History - Remilitarisation of the Rhineland, Anschluss with Austria & the Nazi-Soviet Pact Flashcards
When did the remilitarisation of the Rhineland take place?
March 1936
Had the Rhineland been taken away from Germany under the Treaty of Versailles?
No - but they were not allowed to have any armed forces there
Where was the Rhineland located?
- On the western border of Germany.
- The border was also shared by: France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland and the Netherlands
What was the main purpose of the demilitarisation of the Rhineland?
- To protect France from invasion
- It had been invaded in 1870 during Franco-Prussian War AND in 1914 during WWI
When had the demilitarisation been reaffirmed?
In the 1925 Locarno Treaties - which Germany had agreed to
What was agreed in the 1925 Locarno Treaties?
- That Germany would stick to all except its western borders as outlined in the ToV
- This agreement helped pave the way for Germany to join the League of Nations
What else was happening in the world in 1936?
The League was preoccupied with the Abyssinian Crisis (the Hoare-Laval Pact had just leaked)
Had Hitler failed with the remilitarisation, whose support would he have lost?
The army’s (lots of top generals were still unsure about him)
What had France and the USSR signed in 1935?
- A mutual assistance treaty to protect each other from German attack
- Full name: The Franco-Soviet Treaty of Mutual Assistance
How did Hitler exploit the Franco-Soviet Treaty of Mutual Assistance?
He claimed he needed to put troops in the Rhineland - on his own frontier - because Germany was under threat from France and the USSR.
How did Hitler exploit British attitudes?
He knew many Britons believed Hitler should be allowed to station troops in ‘his own backyard’ and therefore would do little to stop him
What orders did Hitler give to his generals?
To pull troops out of the Rhineland if they met any resistance from the French
How would Germany’s army have fared against France’s?
Not well, despite rearmament, France’s army was far stronger than Germany’s
What did the League do after Hitler remilitarised the Rhineland?
Condemned his actions - but did nothing else
Why did the French dither over their response?
- France was in the middle of a financial crisis
- They were about to hold an election - none of the French leaders wanted to be held responsible for plunging the country into a war with Germany.
What successes had Hitler had in 1935-37 that had left him feeling more confident?
- Saar Plebiscite (1935)
- Remilitarised the Rhineland (1936)
- Successful involvement in the Spanish Civil War (1936-39)
What did Hitler believe about Austria?
That Austria and Germany should be united in one German-speaking nation
What does ‘Anschluss’ mean?
Political union
What had outlawed Anschluss?
The Treaty of Versailles
What had Hitler promised to overthrow when he came to power?
The Treaty of Versailles
When had Hitler previously attempted Anschluss?
In 1934
Why had Hitler’s attempted annexation (takeover) of Austria (Anschluss) in 1934 failed?
Mussolini had placed Italian troops on the Austrian border to deter Hitler
Why was the situation in 1938 different from 1934?
Hitler and Mussolini were now allies
What did many (all far from all) Austrians want?
Political union with Germany
What already existed within Austria that made a potential union easier?
A strong Nazi Party who were willing to work for Hitler
Who was the Austrian Chancellor?
Schuschnigg (Schu - sch - nigg)
What did Hitler order the Austrian Nazis to do in 1938?
Stir up trouble and hold demonstrations demanding political union with Germany
Once the Austrian Nazis’ began causing unrest, what did Hitler do?
Told the Austrian Chancellor (Schuschnigg) that only Anschluss (political union) could end these problems
When Austrian Chancellor Schuschnigg was given Hitler’s demands for a political union, what step did he initially take?
He asked Britain and France for help
When Schuschnigg asked Britain and France for help, what did he recieve?
No support from either (shock horror)
What does Anschluss mean?
Union of Austria and Germany (forbidden by ToV)
Who did Hitler force the Austrian Chancellor to appoint as Minister of the Interior (in charge of police)?
Seyss-Inquart (Nazi supporter)
After this appointment what did Hitler and the Nazis encourage across Austria?
Riots and demonstrations by Nazis in Austria
What did the Austrian Chancellor call to try and end the disturbances?
