Transcript The Path to War

The Path to War
– Part Two
Europe
The Path to War – Part 2
4. Re – introduction to Conscription
Conscription was specifically forbidden by the Treaty of Versailles.
Rearmament had been going on secretly since 1933, but in 1935
Hitler took the chance and held a huge ‘Freedom to Rearm’ military
rally, and in 1936 he reintroduced conscription. From 1932-1939, the
number of soldiers grew tenfold from 100,000 to a million, and the
number of airplanes grew 200-fold from 36 to 8250.
This was a great success for Hitler:
a. he had guessed correctly – no country questioned his breach of
the Treaty of Versailles; they backed down and his prestige grew.
b. it made him very popular in Germany – it reduced
unemployment, it made Germany strong, and he had defied the
hated Treaty of Versailles.
The Path to War – Part 2
5. The Remilitarisation of the Rhineland – 1936
The Path to War – Part 2
• The Rhineland was demilitarised after the signing of
the Treaty of Versailles.
• No troops were allowed to be stationed along the
border with France. It was feared that the Germans
could be aggressive and cross the border in
another war.
• The demilitarisation of the Rhineland, it was
considered, offered protection to the French for
any future German attack!
The Path to War – Part 2
German troops crossing into the Rhineland.
The Path to War – Part 2
Analyse this political cartoon.
What is the meaning of this
cartoon?
1) Context?
2) What does it represent?
You need to describe the origin
of the cartoon (source) the
purpose i.e. what is the aim of
the cartoon (the purpose)
You need to include in your
answer the value and limitation
of the source if used for historical
inquiry.
Cartoon printed in the UK in
1936
The Path to War - Part 2
POLICY OF APPEASEMENT
Appeasement = Appease
someone to avoid conflict.
The Path to War – Part 2
6. The Anschluss – the Annexation of Austria – March
1938
WHY?
To restore order in Austria. In fact, it was the Austrian
Nazi Party that was causing the disorder, by stirring up
fights and demonstrations. Hitler bullied the Austrian
leader into giving all the important jobs in government
to Nazis. The leader of the government then resigned.
He was replaced by a Nazi who asked Hitler to send in
the German army to restore order. Hitler said that the
Austrians supported the move. 99.75% of Austrians
then voted to be united with Germany.
The Path to war – Part 2
Can you see how
Germany and
Austria look like a
wolf ready to ‘eat’
Czechoslovakia!
The Annexation of Austria – March 1938
The Path to War – Part 2
Austrians happy to be
part of Germany.
Are they??
https://www.youtube.co
m/watch?v=hRSwWuVt
HF4
The Path to War – Part 2
7. The Sudeten Issue (Munich Conference) 1938
What was the Sudetenland and
why was it important?
It was an area on the borders of
Czechoslovakia largely inhabited
by ethnic Germans. The border
had been drawn in the post WWI
treaties.
It contained much industry and
strong mountain defences against
Germany.
After Anschluss, it was
surrounded by Germany. France
and the USSR had treaties to
defend Czechoslovakia in the
event of an attack.
The Path to War – Part 2
What happened?
Hitler used a local party to stir up trouble. There were
riots and the Czechs put them down. But Hitler
increasingly backed their demands for selfdetermination.
Mediation failed between Hitler and the Czech
government.
British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain went to
Germany to try and negotiate a deal that allowed the
transfer of some territory and managed to get the
French and the Czechs to agree.
The Path to War – Part 2
Hitler was not happy and he upped his demands at a
second meeting!
War looked inevitable.
Then Mussolini proposed a four power conference to
resolve this.
This took place in Munich 29 – 30th September 1938.
At this meeting, they agreed to a modified plan to
transfer Sudeten areas to Germany. It took place
from 1st October. A day when Britain and Germany
singed a new peace deal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FO725Hbzfls
The Path to War – Part 2
This is how the American journalist, William Shirer, who
entered the Sudetenland with German troops, described
that moment:
"In five minutes we reached the Czech customs house. It
was deserted, but outside delirious Sudeten Germans had
already started to erect a triumphal arch of telephone
poles, decorated with pine branches, and over which they
had already scrawled a sign: "Sudetenland Welcomes its
Liberators." And then, from across the fields between the
woods, the peasants started to emerge, jumping up into
the air, raising their hands in the Nazi salute and screaming
at the top of their voices "Heil Hitler!"
The Path to War – Part 2
The Path to War – Part 2
Why did Britain pursue this course?
Afraid of war! They did not want to ever go through
another war after the horrors of the Great War in 1914 –
1918.
Britain was not ready for war! Britain could not have
defended Czechoslovakia.
It was clear at the time that Hitler was not going to stop at
the Sudetenland!
Critics of this ‘appeasement’ policy (e.g. Churchill) saw it as
a cowardly missed chance to fight Hitler.