Chapter 4

Effects of the Great Depression: Economic nationalism Protectionism - Some countries (B,F,US) introduced tariffs to protect their own industries and limit or stop imports. - Trading partners did the same, resulting in an overall fall in trade volumes Calling in loans US banks called in their loans → collapse of banks and businesses → mass unemployment Rearmament Many countries (B,G,I,J) began rearmament process to boost industry and create jobs for the unemployed Radicalism GP helped bring radical regimes to power, like the Nazi party In other states like Italy, GP caused the regimes to adopt more extreme and aggressive policies Failure of LON in the 1930s Failure of disarmament Washington Naval Conference (1921) – Success - Negotiated outside the League to limit the size and the number of warships held by Britain France Japan and US - BUT it was organised by the US, who was not a LON member - Ratio of capital ships of B, US, J, F, and I set at 5:5:3:1.67:1.67 Locarno Treaties (1925) – Partial Success - Negotiated outside the league between countries like B,G,F,I and more - Germany accepted its western borders and the demartilisation of Rhineland + Weimar govt agreed to settle any disputes with the above countries through the LON League Commission to prepare for World Disarmament Conference (1926) – Failure - B+F refused to cooperate Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928) - Negotiated outside the league between 15 countries

– Failure - Agreement that force should not be used to settle disputes BUT there was no clear way to enforce the pact World Disarmament Conference in Geneva (1932) ● Limiting Offensive weapons → Conference produced resolutions to prohibit the bombing of civilian population + chemical warfare + limit the size of artillery and tonnage of tanks → BUT they still could not agree on a few things ○ Difficult to agree on what offensive and defensive weapons are ○ Resolutions did little to ensure how limitations on weapons would be achieved e.g. bombing of civilians was banned but the planes capable of bombing could not be abolished ○ Individual countries used the conference to raise their own issues, e.g. Italy demanded to have a navy the same size as France ● Dealing with Germany: ○ Many countries did not know what to do with Germany → many thought that the terms in TOV was unfair, and should be changed, but they had differing views on how it should be changed → came up with 2 options ○ 1: Every country to disarm to the level that Germany had been forced to ○ 2: Germany to be allowed to rearm to a level closer to that of other powers ○ France: Due to WW1 → very wary of Germany rearming → pressured the LON against rearming + demanded either France had a bigger army OR US and B would guarantee to fight alongside F if a war broke out between G and F → BUT B + US were reluctant to guarantee F’s future security ○ Germany also accused F and other powers of hypocrisy when G put forward proposals for all countries to disarm down to its level (July 1932) → conference failed to agree and Germany walked out ● Conference reconvenes Feb 1933: ○ Hitler (new leader) agreed to attend the conference and seemed genuinely interested in making progress on disarmament ○ BUT he actually started a secret rearmament programme + his military commanders were secretly making plans for rearmament, Hitler pretended to engage

with other powers on the issue of rearmament → May 1933: promised not to rearm Germany if all other nations agreed to disarm in 5 years, trying to put pressure on other countries esp F ○ Hitler: appeared to be calling for large-scale disarmament, claiming to be a supporter of peace and progress BUT he also knew that other powers would not disarm to the same level that Germany faced under the TOV → Gave him the justification he needed to rearm G ○ Oct 1933: He pulled G out of the disarmament conference and from the LON Abyssinian Crisis 1934-1936: ● Mussolini invaded Abyssinia in 1935, who felt Italy had more to gain from friendship with Hitler’s Germany (rather than B and F who he thought were in decline when Nazis took power) and started to discuss an alliance ● Hoare-Laval Pact: B+F wanted to give him ⅔ of Abyssinia and in return he would call off the invasion (and this was done even when LON was discussing sanctions against Italy) → however this was leaked to the French press, it was regarded as an act of treachery against LON and the pact was dropped ● 1935: Mussolini’s army was ready to launch a full-scale invasion in Abyssinia → LON immediately set up a committee to discuss what sanctions to impose against Italy and they had to do it quickly → decided to ban arm sales, all loans and export of rubber, tin, metals to Italy + banning all imports from Italy ● Feb 1936: LON concluded stopping oil sales to Italy would be bad + US also refused to support a ban on oil sales and even increased its supplies of oil to Italy ● Suez canal: Opened by B+F was still open to Italy’s supply ships (cuz they were afraid of war with Italy) LON loses credibility ● The crisis damaged the global confidence in the LON + the leak of the pact damaged its reputation → the failure to impose sanctions on Italy also led to Italian takeover of Abyssinia → Hitler was convinced the LON would not hinder Germany’s plan of expansion

● During crisis: German troops marched into Rhineland in March 1936 + act against the TOV but the LON did nothing to stop it + also signed agreement with Italy, which the LON could do nothing about ● This showed that its lack of authority in enforcing peacekeeping measures resulted in the collapse of collective security, damaging its credibility in resolving conflicts and maintaining world peace Increasing Germany’s military capability ● Conscription + rearmament(1933-1935): ○ It restores Germany’s pride and strength after the humiliation of TOV (Secret rearmament and conscription program from 1933 to 1934 + Creation of Luftwaffe (air force)) ○ Also reduced unemployment ● Remilitairization of Rhineland(1936): ○ Test the willingness of the Allies to enforce the TOV (used excuse of Franco-Soviet alliance and claimed Germany was under threat + ordered 22000 german troops to cross the Hohenzollern Bridge and remilitarize Rhineland) ○ It was a gamble too, because German army was still not strong enough to stand up to a French response BUT B+F+LON was occupied with the Abyssinian crisis and B would not guaran