20th Century v12

152 Pages·1979·25.297 MB·english

by  A. J. P. Taylor, J. M. Roberts

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:
20th Century
Original Edition edited by
AJPTaylor
MA FBA (Editor-in-Chief)
Fellow of Magdalen College, University of Oxford
J M Roberts
MA DPhil (General Editor)
Fellow and Tutor at Merton College, University of Oxford
1979 Edition revised by
Editor
R. W. Cross
Assistant Editors
Lesley Toll, John Moore
Designer
John Clement
PURNELL REFERENCE BOOKS
Milwaukee • Toronto • Melbourne • London
Volume 12
Reference edition copyright © 1979
Purnell Reference Books, a division of
MacDonald Raintree, Inc. Last previous
edition copyright © 1973 Phoebus Publishing
Company.
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Main entry under title:
20th century.
Edition for 1971 published under title: Purnell's
history of the 20th century.
Bibliography: p.
1. History, Modern — 20th century. I. Taylor,
Alan John Percivale, 1906- II. Roberts, James
Morris, 1928- III. Cross, R. W. IV. Purnell's
history of the 20th century.
D421.P87 1979 909.82 78-27424
ISBN 0-8393-6079-7 lib. bdg.
ISBN 0-8393-6080-0 trade
Authors
in this Volume
Correlli Barnett Military historian
D.M. Davin Oxford academic publisher
T.K. Derry Author specializing in
Norwegian affairs
Christopher Falkus Publishing Director and Deputy
Chairman, Weidenfeld and
Nicolson, Publishers, London
Martin Gilbert Historian, author and Fellow of
Merton College, University of
Oxford
Guy Hartcup Formerly historian in Her
Majesty’s Treasury, London
Alistair Horne Author and journalist; Founder
of the A. Horne Resident
Fellowship in Modern History,
St. Antony’s College, Oxford
Richard Humble Author specializing in military
and historical affairs
Edmund Ions Reader in Politics, University of
York
Douglas Johnson Professor of French History,
University College, London
A.V. Karasev Formerly Doctor of Historical
Sciences, USSR Academy of
Sciences
Captain Sir Basil Formerly author and military
Liddell Hart strategist J2078835
Captain Donald Author specializing in naval
Macintyre history
John Man Author and freelance
journalist; Deputy Editor of the
Original Edition of the History
of the 20th Century
Philippe Masson Author specializing in
contemporary history
Major-General Formerly Chief of Amphibious
J.L. Moulton Warfare; Author of Haste to the
Battle and Defence in a
Changing World
Alan Palmer Author of Napoleon in Russia
and Dictionary of Modern
History, 1789-1945- formerly
Senior History Master,
Highgate High School, London
D.M. Proektor Lecturer at the M.V. Frunze
Military Academy
Simon Rigge Deputy Editor, Time-Life
Books, London
Sir Robert Saundby Formerly with the Directorate
of Operations and Intelligence
and Director of Operational
Requirements with the Air
Ministry
A.J.P. Taylor Historian and journalist; Fellow
of Magdalen College, University
of Oxford
Geoffrey Warner Professor of History, University
of Leicester
Stephen Webbe Editor with The Christian
Science Monitor, Boston
J.N. Westwood Senior Lecturer in History,
University of Sydney
Stuart Woolf Professor of History, University
of Essex
Brigadier Peter Military historian; author of
Young The British Army 1642-1970
Contents
Chapter 56
1542 France and the Popular Front/Georges Lefranc
1550 The Stavisky Affair/Roger Boulanger
1553 The Northern Democracies/T.K. Derry
1558 Science and Agriculture/S.J. Watson
1564 The New Physics/C.J.H. Watson
1568 Radio in Europe/Asa Briggs
Chapter 57
1570 Appeasement in Action/Martin Gilbert
1577 Ethiopia: Unclaimed Colony/Simon Rigge
1580 The Rape of Ethiopia/A.J. Barker
1588 Murder in Marseilles/Daniel J. Leab
1596 Hitler’s Concordat with the Pope/Simon Rigge
Chapter 58
1598 The Spanish Civil War/Hugh Thomas
1604 I Fought for Franco/Peter Kemp
1610 Guernica—who was responsible?/Hugh Thomas
1612 Japan and the Anti-Comintern Pact/Richard Storry
1618 Hitler and the German Army/M.R.D. Foot
