Briefly explain the key features of the Pact of Steel
Firstly, the pact of Steel was between three countries: Italy, Japan and Germany. The pact was made to strengthen the relationship between Italy, Japan and Germany. It meant that if one country went to war the others had to support them and aid them and this was vital for the upcoming war.
Moreover, the pact of steel united two strong fascist leaders and the strongest power in Asia together and all of them were against communism. The Pact of Steel completely opposed Italy’s Stresa Front and it meant that that the League had lost a key member and were relatively weaker. This meant when the war would start the League would be weaker.
Finally, the Pact of Steel showed to the world how weak Italy were and how little their military capacity was. They were being dragged along by their stronger ally, Germany. Italy chose *non-belligerency because they said they were not ready to participate in war till 1942 because their army was not good and skilled. This showed how weak Italy was to everyone and showed them as less of a threat.
*Not participating in war
Briefly explain the key features of German Reoccupation of Rhineland
Firstly, Hitler decided to invade Rhineland because he wanted to show everyone that he was going against the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Locarno. Breaking the treaties was part of Hitler’s foreign policy. Also, Rhineland was a strategic point as it separated Germany and France so if Hitler had Rhineland he would have an easy route into France.
Additionally, the reoccupation of Rhineland was a risk that Hitler took. He was not sure how the League would respond to him breaking the Treaty of Versailles. However, the risk paid off for Hitler as he managed to retake Rhineland without any resistance. This allowed Hitler to gain a lot of confidence and it meant he was more daring.
Finally, the reoccupation of Rhineland showed the world how weak and self-interested the League was. They were weak because they did not react and France said it would not do anything without Britain. They were shown to be selfish because the League was too busy with the Abyssinian Crisis and see what they could gain from that rather than worry about their own Treaty being broken.
