Conflict & Tension: The Inter War Years
Part Three: The Origins and Outbreak of WW2
The Start of German Expansion
The Rhineland – The remobilisation of the Rhineland happened in March 1936
and was a region on Germany that had been de-militarised as a part of the
Treaty of Versailles. He had seen how the League had reacted to previous
crises’ such as Abyssinia and Manchuria and realised that he could try his luck
and see how far he could go. He was prepared to remove his troops from the
Rhineland at any point as he was not ready for war at this point. The French did
not do anything in response, and this made Hitler believe that he could do
anything that he wanted.
The Saar – This was Hilter’s first territorial success was the Saar. After the
Dollfuss Affair in Austria Hitler needed to turn his attention to the Saar. The Saar
was an industrialised place where there were a lot of natural resources and
good stuff. It was a region of Germany about 30 miles wide and bordering
France. Under the Treaty of Versailles, the Saar was put in control by the
League of Nations. In January 1935 the people a referendum took place in the
Saar to decide whether it would go back to Germany, the vote was 90% to go
back to Germany.
The Dollfuss Affair – It was no secret that Hitler wanted Austria to be a part of
Germany again and wanted to have an alliance with them. Engelbert Dollfuss
was the Dictator of Austria and didn’t want Austria to be joined with Germany.
The Austrian Nazis had made terrorist attacks encouraged by the German
Government and the Germans. The German government tried to persuade
Dollfuss to appoint Nazi sympathisers to his ministry, but he refused all of their
demands. In 1934 the Austrian Nazis attempted and unsuccessful coup, they
killed Dollfuss and took control of Government however the Italians moved to
their border and warned them off.
Army – Hitler started to rebuild the German Forces and ignored the Treaty of
Versailles’ cap on the 100,000 men in the army and quickly re-militarised and
started building up the Luftwaffe (German Air-Force) led by Herman Goering.
These actions were condemned by the British and French.
Guernica – This was when Hitler tested his armed forces in the Spanish Civil
War. He was helping the fascists. Hitler used his aeroplanes to bomb the town of
Guernica and civilians in Britain and France were frightened as they believed
the Nazis could do this to them as well.
The Anglo-German Naval Agreement
The Anglo-German Naval Agreement was between the United Kingdom and Germany
and meant that the restrictions on the German navy, set by the treaty of Versailles. A
lot of people felt that the Treaty and restrictions on the German navy were too hard,
so they decided to let the Germans build up a navy. This made the French angry at
Part Three: The Origins and Outbreak of WW2
The Start of German Expansion
The Rhineland – The remobilisation of the Rhineland happened in March 1936
and was a region on Germany that had been de-militarised as a part of the
Treaty of Versailles. He had seen how the League had reacted to previous
crises’ such as Abyssinia and Manchuria and realised that he could try his luck
and see how far he could go. He was prepared to remove his troops from the
Rhineland at any point as he was not ready for war at this point. The French did
not do anything in response, and this made Hitler believe that he could do
anything that he wanted.
The Saar – This was Hilter’s first territorial success was the Saar. After the
Dollfuss Affair in Austria Hitler needed to turn his attention to the Saar. The Saar
was an industrialised place where there were a lot of natural resources and
good stuff. It was a region of Germany about 30 miles wide and bordering
France. Under the Treaty of Versailles, the Saar was put in control by the
League of Nations. In January 1935 the people a referendum took place in the
Saar to decide whether it would go back to Germany, the vote was 90% to go
back to Germany.
The Dollfuss Affair – It was no secret that Hitler wanted Austria to be a part of
Germany again and wanted to have an alliance with them. Engelbert Dollfuss
was the Dictator of Austria and didn’t want Austria to be joined with Germany.
The Austrian Nazis had made terrorist attacks encouraged by the German
Government and the Germans. The German government tried to persuade
Dollfuss to appoint Nazi sympathisers to his ministry, but he refused all of their
demands. In 1934 the Austrian Nazis attempted and unsuccessful coup, they
killed Dollfuss and took control of Government however the Italians moved to
their border and warned them off.
Army – Hitler started to rebuild the German Forces and ignored the Treaty of
Versailles’ cap on the 100,000 men in the army and quickly re-militarised and
started building up the Luftwaffe (German Air-Force) led by Herman Goering.
These actions were condemned by the British and French.
Guernica – This was when Hitler tested his armed forces in the Spanish Civil
War. He was helping the fascists. Hitler used his aeroplanes to bomb the town of
Guernica and civilians in Britain and France were frightened as they believed
the Nazis could do this to them as well.
The Anglo-German Naval Agreement
The Anglo-German Naval Agreement was between the United Kingdom and Germany
and meant that the restrictions on the German navy, set by the treaty of Versailles. A
lot of people felt that the Treaty and restrictions on the German navy were too hard,
so they decided to let the Germans build up a navy. This made the French angry at
