Coming of War - Invasion of Czech. for Britain

Hitler’s Germany was getting bigger and stronger.

• 1935 - Saarland
• 1936 - Rhineland
• 1938 - Austria, Sudetenland
• 1939 - Czechoslovakia, Danzig

Hitler had taken one more step closer to war and was further building up the Third Reich.

The invasion showed that Hitler’s promises at Munich in September 1938 meant nothing.

• Persuaded by Mussolini, Hitler agreed to an international conference in September 1938
• Four leaders met at Munich: Chamberlain, Hitler, Mussolini and Daladier (French Prime Minister)
• (Czechoslovakia and the USSR were not invited, despite Czechoslovakian territory being held over)
• It was agreed that the Sudetenland would be transferred to Germany and Czechsolovakia's new borders would be guaranteed by the four powers

Britain had now to decide whether to follow the policy of appeasement or rearm.

Neville Chamberlain finally chose a more militaristic approach and preparations for war were now made.

• The government had created and started to enact a plan for war that could last for 3 years
• The government had started a programme to biuld new warships for the navy
• People had been encouraged to cut up and donate metal that could be melted down…