Why did Britain and France adopt a policy of trying to deter Germany after March 1939? Flashcards
Introduction:
In March 1939, Britain and France largely abandoned their policy of trying to appease Hitler in favour of a policy of deterrence. The reason for this major change in direction lay with what happened to Czechoslovakia
The invasion of Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia was a multinational state inhabited by Czechs, Magyars, Slovaks, and Ruthenes as well as other nationalities. Once the Sudetenland was transferred to Germany, the rest of the state began to break up. Nevertheless, Czechoslovakia remained a country rich in agriculture and industry, resources that Hitler very much wanted to obtain for the benefit of Germany. He finally made his strike in March 1939. President Hacha of Czechoslovakia was bullied into placing the fortunes of his country in the hands of the German Reich and the German army occupied Prague on 15 March 1939
These events are complicated but important for what they reveal about Hitler’s true intentions. Up until and including the Munich Agreement, every territorial change sought by Hitler could be justified on the grounds of self-determination, allowing land mainly populated by Germans to transfer to the German Reich. The events of March 1939 were different. Here Hitler was taking new territory simply in order to increase the power of Germany. Germany had no more right to Czechoslovakia than it did to Belgium or Luxembourg. There were no Germans living in the newly acquired territories. Hitler was clearly straying well beyond the acceptable principles of achieving his Greater Germany. He was now making a bid to dominate Europe by force
The expansion of German population (m) 1935-9
- Germany in 1935: 64
- Germany in March 1938 after Anschluss with Austria: 70.7
- Germany in October 1938 after taking over the Sudetenland: 74.3
- Germany in March 1939 after expansion into Bohemia-Moravia: 81.8
- Overall percentage increase between 1935 and March 1939: 28%
The British-French guarantee to Poland
There was little the British or French could do to save Czechoslovakia in March 1939 but there was no longer any doubt about Hitler’s ambitions. Poland was almost certainly going to be his next target for the following reasons:
- Poland was a recreation by the Versailles Settlement
- Poland included territory that had been part of Germany prior to 1919 such as West Prussia
- The Polish Corridor separated East Prussia from the main bulk of German territory
- Danzig, located in the Polish Corridor, was populated mainly by Germans
Hitler began by demanding the return of Danzig together with the establishment of German-controlled transport links across the Polish Corridor. Although Hitler’s demands over Poland appeared just as reasonable as they had over the Sudetenland, the events of March 1939 led to the policy of appeasement being replaced by one of deterrence
On 31 March a British-French guarantee was given to Poland that promised that Poland would receive British and French support and assistance if attacked. Britain and France also began to think in terms of constructing a grand eastern alliance against Germany to present her with the prospect of a major war on two fronts should Germany decide to attack Poland
For this eastern alliance to be effective Soviet Russia had to be persuaded to become a member. Unsuccessful attempts were made by the British and the French to achieve this during the spring and summer of 1939. A major problem was that Stalin feared he was being drawn into a war with Germany. When the project failed, Poland was left with two western allies, Britain and France, neither of whom was in a position to provide immediate assistance in the event of a German invasion
