The Origins and Outbreaks of WW2

ACRONYMS - LoN : League of Nations ; ToV : Treaty of Versailles

Hitler’s Foreign Policy Aims (DUDE)

Hitler’s Foreign Policy Aims (DUDE)

• destroy the ToV

• unite German speakers into one Reich

• destroy Communism and Bolshevism

• expand Germany eastwards to achieve Lebensraum

The Saar Plebiscite (1935)

• the LoN gave the people who lived in the Saar region of Germany a choice on whether it should return to German rule

• 90% of the population voted to return to German rule

• morale booster for Hitler

• was a major scource of coal

The Remilitarisation of the Rhineland

• 7th of March 1936 - Hitler sent approx. 22,000 soldiers into the Rhineland

• the LoN condemned Hitler’s actions however couldn’t do anything as they didn’t have any armed forces

• proved to Hitler he could go against the LoN without any repercussions and boosted his popularity as German people weren’t happy with the ToV

Spanish Civil War

• Germany and Italy sent army and air force units to help in the civil war

• Hitler used it as a opportunity to try out new tactics

Rome-Berlin Axis

• October 1936

• Italy and Germany promised to work together

• two strong powers with powerful dictators joined together

Anti-Comintern Pact

• treaty between Italy, Germany and Japan agains Communism

• 3 strong powers working together with intentions of destroying Communism

Anglo-German Naval Agreement

• June 1935

• Germany was allowed to increase its Navy to 35% of the British Navy

Anschluss with Austria

• Germany and Austria were united

• gave Hitler more resources

• around 98% of Austrians spoke German

• in the plebiscite 99.25% voted in favour of the Anschluss

• Austria bordered Czechoslovakia so an invasion of Czechoslovakia looked likely

For of Appeasement

• “better Hitlerism than Communism” showed people were willing to give Hitler what he wanted to avoid Communism

• people had a strong anti-war attitude

• lack of support from USA meant UK couldn’t fight another war

• people believed the ToV had been unfair

Against of Appeasement

• encouraged Hitler

• put too much faith and trust in Hitler

• gave Hitler time to rearm

The Sudetenland Crisis

• 15th Sept 1938 - Hitler would have all areas of the Sudetenland with 50% of more German speakers

• 29-30th Sept 1938 - Britain, France, Germany, Italy agreed Germany would have all of the Sudetenland if Hitler promised he wouldn’t take anymore territory (agreed without Czechoslovakia) Munich Conference

• Czechoslovakia lost majority of heavy industry and fortification

Czechoslovakia Invasion

• 15th March 1939 - German troops marched into Czechoslovakia

• 17th March 1939 - Chamberlain gave a speech saying Hitler could no longer be trusted

• 31st march 1939 - Chamberlain promised to defend Poland if Hitler invaded Polish Guarantee

• proved Hitler had been lying at Munich

• Hitler wasn’t just interested in a ‘Greater Germany’ and uniting Germany speakers

Nazi-Soviet Pact

• 23rd August 1939

• alliance between Germany and the USSR

• meant that Hitler wouldn’t have to fight a war on both the western front and the eastern front

• proximity with of start of WW2 shows how it was the only obstacle for Hitler to invade Poland

• meant that Britain and France formalised the Polish Guarantee

• chain of inevitability

Agreement of Mutual Assistance

• 25th August 1939

• Polish Guarantee formalised

When did Hitler invade Poland?

• 1st September 1939

When did Britain and France declare war on Germany?

• 3rd September 1939

When did Hitler reintroduce conscription?

• March 1935

Non-Agression Pact

• with Poland in 1934