Axis Background Guide · 1938- Hitler has annexed the Sudetenland (a major portion of Czechoslovakia) on ethnic grounds. The majority of the population in Sudetenland is German. This

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AKAHMUN 2014

Axis Background Guide

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Table of Contents

Introduction - 4

Background to the Time Frame - 5

Character Description - 9

Suggested References - 17

Bibliography – 18

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Dear Delegates,

We take immense pleasure in welcoming you all to the Axis Cabinet being simulated here at

AKAHMUN 2014. You have been chosen because you possess the ability, talent and

integrity to further the motives of the mighty Nazi empire, which has promised to conquer the

European continent under the leadership of Führer Hitler. Hail Hitler!

It is 15th October, 1938 – one of the most defining periods in the history of the world. Hitler

has annexed Sudetenland after an agreement with France and Britain at the Munich

Conference. Though Hitler has conceded to the terms of the agreement, which state that he

shall conquer no more land, he holds very strongly, the ultimate desire to conquer the

European continent. Thus, we meet today to further the aims of our beloved Führer. We have

our allies from all over Europe - Germany, Italy, Hungary, Japan, Bulgaria and Finland. This

Cabinet demands that delegates are thorough with their foreign policy and the historical

period the cabinet is set in. The functioning of this committee will require not only the

knowledge of European foreign policies, but also the individual policies you, as the most

influential politicians of the period, hold.

We urge you all, to conduct your research conscientiously. Only then, will you be able to

conduct yourself properly and ensure the success of the Axis powers. Do not restrict yourself

to this study guide because while it is a platform for you to begin your research, it does not

contain enough information to fully prepare you for committee. Furthermore, although we

suggest that you come well-prepared with an understanding of your policy, it is equally

important that you research that of the various people represented in the Cabinet.

Even though both Binoy and I have different backgrounds and rarely meet common grounds

in terms of our interests, we promise to leave no stone unturned in making this cabinet a great

success. We at all times will try our level best to help you deepen your understanding of this

crucial period in History and in return also learn a lot from you. We look forward to three

days filled with passionate debate, high drama, lots of laughter and cherishable memories.

Best

Aashish Dhammani (Director)

Binoy Pattharwala (Assistant Director)

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Important note to the Delegates: Knowledge from the period 1930-1937 will not be our agenda

in force, but the Chair would highly smile upon the delegates possessing pre-1938 knowledge

as it might influence our idea of the time frame which is in order: 15th of October 1938. The

Chair would highly recommend that you research the background of this committee from

Treaty of Versailles (1919) onwards. Yet, do not forget our committee focuses on post 1938

proceedings only. You are also expected to be thorough with the characters that you have been

assigned and to place yourself into their boots to make your presence more significant in this

cabinet. This committee will not tolerate anachronisms.

Introduction

During the 1930s, Nazi Germany and fascist Italy became increasingly belligerent in their

foreign policies- Germany within Europe and Italy in Africa. Since then, the world has

experienced a chaotic history and numerous paradigm shifts. The repercussions of the Great

War were faced by Germany, who after facing immense humiliation, promised to rise. This

was later termed as “The Rise of Extremism”. The economic hardships and national

humiliation drove the Germans to elect Adolf Hitler as the Chancellor of Germany. He

promised to restore the national pride and prosperity and re-establish the supremacy of the

Aryan race [1]. He wanted to bring a change to the position of Germany on the international

platform and prove himself as the rightful dictator of Europe in history.

After coming to power, Hitler began planning for the conquest of the European continent. Thus,

Hitler formed an alliance with the equally powerful Benito Mussolini (fascist dictator in Italy).

In due course of time, various events moulded the casket of Europe (filled with bloodshed and

extreme chaos) significantly, destabilizing the balance of power in the early 20th Century.

