STUDY GUIDE: JCC ALLIED

CABINET July 1938

1.   Letter from Chair Dear Delegates, Welcome to the Allied Cabinet of the Joint Crisis Committee (JCC) of UNIS 2016! This committee will begin in July 1938, one of the most turbulent times in all of history. Adolf Hitler, a man who no one quite knows or understands, has risen to power in Germany and has slowly but steadily been restoring Germany back to its former glory. As of now a policy of appeasement seems like the path to follow for the Allied powers in Europe, however the question remains, does this man simply want equality for the Germans or is he hell-bent on revenge for all the devastation that has been caused in his homeland. It is up to you, the most influential leaders in all of Europe, to understand, assess and react to the situation at present. Every decision you make will have far reaching consequences that could affect the entire world. A simple sentence could mean the difference between peace and war. Each and every one of you has the power to alter the course of history, so use it wisely. It is vital that every delegate conduct their own research as thoroughly as possible, as it is only armed with information, that you will be able to conduct yourself properly in a committee as important as this one. The study guide is intended simply as a starting point to your research. It is deliberately kept short, merely an introduction for those who are unfamiliar with the topic. Further research, whether through the internet, books or even documentaries is an absolute necessity. A word of caution while using the internet; please ensure that any information researched is from a reliable source, and keep in mind that many sources may be biased towards a particular point of view. Also remember that everything researched pre-July 1938 can be considered fact and anything after that date has not occurred and cannot be mentioned in committee.

If at any point (during your research or even the conference itself) you have any queries, please feel free to contact me or one of your Deputy Chairs (Diva Jhaveri, Sumee Chohan and Sidhant Shah). We will all be more than happy to help you.

Delegates, Good Luck to you all!

Regards,

Akshay Shah

Chair of the Allies in the JCC UNIS 2016

2.   Introduction: Prior events to the current topic explain why the tensions are currently so high. The great depression affected different countries in different ways. The USA wanted to focus on rebuilding the American economy while the British and French faced financial and economic turmoil. Germany on the other hand had a new leader with very radical views, Adolf Hitler. Hitler both left the League of Nations and violated the Treaty of Versailles just a year after coming into power, marching into the Rhineland and annexing Austria. The unification was referred to as the ‘Anschluss.’ The agreement between Mussolini and Hitler in 1936 to work together created concern for France and Britain, who still felt the wounds of the previous World War. The world hinges on the prospect of a possible second World War, and its up to you, the delegates of representing the Allied powers to stop Germany and Other Axis powers from starting the war all over again. Committee will begin in July 1938, where allied countries are apprehensive due to the rise of Hitler and the Italian fascism led by Mussolini.

3.   Background Information i) World War I: On 28th July, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia and just a week later the Germany joined forces with Austria-Hungary. This marked the beginning of the first World War between the Allies and the Central Powers. The Allies – France, Britain, Russia (and later the USA) were at war with Germany and Austria-Hungary (Central Powers). Much of the war saw a deadlock in the western regions. Initially the German army was quick and tried to clear France entirely with a single attempt, however the German forces were finally brought to a standstill by the French Army near the River Marne. The front line was established at that point and didn’t see much movement for 3 successive years. Each attempt to break the deadlock resulted in casualties, seen both in the Battle of Verdun and Sommer. As troops were increasingly weakened due to the casualties, both sides looked for Allies to break the stalemate. However, despite adding nations such as Bulgaria to the Allied bloc, along with Italy and Romania to the Central Powers, the war did not end. It took American intervention to finally put a stop to Germany’s regime. The Americans initially got involved due to the German U-boat campaign. These submarines would sink any shipments entering Britain in order to weaken the British forces. Some of these shipments originated in the USA, so the American government responded by declaring war on the Germans, which greatly strengthening the Allied forces. Since the American reinforcements required time to reach Europe, the Germans tried to invade Paris quickly in their last pre-eminent assault in the west. They were greeted with success until the American reinforcements were ready to rebut. By August 1918

