This ppt concentrates on start of the World War II. It is based on IGCSE syllabus, specifically International Relations and Hitler.

1. The Second World War
Rhineland to the ‘Anschluss’
Munich and the destruction of Czechoslovakia

2. Hitler’s Aims-
Create a
Greater
Germany
Abolish
the ToV
Destroy
Communism
Lebensraum
and
Anschluss

3. Hitler’s Aggression-
• In 1936, Hitler defied the Treaty of Versailles. He ordered
German troops to march into the Rhineland.
• A calculated risk. German army not ready to face France,
hence asked to retreat in case of French attack.
• Peacemaker? Hitler convinced ambassadors of Britain,
Italy and France that he had important plans for long-
term peace in Europe.
• 25 year agreement between Germany, France and
Belgium.

4. 1) No attack on western neighbours
2) Demilitarized zone on either side of the French-German
borders.
• Proposals although not serious, taken at face value.

5. French and British reaction-
• Emergency session of the French on the day of occupation.
• Decided to protest and not fight.
• Many British people approved of Hitler’s move. (British did not care ‘two
hoots’ about the Rhineland)
• After the crisis of Abysinnia, League of Nations reluctant to get involved in
any other crisis.

6. The Anschluss: the German take-over of
Austria
• 1938- Austria in a state of crisis. Govt of Chancellor Kurt
Schushnigg.
• Hitler did not have control over Austrian Nazis.
• Feb, 1938- Schushnigg visited Hitler for crisis talks. Hitler
raved and shouted at him for 2 hours.
• Hitler demanded that Nazis be allowed to join the
Austrian govt and be given control of law and order.
• Schushnigg had to agree to Hitler.

7. • March 8- Schuschnigg’s attempt to keep Austria
independent by holding a plebiscite. (lowest age to vote-
24)
• March 11- German army invaded Austria. In Vienna,
76,000 people arrested.
• March 12- Hitler crossed into Austria and visited his home
town.

8. Munich and the destruction of Czechoslovakia
• The Sudeten Germans- 3 million German speakers in
Czechoslovakia. Large minority in a country dominated by
Czechs and Slovaks.
• The local Nazi leader, Konrad Henlein, led a party called
Sudeten German Party financed by Hitler.
• Negotiations with the govt with no results.
• March 1938- Hitler met Henlein and decided to drag
negotiations to create a crisis.

9. • British could not help and Chamberlain was saying in private that
Czechoslovakia could not be saved.
• 1925- France had signed a treaty with Czechoslovakia to help in
case of crisis. 1938- New govt in France (Daladier), not keen on
war over Czechoslovakia.
• Italy provided its support to Germany.
• British and French put pressure on Czechoslovakia to accept the
demands of Hitler.
• British govt sent a politician called Lord Runciman in July to work
out a solution. He recommended separation of Sudetenland.

10. • Hitler’s colleagues disagreed on taking over of Czechoslovakia.
• Sept. 1938- Henlein ordered local Nazis to attact Czech and Jewish
targets. Relation between Sudeten Germans and Prague broken off.
Henlein left Czechoslovakia on 15 Sept.
• 15 Sept- Chamberlain met Hitler in Germany at Berchtesgaden.
Treatment of Sudeten Germans.
Agreement on peaceful German takeover.
French leaders agreed for the partition of Czechoslovakia in return
for a British promise to defend the rest of Czechoslovakia.

11. • A day later, Czech President, Benes was told to handover
Sudetenland. Reluctant agreement.
• Chamberlain revisited Hitler in Germany with new plan of
partition.
• Hitler refused.
1) Immediate German takeover
2) No votes on claims of Hungary and Poland’s claim on
Czechoslovakia
• Hitler refused to compromise. Chamberlain returned to London
disappointed.

12. • War between Germany and Britain?
• British govt started rearming. Chamberlain tried for peace again.
• Sent Sir Horace Wilson but Hitler refused and said he was going to
‘smash the Czechs’.
• Munich Conference on 29 Sept with representatives of Britain,
France and Italy with Hitler.
• British and French PM agreed with Hitler on the annexation of the
Sudetenland.
• 1 Oct- German troops marched unopposed into the Sudetenland.

