Final Acts of Appeasement
Germany Rearms - Militarizes te Rhineland:
*1935 Hitler introduces conscription in Germany
*France, Britain and Italy form the Stresa front to condemn Hitler's actions
*1935 Mussolini signs naval agreement with Hitler
*March 1936 Hitler remilitarizes the Rhineland (Breaking the Locarno pact)
*Rhineland - no army
Anchluss, 1938:
*Versailles forbade a unification of Germany and Austria
*1934 Dolfuss affair (Nazi assassinate Austrian Chancellor)
*1938 Hitler called on new Chancellor Schuschnigg to resign
*Leader of Austria Nazi party Seyss-Inquart becomes new Chancellor
*March 1938 German troops roll into Austria
*"Plebiscite" is held - 99.75% vote in favour of unification
The Appeasers' Reaction:
*British do nothing and warn Schuschnigg not to cause trouble
*The French won't do anything without the British
*Italy was the only objection, but Mussolini gave his approval
*Hitler to Mussolini, "Never, never, forget this, no matter what happened."
The Sudentenland:
*Ethnic German area of Czechoslovakia where 3.5 million Germans lived.
*Br. P.M. Neville Chamberlain wants Czech leader, Benes to give up the Sudentenland
*Hopes to prevent war
*Hitler threatens to occupy
Neville Chamberlain and the Munich Agreement:
*Mussolini steps in with a four power conference in Munich (France, Britain, Italy and Germany)
*Benes resigns in favour of Emil Hacha who agrees to the annexation
*Neville Chamberlain proclaims "Peace in our Time"
*Hitler still recognized Slovak state - Moved in German Troops to "protect" it
*Hacha visits Hitler in March 1939 - gives up Czech independence
*1935 Hitler introduces conscription in Germany
*France, Britain and Italy form the Stresa front to condemn Hitler's actions
*1935 Mussolini signs naval agreement with Hitler
*March 1936 Hitler remilitarizes the Rhineland (Breaking the Locarno pact)
*Rhineland - no army
Anchluss, 1938:
*Versailles forbade a unification of Germany and Austria
*1934 Dolfuss affair (Nazi assassinate Austrian Chancellor)
*1938 Hitler called on new Chancellor Schuschnigg to resign
*Leader of Austria Nazi party Seyss-Inquart becomes new Chancellor
*March 1938 German troops roll into Austria
*"Plebiscite" is held - 99.75% vote in favour of unification
The Appeasers' Reaction:
*British do nothing and warn Schuschnigg not to cause trouble
*The French won't do anything without the British
*Italy was the only objection, but Mussolini gave his approval
*Hitler to Mussolini, "Never, never, forget this, no matter what happened."
The Sudentenland:
*Ethnic German area of Czechoslovakia where 3.5 million Germans lived.
*Br. P.M. Neville Chamberlain wants Czech leader, Benes to give up the Sudentenland
*Hopes to prevent war
*Hitler threatens to occupy
Neville Chamberlain and the Munich Agreement:
*Mussolini steps in with a four power conference in Munich (France, Britain, Italy and Germany)
*Benes resigns in favour of Emil Hacha who agrees to the annexation
*Neville Chamberlain proclaims "Peace in our Time"
*Hitler still recognized Slovak state - Moved in German Troops to "protect" it
*Hacha visits Hitler in March 1939 - gives up Czech independence
Summary
These final acts were some of the last stepping stones that Hitler needed to gain full control