The post-war memories are fresh and cause great tremors, till date. It is the 15th of October

1938- Hitler has annexed the Sudetenland (a major portion of Czechoslovakia) on ethnic

grounds. The majority of the population in Sudetenland is German. This gave Hitler strong

grounds on which to demand Sudetenland. The Allied powers are in great worry, as the Axis

powers have posed a great threat to their existence and working. The aim of this cabinet

[1]Willmott, H. P., Robin Cross, and Charles Messenger. World War II. 2nd ed. New York: DK Pub.,

2009. Print. (p.g. 10)

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hereafter will be to undertake all possible measures to further Hitler’s motives and ensure the

victory of the Axis powers.

On an informal note: The framework is in the form of a timeline, which makes the series of

events easier to understand.

Background to the Time Frame

1919

The European economy after November 1918 was in ruins and the social structure was severely

disrupted. The peace treaties did not seem to bolster the development of the economy either.

Hence, the “peacemakers” of the world had some crucial decisions to make. This led to

formulation of the Treaty of Versailles on 28th June, 1919. The Treaty was drawn up by three

statesmen (in the Versailles Palace, Paris): Georges Clemenceau (French Prime Minister),

David Lloyd George (British Prime Minister) and Woodrow Wilson (President of the United

States). The Germans were not invited to discuss the terms of the treaty. This treaty was thus

condemned by the Germans and was termed diktat (dictated peace). It held Germany solely

responsible for the war under Article 231 - the war guilt clause. The clause clearly stated that,

"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.” Germany was forced to pay

reparations, disarm their forces and demilitarize their colonies. They lost control over all their

African colonies.

The Treaty of Versailles also established a common body as an international platform for

discussion- The League of Nations. This body was established in accordance with Wilson’s 14

points. Though Wilson didn’t obtain the agreement of the other two parties on many of his

points, he managed to gain agreement to set up the League. The biggest failure of the League,

though, was the United States’ inability to join or even ratify the Versailles treaty. The turmoil

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exacerbated when Germany and Soviet Union [2] were excluded from the member list of the

League.

Meanwhile, the Italian government was preparing to welcome a saviour - Benito Mussolini,

who formed the Italian Fascist Party and took charge of Italy. [3] Additionally, the introduction

of the right-wing fascism caused the downfall of the republic in Italy.

1921

A Reparations Commission was set up that directed Germany to pay a total of €6,600 million

as fine for the instigation of the Great War. The rise of political extremism in Italy, aided the

rise of Mussolini, creating radical programs and promising to restore national pride. In

Germany, the German Workers’ Party was renamed as the Nazi Party. Hitler was now officially

the leader of the party. The Nazi Party, with Hitler’s ideology of the reconstruction of Germany,

aimed to restore the lost prestige of Germany.

1925-26

The failure of the Munich-Beer hall putsch [4] and the subsequent imprisonment of Hitler gained

him a popular fan following because of which he soon became a national icon. While in the

prison, Hitler dictated his autobiographical manifesto, Mein Kampf, to his loyal follower

Rudolf Hess. This was later published in 1925.

Hitler wanted a compensation for the ill-treatment done to Germany at the Treaty of Versailles;

thus Germany was added to the League of Nations in 1926.

[2] Present day Russian Federation [3] This happened later in 1922. [4] Refer to the following website for more information

<http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/58410/Beer-Hall-Putsch>

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1929-30

In the global scenario, the year 1929 was referred to as the year of “Great Depression”. The

United States’ stock market majorly crashed, leaving the world economy shaken and causing

economic stalemate. The effect on Germany was devastating more than ever [5].

Later in 1930s, the Nazi Party became the second largest party in Germany and was famous

for the leadership of Hitler. Hitler began using propaganda as a means to spread the motives of

the party throughout Germany.

1933

On January 30, 1933 Hitler became the Chancellor of Germany immediately turning his

attention towards three foreign policies, which he thought would help him restore national

prestige. His policies included:

1) Lifting the military restrictions on Germany, as posed by the Treaty of Versailles.

2) Restoring Germany to its rightful place in Europe and the annexation of German speaking

Austrian land and Czechoslovakian Sudetenland.

