The Significance Of Rhineland 1936 And Austria 1938: A Historical Perspective

The German occupation of the Rhineland in 1936 and the annexation of Austria in 1938 were pivotal events that exposed major weaknesses in the relationship between Britain and France and highlighted the growing distrust between them. Hitler's action of denouncing the Locarno Pact and remilitarizing the Rhineland in 1936 and annexing Austria in 1938 undermined the Treaty of Versailles and fueled Hitler's expansionist agenda. The events of the Rhineland crisis are important for those studying the history of appeasement in international relations and the growing sense of peace movements.

Hitler's violation of the Treaty of Versailles and the Locarno Treaties

Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party seized full power in Germany in 1933, promising vengeance against the Allied nations that had forced the Treaty of Versailles on the German people. In 1935, Hitler unilaterally canceled the military clauses of the treaty and in March 1936 denounced the Locarno Pact and began remilitarizing the Rhineland. Two years later, Nazi Germany burst out of its territories, absorbing Austria and portions of Czechoslovakia. In 1939, Hitler invaded Poland, leading to the outbreak of World War II in Europe.

The 1925 Treaty of Locarno had recognized the inviolability of its borders with France and Belgium and the demilitarization of the Rhineland. On March 7, 1936, however, Hitler repudiated this agreement and ordered the German armed forces (Wehrmacht) into the demilitarized Rhineland. Hitler's action brought condemnation from Britain and France, but neither nation intervened. After a prolonged period of intense propaganda inside Austria, German troops entered the country on March 12, 1938, receiving the enthusiastic support of most of the population. Austria was incorporated into Germany on the following day. In April, this German annexation was retroactively approved in a plebiscite that was manipulated to indicate that about 99 percent of the Austrian people wanted the union (known as the "Anschluss") with Germany.

The remilitarisation of the Rhineland began on March 7, 1936, when military forces of Nazi Germany entered the Rhineland, which directly contravened the Treaty of Versailles and the Locarno Treaties. Neither France nor Britain was prepared for a military response, so they did not act. After 1939, commentators often said that a strong military move in 1936 might have ruined the expansionist plans of Adolf Hitler, the dictator of Germany. However, recent historiography agrees that both public and elite opinion in Britain and France strongly opposed a military intervention, and neither had an army prepared to move in.

Hitler moved on from the occupation of the Rhineland in 1936, to the annexation of Austria and the seizure of the Sudetenland in 1938, to the take-over of the rest of Czechoslovakia in March 1939 and then Poland in September 1939. The events of the Rhineland crisis are important for those studying the history of appeasement in international relations prior to the outbreak of war in 1939. With this in mind, some teachers may wish to use this lesson with our three other lessons on Chamberlain and Hitler, Eden’s last stand, and the leadership of Adolf Hitler shown in 1938.

Germany's remilitarisation of the Rhineland and annexation of Austria

Hitler seized full power in Germany in 1933 and promised vengeance against the Allied nations that had forced the Treaty of Versailles on the German people. In 1935, Hitler unilaterally canceled the military clauses of the treaty and in March 1936 denounced the Locarno Pact and began remilitarizing the Rhineland.

On March 7, 1936, Hitler repudiated this agreement and ordered the German armed forces (Wehrmacht) into the demilitarized Rhineland. Hitler's action brought condemnation from Britain and France, but neither nation intervened. After a prolonged period of intense propaganda inside Austria, German troops entered the country on March 12, 1938, receiving the enthusiastic support of most of the population. Austria was incorporated into Germany on the following day. In April, this German annexation was retroactively approved in a plebiscite that was manipulated to indicate that about 99 percent of the Austrian people wanted the union (known as the "Anschluss") with Germany.

The remilitarisation of the Rhineland was able to test Britain’s response in the event of a violation to the Treaty of Versailles and the Locarno Treaty. Due to the lack of effective action in response to Germany’s remilitarisation of the Rhineland, it has exposed major weaknesses in the relationship between Britain and France and the growing distrust between them.

