Transcript Chapter 17 Lesson 1 Day 1

Discussion
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How might political agreements
sometimes lead to war?
While political agreements can lead to
renewed commitments among allies, they
can also cause anger and resentment
among opposing countries. Pacts might
lead to war when one or more countries
feel betrayed by another.
Racial Supremacy Theory and German Militarism
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Idea of "Aryan" superiority: Adolf Hitler
believed that Germans belonged to a so-called
Aryan race that was superior to other races.
Desire to expand to the east: Hitler wanted a
larger population of Germans and planned to take
over lands to the east to accommodate this
growth.
Violations of Treaty of Versailles: Germany
violated the Treaty of Versailles by creating an air
force and sending troops into the demilitarized
Rhineland.
Beginning of Britain's appeasement
policy: Britain initially avoided the use of force in
addressing Nazi Germany's territorial expansion.
Discussion
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Why did Hitler believe that
Germany had the right to expand
into other lands?
He believed the Germans were
members of a superior race and were
meant to build a great German
civilization
Background
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As German troops marched into the
Rhineland, Hitler ordered his forces to
retreat if France intervened. The French
outnumbered the Germans, and they also
might have received help from
Czechoslovakia and possibly Poland. Yet
the French general overestimated German
troop strength, and French politicians
insisted on waiting for support from
Britain before using force. Support from
Britain never came, and German troops
were allowed to remain in the Rhineland.
Discussion
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What was meant by the comment
that the Germans were "going
into their own back garden"?
Germany was sending troops into its
own lands.
Discussion
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Why do you think the Treaty of
Versailles prohibited such an
action?
It was meant to protect the nations
to the west of Germany.
Discussion
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Why do you think France was
given the right to use force
against Germany if it violated
this provision?
France shared a border with
Germany in the Rhineland.
Axis Alliance and Further Aggression
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Germany joins with Italy and Japan: In 1936,
Hitler signed alliance agreements with Italy and
Japan.
German annexation of Austria: Hitler used the
threat of force to persuade Austria to unite with
Germany, thereby continuing to expand territory
under his control.
Occupation of the Sudetenland: Germany's
next move was to invade the Sudetenland in the
northwestern part of Czechoslovakia, where
many ethnic Germans lived.
Discussion
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How do you think Germany's new
agreements and alliances affected
Hitler's international plans?
Hitler became convinced that neither
France nor Britain would provide much
opposition, possibly because Germany was
a world power with strong allies.
Failure of Appeasement Policy
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Munich Conference: At the Munich Conference of 1938,
Britain agreed to allow Hitler to occupy the Sudetenland in
the hope that Germany's expansion would end. It did not.
Appeasement fails: The failure of Britain's appeasement
policy became clear when German troops moved beyond
the Sudetenland to take over the rest of Czechoslovakia.
Nazi-Soviet Nonaggression Pact: To prevent Western
Europe from getting help from the Soviet Union in the
event of a German attack on Poland, Hitler negotiated a
nonaggression pact with Soviet leader Joseph Stalin.
Invasion of Poland and outbreak of war: When Poland
refused to give Germany its port of Danzig, Hitler attacked
in September 1939, starting World War II.
Discussion
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How did the policy of
appeasement affect Hitler's
plans?
Hitler became bolder because he was
convinced that Western democracies
would not take action against him.
Discussion
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What did Hitler hope to achieve
by invading other lands?
He hoped to build an Aryan racial
state that would dominate Europe for
a thousand years.