GERMAN EXPANSION
Causes of Expansion
Events
Responses
1935 - The Saar Plebiscite: reunification with Germany
1936-1939 - Four Year Plan: bring Germany out of the slumps in just 4 years. Reduce unemployment, get rid of Jews, make Germany self-sufficient, transform the economy
1934 - The Non-Aggression Pact with Poland: this pact allowed Germany to help protect their Eastern frontier (Russia is to the East), and ended any reconciliation between Poland and Czechoslovakia
1938 - The May Crisis: Czech government ordered partial mobilization because of rumors that Germany would attack
Ultimately led to the liquidation of Czechoslovakia
1939 - Anglo-Polish Treaty: Britain offered to help Poland in the vent of a German attack which ultimately led to the Anglo-German Naval Agreement being invalid and the end of the Non-Aggression Pact with Poland
Pan-Germanism
Race and Lebensraum
Reverse the Treaty of Versailles
Natural Enemies
Germany was absolutely demolished in the Treaty of Versailles to ensure that they would not rise to the power they once had. They were severely oppressed
the idea or principle of a political unification of all Europeans speaking German or a Germanic language.
the territory that a state or nation believes is needed for its natural development, especially associated with Nazi Germany.
Russia was a natural enemy since they housed many Jewish people and also were a Communist country. (Hint, Hitler hated both Jews and Communism)
Britain was a threat due to its growing military
France because of WWI
Plebiscite - the direct vote of all the members of an electorate on an important public question such as a change in the constitution.
Britain and France: wanted Germany back into the LoN
1936 - Hitler marched into Rhineland
The Non-Intervention Committee
British and French governments feared that if other countries got involved, the conflict would spread and become a major European war.
Although Britain and France stuck firmly to non-intervention, the Committee had little effect.
Germany, Italy & Soviet Russia ignored it even though they were members LOL they really said no<3.
Response to Anschluss
very limited response (everyone was busy they don't care)
France was paralyzed by an internal political crisis
Italy was now increasingly dependent on German friendship
League of Nations was discredited after the Abyssinian affair and Anschluss was not even referred to the League for discussion
Germany’s union with Austria was inevitable