SCRAMCUP

1935 - referedum is held, small piece of industrial land given back to Germany. 90% vote in favour after LON controlled for 15 years - Hitler's first success - doing a good job.

1935 - Hitler gets people back into the army. 1.3 million men - reduces unemployment. Germany took pride in their armed forces. 1933-35 he rearms in secret, hiden by the RAD. 1935 - Anglo German Naval Agreement - agreement that Hitler could build his army to 35% the size of the British one - TOV was too harsh and Britain admits TOV was wrong.

7th March 1936 - Hitler sent 22,000 troops into Rhineland, greeted by civilians who gave them flowers. He hoped for a positive greeting - knew his army wasn't strong enough to fight and had generals to retreat if faced resistance. - gamble, Hitler was testing the TOV - French do nothing. LON dealing with Abyssinia.

Impact:

Britain and France start rearming. Hitler looks at breaking other TOV terms. France felt it couldn't rely on Britain. Britain signed agreement strengthening Locarno Treaty.

'An undreamt of Triumph' - Hitler.

1938 - to unite all German speakers (language, culture, traditions). Britain and France do nothing.

Hitler demanded plebiscite to be postponed, Schuschnigg (Austrian leader) agrees. Hitler forced him to reisgn from Chancellor. He claimed Austria was in a state of chaos and asked Germany to intervene. 12/03/1938 - Nazis invaded in a badly planned invasion. Mussolini followed the Anti-Commintern Pact and didn't oppose. 10/04/1938 - Plebiscite was held under a heavy presence from the SA. 99% voted in favour.

Consequences: 

Access to East - Lebensraum. Germany controlled Austrian Army - 100,000. Austria had resources - steel and iron - rearmament. Germany boarded Western Czech on both sides.

Reaction:

Austria - make them great again, increase in anti semitic attacks. Germany - Hitler seen as hero. France - economic problems. Britain - should be allowed, essentially the same country. Czech - knew Britain and France would be next.

May 1938 - policy of appeasement. Hitler fought to protect German speakers. Britain and France looked for ways to stop Hitler invading, so wouldn't have to declare war. 15/09/1938 - Chamberlain flew to Germany to meet Hitler, and forced Czech's to agree to give Hitler the Sudetenland. 22/09/1938 - Chamberlain returned to Germany, Hitler changed demands - Munich Conference (Hitler have Sudetenland, Britain and Frnace won't fight.) Hitler wanted it by 1/10 and Hungary and Poland should recieve Czech land.

Sudeteneland - 3 million german speakers - minority Hitler needed to save, lots of resources and contained all Czech's defences.

15/03/1939 - first time Germnay invaded a country with no claim. Britain and France alienated the USSR. Chamberlain promised Poland that Britain would guarantee it's independence. The invasion broke the Munich Conference and the Anglo German Agreement. Britain realise war is the only thing stopping Hitler.

23/08/1939 - the non aggression pact was signed between the Nazis and the USSR. If the USSR allowed Hitler to invade Poland, the USSR would get Polish territory.

Russia does it to buy time. They regained lost territory and it acted as a useful buffer zone in Poland. Stalin felt isolated - saw Britain and France not standing up to Hitler.

Germany does it to avoid fighting on two fronts, like in WW1. 

Significance:

Britain and France face Germany without the support of Russia. The pact persuaded Britain was was imminent. Historians argue the pact was made inevitable.

Hitler thought it would be easy - USSR support, Britain and France follow appeasement. 1/09/1939 - Germnay attacked Poland. 3/09/1939 - Britain sent Germany an ultimation withdraw or be at war. No reply by deadline, Britain declared was and France followed. Poland overrun with Nazi troops within 4 weeks - Hitler convinced Britain and France would back down.