GERMAN ARMY/NAVY TAKES FORM
On 16 March 1935, Hitler announcing plans to create an army of over half a million men by reintroducing conscription. Soon after Britain signed the Anglo-German Naval Agreement in June 1935. This entitled the Germans to build a navy up to 35% of the size of the Royal Navy; Britain believed that if the Royal navy were 3 times bigger than Germany’s navy they would pose no real threat.
However France objected to this but Britain argued that by appeasing Germany, she would feel less threatened and at risk
RE-OCCUPATION OF THE RHINELAND
‘We have no territorial demands to make in Europe…Germany will never break the peace’. This was part of the speech Hitler made in March 1936, to the Reichstag, which stated the re-occupation of the Rhineland. Hitler was completely wrong in saying that he would never break peace, as it was majorly disturbed by his second act of opposing the treaty of Versailles. However this time he did not just oppose it but he tore it up. He was also wrong in saying there are no territorial demands to make in Europe when he knew that invading Poland/Czechoslovakia were his long term plans.
Hitler sent troops into the Rhineland in March 1936, forbidden by the Treaty of Versailles, it was said to be a DMZ (De-militarised Zone). Hitler was looking for a response by the allies however they did nothing. If Britain was to respond there would have been a battle, which was the last thing anyone wanted.
In November 1936, Japan and Germany signed a treaty aimed at preventing the spread of Communism. In 1937, the Germany-Japan Treaty was also joined by Italy, whom a year before helped Germany intervene in the Spanish Civil War.
ANSCHLUSS
Hitler’s new primary objective was to overthrow Austria and Czechoslovakia. A union with Austria (Anschluss) had been in the Nazi plan since the begging, but again The Treaty of Versailles stated ‘Germany must not join with Austria to form a single country’ however this did not stop Hitler and by April 1938, Anschluss was complete.
CZECH SUDETENLAND
The German-speaking civilians of Czech Sudetenland claimed that they were being treated harshly compared with the Czechs. Czechoslovakia and the Czechs where threatened by the Nazi’s and they stationed troops in the Sudetenland to try and prevent the problem. The Soviet Union offered Czechoslovakia help, but neither Britain nor France trusted the Soviet Union.
On September 30, the four powers signed the Munich agreement, which let Germany to take over Czechoslovakia. On March 1939, Germany took over part of Czechoslovakia. Even though Britain and France together had an army twice the size of Germany’s they continued to do nothing.
POLAND
On 22 May 1939, Germany and USSR agreed a ‘Pact of Steel’, which guaranteed Germany’s safety under threat of war, this meant Germany was safe to do as they pleased. Signing the pact was one of Hitler’s greatest moves as USSR was the only county that could and would stop him from continuing the invasion of Poland.
On 1 September 1939 Hitler invaded Poland, this had pushed his luck too far and he had triggered the Second World War.
CONCLUSION
Britain’s motives for appeasement at the time seemed to be correct, as the last thing they wanted was a repeat of the First World War. In appeasing the Germans they did this, they tried to steer away from war and turn into friendship, however Germanys motives where totally different. When Hitler found nothing was going to stop him he kept on going and finally went too far. Appeasement was defiantly right for Britain as the memories of the war where so bad some would rather kill themselves then be a part of it, as shown in the source below.
‘I have been collecting poisons for some time…I have sufficient to give myself, husband and all the children a lethal dose. I can remember the last war. I don’t want to live through another, or the children either. I shan’t tell them. I shall just do it’.
I personally fell Britain knew she was going to have to go to war against Germany at one point but jus tried to hold it off as long as possible. The appeasement was wrong. By the time Britain put her foot down Germany had already gotten away with doing far too many things. Germany took advantage of the fact Britain and France where going to do nothing.
Hitler was extremely on the right wing and some would say a Fascist.
Maninder Sihra 3A
(1003 words)