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Unlock your guides7.3 The impact of fascism on international relations
4 min read•july 24, 2024
Fascist foreign policies in the 1930s reshaped global politics. Italy and Germany's aggressive expansionism, marked by invasions and annexations, violated international norms and treaties. These actions, driven by and ideology, led to the formation of the .
The consequences of fascist expansionism were far-reaching. It triggered military, diplomatic, and economic responses from Allied nations, ultimately leading to . The postwar era saw the establishment of the , the onset of the , and a new international order shaped by the conflict's aftermath.
Fascist Foreign Policies and Their Global Impact
Fascist foreign policies
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- Italian expansionism under Mussolini
- Invasion of Ethiopia (1935-1936) sought to establish Italian colonial empire in Africa violating principles
- Intervention in Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) supported Francisco Franco's Nationalists against Republican forces
- Occupation of Albania (1939) expanded Italian influence in the Balkans established protectorate
- German expansionism under Hitler
- Remilitarization of Rhineland (1936) violated Treaty of Versailles tested Allied resolve
- Anschluss with Austria (1938) unified German-speaking peoples expanded Reich's territory
- Annexation of Sudetenland and invasion of Czechoslovakia (1938-1939) exploited ethnic German populations dismantled Czechoslovak state
- Invasion of Poland (1939) triggered World War II in Europe violated non-aggression pact
- Characteristics of fascist foreign policies
- Ultranationalism and irredentism promoted territorial expansion based on historical or ethnic claims
- Lebensraum ideology justified conquest of "living space" for perceived superior races
- Rejection of international treaties and organizations undermined collective security systems (League of Nations)
- Militarization and rearmament built up armed forces violated disarmament agreements
Alliances and pre-war tensions
- Axis Powers
- (1936) aligned fascist Italy and Nazi Germany
- (1936) united Germany Japan and later Italy against communism
- (1939) formalized military alliance between Germany and Italy
- (1940) integrated Japan into Axis alliance structure
- Allied responses
- (1935) brief alliance between Britain France and Italy against German expansionism
- (1935) attempted to contain German aggression
- (1938) ceded Sudetenland to Germany exemplified appeasement policy
- (1939) guaranteed Polish independence against German threats
- Escalation of tensions
- Failure of League of Nations inability to prevent aggression (Manchuria Ethiopia)
- emboldened fascist powers (Munich Agreement)
- (1939) divided Eastern Europe into spheres of influence
- German invasion of Poland marked beginning of World War II in Europe
Consequences of fascist expansionism
- Military responses
- Formation of united front against Axis (Britain Soviet Union United States)
- (1941) provided military aid to Allied nations
- Entry of United States into World War II after Pearl Harbor attack expanded conflict
- Diplomatic responses
- (1941) outlined Allied war aims and postwar vision
- (1942) formalized Allied coalition against Axis powers
- Tehran Yalta and Potsdam Conferences shaped postwar order and occupation of Germany
- Economic responses
- against Italy (1935) imposed by League of Nations over Ethiopian invasion
- against Japan (1940-1941) restricted oil and steel exports pressured Japanese economy
- Ideological responses
- Rise of antifascist movements mobilized resistance in occupied countries
- formed in various countries united leftist and centrist parties
Fascism's impact on postwar relations
- Establishment of United Nations (1945)
- Security Council structure reflected power dynamics of victorious Allies
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) enshrined fundamental rights and freedoms
- Cold War dynamics
- Division of Europe into Eastern and Western blocs shaped by ideological conflict
- and formation created opposing military alliances
- and national liberation movements
- Acceleration of independence movements in Africa and Asia weakened European colonial empires
- Principle of gained prominence in international relations
- International legal framework
- (1945-1949) established precedent for prosecuting war crimes
- (1949) codified international humanitarian law
- Economic institutions
- established fixed exchange rates and dollar standard
- and created to manage global economy
- European integration
- (1951) fostered economic cooperation prevented future conflicts
- (1957) established European Economic Community precursor to EU
- Collective security arrangements
- Mutual defense treaties (NATO Article 5) deterred aggression through collective response
- Peacekeeping operations deployed to conflict zones maintained international stability
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