(Hitler lost no time in turning his words into actions. ⇒ from 1933 to 1937 ⇒ he began dismantling some of the main elements of the TOV and imposing his will on international relations)
| Year | Elaboration |
|---|---|
| 1933 | Leaving the LON in referendum organized by Nazi govt ⇒ German people voted in favor of withdrawing from the LON. ⇒ Hitler withdrew Germany from the LON in October ⇒ ass Germany had been treated unequally ⇒ On German rearmament. ⇒ undermined authority of the league. |
| 1933-1935 | Rearmament Nazi government ⇒ Began rearmament in 1933 ⇒ although this was banned in TOV. ⇒ thousands of unemployed workers ⇒ drafted into the army to help reduce unemployment. Germany → began to build up its armed forces → initially in secret ⇒ 1935 → Hitler no longer bothered to hide rearmament program → and held freedom to rearm rally in Berlin. ⇒ His popularity and prestige inside Germany grew. ⇒ In Britain, France, Poland, Czechoslovakia and USSR ⇒ concerns grew over Germany’s build up. |
| 1934 | Disarmament Conference ⇒ Hitler walked out of the LON’s Disarmament conference ⇒ claiming that Germany was not being treated equally. →major blow → to chances of a disarmament agreement → conference ended soon after. |
| 1935 | Saar Plebiscite ⇒ Saar region → had been run by LON since 1919. ⇒ Hitler: claimed it should be a part of Germany. League ⇒ forced Hitler to agree to a plebiscite (vote) ⇒ resulted in 90% of people in Saar voting to join Hitler’s Germany. ⇒ further increased Hitler’s power and confidence. |
| 1936 | Remilitarization of Rhineland TOV: ⇒ banned German forces → from entering Rhineland region → acted as a border for France. ⇒ Hitler declared → this was unacceptable → because France and USSR → agreed on Treaty of mutual assistance → in February ⇒ promising to protect each other against Germany. Hitler ⇒ claimed he was being encircled ⇒ and therefore had the right → to place troops on his own borders. March → he ordered → German troops into Rhineland. ⇒ it was a gamble → because German army was stil not strong enough to stand up to a French Response. if French had called his bluff and moved troops in ⇒ he would have been humiliated and lost support of the army (as German generals were unsure about Hitler) However ⇒ Britain, France and the League ⇒ were preoccupied ⇒ with Abyssinian Crisis. ⇒Moreover → britian would not guarantee → their support for France → if France challenged Hitler. League ⇒ condemned ⇒ Hitler’s actions ⇒ but no further action was taken. → Hitler gained more prestige and confidence in the eyes of the Germans. |
| 1936 | Spansh Civil War July ⇒ civil war broke out in Spain ⇒ between Republicans and Nationalists. Nationalist leader ⇒ General Franco ⇒ held beliefs that were similar to Hitler’s and Mussolini’s ⇒ so they helped him with troops, aircraft and other equipment. ⇒ also gave Hitler an opportunity to test his army and air force (Luftwaffe). Might ⇒ of German air force ⇒ was demonstrated ⇒ when German aircraft ⇒ bombed Republican Strongholds ⇒ caused casualties. Britain and France ⇒ stayed out of the Spanish civil war. ⇒ encouraged Hitler as he now believed Britain and France ⇒ were not prepared to go to war at all. ⇒ At the same time → the USSR became increasingly suspicious of Britain and France ⇒ because of their reluctance to oppose Hitler and Mussolini. |
| 1936 | Anti Communist Party While tensions were rising in Europe → Japan was expanding ⇒ in Asia. ⇒ Germany and Italy → saw that they had much in common > with military dictatorship in Japan. In 1936 ⇒ Germany and Japan ⇒ signed an Anti-Comintern Pact ⇒ to oppose the communist international (Comintern). Comintern ⇒ was set up by USSR ⇒ wanted to spread communism ⇒ by promoting uprisings around the world. → members of the Anti-Comintern pact ⇒ also agreed to not sign any treaties with the USSR. \ |
| 1937 | Axis Alliance Soon after ⇒ in 1937 ⇒ Italy also signed the Anti-Comintern Pact. ⇒ This new alliance ⇒ between Germany, Italy, Japan ⇒ was called Axis Alliance. |