Transcript Hitler’s March Across Western Europe:

An appeaser is one who
feeds a crocodile, hoping it
will eat him last.
~ Winston Churchill ~
1. Write this quote on the top of your notes.
2. What do you think this means? Write your
answer on your paper.
Hitler’s March Across
Western Europe:
A Study in Appeasement
Appeasement:
The policy of granting
concessions to
potential enemies to
maintain peace
Hitler Rises to Power
Hitler becomes
chancellor of
Germany in
1933. He was
elected to this
position.
Paul von Hindenburg, German President
1925-34, congratulating Adolf Hitler upon
his appointment as Chancellor
Hitler Violates the
Treaty of Versailles
Treaty ended WWI
Conditions of treaty
Not allowed to have an Army – rearmed Germany
No expansion of territory – took over the Rhineland
(1938)
Moved into Austria
Favored by most Austrians (1938)
Hitler declared Anschluss – German
for union
Britain and France condemn, but took
no action
Hitler accepts the ovation of the Reichstag after
announcing the 'peaceful' acquisition of Austria
Hitler Wanted Sudetenland
Part of Czechoslovakia
Hitler met with British Prime Minister
Neville Chamberlain in Munich
Neither Czechoslovakia, nor the Soviet
Union, their ally, were asked to attend
Great Britain decided to appease
Germany
Agreement known as the “Munich
Pact”
Neville Chamberlain, left, Hitler, center, and an
unidentified advisor, Munich Conference, 1938
Chamberlain
returns from his
meeting with
Adolf Hitler
waving the
Munich pact.
Peace For Our Time!
Hitler Took Sudetenland (1938)
Promised not to take any more
land
Chamberlain said that the pact
guaranteed “peace for our time”
A Sudeten
woman is unable
to conceal her
misery as she
dutifully salutes
the triumphant
Hitler.
September 1938
Hitler took Czechoslovakia
He felt Britain and France too
weak to stop him
Chamberlain realized Hitler
couldn’t be trusted
Crowds of Sudeten
Germans gather in
the Eger
Marktplatz to greet
their “liberator.”
Hitler took Poland
1939
Britain and France declared war on
Germany
Triggered the official beginning of
World War II
Aftermath of the German invasion of Poland