The 1930s saw an increase in aggression from some states.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (Oct/Nov 2021). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [1] Hitler refused to pay any more reparations.
2. [1] In 1933, Hitler began re-arming.
3. [1] Hitler attempted the Anschluss with Austria in 1934 and achieved the Anschluss in 1938.
4. [1] Hitler introduced conscription in 1935.
5. [1] He announced that his army would be 500 000.
6. [1] He announced his intention of creating a military air force.
7. [1] Hitler signed the Anglo-German Naval Agreement, which allowed him a fleet that was 35% the size of Britain's fleet. This Agreement also allowed Germany's submarine force to be 45% of Britain's.
8. [1] Hitler re-militarised the Rhineland in 1936.
9. [1] Appeasement bought time to build up the armed forces.
10. [1] Britain did not want to fight another war/wanted peace.
11. [1] Britain thought the Treaty of Versailles had been unjust.
12. [1] Appeasement helped to reduce the threat of communism.
13. [1] It gave time to get over the Depression.
14. [1] The USA and the British Empire were unlikely to support a war.
15. [1] Appeasement was a popular policy with many British people.
16. [4-5] The spread of communism was considered a great threat after the First World War. British politicians feared the power of the Soviet Union in helping to spread communism to Western Europe. Hitler was a known enemy of communism and he was acting as a buffer against the spread of Soviet communism. British politicians, therefore, decided to appease Hitler to help strengthen his position against the USSR and reduce the risk of communism spreading.
17. [1] Economic problems helped extremist political parties to come to power.
18. [1] Extremist leaders looked to foreign policy success to distract attention from troubles at home.
19. [1] The Great Depression affected countries worldwide.
20. [1] Economic problems encouraged militarism in Japan/Italy/Germany.
21. [1] Countries needed to find new markets and sources of raw materials.
22. [1] Japan invaded Manchuria to gain resources.
23. [1] Italy wanted to gain an empire.
24. [1] Hitler wanted to merge all German-speaking people together.
25. [1] The ambitions of fascist leaders.
26. [1] There were different ideologies/political beliefs.
27. [1] The failure of the Disarmament Conference.
28. [1] Some believed the Treaty of Versailles was unjust and agreed that Hitler should break it.
29. [1] The League of Nations was weak, and aggressors knew they would not be stopped.
30. [1] The desire to become more powerful led to some states being aggressive in the 1930s.
31. [7-9] The Great Depression led to an increase in aggression from some states and had political consequences. Many people lost their jobs and turned to extreme political parties which promised solutions to the economic crisis. For instance, in Japan, the government invaded Manchuria to gain raw materials which were needed to strengthen the Japanese economy.
32. [7-9] The increased aggression during the 1930s came from the actions of powerful leaders, such as Hitler and Mussolini. Hitler tested his military capability in Spain as he was determined to build a 'Greater Germany', which meant taking over territory, often by force, such as Austria, Czechoslovakia and Poland.