the Allied forces made a crucial development against the Central Powers and the German officials concluded that they were defeated. An agreement of Peace was decided on 11th November, this was entitled the Armistice. ii) History of Alliances and Post-War Treaties: The Alliances made in World War I were clear. Germany, Italy and Austria-Hungary were in union against Britain, France, USSR, Poland and the USA. Many other countries seemingly joined each side, but were insignificant in the context of World War II. There were several treaties signed during the aftermath of the First World War. For example, the treaty of St. Germain signed with Austria in 1919, and it dictated that Austria lost the South Tyrol and huge areas of of land to the three new states. (Czechoslovakia, Poland and Yugoslavia) It further stated that Austria could not seek unification with Germany. The effect of the treaty saw the Austrian army be reduced to just 30,000 men and Austria was reduced to a small mountainous country of around 6.5 million people, a third of which stayed in Vienna. The treaty of Trianon was signed in 1920 with Hungary and like the treaty of St. Germain saw many territories being handed over to the new states. Almost two-third of Hungary was given to Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and Romania. The effects of this treaty also saw the population drop of 18 million to 9 million and the Hungarian army was limited to a menial 35,000 men. The most important treaty that was drawn up in the aftermath of the first World War was the Treaty of Versailles. The treaty was drawn up mainly by France, Britain and the USA with minimal or almost no participation from Germany. The treaty, negotiated between January and June 1919 in Paris. Originally France wanted to dismember Germany to make it impossible for the Germans to ever attack France again however, The USA and the British believed that this may cause an uproar within Germany and lead to another War after peace was initiated. A major clause in the Treaty created the League of Nations and had The League Covenant (rules of the League). France and Britain wanted control of all the colonies that belonged to Germany and Turkey, however the US believed that they should come under the League’s mandate. The final decision saw the three victorious states divide and take control of the colonies, however it was ‘on behalf of the League of Nations.’ Britain and France grew stronger and continued to strengthen their empires by securing more mandates (colonies were termed as mandates). The treaty of Versailles imposed many restrictions on Germany. The new borders specified for Germany saw multiple changes, including a great deal of land being taken away from them. The specified new boundaries, gave Alsace-Lorraine back to France, substantial eastern districts to Poland, Memel to Lithuania, and large portions of Schleswig to Denmark etc. Moreover, the League of Nations controlled areas such as

the Saarland, where the French had control over the coal-mines and Rhinestone, where troops from the League would be stationed to make sure that no German troops would enter the area. The treaty also prohibited the German troops from obtaining certain weaponry and forced the reduction of the armed forces to low levels. There were financial obligations the Germans had to take upon, for the reparation of damage caused during the war. The Allies finally evacuated the Rhineland in 1930. Germany violated many disarmament provisions of the Treaty during the 1920s, and Hitler denounced the treaty altogether in 1935. iii) The last few years and current situation The establishment of the League of Nations: The idea of a League of Nations was discussed by American, British and French Politicians during the First World War, as an organization that would prevent further war. The League officially began its work in January 1920 when the Treaty of Versailles came into effect. The American President, Woodrow Wilson, was extremely keen to have an effective, operational League of Nations, however as he was an idealist his vision for the League was far too utopic. The plan was that the it would bring peace to the world through a system called “Collective security”, meaning that members of the league would act together to punish and stop any country that attacked another state. This punishment could be either economic sanctions: a ban on trade with an aggressor country; or military action: the use of war. The organization of the League: All decisions in the League of Nations were taken by the Council. This small group was dominated by a few powerful countries (Britain, France, Italy and Japan) who were permanent members. Other countries took it in turns to have temporary membership of the Council. Initially USA was expected to be a leading member of the league however after a disagreement between President Wilson and the US Senate, in 1920 the Senate refused to allow USA to join the league, thus carrying on their strong tradition of “isolationism”. The absence of one of the strongest countries in the world greatly weakened the authority of the new League. In order for any action to be passed by the League Council, the decision had to be unanimous. This made decision making for the Council extremely difficult. There was also a League Assembly, where all the member states could send representatives. This Assembly could discuss any problem of the world however it had very little power and hence was also ineffective.

Timeline of Events

1920 Jan. The Nazi Party is formed, with Hitler giving emotional speeches between February and March.

1921 July 29. As an effective speaker, Hitler is named leader of the Nazi Party, earning the title derFührer. July. The Chinese Communist Party is founded after a lengthy civil war in Shanghai.

Nov. 21. The Washington Naval Conference takes place in Washington DC, attended by nine countries. Japan later withdraws from the agreements made at the conference.

1922 Apr. 3. The Soviet Communist Party appoints Joseph Stalin as General Secretary. Note: at the height of WWII, Stalin and the Soviets become part of the Allied forces. Sep. 18. Hungary becomes part of the League of Nations. Hungary would later join Germany in World War II against the Soviet Union.

Oct. 28. The Fascists of Italy take control appointing Benito Mussolini as its prime minister.

Dec. 30. Belarus, Russia, South Caucuses, and the Ukraine form the Soviet Union. 1923 Jan. 11. France & Belgium take over the Ruhr area hoping to force Germany to

make reparations for WWI. Nov. 8. Nazis, led by Hitler try to overthrow the German government but fail.

1925 Jan. 21. Lenin dies, paving the way for Joseph Stalin to takeover as leader of the Soviet Union. July 18. Mein Kampf is published. The book is an autobiography written by Adolf Hitler. Mein Kampf reveals the political ideology of Hitler.

Aug. 18. French troops withdraw from Germany. 1926 Apr. 24. The Soviet Union and Germany sign the Treaty of Berlin, which allow

either country to remain neutral if one or the other is attacked by another country. 1927 Apr. 12. The Kuomintang and the Communist Party of China make up the two

factions during the Chinese Civil War. May 20. The United Kingdom gives Saudi Arabia its independence. Saudi Arabia later supplied oil to the Allies during WWII.

1928 June 4. Japanese assassins cause the death of a Manchurian warlord. This increased tensions between China and Japan. Aug. 27. In an attempt to prevent aggressive warfare, the Kellogg-Briand Pact is signed by major powers of the world in Paris. The pact was aimed at preventing the use of force by any one nation against others.

