A night-before-the-exam notes for CIE iGCSE History on “Core
Question 4: Road to War or Why Did The International Peace
Collapse by 1939?”
(includes timeline, spec outline and notes on the causes for 10 markers)
Questions asked by the specification:
They may not be THAT useful, but they make those notes more “official”
Why had international What were the long-term The collapse of international order in the 1930s
peace collapsed by consequences of the peace The increasing militarism of Germany, Italy and Japan
1939? treaties of 1919–23? Hitler’s foreign policy to 1939
– the Saar
– remilitarisation of the Rhineland
– involvement in the Spanish Civil War
– Anschluss with Austria – appeasement
– crises over Czechoslovakia and Poland – the outbreak of war
What were the
consequences of the failures
of the League in the 1930s?
How far was Hitler’s foreign
policy to blame for the
outbreak of war in 1939?
Was the policy of
appeasement justified?
How important was the
Nazi–Soviet Pact?
Why did Britain and France
declare war on Germany in
September 1939?
Timeline of events between 1931-1939 that could have had an impact
on war
It is important to know the dates for some of those events, as 4 mark questions can often
follow a pattern of “by the end of 1935, what did Hitler do to break the terms of the treaty
of Versailles?”
1931 September: Japan invades manchuria
1932 Failure of disarmament conferernce
1933 January: hitler becomes leader
, March: Japan left the league of nations
September: Germany pulls out from the league of nations and starts to openly rearm
1934 Hitler tired to tae over Anschluess, but was stopped by Mussolini
End of disarmament conference
Invasion of the Ruhr by France and belgium
1935 March: hitler introduces conscription in germany
The "freedom to rearm rally"
Franco-soviet pact signing where russia and france promised to protect each other
against nazi Germany
Abyssinian crisis
Saar plebiscite
Britain starts rearming
Naval agreement between Germany and UK
1936 March: Germany invades Rhineland
Japan withdrew from second london disarmament conference cuz US and GB refused
to treat it as their equal
Spanish civil war (1936-1939), nationalist rebels are supported by hitler (used the
conflict to test new techniques in aerial bombing
October: signing of the rome-berlin axis treaty
November: anti-commintern pact between germany and japan
1937 Germany tries lyftwaffe in the Spanish war
Italy signs anti-commintern act that now makes a gang of 3 natinalistic military
buddies: Germany, jaoan, Italy)
Japan invaded china (again)
December: italy leaves the league of nations
1938 March: Anschluss with austria
May: A pact of steel between italy and germany (military alliance)
Anshluss with Austria
October: taking over Sudetenland
1939 End of the spanish war; spain is fascist
August: Nazi-soviet pact
September: Invasion of poland
The events that caused/were some of the reasons why the war broke
out in 1939:
(includes the reasons against their significance as well)
If to take a look at the past papers (CIE Paper 2), the 10 marker question usually has a template “[cause]
was the most significant in war breaking out. How far do you agree?”
This table summarises each of those causes. Also, to achieve top marks in a 10 marker question follow a
2/3 structure: 2 developed paragraphs on one side, and 3 paragraphs on another (so it can be 2 for and 3
against or vice versa with 2 against and 3 for) of the argument. Make sure that your answer is balanced
and you have a cohesive conclusion – it doesn’t matter what side you will choose for the question, as long
as you don’t sit on the fence and can back up your point.
Event Time period Reasons why important + gen info
Question 4: Road to War or Why Did The International Peace
Collapse by 1939?”
(includes timeline, spec outline and notes on the causes for 10 markers)
Questions asked by the specification:
They may not be THAT useful, but they make those notes more “official”
Why had international What were the long-term The collapse of international order in the 1930s
peace collapsed by consequences of the peace The increasing militarism of Germany, Italy and Japan
1939? treaties of 1919–23? Hitler’s foreign policy to 1939
– the Saar
– remilitarisation of the Rhineland
– involvement in the Spanish Civil War
– Anschluss with Austria – appeasement
– crises over Czechoslovakia and Poland – the outbreak of war
What were the
consequences of the failures
of the League in the 1930s?
How far was Hitler’s foreign
policy to blame for the
outbreak of war in 1939?
Was the policy of
appeasement justified?
How important was the
Nazi–Soviet Pact?
Why did Britain and France
declare war on Germany in
September 1939?
Timeline of events between 1931-1939 that could have had an impact
on war
It is important to know the dates for some of those events, as 4 mark questions can often
follow a pattern of “by the end of 1935, what did Hitler do to break the terms of the treaty
of Versailles?”
1931 September: Japan invades manchuria
1932 Failure of disarmament conferernce
1933 January: hitler becomes leader
, March: Japan left the league of nations
September: Germany pulls out from the league of nations and starts to openly rearm
1934 Hitler tired to tae over Anschluess, but was stopped by Mussolini
End of disarmament conference
Invasion of the Ruhr by France and belgium
1935 March: hitler introduces conscription in germany
The "freedom to rearm rally"
Franco-soviet pact signing where russia and france promised to protect each other
against nazi Germany
Abyssinian crisis
Saar plebiscite
Britain starts rearming
Naval agreement between Germany and UK
1936 March: Germany invades Rhineland
Japan withdrew from second london disarmament conference cuz US and GB refused
to treat it as their equal
Spanish civil war (1936-1939), nationalist rebels are supported by hitler (used the
conflict to test new techniques in aerial bombing
October: signing of the rome-berlin axis treaty
November: anti-commintern pact between germany and japan
1937 Germany tries lyftwaffe in the Spanish war
Italy signs anti-commintern act that now makes a gang of 3 natinalistic military
buddies: Germany, jaoan, Italy)
Japan invaded china (again)
December: italy leaves the league of nations
1938 March: Anschluss with austria
May: A pact of steel between italy and germany (military alliance)
Anshluss with Austria
October: taking over Sudetenland
1939 End of the spanish war; spain is fascist
August: Nazi-soviet pact
September: Invasion of poland
The events that caused/were some of the reasons why the war broke
out in 1939:
(includes the reasons against their significance as well)
If to take a look at the past papers (CIE Paper 2), the 10 marker question usually has a template “[cause]
was the most significant in war breaking out. How far do you agree?”
This table summarises each of those causes. Also, to achieve top marks in a 10 marker question follow a
2/3 structure: 2 developed paragraphs on one side, and 3 paragraphs on another (so it can be 2 for and 3
against or vice versa with 2 against and 3 for) of the argument. Make sure that your answer is balanced
and you have a cohesive conclusion – it doesn’t matter what side you will choose for the question, as long
as you don’t sit on the fence and can back up your point.
Event Time period Reasons why important + gen info
