Domestic Challenges to the Treaty of Versailles/Hitler's Germany

Early Victories

• In 1935, France will sign the Franco-Soviet treaty of Mutual Assistance, reacting to Germany’s rearmament.

• Publically, Hitler claiemd he was peaceful, but his actions undermined the ToV and increased Germany’s power.

  1. 1932: Reparations pushed at Lausanne Conference

  2. 1933: Disarmament conference, Hitler demanded parity of armaments.

     • Other countries reduce to Germany’s level of arms, or he increase it to match other countries.

     • France refused because of rise of Naxzism, GB refused because Japan in Manchura.

     • Hitler left the conference and the LoN, claiming the LoN was a French conspiracy to keep Germany permanently weak.

  3. 1934: Polish Non-Agression Pact, schoked world because unpopular within Germany. However, Hitler saw the big picture:

     1. Secure Germany’s eastern front.

     2. Weakened France’s attempt at German encirclement.

     3. Showed GB that Germany was peaceful.

Rearmament

• Rapallo Treaty (1922): USSR & Germany. Allowed Germany to manufacture planes/arms within USSR so that GB/F could not find out. Germany built army/air force in Russia, and in exchange Russia had access to better technology.

Changes to German Armed Forces

• 1933: Germany’s army at 200k.

• 1935: Conscription introduced, leading to the training of 300k per year. Luftwaffe’s existance was also made public (2500 planes).

• Germay’s justification was that it needed protection against USSR and that GB/F failed to disarm/

Remilitarization of Rhineland 1936

Causes:

• Public: Hitler argued Franco-Soviet Treaty was German encirclement

• Privately: Germany wanted to prevent French attack, Hitler needed to distract Germans from food shrotages/rising prices, Abyssinian Criss distracted GB/F

• 07/1936: German troops enter. Germany vexes GB/F by offering remilitarized Rhineland if F/GB demilitarized French border too. Germany “even willing to return to LoN”.

International Reactions

• Once Germany withdrew from the LoN, GB proposed to G and France to have 200k armies each, but that Germany have ½ the airforce of France.

• When Germany rearmed, the Stresa Front was formed. However, in 1935:

  1. F-USSR treaty and USSR joined LoN.

• Because Italy was fascist, GB was worreid about Germany feeling encircled and acting. Both uneasy about allying with USSR.

• Anglo-German Naval Agreement: Ended ToV restrictions on Germany’s navy.

  • Germany was limited to 35% of GB’s fleet, but could have equal amount of subs to avoid a naval race.

• Italy’s Invasion of Abyssinia ends Stresa Front. After Rhineland is retaken, the French army mistakingly exagerrated the number of invading Germans. The public did not support war, and waited on GB.

  • GB was unwilling to go to war for Germany’s own backyard.

  • Germany’s diplomatic smokescreen made military action more unpopular.

  • GB favored negotiation with Germany.

Hitler’s War Prep

1) Four-Year Plan: Germany’s attempt at autarky. Hermann Goring given complete control of Germany’s economy.

• Stockpiled food/oil/steel/coal by trading manufactured goods made by slave labor in camps.

2) Hossbach Memorandum: Hitler’s assistant’s notes on a crucial meeting between top generals. Outlined Germany’s policy in 1937. Hitler claimed it was his will.

• Germany had to enlarge racial community by force, possible scenarios:

  • France had internal crisis, then attack Czsl.

  • If that happened, and GB was distracted with Italy, then annex Austria.

  • If neither points happened, invade by 1943 as GB/F will have caught up militarily by then.

• Used during post-war Nuremberg Trials to blame Germany.

Anschluss

• Annexation of Austria. The first time, Mussolini beat Hitler.

1. Austro-German Agreement (7/1936): Hitler promised Austria's independence if they operate foreign poly as a German state.

   • In 1938, Austria’s Prime Minister requested a meeting with Hitler. Hitler threatened to march into Austria if the PM did not:

     • Lift Nazi Party Ban (they had killed the previous leader)

     • Release imprisoned nazis

     • Appoint Nazis in Austrian gov’t

   • The PM attempted a plebiscite (vote, asking Austrians if they wanted independence) in 1938, but Germany invaded (with Italy’s consent). After receiving no help from GB/F/Ita, the PM resigned.

Why did no one respond to the direct violation of the ToV?

1. France had a political crisis/no gov’t.

2. GB felt Anschluss was inevitable.

3. Italy needed Germany’s alliance.

4. League of Nations was discredited after invasion of Ethiopia.

Sudenten Crisis

• Sudetenland was a mountanous, natural border in Czsl that was minerally rich. it was home to 3.5 Austrian-Germans.

• Germany funded the Sudeten Germany Party and wanted it to become a autonomous region.