1929 Feb. 9. Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Romania, and the Soviet Union sign theLitvinov’s Pact in Moscow. Those who signed it agreed to denounce war as stated in the Kellogg-Briand Pact. Apr. Persia, modern day Iran, signs the Litvinov’s Pact.

June 7. Italy and Vatican City ratify the Lateran Treaty making Vatican City a sovereign state. Under Pope Pius XII, Vatican City remained neutral during WWII.

1930 April 22. Italy, Japan, the UK, and the USA agree to regulate submarine warfare and shipbuilding by signing the London Naval Treaty. Japan would later renounce their agreement under this treaty.

1931 Sep. 19. Japan invasion of Manchuria signals the beginning of minor fighting of the Second Sino-Japanese War.

1932 Jan. 7. In response to the invasion of Manchuria by Japan, the US issues the Stimson Doctrine, which was meant to prevent expansion of Japan’s territories. Feb. Having been born in Austria, Hitler now receives his German citizenship.

Apr. 10. Germany elects Paul von Hindenburg for president. He played an important role in the rise of Hitler’s Nazi party.

Dec. 3. Kurt von Schleicher is named German Chancellor by Hindenberg. He was later assassinated by order of Hitler in 1934.

1933 Jan. 30. German President Hindenberg appoints Hitler as Chancellor and ousting Von Scleichler. Feb. 28. Hindenberg issues the Reichstag Fire Decree, it nullified many civil liberties of citizens.

Mar. 23. The Enabling Act of 1933 approved by the German government gave Hitler unlimited power. This allowed him to be dictator in Germany.

Mar. 27. Japan leaves the League of Nations. The reason Japan gave for withdrawing was because of accusations made against them regarding Manchuria by the League of Nations..

Apr. 26. The Gestapo is established in Germany to maintain “order” throughout the country and especially during the war. They represent Hitler’s group of enforcers.

May 10. The Nazi Book Burning takes place. Students from university towns marched with torches with the intent of burning “un-German books”. More than 25,000 volumes of those “un-German books” turned into ashes that night.

Oct. 17. Albert Einstein arrives in America as a refugee from Nazi Germany. Before emigrating, he learned that the new regime (Nazi’s) would not allow Jews to hold any government position.

Oct. 19. Germany leaves the League of Nations. 1934 Jan. 26. Poland and Germany agree to sign the ten year German-Polish Non-

Aggression Pact. The pact allowed Germany to maintain an eastern border. Five years after signing the pact, Germany invades Poland without much resistance. June 30-July 2. Political murders known as Operation Hummingbird, or the Night of the Long Knives, is carried throughout Germany and beyond. The action was seen as a purge against those who would politically oppose the ruling Nazi party.

Aug. 2. After a long wait, Hitler receives the Führer of Germany title, making him chancellor and head of state.

Dec. 29. Japan renounces the Washington London Naval Treaties they previously agreed to.

1935 June 18. The German Reich and the United Kingdom reach an agreement regulating the size of their respective navies. This is known as the Anglo-German Naval Agreement (AGNA). Disagreements ensued later that Hitler denounced the agreement.

1936 Mar. 7. Germany violates come contents of the Treaty of Versailles by militarizing the Rhineland. Under the treaty, Allied forces would occupy the Rhineland for fifteen years. July 18. Led by Francisco Franco, the Spanish Civil War Begins. Germany gives support to Franco, who represented the Nationalist faction during the war. Germany was instrumental in many victories for the Nationalists of Spain.

Oct. 25. The Axis Powers or Axis Alliance is formed. Germany signs a treaty with Italy and Japan. The alliance would later be the main antagonists during WWII.

Nov. 25. Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan come to an agreement by signing theAnti-Comintern Pact directed against the communist movement and the Soviet Union.

Dec. 1. The Hitler Youth, a paramilitary Nazi group, expanded to 5 million members. The group makes it mandatory for boys between the age of 10-18 to join.

1937 July 7. Marco Polo Bridge Incident is a battle between the Chinese and Japanese armies and is seen as the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War.

1938 Mar. 13. Nazi Germany completes the Annexation or Anschluss of Austria. Austria was the first country to be annexed by Hitler’s Germany.

