Hitler's Foreign Policy: Remilitarization of the Rhineland

Hitler's Foreign Policy

Remilitarization of the Rhineland

• Date: March 7, 1936
• Event: German troops reoccupied the Rhineland, a demilitarized zone established by the Treaty of Versailles
• Reason: Hitler claimed it was a response to the Franco-Soviet Pact, which he saw as a threat to German security
• Consequences:
  • The Locarno Pact, which guaranteed the Rhineland's demilitarization, was broken
  • The policy of appeasement by Britain and France began, as they failed to take action against Germany
  • The remilitarization marked the beginning of Hitler's aggressive expansionist policy

Anschluss

• Date: March 12, 1938
• Event: Germany annexed Austria, incorporating it into the German Reich
• Background:
  • The Treaty of Versailles had prohibited the union of Germany and Austria
  • Hitler, who was born in Austria, had long sought to unite the two countries
  • Economic and political instability in Austria created an opportunity for German intervention
• Consequences:
  • The annexation was met with little resistance from the international community
  • Austria's independence was lost, and it became a province of Nazi Germany
  • The Anschluss set a precedent for further German aggression, including the invasion of Czechoslovakia

Hitler's Foreign Policy

Remilitarization of the Rhineland

• German troops reoccupied the Rhineland on March 7, 1936, a demilitarized zone established by the Treaty of Versailles
• Hitler claimed the move was a response to the Franco-Soviet Pact, which he saw as a threat to German security
• The remilitarization broke the Locarno Pact, which guaranteed the Rhineland's demilitarization
• Britain and France failed to take action against Germany, marking the beginning of the policy of appeasement
• This event marked the start of Hitler's aggressive expansionist policy

Anschluss

• Germany annexed Austria on March 12, 1938, incorporating it into the German Reich
• The Treaty of Versailles had prohibited the union of Germany and Austria
• Hitler, born in Austria, had long sought to unite the two countries
• Economic and political instability in Austria created an opportunity for German intervention
• The annexation was met with little resistance from the international community
• Austria lost its independence, becoming a province of Nazi Germany
• The Anschluss set a precedent for further German aggression, including the invasion of Czechoslovakia

Learn about the events and consequences of Hitler's remilitarization of the Rhineland in 1936, and how it led to the policy of appeasement by Britain and France.