that Germany could go ahead with Anschluss. On 7th April 1939 Italy attacked Albania, although it had been for some time a satellite state (In 1924 the Italian backed Ahmed Zog took power in Albania and it became an Italian Protectorate). Mussolini wanted to assert Italian strength in order to imitate Hitler’s successful expansion in Czechoslovakia, etc, to intimidate Yugoslavia and to pursue his ambition of dominating the Adriatic. King Zog had tried to make the country more independent in 1934 with trade agreements with Greece and Yugoslavia. He said he would resist Italian aggression. In a matter of days Italy had full control of the country. Mussolini later used Albania to launch an attack on Greece on 28th October 1940. The Pact of Steel was signed between Italy and Germany on 22nd May 1939. It promised co-operation between the two countries. Italy declared itself a non-belligerent when war started in September 1939. It was war weary, as it continued to fight resistance in the mountains in Abyssinia and its exploits in Spain and Albania. Mussolini said that Italy would not be ready for general war till 1943. Why did Italy join the war in June 1940? It was against Mussolini’s image of II Duce-a strong, decisive leader. Mussolini didn’t want Italy to be seen as a weak or neutral power like Switzerland. It might give him the opportunity to weaken the influence of the church and conservatives. Germany would dominate Europe if they won the war and might be hostile to Italy. Italy could gain territory and more influence in the Mediterranean. In June 1940 Italy invaded France. Germany In 1934 Germany signed a 10 year non-aggression pact with Poland. Hitler was not ready for war, so this pact secured his eastern border. It could be used to show the world that Hitler wanted peace. Also Poland was unlikely now to make any type of treaty with Czechoslovakia. The Hossbach Memorandum 5th November 1937, spoke about Germany’s need to expand and how it could be done with the least cost, but it was clear this could only be done by force. Hitler wanted to solve this problem by 1943-45. After that Germany would not have a military advantage in terms of weapons and men. Although von Blomberg, the Defence Minister and von Fritsch from the army didn’t object to the destruction of Czechoslovakia, they did to a war with France and Britain, before Germany was sufficiently ready. Hitler removed them and von Neurath, the Foreign Minister and made himself Supreme Commander of the German army. Other generals were retired, or transferred. Kershaw says, “Following the Reichstag Fire and the Röhm crisis, the Blomberg-Fritsch affair was the third milestone on the way to Führer absolutist power”. Historians have disagreed about the Hossbach Memorandum. Taylor says it was only to convince conservative and military experts to continue rearmament, not to discuss foreign policy. Others say while it was not a road-map to war, it clearly laid out Hitler’s central goal, “to make secure and to preserve the racial community and enlarge it”. It made clear Hitler’s war-like and expansionist tendencies and sense of urgency. In September 1939 Germany invaded Poland, followed by Denmark and Norway in April 1940 and on 10th May 1940 Holland, Belgium and France. France was defeated in 6 weeks. Plans were then made to defeat Britain in Operation Sealion. First the RAF had to be defeated, but the Germans was incapable of doing this in the Battle of Britain, which raged over the skies of Britain in the summer and autumn of 1940. Hitler switched strategies and started to attack British cities in the Blitz. He hoped this would break the morale of the British people, but it didn’t. Italian forces invaded Egypt from Libya and Greece from Albania, but failed to overcome British forces in both places. Hitler had to step in and German forces took Yugoslavia and Greece in April 1941 and under General Rommel had advanced to El Alamein in Egypt by June 1942. In June 1941 Hitler invaded the Soviet Union in Operation Barbarossa.