Hitler's foreign policy actions

• Febuary - Disarmament conference.Most accepted that Germany should be treated more fairly. The Germans walked out when other nations refused to disarm to their level.

• January – Non Aggression Pact with Poland. Hitler hoped to weaken the Franco – Polish alliance, reduce Polish fear, and assure them that he only had a quarrel with the USSR. 

• May- Hitler returns to conference and promised no to rearm if other nations destroyed their arms. However, they refused and he left the conference, and the league shortly afterwards.

• Hitler stages a rally celebrating armed forces. Re-introduces conscription and announces army of 550,00. Starts a new air ministry to train pilots and build 1000 aircraft.
• Italy, Britain and France met in Stresa where they condemned German rearmament, this was known as the Stresa Front against German aggression, however it collapsed due to the crisis in Abyssinia.
• Anglo – German Naval Treaty, this allowed a fairer number of ships, 35% of Britain's number, as well as the same amount of Submarines. Britain accepted German rearmament as a buffer against Communism.

• Remilitarisation of the Rhineland (March). This was when Hitler began to move troops into the Rhineland, which was a DMZ. It was a calculated risk as the French forces were far superior at the time, however Britain viewed it as Hitler marching into his own back yard, and so he got away with it.

• March - Anschluss with Austria – See Diagram.

•   September - Sudeten Crisis and Munich Agreement.

• March – Collapse of Czechoslovakia.
• May – Pact of Steel with Italy.
• August – Nazi Soviet Pact.
• September 1st  - WAR.