4.   Major countries involved and their stands: Britain and France During the 1930s, Britain and France followed a policy of appeasement, that is they gave Hitler what he wanted in order to keep the peace. On the 10th of April, Édouard Daladier became prime minister of France. Chamberlain knew that without help from powerful countries war with Germany was risky. In the first world war, Britain and France fought Germany with allies in Russia, Italy and Japan. Even with these allies Britain and France were only able to defeat Germany when the USA entered the war. In the late 1930’s Britain and France had no powerful allies. If it came to war, they would not be sure of winning. The British people wanted peace - they would not have supported a war in 1938. Britain was not ready for war. They were still suffering from the depression, had large debts and rates of unemployment. Another reason for the policy of appeasement was that many of Hitler's complaints appeared reasonable at the time - especially about the Treaty of Versailles. Chamberlain wanted a strong Germany to serve as a barrier against expansion by communist Russia. Britain's armed forces were not ready for a war, and they could not have helped Czechoslovakia anyway. Many people admired Hitler. In 1938, the American magazine 'Time' declared him 'Man of the Year’. Both Britain and France remembered the slaughter of the First World War and wished to avoid another on eat any cost, they thought another war would destroy civilization. They saw Hitler as the buffer to the threat of spreading communism. Germany Many Germans believed that the Treaty of Versailles was unfair to Germany. They assumed that once these wrongs were put right Germany would become a peaceful nation again. Germany would stop at nothing from achieving this and hence everyone had faith in Hitler. 12 February — Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg of Austria met Adolf Hitler at Berchtesgaden and, under threat of invasion, was forced to yield to German demands for greater Nazi participation in the Austrian government. 3 March — Sir Neville Henderson, British Ambassador to Germany, presented a proposal to Hitler for an international consortium to rule much of Africa (in which Germany would be assigned a leading role) in exchange for a German promise never to resort to war to change her frontiers; Hitler rejected the British offer. 12 March — Anschluss: German troops occupied Austria, which had a 200,000-strong Jewish population mostly in the capital city Vienna. 13 March - Annexation of Austria by Germany was declared. 5 May — General Ludwig Beck, Chief of the German Army's General Staff, submitted a memorandum to Hitler opposing Fall Grün (Case Green, the plan for a war with Czechoslovakia), under the grounds that Germany was ill-prepared for the world war likely to result from such an attack. 23 May — Temporarily frustrated by the Czechoslovak mobilization and international diplomatic unity in the face of German demands over the Sudetenland, Hitler ordered the Foreign Office to assure the Czechoslovaks that he had no demands on their

territory. The world at large mistakenly believed the crisis was averted. 28 May — In a conference at the Reichs Chancellery, Hitler declared his decision to destroy Czechoslovakia by military force, and ordered the immediate mobilization of 96 Wehrmacht divisions. USSR In September 1934 the Soviet Union suddenly joined the League of Nations. Before that the Soviet government had referred to the League as a ‘gang of robbers’. In 1935 communist parties across the world were ordered to stop trying to organize revolution. Instead they co-operated with any anti-fascist forces. The Soviet foreign minister was Maxim Litvinov. Between 1934 and 1938 he tried to build links with Britain and France, in order to counter the threat from Germany. He was a great believer in the idea of collective security, i.e. by standing together, the countries of Europe could stop German aggression. The policy of appeasement towards Hitler disappointed Litvinov and Stalin and forced them to re-consider the value of a link with Britain and France. Czechoslovakia: There were about 3 million German speakers in Czechoslovakia. They were a large minority in country dominated by Czechs and Slovaks. They were known as Sudeten Germans and were concentrated in the border areas. Nazis were active among the Sudeten Germans. the local Nazi leader Konrad Henlein, led a a political party called the Sudeten German party that received the money from Hitler. Henlein claimed that the Sudeten Germans were not treated fairly. He took part in negotiations with the Czechoslovak government but these got nowhere. Hitler met Henlein on 28th of March 1938 to give him instructions. He told the Sudeten leader to keep making demands that the Czechoslovak government could not possibly accept. By dragging out the negotiations, Hitler hoped to create a crisis over Czechoslovakia. The government of Czechoslovakia looked to Britain and France for help. British leaders had no treaty with Czechoslovakia. The leaders of the British armed services could not see any way that Britain could help. By March 1938 Chamberlin was saying in private that Czechoslovakia could not be saved. France had signed a treaty with the Czechoslovakia in 1925. This said that France would give Czechoslovakia military help if it was attacked by Germany. In April 1938 there was a change of government in France. The new prime minister Daladier was not keen on the idea of going to war with Germany over Czechoslovakia. His Foreign Minister Bonnet, tried to find a way of avoiding war without clearly going back on the promise to Czechoslovakia. Hitler was sure that neither written nor France would intervene if he attacked Czechoslovakia. In April he visited Rome and was told by Mussolini that Italy would support Germany. On 30th May Hitler let his general know and that he had decided to smash Czechoslovakia by military action in the near future. The British and the French governments reacted to the crisis by putting pressure on the Czechoslovaks to make concessions. The British government sent a politician called Lord Runciman to Czechoslovakia in July to try to work out a settlement between the two sides. Runciman and was biased in favor of the Sudeten Germans. He recommended to the

