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Hitler's Foreign Policy and the Outbreak of World War II (Appeasement,…
Hitler's Foreign Policy and the Outbreak of World War II
Breaking of the Treaty of Versailles
1935 re-arming of army, increase army to 550,000
entered Rhineland, against treaty, gamble, troops ordered to retreat if French armed
Links with Mussolini
1936 closer together, helped General Franco in Spanish Civil war, later signed Rome-Berlin Axis
1939 Pact of Steel committing to future war
Appeasement
Western nations didn't stop his actions
France weak after WWI, lost a generation
pinned hopes on stopping Hitler on Maginot Line
Britain wanted to forgive and forget, Chamberlain believed if Hitler was happy revising Treaty then it was good
keeping Hitler happy was called appeasement
Anschluss-Union, Austria 1938
wanted to unite two countries
Austria welcomed unification as they had become weak after WWI
prohibited by Treaty of Versailles but no action came against Hitler
Sudetenland and Munich Agreement
border region between Germany and Czechoslovakia, 3 million Germans
tensions between countries but no aid from Western Nations
Chamberlain went to resolve situation, conference Munich September 1938
Chamberlain, Daladier, Mussolini and Hitler present, Munich agreement, Sudetenland Germany's if it was Hitler's last request
Chamberlain hailed hero, peace with honour peace for our time, Churchill opposed
End of Appeasement
March 1939, invades Prague, entered lebensraum plan
invasion changed, no longer uniting Germany, peace died
Britain and France promised to go to war should Hitler invade Poland
Poland next, German minority in polish Corridor, East Prussia separated
Danzig contained 500,000 Germans
Nazi-Soviet Pact
August 1939, ten-year non-aggression pact Soviets
Nazi-Soviet Pact unlikely, hate towards communism
Stalin agreed to grow forces against Germany
secret clause split Poland, Hitler would only fight a war on one side, Poland sealed
Outbreak of War
1 September 1939 invaded Poland
given 48 hours to leave Poland, no response war came