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Hitler's Expansion of Germany and the Lead Up to World War II
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Which two main regions did Germany lose by signing a treaty at the end of WWI?
1919. A treaty is signed in Versailles, ending the Great War. The treaty says that the countries that started the war, Germany, along with Austria-Hungary and Turkey, must give up territory. The coastal city of Danzig becomes an independent state: the free city of Danzig. And Germany loses contact with East Prussia.
In the west, Germany also loses one of its most important industrial areas: the Rhineland, which is occupied by the winners of the war. In the south west, Germany must also give up the coal-rich Saar region, to be governed by the League of Nations, an earlier version of the UN. And France will get all the money from the coal. [...] 1935. The Rhineland is eventually given back to Germany, but they are forbidden to put any troops there. This must be a demilitarised zone.
The inhabitants of the Saar region can now vote whether to belong to France or Germany. Over 90 percent choose Germany. So Germany also regains the Saar. The vote is a success for Hitler. Hitler has been promising that Germany will again become powerful and bigger: with more freedom and space!
Hitler calls this ‘Lebensraum’. Hitler, even though he has been forbidden, has built up huge armed forces. Now it’s time to use them.. On March the 7th, he sends German troops into the Rhineland: the demilitarised zone! France and Britain protest, but they want to avoid war..
and the Rhineland is actually within the German border.. So they choose not to fight Hitler… In 1938 Hitler demands that his homeland, Austria should become German. Austria's head of government, Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg, wants the inhabitants of Austria to vote on this. Hitler does not want them to vote. He threatens to invade Austria.
Schuschnigg resigns. The next day, German troops march over the border.. and seize—annex—Austria. In German, this event is called: Anschluss. Britain and France protest.
But they do nothing. Hitler is not satisfied. In Czechoslovakia, in an area called Sudetenland, a large minority of the population are German. Hitler tells the Sudeten Germans to demand independence. And he prepares for war against Czechoslovakia.
Czechoslovakia has an agreement —an alliance —with France and Britain, and asks for help. Britain's Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain goes to negotiate with Hitler. But to keep the peace, he gives in to Hitler’s demands that Germany should get Sudetenland. Britain persuades France to agree. And together, they persuade Czechoslovakia to agree, too.
Hitler is still not satisfied. He wants more of Czechoslovakia. Again, Chamberlain travels to Germany to negotiate. This time France's prime minister, Édouard Daladier, goes too. Hitler also brings his ally, Mussolini from Italy.
France has promised to defend Czechoslovakia. But still France and Britain give in to Hitler’s demands. They don’t want another war. They sign what is called the Munich Agreement. The President of Czechoslovakia Edvard Beneš has not been invited.
But he finds out, after this meeting, that he has lost almost his entire country. [...] Hitler now promises to not demand any more land in Europe. Back in Britain, Chamberlain says: “My good friends, for the second time in our history, a British Prime Minister has returned from Germany bringing peace with honour. I believe it is peace for our time…” But soon, Hitler demands more: Memel in Lithuania, and Gdansk, plus the corridor of land through Poland, between Germany and East Prussia. Hitler's new demands violate the Munich Agreement. But obviously, Hitler doesn’t care about agreements.
Chamberlain decides he can no longer sit and watch while Hitler, bit by bit, takes over Europe. He promises that Britain will help Poland defend their borders if Germany invades.