3) Expansion of German boundaries towards Poland and Soviet Russia.

By this time France and Britain both had lost their military means, economic standards and

morale to fight Hitler’s regime. The turning point in the fate of Germany came with the burning

down of Reichstag (the German parliament). The Nazi’s used this fire as a pretext to suspend

the civil liberties of people and mould the election campaign according to their own interests.

All this was followed by Germany’s exit from the League of Nations.

[5] For detailed and further reading look up:

<http://alphahistory.com/nazigermany/the-great-depression/>

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1935 onwards

Hitler, before coming into power, was bent upon destroying the Treaty of Versailles, seeking

revenge and conquering back the lost German lands. He constantly violated the Treaty of

Versailles on a number of occasions.

1. Remilitarization of Rhine in 1936: In 1936, Britain and France were both

economically weak and felt that any action against German forces would require

prodigious amount of funds. Thus, they didn’t prevent remilitarisation of the

region. Though, Hitler was anxious about the outcome, the inaction of the Allies

empowered him to think of further European conquests.

2. Anschluss with Austria in 1937: Anschluss in German means political annexation,

which was Germany’s biggest motive of annexing Austria and adding it to the Nazi

empire. Austria was annexed into the German Third Reich on 12th March, 1938.

On a rampage to acquire the German land and slaughter the Treaty of Versailles, Hitler reached

Sudetenland. Sudetenland was a German dominated part of Czechoslovakia. Hitler had been

trying to annex Sudetenland in order to:

1. Acquire Lebensraum (living space)

2. Reunite the Germans

Hitler claimed that the Sudeten Germans were being deprived of their rights and mistreated.

This led to riots and curfews demanding the annexation of Sudetenland. The President of

Czechoslovakia, Edward Benes, was highly reluctant to give in to the German demands of

unifying Germany with Sudetenland. In response, Hitler sent German troops to the border,

compelling the Czechs to dispatch an attack on the troops, thus exacerbating the situation.

However, looking at Hitler’s demands, Neville Chamberlain (Prime Minister of Britain) and

Edouard Daladier (Prime Minister of France) began negotiating with Hitler to avert a war,

which none of the nations were prepared for. This resulted in Munich Conference, where

Britain, France, Germany and Italy were the only parties present. Benes (The president of

Czechoslovakia) had resigned before the conference took place. The outcome of this

conference was that Sudetenland was given to Hitler on a condition that he will make no further

territorial demands in Europe. This policy of conceding to the demands of the other party

(Hitler) was termed as “appeasement”. Appeasement was a diplomatic policy of political

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concession where British Prime Minister agreed to Hitler’s demands in order to avert a war.

The Allies were proud to have averted a war and ensured European pacifism. Little, do they

know that the Axis powers are bent upon achieving absolute authority over Europe.

This committee allows each country to share their current sentiments on these recent events

(through delegate representatives) and try to come to consensus on decisions that will shape

the future of Europe.

Character Descriptions

Heinrich Himmler

Joseph Goebbels

Heinrich Himmler was Reichsführer of the

Schutzstaffel (SS), a military commander, and a

leading member of the Nazi Party (NSDAP)

of Nazi Germany.

Joseph Goebbels was born in 1897. Goebbels

was Hitler’s Minister of Propaganda and one of

the most important and influential people

in Nazi Germany. He had not served in the

German Army during the Great War, as he was

disabled by a clubbed foot, which hindered his

ability to walk. Goebbels was given the task of

building up Nazi support in Berlin.

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Joachim Von Ribbentrop

Rudolf Hess

Alfred Jodl

Joachim von Ribbentrop was a German

diplomat and foreign minister under the Nazi

regime. Ribbentrop met Adolf Hitler in 1932

and joined the National Socialist Party the

same year, becoming the Führer’s chief

adviser on foreign affairs after the Nazi

accession to power. Ribbentrop maintained

himself only through Hitler’s backing.

