Causes of World War II
1
CONSCRIPTION&RE-ARMAMENT
Hitler began to build up his armed forces. In 1935 he introduced
conscription (calling up men to the army). This broke the Treaty of
Versailles, but Britain and France let him get away with it.
2
RHINELAND
Hitler invaded the Rhineland on 7 March 1936. This broke the Treaty of Versailles. It
was a bluff – the German army had only 22,000 soldiers and had orders to retreat if they
met any resistance. But once again, Britain and France did nothing.
3
AUSTRIA
In 1938, Hitler took over Austria. First, Hitler encouraged the Austrian
Nazis to demand union with Germany. Then Hitler invaded Austria (11
March 1938). This broke the Treaty of Versailles, but Britain and
France did nothing.
Source A
This British cartoon from 1938
shows Hitler as a poacher, stealing
Austria. Mussolini is shown as a
bad game-keeper. ‘I never heard a
shot, Adolf’’, he is saying.
4
MUNICH
In 1938, Hitler tried to take over the Sudetenland. First, Hitler encouraged the Sudeten
Nazis to demand union with Germany. Then, Hitler made plans to invade Czechoslovakia.
Neville Chamberlain appeased Hitler. At Munich, on 29 September 1938, Britain and
France gave Hitler the Sudetenland.
Source B
This British cartoon from October
1938 (by Low, who hated Nazi
Germany) shows Hitler as Santa,
popping into his sack, one-by-one,
little countries – who had got into bed
with the ‘French-British family’. His
sack says: Deutschland Uber Alles
(‘Germany over all’).
The caption read: 'Europe can look
forward to a Christmas of peace'
(Hitler).
What is the meaning of this cartoon?
• In 1938, Hitler marched into and took over Austria. This event is shown in picture (allegory) form by the cartoonist
by showing Hitler as a poacher, who has stolen (killed) a deer labelled 'Austrian Integrity' (the word integrity
means 'wholeness', ie independence). The cartoonist represented Austria as a lovely, fragile and vulnerable deer
- so Hitler is shown as, by destroying Austrian independence, having done a cruel and bad thing to a fledgeling
nation. (In fact, Austria was not a free country, and not even a democracy; it was a corporative state similar to
Italy's fascist government.)
• Hitler had tried in 1934 to take over Austria ... but on that occasion he had been foiled by Mussolini, whose had
moved three divisions of the Italian army to the border, and forced him to give up the attempt at Anschluss. In
1938, however, Hitler and Mussolini were allies, and Mussolini did nothing to stop Hitler. The cartoonist shows
this by showing Mussolini as a game-keeper, whose proper job was to stop poachers, but who on this occasion is
'turning a blind eye'.
• Thus the cartoon is an anti-appeasement cartoon - the message behind the picture is something like: 'Why didn't
someone do something to STOP Hitler doing this - it's wrong'.
• The picture is set in a mountainous area that is clearly the Alps, so we straight away realise that the cartoon is
commenting on Austria and Anschluss.
What is the meaning of this cartoon?
• The meaning of this cartoon is obvious - it is a criticism of the Munich Agreement.
• Along the bed-head runs a list of countries. Hitler is shown as a 'bad Santa', taking the countries of Europe one
by one. By October 1938, Austria was already 'in the sack'. Czechoslovakia Poland, Hungary, Yugoslavia etc.
are lined up, looking worried - the cartoonist makes it quite clear that he expects Hitler to take the rest. The
words on Hitler's sack - 'Germany ruling all' - reinforce the cartoonist's opinion of what Hitler was about. Notice
the smug satisfaction on Hitler's face.
• The words on the bed-head read: 'Ex French-British Family', suggest the cartoonist's opinion that - by abandoning
Czechoslovakia - Britain and France had lost the trust of the countries of eastern Europe.
• Thus the cartoon is an anti-Munich Agreement/ anti-appeasement cartoon - the message behind the picture is
something like: 'All we have done is lose friends, and Hitler will go on seizing other countries'.
• The inclusion of Hitler's statement that 'Europe can look forward to a Christmas of peace' is sarcastic - Low hated
Hitler and opposed appeasement, and in 1939 he wrote a book called Europe since Versailles in which he
basically said: 'I told you so': "Czechoslovakia being now defenceless, Hitler bagged her entirely at his ease. The
Nazi "screw" began on other adjacent small states."