Factor
The Treaty of
Versailles 1919
Hitler’s Foreign Policy
aims
Depression
Failure of the League
of Nations
Collapse of
disarmament
Nazi rearmament
Spanish Civil War
1936
Rome-Berlin Axis
1936
Remilitarisation of the
Rhineland 1936
Anschluss with
Austria 1938
Appeasement
Sudetenland 1938
Invasion of
Czechoslovakia
March 1939
Description
Why was this significant?
Reparations
War guilt Clause
Military restrictions
Territorial changes
Forbidden Anschluss
By the 1930s Britain thought it was unfair. America kept
itself out of international affairs. Germany felt humiliated.
France thought it did not go far enough.
Unite all Germans
Rearm and recover territory
Expand living space Lebensraum in the east (against
Communism)
Hitler used public grievance against the T of V to gain
support in Germany.
Germany and other European countries suffered
economically not just USA. Led to the rise of Hitler in
Germany.
Germany joined in 1926 & left in 1933. Japan left in
1933. The Soviet Union joined in 1934 but was thrown
out in 1939
The USA never joined.
Failure in Abyssinia & Manchuria.
Disarmament failed in the 1930s. Tanks and aircraft had
become highly advanced in technology. Anglo-German
Naval agreement led to increase in size of German navy.
Conscription in 1935. No other country stopped Hitler.
Increased spending on weapons. 1 million troops, 8,250
planes, 95 warships by 1939
Hitler & Mussolini (Italy) supported Franco (Spanish
Fascist). Meant Hitler could try out dive bombers & tank
formations (Blitzkrieg)
Spanish Civil War brought Italy and Germany together.
This meant that Mussolini did not oppose an Anschluss.
Japan later joined to form the Anti-Comintern Pact.
7 March troops entered the zone next to France. Britain
and France did nothing. France would not act without the
support of Britain who did not think Hitler was doing
anything wrong (his own backyard).
Hitler wanted to unite all German speaking peoples. The
Nazi party in Austria triumphed with 99.75% of vote. A
great success for Hitler’s FP.
Desire to avoid war. Feeling that Versailles was unfair.
French supported it by 1937. British people supported
the policy. Britain’s rearmament was behind that of
Germany. More fear of Communism. Chamberlain used
personal diplomacy as all other efforts had failed. At the
Munch Conference in Sept 1938 Czechs and soviets
were not present. Hitler and Chamberlain agreed never
to go to war with one another.
3 million German speakers in the area. At Munich,
Sudetenland given to Germany. Britain & France prepare
for war at home.
Annexation of Sudetenland led to more nationals
seeking repatriation. Czech appealed to Hitler. 15 March
1939, Germany took Czechoslovakia. Appeasement was
dead. Germany had gained more than was taken at
Versailles. Britain began to rearm
23 August 1939. Secret agreement to divide up Poland.
Nazi-Soviet Pact 1939
Invasion of Poland
Britain promised to support Poland if Germany attacked.
@ Teachable and Gareth Butcher. Some rights reserved. http://teachable.net/res.asp?r=9844
September 1939
Attacked on 1 September 1939. Britain declared war on
3 Sept. Soviet Union invaded Poland on 17 Sept.
@ Teachable and Gareth Butcher. Some rights reserved. http://teachable.net/res.asp?r=9844