Escalation of Tension (CAT) Flashcards
Why did Hitler want troops in the Rhineland?
- when Hitler was to attack to the east to gain Lebensraum a response would be provoked from France
- the Rhineland acted as a buffer for him to defend Germany
When did Hitler remilitarise the Rhineland?
- March 1936
- after the Franco- Soviet Pact has been signed and Hitler claimed germany were under threat
- Hitler instructed his small army to retreat if met with resistance but they were not
Why didn’t Britain react to the remilitarisation of the Rhineland?
- many Britons felt Germany had the right to protect their borders, many people believed Hitler was reclaiming what was rightfully his
- British troops were busy dealing with the invasion of Abyssinia
- the depression hit Britain hard, the nation couldn’t afford to get involved in foreign affairs
Why didn’t France react to the remilitarisation of the Rhineland?
- politicians were fighting a general election, no one wanted to start war
- much of the French army was in Tunisia in case the situation in Abyssinia needed intervention
- French generals believed the german army in the Rhineland was much bigger and equipped than it actually was
Why was sending troops into the Rhineland a risk?
- the german army was small and not ready to fight
* if the german army had been met by the French they would have faced crippling fines
Why was the remilitarisation of the Rhineland a significant step to war?
- Hitler grew confident he could do what he wants
- Hitler began to worry about other terms of the treaty such as the forbidden Anschluss
- Britain and France started rearming
- Mussolini signed the Rome-Berlin axis so Italy and Germany worked together
- Hitler could now defend his western borders so could focus on expanding to the east
Who fought on Hitler’s side?
- Italy
- Germany
- japan
- linked by the pact of steel
When was the Anschluss with Austria?
1938
Why did Hitler want to unite with Austria?
- they shared similar cultures and the same language
- Hitler was born in Austria
- it united german speaking people
- it went directly against the Treaty of Versailles
- he was convinced that he would face little opposition
How did Hitler unite Germany and Austria?
- on 12 March 1938 Nazi troops invaded Austria, they were greeted with girders and flowers
- on 10 April Hitler held a plebiscite to see if the people of Austria wanted to have Anschluss
- he placed Nazi soldiers at the voting booth
- 99% of people voted in favour of Anschluss
How did Britain react to the Anschluss?
- most people felt Germany and Austria were basically the same country
- there was opposition from Churchill
- there was little appetite for war in Britain
How did Germany react to Anschluss?
- Hitler was delighted as his foreign policy began to be put together
- Germany was stronger and had gained resources such as Steel and iron from Austria
How did Austria react to Anschluss?
- most Austrians thought it was good as Austria was made more powerful
- 180,000 jews began to get randomly persecuted in the streets
How did Czechoslovakia react to Anschluss?
- they reacted with great fear as they feared they would be next
- they turned to Britain and France
- Britain and France promised to help Czechoslovakia if it were invaded
How did France react to Anschluss?
- France has its own political problems
* two days before Hitler has invaded Austria the French government had resigned because of unrest