Lesson 9 The Interwar Years: Preparing for the Next War

Lesson 9

The Interwar Years:Preparing for the Next War

Lesson Objectives

• Understand the major military lessons that each of the major combatants (Britain, France, US, Germany and Russia) took from World War I.

• Be able to describe and discuss the steps that each major combatant took to "prepare for the next war."

• Understand the military revolution that occurred during the interwar years.

• Be able to recount the major events in the 1930's that lead to war in Europe and the Pacific.

3

Seeds of

Versailles Treaty

Lessons of World War I

Great Depression

the Next WarWorld War II

Treaty of Versailles

Extremely harsh conditions • Significant territorial concessions

• Huge reparations

• Severe limitations on military

• German admission of responsibility for war

Treaty of VersaillesTerritorial Concessions


• 269 billion gold marks ($64 B then, $834 B today)*

• Later reduced to 112 B gold marks ( $26.6 B) (1929)

• Equivalent to $360 B today *

Many feel this led to the economic collapse of the 1920’s that sewed the seeds of Fascism

* Based on CPI, 2012

Reparations

Treaty of VersaillesReparations Cycle

Germany Pays ReparationsTo Britain & France

Britain, FranceUS Banks

Pay War Debts to USLoan Money to Germany

Crash of 1929


Military Provisions • German army restricted to 100,000 men (long term contract)

• No conscription or training

• No tanks or heavy artillery

• Navy limited to 15,000 men

• 6 small battleships, 6 cruisers, 12 destroyers, no U-boats

• No air force


War Guilt Clause

''The Allied and Associated Governments affirm, and Germany accepts, the responsibility of Germany and her allies for causing all the loss and damage to which the Allied and Associated Governments and their nationals have been subjected as a consequence of the war imposed upon them by the aggression of Germany and her allies.''

Article 231


Extremely harsh conditions • Significant territorial concessions

• Huge reparations

• Severe limitations on military

• German admission of responsibility for war


Video 10:16


France: Defense!Germany: Offense!

Britain: Sea Power!

U.S.: Stay out of war altogether


France: Defense!• Maginot Line: static defense

Maginot Line

André Maginot (1877-1932)

French Minister of War (1922–1924, 1929–1930, 1931–1932)

"We could hardly dream of building a kind of Great Wall of France, which would in any case be far too costly. Instead we have foreseen powerful but flexible means of organizing defense, based on the dual principle of taking full advantage of the terrain and establishing a continuous line of fire everywhere."—December 10, 1929

Maginot Line

André Maginot (1877-1932)

French Minister of War (1922–1924, 1929–1930, 1931–1932)

"Whatever conception one can make of a future war, there is a necessity that remains imperious, it's to protect the territory from invasion. We know what disasters can accumulate so that victory itself isn't able to compensate for the irreparable damages. The defensive organization on the borders that we want to realize doesn't have any other goal than to block the way of a still possible invasion. Concrete is better in this way and is cheaper than a wall of chests..."

To the French Parliament, 1929

"Concrete is better … and is cheaper than a wall of chests..."

Maginot Line

• To avoid a surprise attack and to give alarm (trip wire)

Rationale:

• To cover the mobilization of the French Army (2 and 3 weeks).

• To save manpower: France 39,000,000 inhabitants, Germany 70,000,000

• To protect Alsace and Lorraine and their industrial infrastructure

• To be used as a basis for a counter-offensive.

Maginot Line

Defense in depth … but not everywhere

Maginot Line

Localized Defense in Depth

Maginot Line

Above and Below



• Huge expenditure• Repeated mistake of 1914:

• assumed Belgian neutrality would be honored

• Had good armored forces

French Armor

Char B Heavy Tank

47 mm cannon

75 mm cannon

French Armor

French Char B German PzKpfw II *

* Panzerkampfwagen

Larger guns, heavier armor Faster, better suspension, more range

Radios

Superior Tactics

One-man turret



• Huge expenditure• Repeated mistake of 1914:

• Assumed Belgian neutrality would be honored

• Had good armored forces• Not enough funds to develop properly• Neglected innovations in tactics


Germany: Offense!Size of army limited by Versailles Treaty

• Not enough to defend against attack• Strategy: “Best defense is good offense”

Capitalized on tactics under development in WW I• Stormtrooper tactics + Armor = Blitzkreige

Lightning War!