• Other reasons why Hitler wanted Czsl:

  1. Considered slavs racially inferior.

  2. Czsl ws on Russia’s side during WWI

  3. Czsl proved diverse people could work/thrive together

  4. Czsl was F/USSR ally that supported the LoN

• In the summer of 1928, Sudeten Germany Party was instructed to increase violence and reject offers an excuse to attack. They created films of Czechs hurting SGP members.

Munich Agreement

• At the Nuremburg Rally in September of 1938, Hitler announces his goal to free sudetenland.

• In response, GB’s PM flew to meet Hitler thrice in 1938:

  1) 09/15: Sudetenland to Germany. GB/F threatened to abandon Czsl unless she agreed.

  2) 09/22: GB got F/Czsl approval, but Hitler demanded more.

  • Czsl rejected terms, but France supported. GB prepared for war.

  • Hitler agrees to Four-Power Conference in Munich.

  3) Munich 09/29: GB/Ita/F/G agree to:

  • Germany’s occupation of sudentenland.

  • Give Poland land

  • Give Hungary land.

  • Remaining part of Czsl to be given independence.

• Peace in Our Time speech: GB got Germany to sign join declaration that both GB/G would settle problems through negotiation, not force.

End of Appeasement

• After Munich, Czsl lost:

  • 70% industry

  • 1/3 of population

  • Border defense from Germany.

• In 1939, Hitler instructed Slovak facist party to call for independence. After the Czech PM sent troops to stop unprising, Hitler prompts Slovakia to declare independence, and ask for Germany’s protection.

  • In March, Germany invades, breaking the Munich Agreement. Germany then demands German-speaking Danzig (area in Poland)

• Anglo-Polish Treaty March/1939: GB guaranteed Poland’s sovereignty. Germany wanted Poland because:

  • Part of it once belonged to Germany

  • Lebensraum (needed living space)

  • Prevent anti-Germany alliance

• In April, Hitler reacts by ending the Anglo-Germany Naval agreement and the 1934 G-P Non-Agression Pact

Pacts before War

1. Pact of Steel: AFter Italy annexed Albania in April, GB/F guaranteed Greek/Roman sovereignty. Pact unified Italy and Germany against Britain and France in WWII.

2. Nazi-Soviet Pact: USSR/G pledge neutrality if either was attacked by a third party, Poland was to be divided between them. Stalin was open to alliance with GB/F or Germany, but Hitler did it because:

   • It was an excuse to invade Germany

   • Two-Front war would be avoided

   Stalin did it because:

   • Could build up army vs. Germany in the future

   • Could focus on Japan + Baltics/ Finland

   • Hoped Germany & GB/F would weaken each other

   • Free half of Poland

Both benefited from trade, as Germany received raw materials and USSR received Germany’s mechanical goods.

Polish Invasion:

Hitler mistakenly believed GB/F would not declare war over Poland’s invasion because:

• USSR now neutral after pact

• Poland had a militarily weak dictatorship

• They failed to fight for Czsl, a stronger/democratic nation backed by USSR

Course:

8/31/1939: German soldiers dress up as Polish. Attack German outpost.

09/01: Germany bombs Poland’s capital, Warsaw, and invadaes Poland.

9/3: GB/F declare war on Germany.

Setting the Stage: Allies

• GB: Distracted by Japanese expansion and economic crisis. Right-wing politicians saw Hitler as a bbuffer to communist spread.

• France: Too weak to act on its own. Defensive line: Maginot Line. Alliances with countries on Germany’s eastern borders.

• US was isolationist and suffered the Great Depression

• Simultanously faced issues with Japan and Manchuria

Setting the Stage: Germany

1933 Disarmament Conference: Hitler withdraws claiming that the conference and LoN were part of a French Conspirary to keep Germany weak.

• Plebiscite in Germany gave HItler 95% approval for his actions. Gave Hitler the need freedom to keep defying the ToV.

In Austria, Hitler supported the Austrian Nazi Party that led a campaign of intimidation and terrorism. Their Chancellor was killed. They wanted to attempt a coup d’etat, but Mussolini prepared troops. Hitler reassured Mussolini that Austria would not be annexed.

• In 1935, Germany regains Saar from France after a plebiscite.

• With the Rapallo Treaty, Germany continued to build aircraft and to train/expand its army. In 1935, he revealed the rearmament of Germany, violating the Treaty of Versailles and increasing tensions in Europe.

Setting the Stage: Spanish Civil War

• Opportunity for Hitler and Mussolini to work closer as they both support Franco.

Why did Hitler Help?

• Wanted friendly gov’t to supply Spanish mineral resources and provided bases for Germany’s subs.

• Test airfore and effect

• Defend agaisnt communist threat

• Pro-Fascist gov’t in spain further undermined French security.

• Lack of action led Hitler to think he wouldn’t face opostion to expansion.

Setting the Stage: Czechoslovakia