The Road to War

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The Road to War

• Canadian History 1201
• March 2005

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The Road to War

• Rearmament
• Rhineland.March 1936
• Austria..March 1938
• SudetenlandSept 1938 (MUNICH)
• CzechoslovakiaMarch 1939
• Nazi-Soviet PactAugust 1939
• PolandSept 1, 1939

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Rearmament

• Hitler promised to make Germany a world power
• Restore previous military strength
• Began to rearm in the mid-30s (army/airforcearmy/a
  irforce/tanks/tactics)
• Unemployment dropped from 6 million in 1931 to
  just over 1 million by 1937

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March 36Rhineland

• Prior to WWI Versailles it belonged to Germany
  but following WW1 it became a DMZ under League of
  Nation control (occupied by allied troops)
• Hitler was determined to get it back in March
  1936 he peacefully invaded.
• It was the first outright violation of the
  Versailles Treaty
• The first instance of the appeasement policy(.
  more later).

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March 38Austria

• Hitler wanted all Germans living within new
  German state..the Reich.
• Anschluss (Union)
• Hitler argued that many Germans lived in Austria
  so it should be part of Germany.
• March 38 Nazi forces entered Austria.
• Britain France did nothing..didnt want to
  risk another war.

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March 38Austria
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Sept 38Sudetenland

• Northwestern Czechoslovakia (3 million German
  speaking people living there).
• Heavy industry defenses
• Czechs wanted to fight but Britain France would
  not support them
• Munich Agreement allowed Germany to have the
  Sudetenland

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Sept 38Munich Agreement

• Britain, France, Germany met in Munich decided
  to give away the Sudetenland
• Hoped to save the world from war
• Czechs were not invited
• Peace in our Time
• Appeasement
• Hitler promised no more demands for territory.

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Sept 38Munich Agreement
You British fool
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Sept 38Munich Agreement
"Peace in our time"
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March 39Czechoslovakia

• Britain, France, stood by as Germany occupied all
  of Czechoslovakia
• Munich Agreement was broken by Hitler

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August 39Nazi-Soviet Pact

• Promise by both not to attack each other in the
  event of war
• Secretly agreed to divide Poland
• Germany now could plan for war against Britain
  France
• Eastern border secure from Soviet attack

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Sept 39Invasion of Poland

• Hitler demanded Polish Corridor be handed back to
  Germany
• Poland refused
• Germany invaded using Blitzkrieg
• Britain France came to Polands aid declared
  war on Sept 3, 1939

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August 39Nazi-Soviet Pact
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August 39Nazi-Soviet Pact
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August 39Nazi-Soviet Pact
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August 39Nazi-Soviet Pact
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1938 Political Cartoon
Germany above all things