Escalation Of Tension

Question 1

Why did Hitler want to remilitarise the Rhineland?

Answer 1

• the Rhineland was the border between Germany and France.
• Hitler wanted to invade and take Lebensraum in east Europe, to do this he had to invade other countries.
• he knew France and Britain were likely to declare war if he did this so he had to protect his western borders from them by remilitarising the Rhineland.

Question 2

Why was remilitarising the Rhineland a big risk?

Answer 2

• German generals has advised Hitler that the army wasn’t strong enough to fight if Britain and France chose to challenge it.
• German financials warned Hitler that if his plan failed they would receive huge fine which Germany would not be able to afford.

Question 3

What happened in 1935?

Answer 3

• the Franco-soviet pact was signed.
• a deal between france and the ussr in which each agreed to assist the other if the other was attacked.
• as a result Hitler claimed he was under attack from france in the west and the ussr in the east.

Question 4

What happened on the 7th of march 1936?

Answer 4

• Hitler troops entered the Rhineland, many rode on bicycles and there was no air support.
• civilians in the Rhineland greeted the troops with flowers.

Question 5

Why didn’t Britain stop Hitler from remilitarising the Rhineland?

Answer 5

• the depression
• many people thought it was in Hitler rights and there was no need to defend it.
• British leader preoccupied with Abyssinian crisis.

Question 6

Why didn’t France stop Hitler from remilitarising the Rhineland?

Answer 6

• politicians distracted because they were fighting in general election.
• french army in Tunisia, in case they needed to intervene with Abyssinian crisis.
  -many believed it was a battle that they could not win (believed Germany was bigger than it actually was).

Question 7

Why was remilitarisation of the Rhineland important?

Answer 7

• Britain and France started rearming; war was close.
• Hitler realised he could violate the treaty of versailles and get away with it.
• french priority was now protecting its own borders and they started ignoring treaties they had signed to protect other countries.
• Hitler proved he was strong; signed Rome-Berlin Axis with Mussolini.
• Hitler signed anti-Comintern pact with japan, saying they would work together against communism, Italy joined later, pact of steel with Germany (1939).

Question 8

Discuss Hitler puppet - Seuss-Inquart?

Answer 8

• he first has full power over the Austrian police, they turned a blind eye tp terrorist attacks on Austrian government.
• after Schuschnigg was forced to resign by Hitler, Seuss-Inqaurt became new chancellor and Hitler controlled him.
• he claimed Austria was in a place of chaos and asked Hitler to help, on the 12th of march nazi forces entered Austria and crowds of Austrians gathered to cheer them.
  -on 10th of April plebiscite was held and the nazis won 99% of the vote.

Question 9

Discuss the plot to murder Schuschnigg?

Answer 9

• was in 1938 nazi Austrians planned to get rid of him.
• but police found out and shut plot down.
• Austrian nazis were imprisoned.
• but chancellor still felt vulnerable and met with Hitler and agreed to key positions in government to Austria nazis in return for Hitler support.
• he planed to hold plebiscite to prove that Austrians didn’t want the Anschluss, but Hitler demanded it be delayed and forced him to resign.

Question 10

How did Austria react to the Anschluss?

Answer 10

• 99% percent of people favour the Anschluss.
• however, there was nazi ‘stormtroopers’ and the ‘yes’ box was much larger than the ‘no’ box.

Question 11

How did Britain react to the Anschluss?

Answer 11

• some British people decided treaty was too harsh on Germany.
• so they though that Germany and Austria were practically the same so they thought it should be allowed.

Question 12

How did France react to the Anschluss?

Answer 12

• twos days before Hitler invasion whole government had resigned so prance was in no position to get involved.

Question 13

How did Czechoslovakia react to the Anschluss?

Answer 13

• they feared policy of lebensraum would mean they would be invaded next.
• Britain and France agreed that they would protect Czechoslovakia if Hitler did invade.

Question 14

How did Germany react to the Anschluss?

Answer 14

• used it as a great propaganda victory.
• German people were delighted.
• they could see Hitler was achieving what he has promised.

Question 15

What did the Anschluss mean to Hitler and why did he want it?

Answer 15

• Hitler wanted to reunite German-speaking people and destroy the treaty of Versailles.
• he could now use Austrian army
• access east easier through Austria
• the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia was now bordered by Germany on three sides.

Question 16

Why did Hitler want to invade the Sudetenland?

Answer 16

• on German border.
• Czechs main defences were in Sudetenland so if they took that they could easily invade Czechs which was rich in natural resources and factories, an area Hitler could utilise for war.
• it would be another step forward tp defeating the treaty of Versailles.
• 20% of Czechs population was German, in may 1938 Hitler claimed they were being prosecuted and used this as an excuse to invade.

Question 17

Discuss when chamberlain met Hitler on the 5th of September 1938?

Answer 17

• chamberlain flew to Berchtesgaden to meet Hitler.
• he wanted to appease Hitler to prevent war, so agreed Hitler could take Sudetenland as long his actions were peaceful.
• chamberlain then met with the Czechs and forced them to agree to Hitler terms.
• on 22nd of September, chamberlain met Hitler at Bad Godsberg, where Hitler changed his demands: the Sudetenland would be handed over to him by the 1st of October and Hungary and Poland must also be given Czech land.

Question 18

Discuss the Munich conference, 29th September 1938?

Answer 18

• Hitler, chamberlain, Mussolini and Daladier met in Munich.
• they accepted Hitler demand mad in Bad Godsberg
• they did this to prevent war as Hitler promised he would take anymore land, chamberlain said he guaranteed ‘peace in our time’.
• the Czechs were not consulted.
• the USSR were not consulted. This made Stalin think that he could not trust Britain and France.

Question 19

Discuss when Hitler invades the Sudetenland?

Answer 19

• 10th September 1938
• troops marched in, Czechs saw this as a real military invasion.
• first time Hitler had invaded a country that had never previously been united with Germany.
• he completed his invasion in 1939 of Czechoslovakia.
• he had broken his promises and chamberlain admitted his policy of appeasement had failed.

Question 20

Give some arguments for appeasement?

Answer 20

• Versailles had been too harsh on Germany.
• war costs lives, so it should be avoided.
• Hitler said he was a man of peace.
• Hitler actions gave people what they wanted eg. Anschluss.
• British people didn’t want war.
• war was too expensive, the Great Depression.
• Hitler could be an ally against communism.
• the usa would not support Britain/France.
• British rearmament didn’t start until 1936 - Britain was not ready for war.

Question 21

Give some arguments against appeasement?

Answer 21

• Hitler made no secret of the fact he would use violence.
• Hitler grew in confidence
• Britain/France missed opportunities to stop Hitler when he was weak, eg the remilitarisation of the Rhineland.
• appeasement was morally wrong.
• Czechoslovakia was modern and strong they could of defended against Hitler but they were forced to back down.
  -the USSR was alienated.