British government that the Sudetenland should be separated from Czechoslovakia. On the 20th of May, 1938, Czechoslovakia mobilized its military. USA Until the late 1930s American spending on defense was very limited. As a result of this the Americans did not have the military strength to match their economic strength. The USA was very rich however in 1937 it spent only 1.5% of national income on defense. By contrast Germany was spending 23.5% of its total income on defense in the same year. The USA was rightly described as a ‘sleeping giant’. As a result of a long-standing policy of isolation, the American Armed Forces were in no position to fight in 1937. The USA had a small standing army, nicely equipped with inefficient, old-fashioned weapons. The American air force was considerably outnumbered by the German and Japanese air forces. The American president, F. D. Roosevelt, hated war. He was also a realistic politician who tried to respond to the mood of the American people. America had been devastated by the depression and the American people were concerned with the need to rebuild their own country. Many Americans were simply not interested in what had happened in the Europe. The Temporary neutrality act was passed in 1935 and was made permanent in 1937, as result of which Chamberlain could expect no help from America in any struggle over Germany. Poland By far the gravest menace to Poland's longevity came from abroad, not from internal weaknesses. The center of Poland's postwar foreign policy was a political and military alliance with France, which guaranteed Poland's independence and territorial integrity. Although Poland attempted to join the Little Entente, the French-sponsored alliance of Czechoslovakia, Romania, and Yugoslavia, Czechoslovak suspicions of Polish territorial ambitions prevented Polish membership. Beginning in 1926, Pilsudski's main foreign policy aim was balancing Poland's still powerful neighbors, the Soviet Union and Germany. Pilsudski assumed that both powers wished to regain the Polish territory lost in World War I. Therefore, his approach was to avoid Polish dependence on either power. Above all, Pilsudski sought to avoid taking positions that might cause the two countries to take concerted action against Poland. Accordingly, Poland signed nonaggression pacts with both countries in the early 1930s. After Pilsudski's death, his foreign minister Józef Beck continued this policy. The failure to establish planned alliances in Eastern Europe meant great reliance on the French, whose enthusiasm for intervention in the region waned markedly after World War I. The Locarno Pact, signed in 1926 by the major West European powers with the aim of guaranteeing peace in the region, contained no guarantee of Poland's western border. Over the next ten years, substantial friction arose between Poland and France over Polish refusal to compromise with the Germans and French refusal to resist Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the early 1930s. The Polish nonaggression treaties with Germany and the Soviet Union resulted from this bilateral deterioration of confidence. The Polish predicament worsened in the 1930s with the advent of Hitler's

openly expansionist Nazi regime in Germany and the obvious waning of France's resolve to defend its East European allies.

5.   Possible solutions Note: These are just a few potential solutions briefly described to get you started, delegates are expected to be flexible and original during committee.

1.   Stop following the policy of appeasement as was followed by France and UK. •   Appeasement, policy of making concessions to the dictatorial powers in

order to avoid conflict, governed Anglo-French foreign policy during the 1930s. It became indelibly associated with Conservative Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and is seen as one of leading causes of the Second World War.

2.   Geneva Protocol should have been implemented by the League of Nations. •   The Geneva Protocol was drawn up by Britain and France in 1924. It

stated that if two members were in dispute they would have to ask the League to sort out the disagreement and would have to accept the councils decision.

3.   Collective security should have been implemented. •   Collective security is a system by which states attempt to prevent or stop

wars. Under a collective security arrangement, an aggressor against any one state is considered an aggressor against all other states, which act together to repel the aggressor.

•   This should have been implemented on japan after invasion of Manchuria

•   On Italy after invasion of Abyssynia •   On germany after annexation of Austria- Anschluss

4.   The League of Nations should enforce disarmament on all concerned nations. •   Limit the size of artillery •   Prohiibt bombing of civilian populations •   Limit tonnage of tanks •   Prohibit chemical warfare •   Abolish planes capable of bombing

5.   Possibility of imposing economic sanctions more effectively. •   On Japan after invasion of Manchuria •   On Italy after invasion of Abyssynia •   This mainly punishes countries- ban oil trade etc.

6.   Encourage trade links between countries. •   Help rebuild the industry •   This will increase employment •   Increase international trade •   Increase profits

•   Thus a cycle to help all concerned countries with growth post depression.

7.   The treaties to be followed by the League of Nations could be amended as seen fit by concerned nations in committee.

8.   The League should have had more decentralization of power, since Britain and France (main superpowers) worked only for their own personal gain and interests.

•   For example the policy of appeasement ended in these two countries not following the aforementioned treaties and allowing the annexation of maultiple territories by surrounding nations without any retaliation.

9.   The League should take decisions more quickly- like Hitler did- instead of meeting too infrequently, thus not acting as a unified unit and this could have caused the strength of the League to weaken significantly.

10.  Lack of military troops- countries part of the League should be prepared to sanction troops to fight on behalf of the League.

11.  It is important to include important countries as part of the League to ensure sanctions are maximally imposed across the concerned territories.

6.   Delegates and their stands (portfolio powers italicized) Edvard Beneš: Edvard Beneš was born in Bohemia on 28th May 1884, at the time a province of Austria-Hungary. In 1912, he taught at the Charles University of Prague, and from 1916 to 1918 he was a Secretary of the Czechoslovak National Council in Paris and Minister of the Interior and of Foreign Affairs of the province. His political ideal saw the Czechs and Slovaks working together for a common Czechoslovakia, and with this vision he was a strong organizer of Czechoslovakians abroad. Between 1918 and 1935, he was the Foreign Minister of Czechoslovakia, and from 1920 to 1925 and again from 1929 to 1935 he was a member of the Parliament. In 1935 he became the President of Czechoslovakia. The Constitution explicitly assigns to the president the power to sign or veto legislation, command the armed forces, ask for the written opinion of his Cabinet, convene or adjourn Congress, grant reprieves and pardons, and receive ambassadors. Emil Hácha: Emil Hácha was born in Prague on 12th July 1872 and studied law at the University of Prague. He became a politician with the Country Committee of the Kingdom of Bohemia in Prague. He was appointed a judge at the Supreme Administrative Court in Vienna in 1918, then in the next year deputy president of the court.

