Topic 8: Escalation of tension Flashcards
Why did Hitler remilitarise the Rhineland?
- The treaty of Versailles forced Germany to demilitarise the area of the Rhineland on the border between Germany and France.
- Hitler wanted to take Lebensraum in East Europe, but to do this he would have 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 by remilitarising Rhineland.
What was the risk of remilitarising Rhineland?
- German generals advised Hitler that the army wasn’t strong enough to fight if Britain or France chose to challenge it.
- German financial ministers warned Hitler that if his plan failed he would have to pay huge fine which Germany couldn’t afford.
How did he remilitarise Rhineland?
- 1935: The Franco-Soviet pact was signed - a deal between France and the USSR in which each agreed to assist the other if attacked; as a result, Hitler claimed he was under attack from France in the west and USSR in the east.
- 7 March 1936: Hitler’s troops entered the Rhineland, many rode on bicycles and there was no air support.
- Civilians in the Rhineland greeted the troops with flowers.
Why didn’t Britain or France stop Hitler?
Britain
- Depression meant they were reluctant to take action
- British people said there was no need to stop Hitler marching into his own territory, and that he had a right to defend his borders.
- The British leadership was preoccupied with the Abyssinian crisis.
France
- Politicians were distracted as they were fighting a general election.
- Much of the army was in Tunisia in case they needed to intervene in the Abyssinian crisis.
- Many believed Germany entering the Rhineland was bigger than it was and they thought it was battle they couldn’t win.
Why was the remilitarisation of Rhineland important?
- Hitler gained confidence that he could get away with violating the treaty of Versailles.
- Britain and France started rearming; war was getting closer.
- The French’s priority was now protecting its own border; they started ignoring treaties they had signed to protect other countries.
- Hitler showed that he was powerful; he signed the Rome-Berlin Axis with Mussolini.
- Hitler signed the Anti-Comintern Pact with Japan in November 1936; they agreed to work together against the threat of communism; Italy later joined the alliance when it agreed to the pact of steel with Germany in 1939.
How did Hitler achieve Anschluss, 1938?
1) Germany had been ruled by Austria for 600 years, but in the treaty of Versailles they were forbidden to unite.
2) 2 of Hitler’s foreign policy aims were to unite German-speaking people and destroy the treaty of Versailles.
3) In 1934, Hitler had Austrian Nazis murder Dollfuss (Austrian chancellor), but backed down when Mussolini moved troops to the Austrian border.
4) In 1938, Austrian Nazis planned to get rid of the new chancellor, Schuschnigg, but police discovered and stopped this plot. Austrian Nazis were imprisoned , but Schuschnigg still felt vulnerable. He met with Hitler and agreed to give him key positions un the Austrian government to Nazis in return for Hitler’s support.
5) Hitler’s puppet, Seyss-Inquart, was appointed as minister for the interior, with full power over the police in Austria. He now had full control of the Austrian police force, who turned a blind eye to Nazi terrorist attacks on the Austrian government.
6) Schuschnigg planned a plebiscite to prove that the people of Austria didn’t want to be ruled buy Hitler, but Hitler demanded that this be delayed and then forced Schuschnigg to resign.
7) Hitler made Seyss-Inquart the new chancellor. He was a Nazi puppet. He claimed that Austria was in a state of chaos and asked Hitler to restore order, and so on 12 March Nazi forces entered Austria. Crowds of Austrians gathered in the streets to cheer for the Nazi soldiers arrival.
8) On 10th April the plebiscite was held, and Nazis won 99% of the vote.
How did people react to Anschluss?
Austria: 99%of people voted for Anschluss, but polling stations were heavily policed by Nazi stormtroopers, and the yes box on the ballot form was larger than the no one.
Britain: Some British people had decided that the treaty of Versailles was too harsh on Germany, and since they thought that Germany and Austria were essentially the same country, they felt the unity should be allowed.
France: 2 days before Hitler’s invasion the whole gov had resigned. France was in no position to get involved.
Czechoslovakia: The Czech people feared that Hitler’s policy of Lebensraum would mean that they would be invaded next. Britain and France agreed that they’d protect the country if Hitler did invade.
Germany: Hitler was able to use Anschluss as a great propaganda victory. The German people were delighted to be reuniting with their Austrian neighbours , and could see that Hitler was achieving his foreign policy aims of Volksdeutsche and creating a Greater Germany. He could now use the Austrian army, he could access the east more easily and the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia was now bordered by Germany and Austria on 3 sides.
What was the Sudeten crisis of 1938?
- The Sudetenland was part of Czechoslovakia, on the German border.
- Hitler planned to take Lebensraum.
- Czechoslovakia’s main defences were in Sudetenland, so taking it would allow Hitler to invade the whole country. There were natural resources and factories in the area that Hitler could utilise in his war effort.
- Czechoslovakia had been created at the end of W1. Hitler felt the invasion of Czechoslovakia would be another step towards destroying the treaty of Versailles.
- About 20% of the Sudeten population was German. In May 1938, Hitler claimed they were being persecuted and used this as an excuse to invade.
Why does Chamberlain meet Hitler in 198?
- Chamberlain flew to Berchtesgaden to meet Hitler on 15 September 1938.
- Chamberlain wanted to appease Hitler to prevent war, so agreed to allow Hitler to take Sudetenland so long as his actions were peaceful.
- Chamberlain then met with the Czechs and forced them to agree to Hitler’s terms.
- On 22nd September, Chamberlain met Hitler at Bad Godsberg, where Hitler changed his demands: the Sudetenland would be handed over to him by 1 October and Hungary and Poland must also be given Czech land.
What was the Munich conference?
- The Munich conference took place on 29 September 1938.
- Chamberlain, Mussolini and Daladier (French president) met in Munich.
- They accepted the demand Hitler had made at Bad Godsberg.
- Chamberlain and Daladier said that they had prevented war as Hitler promised not to take anymore land. Chamberlain said he had guaranteed peace in our time.
- The Czechs weren’t consulted.
- The USSR wasn’t consulted, which made Stalin think the he couldn’t trust Britain and France.
When does Hitler invade Sudetenland?
-He invaded on 10 October 1938.
- Troops marched in, but unlike in Rhineland and Austria, the Czechs saw this as a real invasion.
- This was the first time Hitler had invaded a country that had never previously been united with Germany.
- Hitler completed his invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1939. He’d broken the promises he made at the Munich conference and Chamberlain had to accept appeasement had failed.
What were the arguments for appeasement?
- War costs lives, so it should be avoided.
- The treaty of Versailles had been too harsh on Germany.
- Hitler said he was a man of peace.
- Hitler’s actions gave people what they wanted like Anschluss.
- The people of Britain didn’t want war.
- War was expensive during the great depression.
- Hitler could be an ally against communism.
- British rearmament didn’t start until 1936 - weren’t ready for war.
- The USA wouldn’t support Britain or France.
What were the arguments against appeasement?
- Hitler made no secret of the fact he would use violence.
- Opportunities to stop Hitler when he was weak, such as when he remilitarised Rhineland, were missed.
- Hitler grew confident.
- Appeasement was morally wrong.
- Czechoslovakia was strong and modern, and so could have made a stand against Hitler but was forced to back down.
- The USSR was alienated.
