Road to War
The defeated countries in the First World War believed that they had been treated unfairly by the terms of the Paris Peace Treaties and wanted to take up arms again to reorganize the balance.
The League of Nations was set up with the intention of solving international quarrels peacefully and preventing another war, but it was not powerful enough and failed several times.
The aims and actions of Adolf Hitler:
■ To change the agreements reached at Versailles and regain the lost German lands.
■ To create a Greater Germany, which would include all ethnic Germans.
■ To win new territories in the east for the German population to expand into (lebensraum).
(German and Italian expansionism can be found at Unit 8) The policy of appeasement followed by Britain and France made Hitler think he could do everything he wanted.
Hitler signed a secret pact of Non–Aggression with the Soviet Union. It was supposed to last for 10 years and it included clauses for the splitting of Poland and a Soviet takeover of the Baltic States.
- 1st of September 1939 - Germany invaded Poland.
- Two days later, Britain and France declared war on Germany.
"...the settlement of the Czechoslovakian problem, which has now been achieved is, in my view, only the prelude to a larger settlement in which all Europe may find peace. This morning I had another talk with the German Chancellor, Herr Hitler, and here is the paper which bears his name upon it as well as mine (waves paper to the crowd - receiving loud cheers and "Hear Hears"). Some of you, perhaps, have already heard what it contains but I would just like to read it to you ...". Later that day he stood outside Number 10 Downing Street and again read from the document and concluded: '"My good friends, for the second time in our history, a British Prime Minister has returned from Germany bringing peace with honour. I believe it is peace for our time."