13. Appeasement-
• Chamberlain’s policy of trying to satisfy Hitler is known as Appeasement.
Conflicting views among Historians on the rationale behind Appeasement.
Justification-1) Chamberlain was foolish and failed to understand Hitler
2) Chamberlain was no fool and it was the right path at the time.
• Chamberlain did not desire another war and desired for peace.
• Chamberlain believed in the power of talk and negotiations. An honest man.
Believed Hitler when he said that after Czechoslovakia there would be no
more threat to peace to Europe. Hitler had lied.

14. • British Empire mattered a great deal to British politicians in the
1930s. Dominions like Canada, Australia, NZ and South Africa had
a strong voice and supported Appeasement.
• Sept. 1938- South Africa and Australia would not support war.
• British military leaders terrified at the idea of a war with both
Germany and Japan. They also supported Appeasement.
• The Sleeping Superpowers of USA or the USSR would not have
helped the British in case of war.

15. • Americans did not have military strength to match their
economic strength. USA was described as ‘sleeping giant’.
• USA had a small standing army largely equipped with
inefficient, old-fashioned weapons.
• The American President, F.D. Roosevelt, hated war.
• USA was still recovering from the Depression.
• 1935- Neutrality Act (temporary). Made permanent in 1937.

16. • USSR- Although Soviet Army large, British did not have high opinion of it.
• Hatred of Communism.
• 1930s- The Purge by Stalin. Stalin destroyed almost his entire military
leadership: 35,000 leading officers executed. Out of the 80 members of
the Supreme Military Council, 75 executed.
• Chamberlain still remembered the First World War.
• Through Appeasement, Chamberlain was playing for time.
• 1934-38: increase in British expense on defence.
• During the time of Munich in 1938, his military advisers asked him to bid
for time.

17. The Nazi-Soviet Pact-
• This pact was between Hitler and Stalin, signed in 1939.
• As a communist, Stalin believed that there was little difference
between the fascist dictatorship and the Western democracies.
• All other states were enemies to him.
• Communist writers taught that Capitalist powers were naturally
aggressive to acquire more markets.
• Stalin believed this and expected other war sooner or later.
• He tried to make sure that USSR was on the winning side.

18. • 1934- Stalin had made a speech stating that the USSR could work
with any country that did not threaten it. But Hitler was not
interested at the time.
• Same year, USSR joined the LoN.
• 1935- Communist parties across the world ordered to stop trying to
organize revolution. Instead co-operation with any anti-fascist
forces.
• The Soviet Foreign Minister Maxim Litvinov believed in collective
security and tried to build links with Britain and France.

19. • The policy of appeasement disappointed Litvinov and Stalin and
forced them to rethink.
• Stalin suspected that British and French’s secret aim was to
encourage a war between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union in the
hope that they will destroy each other.
• 1939- Real possibility of Britain and France going to war with
Germany. Uncertainty of the position of the Soviet Union.
• 17 April, 1939- Litvinov outlined the basis for a treaty to France and
Britain.

20. • 6 weeks for Britain to respond. Stalin not impressed.
• Stalin dismissed Litvinov and appointed Molotov as Foreign Minister.
• Exploratory talks between Soviets and Germans in May. Secret talks.
• Germany made it clear that, if he Soviet Union stayed neutral, they
could increase their territory in Eastern Europe.
• Leningrad- 12 August, talks between British, French and Soviet
military leaders.

21. Request by Soviets for a passage through Romanian and Polish
territory. Refusal of British and French.
Talks ended in failure on 21st August.
• 20 August- Hitler wrote a personal letter to Stalin offering high level
talks in Moscow.
• Hitler sent Ribbentrop, a senior figure, to Moscow.
• “SECRET PROTOCOL” Soviet Union offered- Finland, Latvia, Estonia,
Lithuania and parts of Belarus and the Ukraine that were ruled by
Poland.