The 1930s saw the rise of Nazi Germany and a series of aggressive foreign policy moves that would ultimately lead to the outbreak of World War II in Europe. Here are 10 key steps in this process:
1. 1933: Hitler Becomes Chancellor
In January 1933, Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany. Over the next year and a half, he would consolidate power and transform Germany into a totalitarian dictatorship under Nazi rule. This set the stage for his aggressive foreign policy to come.
2. 1933: Germany Withdraws from League of Nations
One of Hitler‘s first major foreign policy moves was to withdraw Germany from the League of Nations and the Geneva Disarmament Conference in October 1933. This was a clear rejection of the international system established after World War I.
3. 1934: Non-Aggression Pact with Poland
In a surprising diplomatic move, Nazi Germany signed a 10-year non-aggression pact with Poland in January 1934. This was an attempt to secure Germany‘s eastern border and prevent a two-front war. But Hitler would violate this pact 5 years later.
4. 1935: Germany Begins Rearmament
In March 1935, Hitler announced that Germany would openly rearm, in direct violation of the Treaty of Versailles. He reintroduced military conscription with the goal of building an army of over 500,000 men. The other European powers protested but did nothing to stop Hitler.
5. 1936: Reoccupation of the Rhineland
Emboldened by the lack of response to his rearmament, Hitler ordered German troops to reoccupy the demilitarized Rhineland along the French border in March 1936. This was another violation of Versailles, but again, the western powers did not intervene.
6. 1938: Anschluss with Austria
In March 1938, Germany annexed Austria in what became known as the Anschluss. This united the German-speaking peoples and greatly increased Hitler‘s power. Austria became a province of the Third Reich.
7. 1938: Annexation of Sudetenland
Hitler next turned his sights to the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia, home to many ethnic Germans. At the Munich Conference in September 1938, the leaders of Britain, France and Italy agreed to let Germany annex the Sudetenland in exchange for a promise of no further territorial demands. But it was a false hope.
8. 1939: Occupation of Czechoslovakia
In March 1939, Hitler violated the Munich Agreement and ordered the German military to occupy the rest of Czechoslovakia. The country was divided, with the Czech lands turned into a German "protectorate" and Slovakia becoming a pro-Nazi puppet state.
9. 1939: Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact
In a stunning diplomatic move, Germany and the Soviet Union signed a non-aggression pact in late August 1939. This removed the threat of a two-front war for Hitler and laid the groundwork for the partition of Poland between the two dictatorships.
10. 1939: Invasion of Poland
The final step on the road to war came on September 1, 1939, when Germany launched a massive invasion of Poland. Britain and France, now finally recognizing the threat posed by Hitler, declared war on Germany two days later. World War II had begun.
Over the course of the 1930s, Hitler had rearmed Germany, expanded its territory, and overturned the balance of power in Europe – all while the other powers stood by. This failure to confront Nazi aggression early on made a larger war inevitable. The 1930s teach us the dangers of appeasing dictators and sacrificing weaker states for illusory peace. Only collective security and a firm stand against aggression can preserve the peace in the long run.
