The Road to War

1923 – Germany defaults on reparation payment to FranceFrance uses this as a opportunity to send troops into Germany to enforce the Treaty of Versailles. The French call this a police action, the Germans call it an invasion.

1932-1934 Disarmament Conference held by world powers to limit military spending and arms.

Germany wants France and Poland to reduce their armies to 100 000. They refuse and Germany leaves the Conference.

Germany and France are ancient enemies – very distrustful of each other

When Hitler comes into power he stops payment of reparations

Hitler identifies ‘race’ and ‘nation’ as the same thing

October 1933 – Germany leaves the League of Nations

1935 – Hitler announces that Germany would no longer adhere to disarmament treaties. He begins to rearm Germany and reintroduces conscription.

1936 – Germany remilitarizes the Rhineland. France wants to prevent this but needs British support.

Britain is unwilling and incapable of preventing Germany’s reoccupation of Rhineland, so the Brit’s do nothing.

1938 – Munich conference – Germany given the Sudetenland (part of Czechoslovakia).

Termed appeasement due to the fact that France and Britain were willing to give Germany what Hitler wanted to save the world from war.

September 1, 1939 – Germany invades Poland. Poland surrenders 5 weeks later.

October 1939 – April 1940 called the “Phoney War”.In September of ’39 most of the world had rushed to declare war however, after the fall of Poland, all hostilities ceased for 6 months.