Transcript Lesson PowerPoint

How did Europe descend into
war by 1939?
L/O – To evaluate the steps Hitler took that led to war in
September 1939
The Hossbach Meeting
• By 1937, Hitler had transformed Germany
from an isolated, weak, and surrounded
nation, into a rapidly rearming economic
powerhouse, which had managed to
isolate France and encircle the USSR.
• Germany was helped in this by the
appeasement policies of Britain and
France, the weakness of the League of
Nations and the support of Italy.
• On 5th November 1937, Hitler met with his
top Generals to discuss and layout his aims
for foreign policy over the next ten years.
The Hossbach Meeting
• Recorded by Colonel Hossbach five days after
the meeting, the ‘Hossbach Memorandum’
details Hitler’s aims in foreign policy.
• Confident that Germany’s position was now
secure, Hitler argued for the need to quickly
conquer both Austria and Czechoslovakia –
two of France’s allies.
• This would remove any chance of France
surrounding Germany in opposing alliances.
Hitler argued that war with France and Britain
was inevitable, therefore it was better to
strike first before they could rearm – by 1943!
Anschluss
• Having failed to incite a coup for Anschluss in
1934, Germany had bided its time. It signed the
Austro-German Agreement in 1936 which saw
Germany promising to respect Austrian
independence.
• Yet by 1938, the diplomatic alignment in
Europe had changed. After Abyssinia, Mussolini
took a pro-German policy, giving Germany tacit
consent that he wouldn’t oppose Anschluss.
The remilitarisation of the Rhineland in 1936
proved that Britain and France wouldn’t do
anything to oppose Hitler.
• Austrians themselves were increasingly viewing
Anschluss as a way to solve their economic
problems. Yet its leader, Kurt von Schuschnigg,
still opposed Anschluss.
Anschluss
• Hitler again planned for Austrian Nazis to stir
up trouble – the Austrian government would
react – giving Hitler a pretext to invade.
• On 12th February 1938, Von Papen invited
Schuschnigg to meet Hitler. Hitler bombarded
him with a two-hour speech, insisting on
German domination of Austria and demanding
an immediate signature.
• Surrounded by Generals, Schuschnigg was
intimidated into signing, appoint the
Schuschnigg’s deputy, Seyss-Inquart as Interior
Minister.
Anschluss
• In a final attempt to counter growing Nazi
influence, on 9th March Schuschnigg called for a
plebiscite vote on Austrian independence, hoping
to undermine Hitler.
• On hearing this, Hitler flew into a rage. He
demanded the plebiscite be cancelled otherwise
Germany would invade. Goering then pressurised
President Miklas into forcing Schuschnigg to resign.
He was replaced by Seyss-Inquart.
• Despite this, Hitler then decided to invade to
ensure full control. On 12th March, German troops
entered Austria. There was no opposition. Austria
was turned into a province of Germany – Ostmark.
The Austrian Reichstag was dissolved and a
plebiscite held – 99% of Austrian’s agreed! In April,
Britain recognised this move.
Czechoslovakia
• With Austria incorporated into the Reich, Hitler
then turned his attention to Czechoslovakia.
Created in 1919, it was a multi-racial state with
over 3 million Germans living in its border
provinces – the ‘Sudetenland’.
• Czechoslovakia was a richly resourced country
with a large military. It was democratic and had
alliances with France and the USSR.
• Yet Czechoslovakia contained over 2 million
Slovaks, Poles and Hungarians who all wanted
autonomy and 3 million Germans. Hitler would
use these Sudeten Germans as a pretext for
invasion.
Czechoslovakia
• Between March and May 1938, the Czech Nazi
Party was encouraged to manipulate incidents
mistreating ethnic Germans. By 20th May,
Czechs believed a war was imminent and they
mobilised their armies.
• Britain and France warned Hitler against
invasion, despite the fact that he wasn’t
planning anything yet. This made it seem that
Hitler had backed down – he was furious!
• On 15th September, Neville Chamberlain flew to
the Berghof to meet with Hitler. Czech
President Benes was pressurised into ceding all
lands with over 50% German population. Crisis
over.
Czechoslovakia
• On 22nd September, Hitler suddenly escalated
his demands – he wanted all of the
Sudetenland by 1st October. War seemed likely,
yet Chamberlain persuaded Mussolini to
arrange a conference in Munich to solve the
crisis.
• On 29th-30th, the Four Power Conference was
held between Britain, France, Italy, and
Germany. They agree to appease Hitler –
Germany is allowed to occupy the Sudetenland
between 1st-10th October.
• Czechoslovakia lost 41,000 sq km of land, its
best defences and industries, and Benes went
into exile. France lost its main ally against
Germany and the USSR after this sought a
separate deal with Hitler, rather than oppose.
Czechoslovakia
• Yet the Sudetenland was not enough. In
February 1939, Hitler met with Bela Tuka, the
Slovak leader, to encourage him to declare
independence from Czechoslovakia.
• Czech President Hacha declares Martial Law in
an attempt to stop this. On 14th March, the
Slovak government declared independence.
Meeting with Hitler at 01.15 am, Hitler
demanded that Hacha agrees to split
Czechoslovakia.
• By 04.00am, Hacha gave in. Bohemia-Moravia
became a German protectorate and Slovakia
became independent. On 15th March, German
troops marched into Prague. Hungary takes
over Ruthenia.
Czechoslovakia
• Czechoslovakia was a turning point in terms of
relations with Germany. Britain realised that
appeasement wasn’t working – it only
emboldened Hitler.
• By taking over non-German territory for the
first time, it was clear that Hitler wanted to go
beyond mere treaty revision. Although some
debate that Hitler could have been stopped,
the Munich Conference did give Britain more
time to rearm its military.
• On 31st March 1939, Neville Chamberlain,
convinced that Poland was next, announced a
British and French guarantee of Poland’s
security. The scene was set for WW2.
Poland
• Like Czechoslovakia, Poland was also a new
country formed in 1919 with lands taken from
Russia, Germany, and Austria-Hungary. Over
800,000 Germans were living in Poland. Hitler
resented this.
• After the Munich Conference, Hitler began to
demand the restoration of Danzig (renamed
Gdansk) as well as access through the ‘Polish
Corridor’ that split German territory.
• Despite offering to renew the 1934 NonAggression Pact, Polish leaders rejected this,
fearing they would become the next
Czechoslovakia. In response, in April 1939
Hitler started drawing up plans for invasion.
Poland
• In an effort to gain further diplomatic support, in
May 1939 Hitler signed the ‘Pact of Steel’ with Italy,
a military alliance. Hitler also courted the USSR,
hoping to destroy any hopes of a Franco-BritishSoviet alliance.
• By 22nd August, Hitler announces to his generals
that the time for invasion was now. On 23rd, Von
Ribbentrop was sent to Moscow. The outcome was
the Nazi-Soviet Pact. Both agree to divide Poland in
the event of war.
• On 31st August, SS troops ‘attack’ a German border
post, dressed as Polish soldiers. This incident is
used as a pretext to invade on 1st September 1939.
On 3rd September Britain and France declare war.
On 17th, the USSR invades Poland from the East.
Italy declared itself a ‘non-belligerent’. It was still
recovering from its April 1939 invasion of Albania.