Hitler sent nearly 40,000 police and soldiers into the demilitarised zone in the Rhineland.
Troops were very lightly armed - Hitler testing the waters.
France and Britain took no action - policy of appeasment.
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Spanish Civil War and Hossbach Memorandum
Over 10,000 military personnel were dispatched to support Nationalists under Fascist General Franco.
Helped to secure another ally.
Allowed Luftwaffe (Condor Legion) to practice bombing techniques for WW2.
Hitler secretly told his generals that he saw Germany being involed in a world war by the mid 1940s in the Hossbach Memorandum.
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Alliances With Other States
Rome-Berlin Axis October 1936:
Hitler gained Mussolini's gratitude when he supported Italy's invasion of Abyssinia.
Anti-Comintern Pact November 1936:
Germany agreed to stand with Japan against the spread of communism (specifically the USSR).
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Austrian Anschluss
Hitler was closer with Italy after the first failed attempt at Anschluss.
Austria was economically weaker and would be more open to links with Germany.
Early 1938 Hitler forced Austrian Chancellor Schuschnigg to appoint Nazis to his government
Schuschnigg opposed Hitler and announced a plebiscite hoping people would vote against Anschluss.
Hitler forced Schuchnigg to resign (he received no help for B+F)
Schuchnigg replaced with Artur Seyss-Inquart.
Seyss-Inquart asked Hitler to send army to Austria
Referendum showed 99% of people wanted to join Germany.
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Sudetenland Crisis
Skoda arms factory - one of the biggest in Europe.
3m ethnic German speaker - help Grossdeutchland.
Hilly and forested - good for defence.
Sudetenlad was heavily fortified and Czechoslovakia's main barrier - removing it would weaken Czechs and strengthen Germany.
Would also make France an easier target.
Hitler got Czechs to cause trouble and claim to government was mistreating Sudeten Germans - Hitler promised them protection.
Hitler got Henlein (Sudeten Nazi leader) to make unlikely demands of the government and engage in violence if the demands weren't met.
Czech gov. said no, despite encouragment from UK and France.
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Sudetenland Crisis
N. Chamberlain wanted to avoid war so quickly met with Hitler in September 1938 - Hitler reduced his demands to the parts of the Sudetenland where over 50% of people were German.
Britain and France got Czech Prime Minister Beneš to reluctantly accept.
Chamberlain met with Hitler again - Hitler now rejected compromises and demanded all of Sudetenland.
Hitler promised that the Sudetenland was the end of Germany's territorial claims.
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Munich Conference
30th September 1938.
Four Power Conference - Britain, Germany, Italy, France.
Germany was given the Sudetenland and war was prevented - Hitler was appeased.
Czechoslovakia not included in conference - had no say (neither was USSR).
Czech border guards left their posts on 1st October 1938 and German tanks came over unopposed.
Hitler agreed to referendums in areas of the country with mixed populations.
Germany promised to accept the independence of the rest of Czechoslovakia.
Hitler promised not to take over anymore land in Europe - lies.
March 1939, Hitler ordered his soldiers to occupy the rest of Czechoslovakia.
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