Why had international peace collapsed by 1939?
HITLERS PLANS:
ABOLISH THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES:
He hated the treaty and called the German leaders who had signed it ‘The NOVEMBER CRIMINALS’. The Treaty was a
constant reminder to Germans of their defeat in the First World War and their humiliation by the Allies. Hitler promised
that if he became leader of Germany he would reverse it. (Source 1)
By the time he came to power in Germany, some of the terms had already been changed. For example, Germany stopped
making REPARATIONS payments altogether. However, most of the points were still in place.
EXPAND GERMAN TERRITORY:
The Treaty of Versailles had taken away territory from Germany. Hitler wanted to get that territory back. He wanted
Germany to unite with Austria. He wanted German minorities in other countries such as Czechoslovakia to rejoin Germany.
But he also wanted to carve out an empire in Eastern Europe to give extra Lebensraum or ‘living space’ for Germans.
DEFEAT COMMUNISM:
A German empire carved out of the SOVIET UNION would also help Hitler in one of his other objectives – the defeat of
COMMUNISM or BOLSHEVISM. Hitler was anticommunist. He believed that Bolsheviks had helped to bring about the
defeat of Germany in the First World War. He also believed that the Bolsheviks wanted to take over Germany.
HITLER’S ACTIONS:
DATE ACTION
1933 Took Germany out of the League of Nations; began rearming Germany
1934 Tried to take over Austria but was prevented by Mussolini
1935 Held massive REARMAMENT rally in Germany
1936 Reintroduced CONSCRIPTION in Germany; sent German troops into the RHINELAND; made an
anticommunist ALLIANCE with Japan.
1937 Tried out Germany’s new weapons in the SPANISH CIVIL WAR; made an anticommunist alliance with Italy
1938 Took over Austria; took over the SUDETENLAND area of Czechoslovakia
1939 Invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia; invaded Poland; war
WAR
SOURCE 1
We must not forget that the Bolsheviks are blood-stained. That they overran a great state [Russia], and in a furry of
massacre wiped out millions of their most intelligent fellow-countrymen... Germany is the next great objective of
Bolshevism. All our strength is needed to raise up our nation once more and rescue it from the embrace of the international
python... the first essential is the expulsion of the Marxist poison from the body of our nation.
From Hitler’s Mein Kampf
OTHER FACTORS:
In the 1960’s the British historian A.J.P Taylor came up with a new interpretation of Hitler’s actions. His view was that
Hitler was that Hitler was a gambler rather than a planner. Hitler simply took the logical next step to see what he could get
away with. He was bold. He kept his nerve. As other countries allowed him to get away with each gamble, so he became
bolder and risked more. In Taylor’s interpretation it is Britain, the Allies and the League of Nations who are to blame for
letting Hitler get away with it – by not standing up to him. In this interpretation it is other factors that are as much to blame
as Hitler himself:
The worldwide ECONOMIC DEPRESSION
The weakness of the post-war treaties
The actions of the leading powers – Britain, France, the USA and the USSR.
, REARMAMENT:
Hitler came to power in Germany in 1933. One of his first steps was to increase Germany’s armed forces. Thousands of
unemployed workers were drafted into the army. This helped him to reduce unemployment, which was one the biggest
problems he faced he Germany. But it also helped to deliver on his promise to make Germany great again and to challenge
the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.
Hitler knew that German people supported rearmament. But he also knew it would cause alarm in other countries. He
handled it cleverly. Rearmament began in secret first. He made a great public display of his desire not to ream Germany –
which he was only doing it because other countries refused to disarm. He then followed Japan’s example and withdrew
from the League of Nations.
In 1935 Hitler openly staged a massive military rally celebrating the German armed forces. In 1936 he even reintroduced
conscription to the army. He was breaking the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, but he guessed correctly that he would get
away with rearmament. Many other countries were using rearmament as a way to fight unemployment. The collapse of the
League of Nations Disarmament Conference in 1934 had shown that other nations were not prepared to disarm.
Rearmament was a very popular move in Germany. It boosted Nazi support. Hitler also knew that Britain had some
sympathy with Germany on this issue. Britain believed that the limits put on Germany’s armed forces by the Treaty of
Versailles were too tight. The permitted forces were not enough to defend Germany from attack. Britain also thought that a
strong Germany would be a good buffer against communism.
Britain had already helped to dismantle the Treaty by signing a naval agreement with Hitler in 1935, allowing Germany to
increase its navy to up to 35 per cent of the size of the British navy. The French were angry with Britain about this, but there
was little they could do. Through the rest of the 1930s Hitler ploughed more and more spending into armaments.
SOURCE 2
Germa
n armed forces in 1932 and 1939
THE SAAR PLEBLISCITE:
In 1935 the League of Nations held the promised plebiscite for people to vote on whether their region should return to
German rule. Hitler was initially wary as many of his opponents had fled to the Saar. The League, however, was determined
that the vote should take place and Hitler bowed to this pressure. The vote was an overwhelming success for Hitler. His
PROPAGANDA minister Joseph Goebbels mounted a massive campaign to persuade the people of the Saar to vote for the
Reich. Around 90 per cent of the population voted to return to German rule. This was entirely legal and within the terms of
the Treaty. It was also a real morale booster for Hitler. After the vote Hitler declared that he had ‘no further territorial
demands to make of France.’
