Appeasement German Rearmament Review of German Troops 1939

Appeasement

German Rearmament Review of German Troops, 1939 2

German Rearmament • By 1938, Germany had rebuilt its military under Hitler – Violation of Treaty of Versailles • Hitler wanted to expand Germany’s boarders claiming to unite ethnic Germans in Europe • European countries reluctant to prepare for war – WHY? 3

German Aggression 1936 -1939 4

German Aggression • 1936 -1938: Germany remilitarized the Rhineland (purple stripes), annexed Austria (maroon) • 1938: Germany demanded control of Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia (maroon) – Heavy German ethnic population 5

The Munich Agreement Chamberlain and Hitler at the Munich Agreement 6

The Munich Agreement • British government took role of negotiating with Germany • Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain met with Hitler in Munich to find compromise over Sudetenland • The Munich Agreement (9/29/1938), stated: – Germany would receive the Sudetenland, and promised Germany would not take further land from Czechoslovakia 7

The Munich Agreement • The Munich Agreement became synonymous with the policy of appeasement • Appeasement: – giving into the demands of an aggressor in order to keep the peace 8

Further German Aggression Polish city of Wieluń after German bombing September 1, 1939 9

Further German Aggression • 3/13/1939 -Germany violated Munich Agreement – Occupied Czechoslovakia • 9/1/1939 -Germany invaded Poland, which initiated WWII in Europe • 9/3/1939 -Great Britain and France declare war on Germany 10

Central Historical Question Was appeasement the right policy for England in 1938?