The Saar plebiscite Flashcards
What had been agreed about the Saar region of Germany during the ToV?
It would be run by the League for 15 years
What was held in the Saar in 1935?
A plebiscite (public vote) about who should run the Saar
What is a plebiscite?
A public vote
Why was Hitler initially wary about the Saar plebiscite?
Many of his opponents had fled there
Why did the plebiscite take place despite Hitler’s objections?
The League wanted to show it was being firm with Hitler
What was the outcome of the plebiscite?
An overwhelming success - about 90% of people voted for German rule
Who was key in bringing about this voting success?
Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s propaganda minister, who mounted a huge propaganda campaign
Was the Saar’s return to German rule legal?
Yes - it was entirely within the terms of the Treaty
What did Hitler claim after the results of the vote had been announced?
Hitler declared that he had ‘no further territorial demands to make of France’
What else was significant about the Saar result?
It was the first piece of land Germany had recovered from the Treaty of Versailles - and through legal and peaceful means