1621 Anschluss: Austria Taken Over/Elizabeth Wiskemann
Chapter 59
1626 Understanding Munich
1627 The Myths of Munich/A.J.P. Taylor
1630 The Sacrifice of Czechoslovakia: Czech View/Vera
Olivova
1636 When Hitler Yielded. German View/K.H. Janssen
1638 The Munich Agreement
1641 Munich, Symbol of Shame: French View/Maurice
Baumont
1645 Anti-Soviet Conspiracy: Soviet View/A.O. Chubaryan
1647 Europe on the Brink of War/A.J.P Taylor
Chapter 60
1654 The Outbreak of War/A.J.P. Taylor
1658 The Nazi-Soviet Pact/A.O. Chubaryan and D.C. Watt
1662 Teschen, Aftermath of Munich/Anna Cienciala
1664 War: Shadow and Reality/J.M. Roberts
1673 The Military Balance/Major-General J.L. Moulton
The democracies: France and Scandinavia
Chapter 56
Introduction by JM.Roberts
The French Third Republic had from the France
start embodied the hopes and ideals of 1933 December: economic crisis deepens. Stavisky, a
swindler, supposedly protected by Radical politicians,
radicals and liberals all over Europe. The
exposed. A corruption scandal follows
rise of dictatorships led them to look to her 1934 6th February: Daladier, a Radical, forms ministry
Police fight right-wing demonstrators outside
as protector of the Rights of Man. France
Chamber of Deputies and kill fourteen.
was the only great military power among 7th February: Daladier resigns.
12th February: CGT (trade union organization)
the democracies and would have to be the
calls for general strike People demonstrate in
main contributor on land to any movement defence of the republic. Communists, on instructions
to hold aggression by force. from Moscow, seek alliance with Socialists and,
a few weeks later, with Radicals and left-wing
Unfortunately, the condition and bourgeois intellectual groups.
strength of France no longer ensured that 1935 May: USSR signs pact with France approving French
defence policy.
she could play the role she had so long been
14th July: mass demonstrations throughout country
cast for. Hard facts of population trends and demand democracy and dissolution of right-wing
para-military Leagues. Popular Front decides to
economics were against her in the long run.
work out common plan of action.
Her army was not suited for the tasks it November: Socialists, Communists, Radicals, CGT, and
left-wing intellectual groups form alliance, the Popular
might have to carry out. There were stir¬
Front, to organize mass demonstrations.
rings under the surface of the French 1936 January: common plan of action is agreed on
3rd May: Popular Front triumphs in elections.
Empire. Finally, France was herself divided
Wave of stay-in strikes sweeps the country.
by religion, ideology, and class-warfare. 4th June: Blum, head of Socialist Party, forms
This is the background to Georges Le- French comment on confusion between left- Popular Front government.
7th June: Blum makes employers agree to CGT
franc’s article, France and the Popular wing groups in Popular Front, 1935
demands, and promises laws bringing in forty-
Front, on the last big effort of French hour week and paid holidays.
September: after holidays workers again strike.
democracy to rise to the challenge before
2nd October: bill of devaluation is passed.
the war. The Popular Front was an attempt, 18th November: Blum proposes policy of non¬
intervention in Spanish Civil War which is
for a time successful, to overcome these
accepted by many countries including Germany,
divisions on the Left which had bedevilled Italy, and USSR. CGT, Communists, and some
French politics since the armistice. Socialists protest against this policy.
December: Czechoslovak President warns Blum
Although continental liberals looked Germany is holding defence talks with USSR.
for encouragement to France during the Blum decides not to seek military pact with USSR,
despite the anger of Communists and others.
Popular Front period, in Britain there
1937 January: Blum orders a pause' on promised social
was something like a minor craze on the reform measures.