After hearing Adolf Hitler speak in a small

Munich beer hall, Hess joined the Nazi Party

on July 1st, 1920. Hess was arrested and

imprisoned along with Hitler at Landsberg

prison. While in prison, Hess took dictation for

Hitler's book, Mein Kampf. On April 21st,

1933, he was made Deputy Führer, a

figurehead position with mostly ceremonial

duties.

Alfred Jodl, German General, was head of the

armed forces and operations staff. Served as

Head of the Department of National Defence

in the war ministry from 1935. He became a

key figure in Hitler’s central

military command and was involved in

implementing all of Germany’s campaigns.

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Martin Bormann

Benito Mussolini

Victor Emmanuel III of Italy

Martin Bormann was a powerful party leader

in Nazi Germany, one of Adolf Hitler’s closest

Lieutenants. In 1933, he became Chief of Staff

to the deputy Führer, Rudolf Hess. He

controlled all acts of legislation and all party

promotions and appointments, and he had a

broad influence on domestic policy questions

concerning internal security.

Italian dictator Benito Mussolini rose to power in the

wake of the Great War as a leading proponent of Fascism.

He condemned the Great War as workers being forced to

fight other workers while the factory bosses got richer at

their expense. A mortar bomb wounded him in February

1917 and this put an end to his military service. Mussolini

allied himself with Hitler, relying on the German dictator

to prop up his leadership.

When an anarchist assassinated his father (in July

1900 in Monza), Victor Emmanuel succeeded his

father. When Italy emerged from the Great War

impoverished and torn, Victor Emmanuel III came

to be a tool used in forestalling the rise of

Bolshevism.

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Ugo Cavallero

Italo Gariboldi

He was an Italian military commander. He was also a

recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded by

the Third Reich to recognize extreme battlefield bravery

or successful military leadership .Cavallero re-joined the

army for the third and final time in 1937.

Italo Gariboldi was a senior officer in the

Italian Royal Army (Regio Esercito). He was

awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross by

German Führer Adolf Hitler, for his leadership of

Italian forces in the Battle of Stalingrad

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Galeazzo Ciano

Hirohito

Mitsumasa Yonai

A Great War hero in the Royal Italian Navy, founding

member of the National Fascist Party and re-organizer of

the Italian Merchant Marine in the 1920s. On April 24th,

1930, he married Benito Mussolini's daughter Edda

Mussolini, with whom he soon left for Shanghai, where he

served as Italian Consul. Back in Italy, a few years later

(in 1936), he became the Minister of Press

and Propaganda.

Hirohito (1901-1989) was the Emperor of Japan since

1926. He took over at a time of rising democratic

sentiment. Japan attacked nearly all of its Asian

neighbours and allied itself with Nazi Germany.

Hirohito later portrayed himself as a virtually powerless

constitutional monarch.

He was an Admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy,

and politician. As, Navy Minister, Yonai was alarmed

by the growing tension between Japan and Great

Britain and the United States, at a time when the bulk

of the Imperial Japanese Army was tied down in an

apparently unending quagmire in China.

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Sadao Araki

Miklós Horthy

Araki Sadao, was a Japanese general, statesman, and a

leader of the Kōdō-ha (Imperial Way) faction, an ultra-

nationalistic group of the 1930s.He was promoted

to Lieutenant general in 1927. He was the choice of

zealous young officers to head a new cabinet. In 1938,

the Prime Minister, Konoe Fumimaro, appointed Araki

Minister of Education in an effort to balance the

growing domination by the Tōseiha.

With the disintegration of the Austro-Hungarian

Empire, Horthy returned to Hungary, where he

successfully led an uprising against the Communist

government of Bela Kun. His forces entered Budapest

in November 1919.

Adolf Hitler hosted Hungarian Regent Miklós Horthy

at Kiel, Germany in an attempt to recruit him to assist

in the aggression against Czechoslovakia; Hitler

offered him Czechoslovakian territory for his help.