Plebiscite (vote) for Austrian people to see if they wanted to remain independent
Why was Hitler so concerned by this plebiscite (vote)?
He knew he had some support in Austria but couldn’t risk it (Schuschnigg had not asked Hitler’s permission)
Why did the Austrian Chancellor resign?
- Hitler moved German troops to the border and forced him to call off the vote
- Schuschnigg had hoped for support from GB and France but that didn’t happen
Who became the new Chancellor and what did they do?
Seyss-Inquart and he invites the Germans in to restore order
How does Hitler quickly take control of Austria?
- 80,000 of Hitler opponents were rounded up and sent to concentration camps
- Seyss-Inquart hands power over to Hitler
What percentage of people in Austria do the Germans claim voted in favour of the Anschluss in April 1938?
99.75%
Why did Britain not take action against the Anschluss of 1938?
- Austrians voted in favour of it
- German speaking people in there
- Britain was more frightened of communism in the USSR
How did the Anschluss strengthen Hitler’s confidence?
- Austrian army and resources can be used
- Another part of the ToV overturned
- Germany now possessed 3 sides of the Sudetenland (3 million German-speaking people) - next target
- Alliance with Mussolini proved useful
Since when had Hitler been concerned about the threat of Hitler?
Since 1933
Why had Stalin been fixated on the threat of Hitler since 1933?
One of Hitler’s declared foreign policy aims was to destroy Communism
What had Stalin done in 1934 in a hope of increasing the USSR’s security?
Joined the League of Nations - hoping the League would protect him from Germany
Why did Stalin stop believing in the League of Nations as an effective peacekeeping institution?
After its failure and inaction in Abyssinia and the Spanish Civil War
Why was Stalin particularly suspicious of Britain?
Many British politicians in the 1930s had welcomed the rise of Hitler as a counter-weight to the threat of the spread of Communism
What did most British politicians see as the biggest threat to world peace in the 1930s?
Communism
Who did Stalin sign a treaty with in 1935?
France
When did Stalin sign a treaty with France?
1935
What was the 1935 agreement between France and the USSR?
The Franco-Soviet Treaty of Mutual Assistance
i.e. an agreement to help each other against the threat of Nazi Germany
Why did Stalin lose faith in the Franco-Soviet treaty?
Because the French failed to do anything to stop the Germans remilitarising the Rhineland - despite it being right on their border!
Which agreement in the late 1930s deepened Stalin’s concerns?
The Munich Agreement - Stalin was not consulted about it
What did Stalin conclude after the Munich Agreement?
The Britain and France were powerless to stop Hitler’s Germany
When did Stalin meet with the leaders of Britain and France to discuss a possible alliance?
In March 1939
When Stalin met with Britain and France in March 1939, why did the meeting end in agreement?
- Chamberlain did not trust Stalin and therefore did not want to commit Britain to an alliance.
- Stalin saw Chamberlain’s guarantee of support to Poland as him supporting a potential future enemy
What was ongoing during the spring and summer of 1939 between Britain, France and the USSR?
Negotiations about a potential alliance
Why was Poland reluctant to get help from USSR in the Spring of 1939?
Poland was afraid of Soviet ambitions to take land from Poland
Why was the Nazi-Soviet Pact so surprising?
Fascist Germany and Communist USSR disliked each other. Germany even wanted land in the East.
Why would Japan and Italy be surprised by this particularly?
In 1937 they had signed the Anti-Comintern Pact (against communism)
What did the Nazi-Soviet Pact say?
Publically- USSR and Germany agreed not to interfere against the other power in the event of war
Privately- Divide up Poland between them
How did Hitler think Britain would react?
Presumed they would back down just like in Munich (Danzig was German and the Polish Corridor divided Germany)
Why did the Nazi-Soviet Pact make war likely?
- Germany didn’t have to worry about fighting on 2 fronts
- Britain had promised to help Poland if attacked (war inevitable)
What percentage of people in Danzig were German?
90%
On what date did German troops invade Poland?
1st September 1939
When did Britain declare war on Germany?
3rd September 1939
When did Britain declare war on Germany?
3rd September 1939
