Week 12 Day 2

Class 1- Thursday April 3, 2014

            Lecture Note:  (Hitler’s war part 2)

·         1933: within 3 days of becoming leader of Germany, Hitler announces his rearmament policy to his military leaders. It was the 1st priority and would be secret.

·         1935: Hitler no longer bothered to keep rearmament a secret. He organized a massive rally in Berlin to proclaim rearmament to the world. Signed naval agreement with Britain to allow increase of its navy to 35% the size of the British Navy.

·         1936: Conscription introduced. Factories were converted to producing arms and military supplies.

·         1937: Spanish Civil War as a test of new technology, as well as to show the world its edge.

·         1938: Hitler took over command of the armed forces (a corporal?)

·          1939: War against Britain and France begins. Germany had fewer tanks than Britain and production was slower (refer the panzers. Why was production slower?)

·         1939: Germany only had 3 months’ supply of aircraft fuel.

·         Hitler’s Foreign Policy

·         Step 1 (March 1936): German troops enter the Rhineland. Germans only had 30000. If resistance was met, they were to pull out immediately. No resistance came.

-          Excuse: USSR and France had signed a treaty- Germany was surrounded and needed a buffer.

-          Europe’s response: French would not act alone and British stayed out of it. Hitler promised peace and no further incursions.

·         Step 1 (Nov 1936): Hitler made alliances with both Italy and Japan.

·         Step 2 (March 1938): Hitler annexed Austria, sent the German army into Austria unopposed.

-          Excuse: To restore order in Austria. The disorder was created by the Nazi party in Austria. Hitler bullied the Austrian leader Schuschnigg into giving Nazis all the important jobs, then forced him to resign, replaced by a Nazi.

·         Step 2 (March 1938): Hitler annexed Austria, sent the German army into Austria unopposed.

·         Step 3 (12 September 1938): Germany takes Sudetenland

·         Extra Notes:

-          Rearmament means changed the weapons with the better or powerful weapons.

-          The Rearmament occurred in Germany, Britain and USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics)

-          The German armies marched into the Rhineland.

-          Hitler only had 30,000 fully equipped troops

-          Ussr and France had just signed the Mutual Assistance Treaty

Discussion and Reflection: None

Homework: None