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Manchurian Crisis
The Japanese staged an attack on the Japanese owned Manchurian railway by "Chinese bandits." The Japanese army took control of Manchuria to protect its interests. China and Japan had appealed to the LoN to arbitrate. Helps understand, "Why did the League of Nations fail to keep the peace in the 1930s?" This is because Britain and France didn't support the League, making it powerless towards the situation. -
Period: to 33
World Disarmament Conference (WDC)
An effort by member states of the LoN, together with the US, to actualize the ideology of disarmament. Took place in Geneva, Switzerland. The talks broke down and Hitler withdrew Germany from both the Conference and the LoN in Oct 1933. Helps understand, "Why did the League of Nations fail to keep the peace in the 1930s?" This is because the League couldn't stop Japan from taking Manchuria, making other countries feel the need to maintain their armaments. -
Hoare-Laval Pact
Proposal by British Foreign Secretary Hoare and French Prime Minister Laval for ending the Second Italo-Abyssinian War. It was motivated by the desire for Italy's entrance intro Stresa Front against the Nazi's. It was approved by Mussolini but failed because of public opposition in Britain and France. Showed LoN's ineffectiveness, since it was a secret agreement against the LoN. -
Stresa Front
Agreement between Britain, France and Italy in response to German rearmament. They pledged to uphold the Locarno treaties and the Treaty of Versailles. It had no enforcement mechanism and quickly fell apart. Helps understand "How did the rise of extremism affect international relations?" because, the terms of the Stresa Front were vague, leading to Britain, France, and Italy not wanting to take part in it. -
Franco-Soviet Treaty of Mutual Assistance
After the collapse of the Stresa Front, France felt isolated and vulnerable. Russia had similar feelings of isolation and vulnerability. In this treaty, they agreed to support each other in the event of an attack by another European nation. Helps understand "How did the rise of extremism affect international relations?," because the Stresa Front had caused the agreement between France and the USSR. -
Start of Abyssinian Crisis
Mussolini invaded Abyssinia causing disputes between Italy, Britain, France, & the LoN. Mussolini believed the LoN wouldn't respond; Laval told him Britain wanted to reach an agreement, having control without formally annexing. The brutality of the assault compromised Britain & France, supporting the LoN's sanctions, making Italy leave the LoN. Helps understand "Why did the League of Nations fail to keep the peace in the 1930s?," because the LoN couldn't take action because of national interests -
Anti-Comintern Pact
Germany and Japan agreed to consult on what measures to take "to safeguard their common interests." They also agreed neither of them would make any political treaties with the Soviet Union. Germany also agreed to recognize Manchuria as Japanese. -
Sudeten Crisis
Debate over whether or not to give Germany the Sudetenland portion of Czechoslovakia. Solved by the Munich Conference. Granted Germany the Sudetenland. -
Munich Conference
Meeting between Britain, France, Germany, and Italy in Munich to decide if Germany could get the Sudetenland. Czechoslovakia wasn't invited. The agreement gave Germany the Sudetenland and Hitler said he had no more territorial desires in Europe. -
Nazi-Soviet Pact (Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact)
Nonaggression treaty signed between Germany & the USSR where they publicly agreed to avoid armed conflict with one another. Another agreement was made in secret where Germany & the USSR agreed to divide countries in northern & eastern Europe into spheres of influence. Poland was to be divided between both.