The Drift to War 1933-39

Question 1

1) Rebuilding the German military

Answer 1

Ordered secret r armament, left League of Nations
Publicly announce reintroduction of conscription
Increased size of navy + built up airforce (Luftwaffle) - commanded by Herman Goering

Question 2

2) Occupation of the Rhineland

Answer 2

March 1936 - troops crossed River Rhine, greeted by cheering crowds
Versailles agreement broken, French + British did nothing. Hitler gambled and won
Rome-Berlin Axis

Question 3

Attitude of the British and French

Answer 3

French thought German army bigger than it was. Would not act without British support
British felt Treaty of Versailles was too harsh

Question 4

Hitler’s aims

Answer 4

Tear up Treaty of Versailles
Unite German speakers outside Germany into a Greater Germany
See birth country become part of Germany
Believed French + British weak and wanted to avoid war

Question 5

Steps to war

Answer 5

1. Rebuilding German military
2. Occupation of Rhineland
3. Appeasement
4. Austria - Anschluss
5. Sudetenland
6. Munich Conference
7. End of Czechoslovakia
8. Demands on Poland

Question 6

3. Appeasement

Answer 6

New PM in Britain - Neville Chamberlain

Did not want war - agree to Hitler’s demands (appeasement)

Question 7

4. Austria - Anschluss

Answer 7

Hitler forced Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg to bring leading Austrian Nazis into gov.

German troops ‘invited in’

Question 8

5. Sudetenland

Answer 8

Lack of reaction - Hitler took more risks

Sudetenland - German-speaking region of Czechoslovakia

Excuse - demands of Sudeten Germans to bring Ger. control

Fears of German attack on Czechoslovakia grew

Question 9

6. Munich Conference

Answer 9

Neville Chamberlain tried to stop war w/ diplomacy

Mussolini proposed conference of Brit, Fran, Italy, Ger.

Czechoslovakia not invited + Russia

29 Sep 1938 - agreed to hand over Sudetenland

War prevented

Question 10

7. End of Czechoslovakia

Answer 10

Hitler sent troops into Czech lands

Brit. public opinion outraged

Chamberlain abandoned appeasement - Brit support Poland if attacked

Question 11

8. Demands on Poland

Answer 11

Germans resented losing land to Poland at WWI end

Hitler demanded return on Danzig (German-speaking town)

Poles refused

Question 12

9. Hitler and Stalin

Answer 12

Stalin believed Western Allies encouraging Hitler to attack Sov. U.

Hitler offered Stalin Alliance

Wanted Soviet neutrality

Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact

Question 13

10. War

Answer 13

1 Sep 1939 - German troops attacked Poland

Brit + France declared war on 3 Sep