June: parliament rejects Blum's programme of
left for the Scandinavian democracies.
financial reforms. Chautemps, a Radical, forms a
In internal affairs they seemed to embody new cabinet, in which Blum serves.
1938 13th March: Blum forms second Popular Front
the virtues of reason, sanity, and toler¬
government. Senate rejects financial reforms.
ance, and to point to a new society in 10th April: Blum resigns.
their provision of welfare services. Inter¬
nationally, they were identified with the Scandinavia
cause of neutrality, and, by some, with 1917 December: Kings of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark
advanced attitudes towards sex and meet in friendship and agree on trade exchanges.
Finland gains independence. Civil war follows, in
female emancipation. T.K.Derry writes which anti-Communists are victorious.
on The Northern Democracies and the 1919 Voluntary association — Foreningen Norden —
formed to promote mutual understanding between
political reality behind this perhaps over¬ Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland.
simplified view. Milk-churns of aluminium, 1930’s; one of the 1920 Norway's sovereignty over Svalbard Archipelago
is internationally recognized. Later she acquires
The remaining articles again take up many new uses for this light strong metal
part of Antarctica.
themes which are truly international. One All but Norway recognize Denmark's control of
Greenland's eastern coastline.
of the most important of these is that of
Denmark regains North Schleswig, which has been
the history of science. This needs a long under German rule since war of 1864.
view; the passage of a few years is often In Denmark threat of general strike prevents
royal coup.
not enough to see the significance of what
Sweden gains first Social Democratic government
is going forward and we have therefore ever established anywhere without revolution.
1921 Sweden bows to League of Nations allocation of
asked our scientific consultant, C.J.H.
Aaland Islands to Finland.
Watson, to survey The New Physics 1933 Norway bows to Hague Court's verdict that it
cannot stake claims in East Greenland.
which was to make possible the nuclear
1936 Elections confirm Norwegian Labour Party in power
bomb. Accompanying this is an article on 1938 Scandinavian countries show they will not risk
war to support League of Nations' sanctions.
the impact of science, this time in a more
1939 Denmark signs non-aggression pact which Hitler
direct and technological sense, Professor offers to all Scandinavian countries.
S.J.Watson’s Science and Agriculture,
an account of the organization and tech¬
Elsewhere
nical change which has so increased agri¬
1929 October: the Wall Street Crash ushers in the
cultural productivity in this century. Depression in America and Europe
1931 Great Britain devalues the pound
Technological change had also led to a
1933 Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany
vast growth in one of this century’s most The United States devalues the dollar
formative influences: broadcasting. Asa 1935 3rd October Mussolini invades Ethiopia
1936 March: Hitler denounces Locarno Pact and re¬
Briggs sketches for us in Radio in Europe militarizes the Rhineland
the international efforts to ensure that the July: Spanish Civil War breaks out.
1938 March: Hitler carries out Anschluss with Austria
new medium was not totally swamped by Diagram showing early view of neon atom:
September: Great Britain and France agree to
the growing mass of transmissions. the electrons in orbit round giant nucleus Germany seizing Suoetenland at Munich.
1541
France, 1933-38 / Georges Lefranc
France and the
Popular Front
Pre-war France saw an unlikely union of Communists, Socialists, and other left¬
wingers—the Popular Front—which rose in conjunction with a far-reaching workers’
revolt. At first sight, the combination looked an unassailable bulwark against
. . .
right-wing radicalism
The economic crisis which began in Wall which subsided a little in 1932, surged up
Street in 1929 affected France later than again in 1933. It was in this atmosphere
other European countries, but with equal that a financial scandal, the Stavisky
force. Men out of work, engineers as well Affair, exploded. It was very clear that
as labourers, haunted the streets. The
peasants’ standard of living dropped; the Leon Blum, France’s first Socialist Prime
industrial workers, forced to accept a Minister. As head of the Popular Front
reduction in working time, suffered a cor- government he inherited a disturbed
responding drop in wages. The crisis, France besides a depressed economy