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Döme Sztójay

Iván Hindy

Boris-III (The Tsar)

After the war, Sztójay served in Admiral Miklós

Horthy’s counter-revolutionary army, specializing in counter-

espionage. After Horthy became Regent of Hungary, Sztójay

was promoted to General and served as a military

attaché in Berlin from 1925 to 1933. From 1933 to 1935,

Sztójay served in the Ministry of Defence. In 1935, Prime

Minister Gyula Gömbös named Sztójay as

Hungarian Ambassador to Germany. Sztójay formed strong

ties with the Third Reich and often voiced support for German

policies to his superiors in Hungary.

In the era of the Hungarian Soviet Republic, he was

sent into temporary retirement. After its collapse in

February 1920 and the restoration of the Kingdom of

Hungary, he was ordered back by March 1st, as the new

army leadership to active duty and was in 1929,

a Major . In 1934, he was promoted to Lieutenant

Colonel.

He was the King of Bulgaria from 1918, who, during the

last five years of his reign, headed a thinly veiled

royal dictatorship. Boris’s marriage to Princess Giovanna

of Italy (1930) temporarily cemented Bulgarian-Italian

relations, but during the late 1930s he passed more into the

German orbit and sought rapprochement with Yugoslavia.

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Risto Ryti

Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim

Closing Remarks: Hitler once said, “Any alliance whose purpose is not the intention to wage

war is senseless and useless”. It is time that we come together and make the most of this

opportunity and ensure the victory of this Cabinet.

Heil Hitler!

Heil, mein Führer!

Sieg heil!

In the politics of the 1930s, Ryti was an important

background figure. His social policy was two-minded.

Ryti opposed work programmes for

the unemployed and spending on assistance for poor.

Ryti participated in the activities of the League of

Nations as a member of many committees dealing with

economic questions and monetary policy.

Finnish military leader and conservative Statesman, who

served as country’s conservative aristocrat and monarchist,

Mannerheim assumed command of the “White” (anti-

Bolshevik) forces, in January 1918. Hoping to win back some

territory regarded by some as historically Finnish, Finland

successfully joined Nazi Germany.

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Suggested References

<http://www.history.co.uk/study-topics/history-of-ww2/nazi-germany>

<http://alphahistory.com/nazigermany/the-great-depression/>

<http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/58410/Beer-Hall-Putsch>

Refer to World War II by H. P.Willmott and Robin Cross (Willmott, H. P., Robin Cross, and

Charles Messenger. World War II. 2nd ed. New York: © DK Pub., 2009. Print.)

Refer to Mastering Modern World History by Norman Lowe (Lowe, Norman. Mastering

Modern World History. Third ed. Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1997. Print.)

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Bibliography

*Willmott, H. P., Robin Cross, and Charles Messenger. World War II. 2nd ed. New York: ©

DK Pub., 2009. Print.

*Lowe, Norman. Mastering Modern World History. Third ed. Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1997.

Print.

<http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/58410/Beer-Hall-

Putsch><http://alphahistory.com/nazigermany/the-great-

depression/><http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_Himmler#CITEREFManvellFraenkel20

07><http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/joseph_goebbels.htm><http://www.britannica.com

/EBchecked/topic/502062/Joachim-von-

Ribbentrop><http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/biographies/apr-hess-

cal.htm><http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/304372/Alfred-Jodl>

<http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/362528/Carl-Gustaf-Mannerheim>

<http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/74204/Boris-III>

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Risto_Ryti>

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%A9za_Lakatos>

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iv%C3%A1n_Hindy>

<http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/31978/Araki-Sadao>

<http://www.firstworldwar.com/bio/horthy.htm> <http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/hirohito>

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsumasa_Yonai> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italo_Gariboldi>

<http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Galeazzo_Ciano.html>

<http://modern_italy.enacademic.com/443/Victor_Emmanuel_III>

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ugo_Cavallero>

<http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/74248/Martin-Bormann>

<http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/benito-mussolini>

*Image Courtesy: ©Google Images.