Hitler moved on from the occupation of the Rhineland in 1936, to the annexation of Austria and the seizure of the Sudetenland in 1938, to the take-over of the rest of Czechoslovakia in March 1939 and then Poland in September 1939.

Britain and France's appeasement policy

The German occupation of the Rhineland in 1936 and the annexation of Austria in 1938 were pivotal events that highlighted the weaknesses in the relationship between Britain and France and exposed the growing distrust between them. These events were significant because they tested Britain's and France's response to a violation of the Treaty of Versailles and the Locarno Treaty.

The remilitarization of the Rhineland in 1936, where Hitler ordered the German armed forces into the demilitarized Rhineland, was a direct breach of the Treaty of Versailles and the Locarno Treaties. Despite condemnation from Britain and France, neither nation intervened, which exposed major weaknesses in their relationship. This lack of effective action fueled Hitler's belief that Britain and France would not prevent his further attempts to undermine the Treaty of Versailles, such as reuniting with Austria and taking over Czechoslovakia.

The annexation of Austria in 1938, known as the "Anschluss", was supported by most of the Austrian population after intense propaganda and manipulated plebiscite. This event further undermined the Treaty of Versailles and highlighted the growing distrust between Britain and France.

The events of the Rhineland crisis and the annexation of Austria are important for those studying the history of appeasement in international relations prior to the outbreak of war in 1939. They reveal the crisis it produced for Britain and her allies and show the assumption that it was possible to negotiate with Hitler and his demands. The German occupation of the Rhineland and the annexation of Austria were significant events that highlighted the weaknesses in the relationship between Britain and France and exposed the growing distrust between them.

The crisis in Britain and France's relationship

The German occupation of the Rhineland in 1936 and the annexation of Austria in 1938 were significant events that highlighted the weaknesses in the relationship between Britain and France and exposed the growing distrust between them.

Hitler's action of denouncing the Locarno Pact and ordering the German armed forces into the demilitarized Rhineland on March 7, 1936, brought condemnation from Britain and France, but neither nation intervened. This lack of effective action in response to Germany’s remilitarisation of the Rhineland exposed major weaknesses in the relationship between Britain and France.

Hitler's action of annexing Austria on March 12, 1938, received the enthusiastic support of most of the population. After April, this German annexation was retroactively approved in a plebiscite that was manipulated to indicate that about 99 percent of the Austrian people wanted the union (known as the "Anschluss") with Germany.

The events of the Rhineland crisis are important for those studying the history of appeasement in international relations prior to the outbreak of war in 1939. With this in mind, some teachers may wish to use this lesson with our three other lessons on Chamberlain and Hitler, Eden’s last stand, and the leadership of Adolf Hitler.

The growth of peace movements

The German occupation of the Rhineland in 1936 and the annexation of Austria in 1938 were pivotal events that highlighted the growing distrust between Britain and France and exposed major weaknesses in their relationship. The remilitarization of the Rhineland by Nazi Germany in 1936, which directly contravened the Treaty of Versailles and the Locarno Treaties, was a significant violation that Britain and France failed to address. This inaction fueled Hitler's belief that Britain and France would not prevent his further attempts to undermine the Treaty of Versailles, such as reuniting with Austria and taking over Czechoslovakia.

The German annexation of Austria in 1938, known as the "Anschluss", was retroactively approved by a manipulated plebiscite that indicated over 99% of Austrians supported the union. This event highlighted the growing sense of peace movements and the assumption that it was possible to negotiate with Hitler. However, the failure of the League of Nations to make a decision due to Britain's fear of war empowered Hitler to undermine more terms of the Treaty of Versailles.

The events of the Rhineland crisis are important for those studying the history of appeasement in international relations prior to the outbreak of war in 1939. The German occupation of the Rhineland and the annexation of Austria were significant moments that exposed the limitations of diplomatic efforts and highlighted the growing sense of peace movements in the face of Hitler's aggressive actions. These events also highlighted the growing distrust between Britain and France and exposed major weaknesses in their relationship.

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