Power to form/prescribe rules of procedure to be followed by the lower courts of the state Paul Reynaud: Reynaud was born in France on Oct. 15th 1878. He entered politics and was elected to the French Chamber of Deputies from 1919 to 1924, and again from 1928. Although he was first elected as part of the conservative bloc in 1919, Reynaud shortly thereafter switched his allegiance to the centre-right Democratic Republican Alliance party, later becoming its Vice-president.

In the 1920s, Reynaud developed a reputation for laxity on German reparations, at a time when many in the French government backed harsher terms for Germany. In the 1930s during the Great Depression, particularly after 1933, Reynaud's stance hardened against the Germans at a time when all nations were struggling economically. Reynaud backed a strong alliance with the United Kingdom and, unlike many others on the French Right, better relations with the Soviet Union as a counterweight against the Germans.

Reynaud held several cabinet posts in the early 1930s, but he clashed with members of his party after 1932 over French foreign and defence policy. He was not given another cabinet position until 1938 - as Minister of Finance.

•   Prepare the annual fiscal budget and issue adequate regulations for its execution.

•   Manage government financial assets. •   Propose bills related to the management of government employees,

particularly bills related to staffing, salaries, benefits and pensions. •   Amortize debt and coordinate financial activities carried out within the scope

of its power, for the different ministries and their related entities. •   Participate in the negotiation of international free trade and financial

agreements.

Georges Bonnet: Bonnet was born in France on 23rd July 1889. He studied law and political science then went to work as an auditor. In 1911, he launched a political career

In 1914, Bonnet joined the French Army. During his service in World War I, Bonnet was a much-decorated soldier who won the medal for bravery under fire. In 1919, Bonnet served as a secretary to the French delegation at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919 and wrote a book, that called for widespread social reforms.

Bonnet served in the Chamber of Deputies from 1924 to 1928 and again from 1929 to 1940. He was appointed undersecretary of state in 1925, the first in a series of high ministerial positions throughout the 1920s and 1930s. During his time as in the Chamber, Bonnet was regarded as a leading expert in financial and economic matters. In 1932, Bonnet headed the French delegation at the Lausanne Conference.

In 1933, Bonnet was a prominent member of the French delegation to the London Conference, where he was a leading critic of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's actions during the conference. In 1936, Bonnet emerged as the leader of 18 Radical deputies who objected to their party's participation in the Front Populaire. As a result, the French Premier Léon Blum effectively exiled Bonnet in January 1937 by appointing him Ambassador to the United States, even though Bonnet did not speak English.

On 28 June 1937, Bonnet returned to France when the Premier Camille Chautemps appointed him Finance Minister. As Finance Minister, Bonnet imposed sharp cuts in military spending. Bonnet felt that the costs of the arms race with Germany were such that it was better for France to reach an understanding that might end the arms race than continue to spend gargantuan sums on the military.

Bonnet's cuts in military spending led to a clash with War Minister Édouard Daladier. However in January 1938, following the fall of Chautemps's government, Bonnet was appointed Minister of State.

In April 1938, Bonnet was appointed Foreign Minister under Daladier as Premier (despite their quarrel in 1937). In a classic parliamentary system, a foreign minister can potentially exert significant influence in forming foreign policy Édouard Daladier: Édouard Daladier was born in France on 18th June 1884. He entered WW1 as an army private, and by the time the conflict ended he had been promoted to the rank of captain and commanded a company. Between 1924 and 1928, he served in various governmental posts. By the late 1920s, he had been an influential leader of the Radical Party. He became the French Prime Minister between 31 Jan and 26 Oct 1933, and then again, briefly, between 30 Jan and 9 Feb 1934. In 1936, he served as the Minister of War for the Popular Front coalition. On 10 Apr 1938, he became the Prime Minister of France for the third time. Daladier believed that Adolf Hitler's had ambitions to dominate, by force if necessary, all of Europe. The Prime Minister proposes a list of ministers. Decrees and decisions of the Prime Minister, like almost all executive decisions, are subject to the oversight of the

administrative court system. All prime ministers defend the programs of their ministry, and make budgetary choices. Władysław Sikorski: Born on 20th May 1881 in the Austrian-controlled region of Poland, Władysław Sikorski received his early military training in the Austro-Hungarian officer corps. In 1914, he became active in the Polish National Committees military section. He led many troops and commanded many armies during his time.

Following the war, Sikorski served in a variety of governmental positions, including as prime minister. In 1926, however, Sikorski fell from favour and spent much of the 1930s in France and Switzerland.