German Armor

Encyclopedia Britannica

Interwar Years

Maginot Line video

11:39

Ten Military RevolutionsInfantry RevolutionArtillery RevolutionRevolution of Sail and ShotFortress RevolutionGunpowder RevolutionNapoleonic RevolutionLand Warfare RevolutionNaval RevolutionInterwar Revolutions in Mechanization,

Aviation, and InformationNuclear Revolution

Andrew F. Krepinevich“Cavalry to computer: the pattern of military revolutions”The National Interest, Fall 1994

Interwar Revolutions in Mechanization, Aviation, and Information

Interwar Revolutions1920’s – ’30’s

Perfected concepts introduced in WW I• Mechanized warfare• Aerial warfare• Carrier aviation• Amphibious warfare• Radio-based command & control

Proliferation of new organizations• Armored divisions, • Carrier battle groups• Strategic bombardment wings

of World War I

“The War to End All War”

IdealismReality

“Only the dead have seen the end of war”

of World War IReality

“Only the dead have seen the end of war”

Hope

Renewed effort to limit war as an option

New focus on the Laws of War

Laws of War

The Ultimate Oxymoron?

Arms Control and the Laws of War

Download Slides

Treaties & ProtocolsPrecedents for the Laws of War

Kellogg – Briand Pact (1928) • Renounced war as an instrument of national policy

• Negotiated between • Fran B. Kellogg – US Secretary of State • Aristide Briand – French Foreign Minister

• Ultimately 62 nations signed the agreement

• Failed in goal of preventing war • First Violation: Japan in Manchuria (1931)

• Served as basis for concept of crime against peace • Nuremburg Trails (1945-1949)

• Still in force


Geneva Convention (1928) • Prohibit Use of Gas and Biological Methods of War

Geneva Convention (1929) • Treatment of Prisoners of War

Geneva Convention (1949) • I: Care of Sick and Wounded in the Field

• II: Care of Sick, Wounded and Shipwreck at Sea

• III: Treatment of Prisoners of War

• IV: Protection of Civilians in War


Geneva Convention (1975) • Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction

Arms Limitation

Can be considered almost a separate branch of the Laws of War

Attempts to limit or ban entirely certain weapons

First Arms Limitation?

Crossbow

By 11th & 12th centuries, crossbows could penetrate armor of knights.

Threaten to upset the balance of power:

• Semi-skilled peasants could anonymously kill gentlemen

First Arms Limitation?

Crossbow

Banned by Pope Innocent II for use in killing Christians.

• Second Lateran Council 1139

First Arms Limitation

“We prohibit under anathema that murderous art of crossbowmen and archers, which is hateful to God, to be employed against Christians and Catholics from now on.”

Second Lateran CouncilCanon 29

Pope Innocent II

EWTN: The Global Catholic Networkhttp://www.ewtn.com/library/COUNCILS/LATERAN2.HTM

Arms Limitation

Interest in arms limitation increased as war has become come mechanized and weapons more deadly and expensive

Arms LimitationEarly Attempt

St. Petersburg Declaration of 1868“The Contracting Parties engage mutually to renounce, in case of war among themselves, the employment by their military or naval troops of any projectile of a weight below 400 grammes, which is either explosive or charged with fulminating or inflammable substances. “

Intent: Ban the use of fragmentation, explosive, or incendiary small arms ammunition. (Wikipedia)

Signatories: Austria-Hungary, Bavaria, Belgium, Denmark, France, the United Kingdom, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Persia, Portugal, the North German Confederation (i.e., Greater Prussia), Russia, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Turkey (i.e.,the Ottoman Empire), and Württemberg.

