Escalation of Tension (CAT) Flashcards
(25 cards)
Why did Hitler want troops in the Rhineland?
- when Hitler was to attack to the east to gain Lebensraum a response would be provoked from France
- the Rhineland acted as a buffer for him to defend Germany
When did Hitler remilitarise the Rhineland?
- March 1936
- after the Franco- Soviet Pact has been signed and Hitler claimed germany were under threat
- Hitler instructed his small army to retreat if met with resistance but they were not
Why didn’t Britain react to the remilitarisation of the Rhineland?
- many Britons felt Germany had the right to protect their borders, many people believed Hitler was reclaiming what was rightfully his
- British troops were busy dealing with the invasion of Abyssinia
- the depression hit Britain hard, the nation couldn’t afford to get involved in foreign affairs
Why didn’t France react to the remilitarisation of the Rhineland?
- politicians were fighting a general election, no one wanted to start war
- much of the French army was in Tunisia in case the situation in Abyssinia needed intervention
- French generals believed the german army in the Rhineland was much bigger and equipped than it actually was
Why was sending troops into the Rhineland a risk?
- the german army was small and not ready to fight
* if the german army had been met by the French they would have faced crippling fines
Why was the remilitarisation of the Rhineland a significant step to war?
- Hitler grew confident he could do what he wants
- Hitler began to worry about other terms of the treaty such as the forbidden Anschluss
- Britain and France started rearming
- Mussolini signed the Rome-Berlin axis so Italy and Germany worked together
- Hitler could now defend his western borders so could focus on expanding to the east
Who fought on Hitler’s side?
- Italy
- Germany
- japan
- linked by the pact of steel
When was the Anschluss with Austria?
1938
Why did Hitler want to unite with Austria?
- they shared similar cultures and the same language
- Hitler was born in Austria
- it united german speaking people
- it went directly against the Treaty of Versailles
- he was convinced that he would face little opposition
How did Hitler unite Germany and Austria?
- on 12 March 1938 Nazi troops invaded Austria, they were greeted with girders and flowers
- on 10 April Hitler held a plebiscite to see if the people of Austria wanted to have Anschluss
- he placed Nazi soldiers at the voting booth
- 99% of people voted in favour of Anschluss
How did Britain react to the Anschluss?
- most people felt Germany and Austria were basically the same country
- there was opposition from Churchill
- there was little appetite for war in Britain
How did Germany react to Anschluss?
- Hitler was delighted as his foreign policy began to be put together
- Germany was stronger and had gained resources such as Steel and iron from Austria
How did Austria react to Anschluss?
- most Austrians thought it was good as Austria was made more powerful
- 180,000 jews began to get randomly persecuted in the streets
How did Czechoslovakia react to Anschluss?
- they reacted with great fear as they feared they would be next
- they turned to Britain and France
- Britain and France promised to help Czechoslovakia if it were invaded
How did France react to Anschluss?
- France has its own political problems
* two days before Hitler has invaded Austria the French government had resigned because of unrest
When was the sudeten crisis?
1938
Why did Hitler want the Sudetenland?
- the Sudetenland was Home to first, railways and industries which could be used as part of Hitler’s war effort
- the Sudetenland was Home to around 3 million german speaking people who claimed they had been persecuted by the Czechs, Hitler used this as an excuse to step in and save them
- the Sudetenland was a good base to launch an attack on Czechoslovakia
What did Hitler tell chamberlain about the invasion of Czechoslovakia?
•that the crisis could be resolved if he was given the Sudetenland
How did chamberlain react to Hitler’s request of the Sudetenland?
- he allowed it as long as it was peaceful and stopped there
* he appeased
What did Hitler demand when he met the leaders of Europe at the Munich conference?
- the Czechoslovakian army must leave the Sudetenland and the area be given to Hitler
- Hungary and Poland wanted to claim land in the their borders with Czechoslovakia, Hitler demanded they were met
- Hitler promised peace in Europe in return for the Sudetenland
How did Britain and France react to Hitler’s demands at the Munich conference?
•they were very happy to accept his demands in order to avoid war
How did the USSR react to the invasion of the Sudetenland?
- Stalin became angry that he had been left out and Germany were getting closer
- Stalin decided that the answer to stopping Hitler didn’t lie with Britain and France
What was the Anglo german agreement?
•an agreement between Britain and Germany that said they wouldn’t go to war
Why was the invasion of the rest of Czechoslovakia significant?
- this was the furst time he’d invaded a country with no claim
- Czechoslovakia was a strong country, with support it could have fought the nazis preventing a full scale war
- Britain and France had alienated the USSR and lost a valuable Ally
- chamberlain’s appeasement has failed