The Prime Minister proposes a list of ministers. Decrees and decisions of the Prime Minister, like almost all executive decisions, are subject to the oversight of the administrative court system. All prime ministers defend the programs of their ministry, and make budgetary choices. Władysław Anders: Władysław Anders was born in Poland on 11th August 1892. Poland was then part of the Russian Empire. His father, Albert Anders, was of German ethnicity from the Baltic states region; his mother's name was Elizabeth. He studied at the Riga Technical University, and during WW1 he served as a junior officer with the Russian 1st Krechowiecki Lancers Regiment. After the Polish independence, he joined the Polish Army as a cavalry officer.

Lead reconnaissance missions on operations to gather vital information about terrain and enemies.

Clement Atlee Clement Attlee was born in Britain on 3rd Jan 1883, and educated at Oxford. During the 1914-18 War Attlee served in Gallipoli and Mesopotamia, where he was wounded. After recovery he served on the Western Front until the armistice, rising to the rank of Major.

Elected a Labour MP for Limehouse in 1922 he became Parliamentary Secretary (1922-24), and from 1924, Under Secretary of State for War. He led the Labour opposition (in which he is best remembered for his support of the British volunteers fighting in the Spanish Civil war) from 1935 and still continues to do so.

Lord Halifax: Lord Halifax (FN: Edward Frederick Lindley Wood) was born in the UK on 16th April 1881. He was educated at Eton College and University of Oxford. Between 1910 and 1925, he served in the Parliament. During WW1, he served at the rank of major. Between 1922 and 1924, he served as the President of the Board of Education. Between 1924 and 1926, he was appointed the Minister for Agriculture.

Between 1 Apr 1926 and 1931, he served as the Viceroy of India.

He became the Chancellor of Oxford University in 1933. In 1934, he inherited the title Halifax from his father.

Lord Halifax was the Secretary of State for War in 1935, Lord Privy Seal between 1935 and 1937, and the Lord President of the Council between 1937 and 1938. In 1938, he served as the Foreign Secretary. His political view for continental affairs was that of appeasement, having no objections with the German re-armament of Rhineland.

In a classic parliamentary system, a foreign minister can potentially exert significant influence in forming foreign policy.

Neville Chamberlain: Arthur Neville Chamberlain was born in the UK, on 18th March 1869. After university education, he worked for an accounting firm. In 1911, he entered politics at the Birmingham City Council, and in 1915 became the Lord Mayor. In 1916, he became the Director of National Service and managed the labor force in Britain during WW1, but he bumped heads with the Prime Minister and resigned in 1917. He entered Parliament at the age of 49, where he refused a junior ministerial position and knighthood due to his protest of the Lloyd George government. In 1922 he was appointed as the Postmaster General, then later Minister of Health. Chamberlain was promoted to the Chancellor of the Exchequer for one term; at the completion of the term he returned to the role of Minister of Health.

He also worked to improve the debt situation, a legacy of WW1. His efforts to reduce debt, however, were attacked by the likes of Winston Churchill who accused him of undermining the defence expenditure at a time when Adolf Hitler's Germany was undoubtedly preparing for war. In 1937, Chamberlain introduced the National Defence Contribution that taxed excessive profits in the industrial realm, which gathered much opposition against him. Another contribution of Chamberlain during

his second term as Chancellor of the Exchequer was the nationalization of certain old factories and mines that were devastated during the Great Depression. While he meant to protect these industries, the long term effect of the nationalization actually turned out to be one that gave Britain a greater capacity for manufacturing for WW2.

On 28 May 1937, Chamberlain became the Prime Minister. He introduced the Factory Act in 1937 that protected the work force, the Housing Act in 1938 that provided relief in urban overcrowding, and many others that aimed to improve the lives of the commoners.

The Prime Minister proposes a list of ministers. Decrees and decisions of the Prime Minister, like almost all executive decisions, are subject to the oversight of the administrative court system. All prime ministers defend the programs of their ministry, and make budgetary choices. Winston Churchill: Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill was born in UK on the 30th of November 1874. In WW1, Churchill joined the War Council.

In 1924, Churchill joined the Conservative Party once again and returned to politics until 1929. During this time, in the high position of Chancellor of the Exchequer, he attempted to return Britain to the Gold Standard; it was a disaster that resulted in deflation and unemployment. This decision was later regarded by Churchill as one of the worst decisions he had made in his life.

In 1933, Churchill became active in politics again. Later in the 1930s, he highly criticized Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's appeasement policy regarding the increasingly demanding Adolf Hitler, while preaching that Britain should mobilize her military. Churchill had also laid the foundation of an exceptional spy network in Germany; his knowledge of Germany at this time surpassed that of the British Parliament.

At this time, the common British sentiment was to allow Germany to regain its sense of national pride through rearmament, and when the aggression had been appeased, an international disarmament would then take place; many British politicians even viewed Germany as a strong ally to halt the Communist revolutionary expansion. Churchill felt that popular sentiment was wrong, and tried hard to sway the Parliament the other way, and attempted to get the USA to enter the War.

The Prime Minister proposes a list of ministers. Decrees and decisions of the Prime Minister, like almost all executive decisions, are subject to the oversight of the

administrative court system. All prime ministers defend the programs of their ministry, and make budgetary choices. Harry Woodring: Harry Hines Woodring was born in in 1887. He became the American Legion's state commander and that recognition provided him with a base for political candidacy.