Only binding during war between signatories.

US not invited (not considered a major power at the time), took no part in convention, never ratified it.

Arms LimitationModern Controversy

Just because you are not a signatory, should you still abide by a humanitarian arms limitation treaty?


Weapon: .50 cal McMillan Tactical Sniper Rifle

Bullet: Raufoss Round

http://www.eme421.com/50calmac.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raufoss_Mk_211


Video: Canadian Snipers

Afghanistan

Video

Arms Limitation

Washington Naval Treaty (1922)

• Response to post WW I naval building programs

• Limited tonnage, armament on capital ships and aircraft carriers• Five major naval powers

• US, Britain, Japan, France, Italy

Arms LimitationWashington Naval Treaty (1922)

Limits on capital ships • US: 525,000 tons

• Britain: 525,000 tons

• Japan: 315,000 tons

• France: 175,000 tons

• Italy: 175,000 tons

No capital ship could exceed 35,000 tons

Ratio 5 : 5 : 3 : 1.7 :1.7

Armament Limitation: 16-inch guns maximum


Limits on aircraft carriers • US: 135,000 tons

• Britain: 135,000 tons

• Japan: 81,000 tons

• France: 60,000 tons

• Italy: 60,000 tons

Each nation could have two carriers up to 33,000 tons; remaining carriers limited to 27,000 tons each.

Armament Limitations: 8-inch guns (max of 8 per ship)


Other Limits: • All other ships limited to

• 10,000 tons each (no limit on total tonnage)

• 8-inch guns or less


Impact of Treaty: • Navies modified existing capital ships

• Unusual designs evolved (treaty battleships, treaty cruisers) to remain within tonnage restrictions

• US built no battleships 1918-1937

• US concentrated on cruisers, aircraft carriers

Treaty Battleships

HMS NelsonDisplacement: 33,950 tons Main Armament: nine 16-inch guns

Displacement: 35,000 tons Main Armament: nine 16-inch gunsUSS North Carolina

Post-Treaty:

Treaty Cruisers

Displacement: 9,000 tons Main Armament: nine 8-inch gunsUSS Northampton CA-26

USS Baltimore CA-68WW II cruiser: more secondary armament

Displacement: 15,500 tons

Post-Treaty:

Battle Cruisers

USS Lexington CC-1Displacement: 43,500 tons Main Armament: eight 16-inch guns

Aircraft Carriers

USS Lexington CV-2

1929USN photohttp://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-l/cv2.htm

Note: 8 in. guns


Aircraft Carriers

USS Lexington CV-2

Oct 1941USN photohttp://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-l/cv2.htm

Note: 5 in. guns

Aircraft Carriers

USS Lexington CV-2

USS Essex CV-9

Displacement: 35,000 tons (wartime)


Significance of Treaties

Little impact on World War II• No use of poison gas

: still happened

Exam 1 - Lessons 1-9

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Exam 1

Covers lessons 1 - 9

Similar in format to quizzes

Should take 30-45 minutes… if you have been keeping up!

There will be a lecture following

Lesson 11

WW II -- Global War, Global Strategy

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Thesis

The grand scope of World War II was determined by a battle you never heard of fought before the war in Europe began.

Lesson Objectives

• Be able to recount the chains of events that led to the opening of hostilities in Europe and Asia in the 1930's.

• Understand the genesis and significant features of the strategies of each major combatant: • Germany and Japan • Britain, France, Soviet Union, U.S.

• Be able to recount and discuss the major events in World War II through the end of 1941.

• Understand the role of the advances in military technology since the end of The Great War on the events of the first two years of World War II.

End

Influences on World War II

Versailles Treaty


Great Depression

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Lesson 9 The Interwar Years: Preparing for the Next War

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