HITLERS PLANS:
ABOLISH THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES:
He hated the treaty and called the German leaders who had signed it ‘The NOVEMBER CRIMINALS’. The Treaty was a
constant reminder to Germans of their defeat in the First World War and their humiliation by the Allies. Hitler promised
that if he became leader of Germany he would reverse it. (Source 1)
By the time he came to power in Germany, some of the terms had already been changed. For example, Germany stopped
making REPARATIONS payments altogether. However, most of the points were still in place.
EXPAND GERMAN TERRITORY:
The Treaty of Versailles had taken away territory from Germany. Hitler wanted to get that territory back. He wanted
Germany to unite with Austria. He wanted German minorities in other countries such as Czechoslovakia to rejoin Germany.
But he also wanted to carve out an empire in Eastern Europe to give extra Lebensraum or ‘living space’ for Germans.
DEFEAT COMMUNISM:
A German empire carved out of the SOVIET UNION would also help Hitler in one of his other objectives – the defeat of
COMMUNISM or BOLSHEVISM. Hitler was anticommunist. He believed that Bolsheviks had helped to bring about the
defeat of Germany in the First World War. He also believed that the Bolsheviks wanted to take over Germany.
HITLER’S ACTIONS:
DATE ACTION
1933 Took Germany out of the League of Nations; began rearming Germany
1934 Tried to take over Austria but was prevented by Mussolini
1935 Held massive REARMAMENT rally in Germany
1936 Reintroduced CONSCRIPTION in Germany; sent German troops into the RHINELAND; made an
anticommunist ALLIANCE with Japan.
1937 Tried out Germany’s new weapons in the SPANISH CIVIL WAR; made an anticommunist alliance with Italy
1938 Took over Austria; took over the SUDETENLAND area of Czechoslovakia
1939 Invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia; invaded Poland; war
WAR
SOURCE 1
We must not forget that the Bolsheviks are blood-stained. That they overran a great state [Russia], and in a furry of
massacre wiped out millions of their most intelligent fellow-countrymen... Germany is the next great objective of
Bolshevism. All our strength is needed to raise up our nation once more and rescue it from the embrace of the international
python... the first essential is the expulsion of the Marxist poison from the body of our nation.
From Hitler’s Mein Kampf
OTHER FACTORS:
In the 1960’s the British historian A.J.P Taylor came up with a new interpretation of Hitler’s actions. His view was that
Hitler was that Hitler was a gambler rather than a planner. Hitler simply took the logical next step to see what he could get
away with. He was bold. He kept his nerve. As other countries allowed him to get away with each gamble, so he became
bolder and risked more. In Taylor’s interpretation it is Britain, the Allies and the League of Nations who are to blame for
letting Hitler get away with it – by not standing up to him. In this interpretation it is other factors that are as much to blame
as Hitler himself:
The worldwide ECONOMIC DEPRESSION
The weakness of the post-war treaties
The actions of the leading powers – Britain, France, the USA and the USSR.
, REARMAMENT:
Hitler came to power in Germany in 1933. One of his first steps was to increase Germany’s armed forces. Thousands of
unemployed workers were drafted into the army. This helped him to reduce unemployment, which was one the biggest
problems he faced he Germany. But it also helped to deliver on his promise to make Germany great again and to challenge
the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.
Hitler knew that German people supported rearmament. But he also knew it would cause alarm in other countries. He
handled it cleverly. Rearmament began in secret first. He made a great public display of his desire not to ream Germany –
which he was only doing it because other countries refused to disarm. He then followed Japan’s example and withdrew
from the League of Nations.
In 1935 Hitler openly staged a massive military rally celebrating the German armed forces. In 1936 he even reintroduced
conscription to the army. He was breaking the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, but he guessed correctly that he would get
away with rearmament. Many other countries were using rearmament as a way to fight unemployment. The collapse of the
League of Nations Disarmament Conference in 1934 had shown that other nations were not prepared to disarm.
Rearmament was a very popular move in Germany. It boosted Nazi support. Hitler also knew that Britain had some
sympathy with Germany on this issue. Britain believed that the limits put on Germany’s armed forces by the Treaty of
Versailles were too tight. The permitted forces were not enough to defend Germany from attack. Britain also thought that a
strong Germany would be a good buffer against communism.
Britain had already helped to dismantle the Treaty by signing a naval agreement with Hitler in 1935, allowing Germany to
increase its navy to up to 35 per cent of the size of the British navy. The French were angry with Britain about this, but there
was little they could do. Through the rest of the 1930s Hitler ploughed more and more spending into armaments.
SOURCE 2
Germa
n armed forces in 1932 and 1939
THE SAAR PLEBLISCITE:
In 1935 the League of Nations held the promised plebiscite for people to vote on whether their region should return to
German rule. Hitler was initially wary as many of his opponents had fled to the Saar. The League, however, was determined
that the vote should take place and Hitler bowed to this pressure. The vote was an overwhelming success for Hitler. His
PROPAGANDA minister Joseph Goebbels mounted a massive campaign to persuade the people of the Saar to vote for the
Reich. Around 90 per cent of the population voted to return to German rule. This was entirely legal and within the terms of
the Treaty. It was also a real morale booster for Hitler. After the vote Hitler declared that he had ‘no further territorial
demands to make of France.’