Although he was a Democrat in an overwhelmingly Republican state, Woodring managed to defeat his friend and fellow in 1930. Woodring's one term as governor was not marked by any great accomplishments.

For seven years Harry Woodring was a valued member of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's team. Woodring was Assistant Secretary of War for three years and then Secretary of War from 1936 till date.

Head of the war department and responsible for all military affairs.

Franklin Roosevelt: Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born in the United States on 30th Jan 1882. into a privileged family. Frequent trips to Europe made him well versed in German and French. He attended Harvard and Columbia Universities.

Roosevelt became a New York State Senator in 1910.

In Aug 1921, Roosevelt contracted Guillain-Barré syndrome, which left him paralyzed from the waist down.

As the governor of New York 1928, he implemented progressive policies that would provide hints for his future tenure as the president of the country, which came in 1932; he took office in Mar 1933. As the President of the United States, Roosevelt's first challenge was the Great Depression, and his response was the New Deal program, which focused on relief for those in need, reform so that government-backed social programs would protect the well-being of the people, and recovery of the economy via government spending. In 1936, he was elected to his second term in the White House. On the foreign policy front, Roosevelt carefully tried to engage Americans in international politics, but he fought against strong isolationist sentiments.

The Constitution explicitly assigns to the president the power to sign or veto legislation, command the armed forces, ask for the written opinion of his Cabinet, convene or adjourn Congress, grant reprieves and pardons, and receive ambassadors. Cordell Hull: Cordell Hull was born in United States on 2nd Oct. 1871. He became chairman of his county's Democratic Party members in 1890 at the age of 19. From 1893 to 1897 he was a member of the state congress. From 1907 until 1931 he was a member of the United States House of Representatives then from 1930 to 1933 a member of the Senate. On 4 Mar 1933, he was appointed Secretary of State by Franklin Roosevelt. The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President's chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President's foreign policies through the State Department and the Foreign Service of the United States. Maxim Litvinov: He was born on the 17th of July 1876 in Russia. He joined the Russian (SDLP) in 1898 at which time the party was considered an illegal organization.

In 1930, Joseph Stalin appointed Litvinov People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs. A firm believer in collective security, Litvinov worked very hard to form a closer relationship with France and Britain. In 1933, he successfully persuaded the United States to officially recognize the Soviet government. Franklin D. Roosevelt sent a comedian to the Soviet Union as a good-will ambassador, and Litvinov and him became friends. He also actively facilitated the acceptance of the USSR into the League of Nations, where he represented his country from 1934 till date.

Represents the country abroad and participates in talks with foreign delegations on behalf of the soviet government. It also appoints diplomatic officers, and is responsible for taking care of the USSR's economic and political interests abroad. He also helps coordinate soviet military intelligence operations abroad. Vyacheslav Molotov: Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov was born on 25th Feb 1890. He joined the Bolshevik faction of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party in 1906.

After Vladmir Lenin's death, Molotov was a stern supporter of Stalin in the subsequent power struggle. In Dec 1930, he became Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars, in which role he oversaw the collectivization of agriculture that

eventually led to millions of resistant land-owning peasants to labor camps. Over four million people died as a result of Molotov's collectivization efforts. While his agricultural policies were disastrous, his industrial policies fared better. His first Five-Year Plan brought Russian's industrial capability closer to those of Russia's neighbours to the west. During the Great Purge that lasted from 1935 to 1938, Molotov often signed death warrants against Stalin's political enemies.

Laying foundations to restructure the country.

Joseph Stalin: Joseph Stalin was born on 21st December 1879. He joined the Social Democratic Labor Party in 1901. Stalin was arrested in 1913 for his political activities, and exiled to Siberia with a life term. He returned as Tsar Nicholas II's Russian Empire was overthrown. In a conflict within the revolutionary party, Stalin sided Lenin, and was named the Commissar of Nationalities by Lenin as a reward. With this title, Stalin was in charge to manage all the minority groups in Russia, making up 65 million of the nation's population. In April 1922, Stalin was named the General Secretary of the state. Lenins health started deteriorating. The General Secretary, what was meant to be the party leader's spokesperson, became a position of power. Stalin used this new found power to remove party members who opposed him.

During the next few years, Stalin schemed within his own government to remove all those who he did not trust or those who opposed him. It was not until 1928 he started to put effort into developing the nation. In June 1937, after purging the party once again of his political opponents, he purged the army as well, charging commanders of conspiracy, and installing his loyal supporters in charge. Finally, he started removing those closest to him who knew too much about his purges.

Leader of the communist party (at this stage = Leader of the Soviet Union)

Important note:Given the nature of this committee, delegates must understand that any knowledge of the time period 1939-1945 may not be used in committee, for example, the policy of Appeasement, even after the annexation of the Sudetenland was considered valid and extremely applicable. Each delegate is advised to clearly note and represent the opinion of his or her character. This committee will not tolerate anachronisms.

7.   Map of Europe