Chinese Civil War political causes

Western supported Nationalists vs. the Soviet supported Communists.

Tension had been occurring for years.

The civil war began when Chiang Kai-shek decided to purge the Communists from the KMT-CCP (Chinese Nationalist Party-Chinese Communist Party) alliance to consolidate power.

The purge is know as the Shanghai Massacre of 1927 by the CCP and the Purging of the Party by the KMT.

Many prominent Communist members were imprisoned or executed by the KMT in an attempt to destroy the influence of the CCP.

The communists fled, preparing for the next stage of the Civil War.

Communists gained most of their strength from rural areas. The supporters were able to utilize guerrilla tactics to neutralize superior nationalist strength.

Villa and Zapata: Conclusion

Ten years. between 350,000-1 million died. There were three strands in the Revolution.

1. improving the hacendados and those against it

2. Village movement- free peasants

3. least clear cut, cowboys, miners, and other marginal people

It was Madero's strand that was the most successful (the first one). Villa and Zapata won at best partial victories. The Revolution broke up old political monopolies, great sociological change. However, the largest change were the popular attitudes (pg 403). Many great men involved.

Villa and Zapata: Epilogue

Obregon won the Presidency. Villa had four new ambitions (pg 386). Villa ran his estate on military lines. Obregon was always a capitalist. Obregon was for education, the Mexican realist movement (Rivera..) occurred during his presidency. Obregon was anti-clerical. As Villa got older he revealed himself as a man of the Right. Villa's first two years out of the public life he was only concerned with his tangled private life (women and their kids). For the next Presidential election there were two candidates, Obregon favored Calles. Obregon asked Villa to tell the press that he was not interested in running in the election. Villa gave a press interview but he did not do what Obregon wanted (to snub Obregon), he said he would either run himself, or give his support to de la Huerta. This greatly angered Obregon. Obregon began to think of how to kill Villa. Villa was assassinated. Calles became the President, de la Huerta fled to the US. During Calles' presidency there was a great deal of bloodshed. Meanwhile Obregon decided he wanted to be the President again. Obregon became a target for assassination attempts. Obregon was eventually killed in 1928. With Obregon the great leaders of the Mexican Revolution were gone forever.

The Decline of Villismo

After Villa was injured people thought his days with any type of power were limited. However, Villa reappeared. The harvest had just ended so people flocked to help him. Villa had three main advantages over Carranza (pg 363). Villa was more humane than Carranza in that he released his prisoners that were not officers. However, one of his officers, Uribe, clipped ears of prisoners so they would be recognizable if they fought against Villa again. Villa lived by the policy, "my enemy's enemy is my friend". The unemployed and disaffected flocked to Villa. Villa took town after town, including Chihuahua and Torreon (people continued to flock to him). Villa was anti-American. Villa gained a new amount of brutality, allowed his men to rape women, kill women....This alienated people who had previously supported Villa. Carranza would win towns and Villa would win towns (back and forth). Angles came back (from the US) and urged Villa to switch from guerilla warfare to regular campaigning. Angles was someone who could have untied everyone. He eventually attempted to go back to the United States after he saw the amount of American hatred towards Villa (they would never let him gain all power). He was captured by Carranza and executed in a mock trial. Obregon came back after being in retirement and announced his candidacy for President. Carranza vs. Obregon. Carranza was eventually killed, de la Huerta became the provisional President. de la Huerta granted Villa an agreement (Villa had to retire from public life, was allowed a body guard of 50 men). Obregon eventually said he would honor the agreement when he became President. Villa laid down his arms and agreed to the terms. The death of Carranza and the surrender of Villa effectively ended the Mexican Revolution.

Villa and Zapata : The Twilight of Zapatismo

Pablo Gonzalez was horrible, he looted, murdered (a lot), burned things down... Zapata went on the offensive, however, not all of his chieftains wanted to go back to war. Many of Gonzales's troops died from disease. Mexico was in a state of chaos. There was famine, disease, and there was a great financial crisis that occurred. During the revolution the leaders printed a great deal of money causing hyper-inflation. Carranza dealt with the hard times, but continued to push is political agenda. Villa and Zapata were limited by the village and hacienda, Carranza was not! Carranza wanted to modernize and mobilize. He was anti clericalism, he wanted the catholic church under his control. He wanted Mexico to stay neutral in WWII. His main problem was the military, he had to make sure the army was reliable (proven difficult throughout the Rev). His greatest new threat was Felix Diaz, Porfirio Diaz's nephew, the US kind of liked him. The felicistas were as hard to defeat as Villa and Zapata. The felicistas movement was helpful to Villa and Zapata, it drew Carranza's focus away from them. However, Zapata's aims were extremely similar to Diaz's so they were in competition for support. Zapata became paranoid. Carranza wanted to get rid of Zapata at all costs, even killing him. He did just that, had Zapata killed. Zapata was gunned down by a group of shooters, however, he became an icon in Morelos.

Keegan chapter 3 (Blitzkrieg):

Polish were not a good test of the German's capabilities. Case yellow was to ATTACK! it was for a western offensive..the plan was shelved and a new one was created it was called the Manstein plan. Reversal of the Schlieffen plan. The BIG German strength was their equipment, planes, tanks (Panzers)... The planes made a horrific scary noise (intimidate the enemy). The French army was still mainly a marching army, many divisions, not a lot of structure. They created the Maginot line, western front in concrete (not enough money to finish). The French had to prepare for a defensive battle. The German army had three divisions and a lot of structure. The dutch tried to be neutral. Germany attacked, quick defeat of the Dutch in a raid. British had almost ZERO armor. French would not give up! Hitler called for a halt on the advance. The Allies feared defeat and occupation. New prime minister (Churchill). MATERIAL weakness. Evacuation of Paris. Called the war of 1939-1940, no part of France had been spared, many people had been killed. German moral was WAY up! Churchill believed the Battle of Britain was soon to come.

HIT HARD, HIT FAST, SURPRISE!!!

Short term and long term causes

Short term-

The take over of Austria and Czechoslovakia.

Anschluss was the annexation of Austria, some people were angry within Austria but for the most part there was excitement. Hitler was able to come in (welcomed), there were zero shots fired. It signified the end of the Treaty of Versailles (Germany took over another country, creating a larger Germany).

The Czech crisis- A month after Anschluss. Chamberlain pretty much gave Czechoslovakia to Hitler in an attempt to appease him. Germany got the Sudate land, area on the border of Germany and Czechoslovakia where they speak German. March 1939 Hitler invades Czechoslovakia. Their government was in chaos, Hitler used it to his advantage. No shots were fired! In response the U.S. put a 25% tax on German goods. Hitler was slowly spreading his power.

Long term-

Nationalism (created partially by the Treaty of Versailles), Germans began to band together in the common belief that they had been treated unfairly in the Treaty. Consequently the Treaty of Versailles was also a long term cause.

The League of Nations- failed to punish countries that were threatening other countries. This showed Hitler that he would not be punished if he began to go against the Treaty, and eventually take over other countries and expand his influence.

Reparation- Germany was forced to pay back the money that was agreed upon in the Treaty. It helped create Germany's depression. This also led to a surge in Nationalism. Inflation, depression, reparations.

Immediate

Invasion of Poland- September 1st, 1939. Hitler assumed France and Britain would not go to war over Poland (he was wrong), so he attacked. Two days after he attacked Britain and France declared war! Nothing really happens between Britain and France vs. Germany for 9 months.