The Road to War

Canadian History 1201March 2005

The Road to War

RearmamentRhineland….March 1936Austria…..March 1938Sudetenland…Sept 1938 (MUNICH)Czechoslovakia…March 1939Nazi-Soviet Pact…August 1939Poland…Sept 1, 1939

Rearmament

Hitler promised to make Germany a world power

Restore previous military strength

Began to rearm in the mid-30s (army/airforcearmy/airforce/tanks/tactics)

Unemployment dropped from 6 million in 1931 to just over 1 million by 1937

March ’36…Rhineland

Prior to WWI & Versailles it belonged to Germany but following WW1 it became a DMZ under League of Nation control (occupied by allied troops)

Hitler was determined to get it back & in March 1936 he peacefully invaded.

It was the first outright violation of the Versailles Treaty

The first instance of the appeasement policy(…. more later).

March ’38…Austria

Hitler wanted all Germans living within new German state…..the Reich.

Anschluss (Union)Hitler argued that many Germans lived in

Austria so it should be part of Germany.March ’38 Nazi forces entered Austria.Britain & France did nothing…..didn’t want

to risk another war.

March ’38…Austria

Sept ’38…Sudetenland

Northwestern Czechoslovakia (3 million German speaking people living there).

Heavy industry & defensesCzechs wanted to fight but Britain &

France would not support themMunich Agreement allowed Germany

to have the Sudetenland

Sept ’38…Munich Agreement

Britain, France, Germany met in Munich & decided to give away the Sudetenland

Hoped to save the world from warCzechs were not invited“Peace in our Time”AppeasementHitler promised no more demands for

territory.

Sept ’38…Munich Agreement

Sept ’38…Munich Agreement

March ’39…Czechoslovakia

Britain, France, stood by as Germany occupied all of Czechoslovakia

Munich Agreement was broken by Hitler

August ’39…Nazi-Soviet Pact

Promise by both not to attack each other in the event of war

Secretly agreed to divide Poland

Germany now could plan for war against Britain & France

Eastern border secure from Soviet attack

Sept ’39…Invasion of Poland

Hitler demanded Polish Corridor be handed back to Germany

Poland refused Germany invaded using

“Blitzkrieg” Britain & France came to

Poland’s aid & declared war on Sept 3, 1939

August ’39…Nazi-Soviet Pact

                                           

August ’39…Nazi-Soviet Pact

                                           

August ’39…Nazi-Soviet Pact

                  

August ’39…Nazi-Soviet Pact