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End of WW1
End of WW1 -
Period: to
Causes of WW2
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Treaty of Versailles signed
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Rearming of Germany (1933)
After Hitler came to power one of his first steps was to rearm Germany. Many unemployed workers were put in the army, which helped reduce unemployment rates in Germany, a big problem in Germany.This proved he was keeping his promise. He rearmed in secret at first to avoid alarming other countries, and made a great public display of his desire not to rearm Germany. -
Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany
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The Saar plebiscite
Saarland was run by the league since 1919. As promised the league held a plebiscite in 1935 to vote whether it should be returned to Germany. Around 90% voted for it to be returned to Germany. This was legal and within the terms of the treaty. This was a real morale booster for Hitler. -
Remilitarisation of Rhineland
Hitler took a risk and moved his troops into the rhineland. This went against both the Treaty of Versailles and the Locarno Treaties of 1925. This was a gambel beacuse other countries might of forced him to withdraw. France had just singned a treaty with the USSR to protect each other from Germany. He used this as an excuse, saying that Germany might be under threat. Hitler knew Britain wouldn't do anything because they believed he had a right to put troops there. He'd taken the risk with France -
The Sudetenland
Czechoslovakia was a new country created by the treaty of versailles. It had a large number of germans, former subjects of the Austria-hungary empire, in Sudetenland. Henlein the Nazi's leader in Sudetenland stirred up trouble among the Germans there, demanding them to be part of Germany. In May Hitler said he would fight Czechoslovakia if necessary. Historians still can't decide whether Hitler was bluffing when he said that. Britain, France and the USSR all promised to support Czechoslovakia. -
Anschluss with Austria
Austrian people were mainly German. He believed Germany and Austria should join together to be one country and may Austrians agreed with him. Nazi party in Germany staged demonstartions calling for the union.He pressurised Austrian Leader but he went to Britain and France fro help, they refused. When the leader decided the people should have a vote, Hitler became scared and sent troops to Austria in March. Under the Nazi's the votes came in at 99.75% for the anschluss. -
Anschluss with Germany cont.
Germany and Austria were united without the intervention of Britain and France . The prime minister of britain felt they desrved to be joined and that the treaty of Versailles was wrong. Britain's Lord Halifax had suggested to Hitler before that Britain wouldn't mind the union of Austria and Germany. Austria's soldiers, gold and iron ores, and weapons were added to Germany. -
The Sudetenland Cont.
Czechoslovakia also has a modern army, but without Sudetenland's forts, railways, and industries, Czechoslovakia would be defenceless. Tension rose that summer in Europe, people expected heavy bombing if there was war, magazine's advertised air raid protection and gas masks. Cities around British councils began digging air raid shelters. in September it reached crisis point, on the 15th of September Chamberlain met with Hitler to try and prevent war. Hitler changed his demands. -
The Sudetenland Cont. 2
He said he only wanted parts of Sudetenland, and only if a plebiscite showed the Germans there wanted to join Germany. Chamberlain thought this was reasonable and that it was a term of Treaty that needed to be addressed. He thought if Hitler got what he wants he would be satisfied. On the 19 of September his demands were proposed to the Czechs. 3 days later Hitler changed his mind and said he wants all of Sudetenland. To justify his demands he said that the Germans there were mistreated. -
The Sudetenland Cont. 3
He said he intended to 'rescue' them by the 1st of October. Chamberlain said Hitler's demands were unreasonable. The British navy was mobilised. A meeting was held in Munich on the 29th of September (with mussolini's help). Britain, Germany, France and Italy decided on the fate of Czechoslovakia. They decided to give Hitler what he wanted without consulting the Czechs or the USSR. This was known as the Munich Agreement. War had been avoided but the Czechs had been betrayed. -
Czechoslovakia
Without resistance from the Czechs, German troops took over the rest of Czechoslovakia. Britain and France didn't do anything but it was clear that Hitler could not be trusted. This was invasion because the Czechs were not separated from their homeland by the treaty of versailles. If Hitler continued his next target was likely to be Poland. Britain and France said they would declare war on Germany if they invaded Poland. He didn't believe they'd risk war by resisting him. -
Nazi-Soviet Pact
The next thing Hitler wanted to do was to take back former German land in Poland known as the Polish Corridor. He was sure Britain & France wouldn't risk was but he was less sure about the USSR. (see walsh page 271-72 for background). Enemies Hitler and Stalin signed the pact agreeing not to attack each other and secretly to split Poland among themselves. -
Invasion of Poland-The Start of a War
The Nazi Soviet Pact cleared the way for Hitler's invasion of Poland. On the 1st of September they invaded west Poland, on the 17th USSR invaded the east. Poland fell. On the 3rd of September Britain and France declared war on Germany. It was too soon a war for Hitler and against the wrong opponents. Hitler had taken one gamble too many.
