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The Road To World War II. The Third Reich The Early Moves A Policy of Appeasement. The Third Reich. Hitler had promised the German people a return to glory through the “Third Reich” He promised to “rip up the Treaty of Versailles” which Blamed Germany for WWI Reduced the German military
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The Road To World War II The Third Reich The Early Moves A Policy of Appeasement
The Third Reich • Hitler had promised the German people a return to glory through the “Third Reich” • He promised to “rip up the Treaty of Versailles” which • Blamed Germany for WWI • Reduced the German military • Forced Germany to give up land • Forced Germany to pay reparations for cost of war
The Third Reich • The Third Reich was a way to connect to Germany’s past glories and empires • Hitler alluded that Nazi Germany, would usher in the a new age for Germany one of prosperity and military dominance • Through grandiose ceremony and constant use of propaganda the German population followed
The Third Reich • 1934 the German military begins it’s build up of the Heer, Kreigsmarine and Luftwaffe • Research and development of German weapons will be done under many guises • Volkswagen, BMW, Krupps, Mercedes Benz and many corporations will construct German machines of war
The Early Moves • Spanish Civil War, 1931-1939, was a struggle for control of Spain based on different ideas about government • Nationalist Francisco Franco will take advantage of the incompetence of his opponents the Spanish Republicans • Germany and Italy will supply Franco with weapons, supplies, men (Italians) and aircraft (Germans)
The Early Moves • Plagued with disillusionment, poor leadership and infighting the Republicans are defeated by Franco • Britain and France avoid entering the conflict. Russia supports the Republicans with tanks • Germany’s role in the Civil War will provide her Luftwaffe with experience
The Early Moves • In 1936 Hitler moves troops on bicycles into the Rhineland a buffer zone between Germany and France • Britian and France failed to remove Germany from the region for fear of starting a war • Hitler forms an alliance with Italy in the 1936 Rome-Berlin Axis Pact
The Early Moves • March 1938, German troops are sent into Austria and force the Austrians to have an election deciding the country’s fate • 99% of the Austrians want Anschluss (be a part of Germany) • Austrian Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg seeks aid from Britian and France but… • Hitler has promised that this will be the last time German moves into another country
The Early Moves • March 1938 Germany demands that the Sudetenland be returned to Germany because German nationals are being abused by the Czech government • Sept 1938, Prime Minster Neville Chamberlain and Hitler agree on the Munich Agreement which gives the land to Germany • Czechoslovakia was not invited to the Munich Agreement. March 1939 Germany annexes the rest of Czechoslovakia
A Policy of Appeasement • British Prime Minster Neville Chamberlain felt that Treaty of Versailles was to harsh to the German people • He believed that Hitler was acting to right the wrongs of the treaty • Chamberlain adopts a Policy of Appeasement, giving into demands so long as they are reasonable and fair
A Policy of Appeasement • Chamberlain also believed that a strong Germany would counter the growing influence of communist Russia in Europe • Chamberlain considered the Munich Agreement a high point in diplomacy declaring it a “Peace in our time” • When Hitler annexed the rest of Czechoslovakia in 1939, Chamberlain responded that it was,"..a quarrel in a far-away country between people of whom we know nothing about"
A Policy of Appeasement • The League of Nations formed in 1919 purpose to prevent war, in event of possible hostilities member nations were to end trade with the aggressor and if that failed all nations would deal with the aggressor nation • It failed to stop Japanese aggression in Manchuria and a Italian invasion in Abyssinia
A Policy of Appeasement • The League of Nations lacked the following • A standing army to enforce rulings • The League meet four times a year to address problems • Not all nation members followed the League’s rulings
The September Campaign • Facing no military resistance Hitler next invades Poland in 1939 • Germany claims that Poland had launched an attack and Germany was only responding to their aggression • To avoid Russian intervention, Germany had signed the German-Soviet Pact,1939 which stated that Poland would be split between the two nations
