re-militarisation of the rhineland

• An event occurred which divided opinions about the threat of Hitler and his intentions: the re-militarisation of the Rhineland

  7th March 1936
• Rhineland


  German territory that had been demilitarised as a consequence of the Treaty of Versailles
• The re-militarisation of the Rhineland was against the Treaty of Versailles (1919) and the Treaty of Locarno (1925)
• In 1935, the Franco-Soviet pact


  Made Hitler feel encircled and vulnerable
• Without re-militarisation


  Germany could not protect its border with France
• Hitler's decision to re-militarise the Rhineland


  1. Advised by generals to send a small amount of troops (22,000 troops and a handful of aircraft)

  2. When French troops were reported on the French border, advised by generals to withdraw but he didn't take their advice
• Hitler offered France and Britain a 25 year non-aggression pact, claiming "Germany had no territorial demands to make in Europe"
• Britain and France condemned the re-militarisation as it broke the Treaty of Versailles, but neither took action to reverse it, or see it as acts of war