The path to war (AQA GCSE History): Revision Notes
The path to war
Hitler's early goals
When Hitler came to power, he made a clear promise to the German people: he would reverse the harsh terms of the Treaty of Versailles and restore Germany's strength. To achieve this ambitious goal, he immediately began secretly building up Germany's military forces, directly violating the treaty's restrictions on German armaments.
The Treaty of Versailles (1919) had severely limited Germany's military capabilities, restricting the army to 100,000 men, prohibiting tanks and military aircraft, and limiting the navy. These restrictions were designed to prevent Germany from becoming a military threat again.
Rising tensions, 1933-1935
1933: Germany withdraws from the League of Nations Disarmament Conference
The Geneva Disarmament Conference had been running since 1932, attempting to reduce military forces across Europe. Hitler took a clever diplomatic approach - he declared that Germany would disarm completely, but only if every other nation did the same. When France rejected this proposal, Hitler used their refusal as justification for his actions.
Blaming the French for blocking any agreement, Hitler dramatically withdrew Germany from both the conference and the League of Nations itself. This bold move freed Germany from its commitment to avoid military buildup, giving Hitler the freedom he needed to pursue rearmament.
Hitler's withdrawal from the League of Nations was a critical turning point that removed international oversight of German military activities. This strategic move allowed him to begin open rearmament while claiming moral justification.
1934: The Dollfuss Affair
Hitler's Austrian origins shaped his vision of uniting all German-speaking peoples under one nation. The Treaty of Versailles had specifically forbidden the Anschluss (union between Austria and Germany), but this remained a central part of Hitler's plan for creating a greater German state.
Austrian Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss understood Hitler's intentions and took decisive action to prevent them. He banned the Austrian Nazi Party, recognising the threat it posed to Austrian independence. In response, Hitler ordered Austrian Nazis to create chaos throughout the country during 1934.
Worked Example: Hitler's Strategy in Austria
Step 1: Political Infiltration Hitler encouraged Austrian Nazis to gain influence within Austria's political system.
Step 2: Destabilization When direct political methods failed, Hitler ordered Austrian Nazis to create widespread chaos and unrest.
Step 3: Direct Action Nazi conspirators murdered Chancellor Dollfuss, hoping to create a power vacuum.
Step 4: Strategic Retreat When the plot failed and Mussolini threatened intervention, Hitler publicly disowned the Austrian Nazis to avoid international confrontation.
The situation reached a crisis point when Nazi conspirators murdered Dollfuss. However, their plot ultimately failed because they lacked sufficient support from the Austrian army and government. When Mussolini moved Italian troops to the Austrian border, Hitler was forced to retreat and publicly claim that the Austrian Nazis had acted independently.
January 1935: The Saar plebiscite
Under the Treaty of Versailles, the Saar region - a valuable industrial area on the French-German border - had been placed under League of Nations control for fifteen years. In 1935, the time came for the population to decide their future through a referendum.
The result was overwhelmingly in Hitler's favour: ninety percent of voters chose to return to Germany rather than remain under French control. This decisive victory provided Hitler with powerful evidence for his argument that German-speaking populations wanted to unite with the Reich. Additionally, the return of the Saar gave Germany access to important coal mines that would fuel the growing rearmament programme.
The Saar plebiscite was conducted under international supervision, making it a legitimate democratic process. This gave Hitler significant propaganda value, as he could claim that German reunification had popular support and international legitimacy.
March 1935: Freedom to rearm rally
By March 1935, Hitler felt confident enough to abandon all pretence of secrecy. At a massive public rally, he openly displayed the weapons and military units he had been developing in secret. More dramatically, he announced the reintroduction of military conscription for all healthy men aged 18-25, requiring two years of military service.
Hitler's plans were ambitious: he intended to expand the Wehrmacht (German armed forces) to over half a million soldiers and create a new Luftwaffe (air force). These announcements represented a complete rejection of the Treaty of Versailles' military restrictions.
The March 1935 rearmament announcement marked the end of Hitler's covert military buildup. By openly defying the Treaty of Versailles, he was testing whether the international community would take decisive action to stop German expansion.
April 1935: The Stresa Front
The international community finally began to respond to Hitler's increasingly aggressive actions. Britain, France, and Italy formed the Stresa Front, an agreement designed to uphold the terms of the Locarno Treaties and prevent further German expansion, particularly any attempt at Anschluss with Austria.
However, the Stresa Front proved to be more of a symbolic gesture than an effective deterrent. It failed to significantly slow Hitler's momentum or discourage his future plans.
June 1935: Anglo-German Naval Agreement
Many British politicians had grown to believe that the Treaty of Versailles had been excessively harsh on Germany. The Anglo-German Naval Agreement reflected this changing attitude - it allowed Hitler to build a German navy up to 35% of the size of the British Royal Navy.
While the British saw this as a reasonable compromise that would protect their naval supremacy, Hitler interpreted it very differently. To him, this agreement proved that the Treaty of Versailles was unfair and could be safely ignored. Significantly, Britain negotiated this deal without consulting their French or Italian allies, weakening the unity that was essential for containing German expansion.
The Anglo-German Naval Agreement was a critical diplomatic victory for Hitler. It legitimised his violation of Versailles and demonstrated that major powers were willing to negotiate rather than enforce the treaty's terms. This encouraged further German aggression.
Timeline of major events
- October 1933: Germany leaves League of Nations Disarmament Conference
- July 1934: Austrian Chancellor Dollfuss murdered by Nazi conspirators
- January 1935: Saar plebiscite - 90% vote to return to Germany
- March 1935: Hitler announces rearmament and military conscription
- April 1935: Stresa Front formed by Britain, France, and Italy
- June 1935: Anglo-German Naval Agreement signed
Key Points to Remember:
- Hitler's strategy involved gradually breaking the Treaty of Versailles while testing international reactions
- Each success built confidence for the next, bolder move - from secret rearmament to open military expansion
- The Saar plebiscite provided crucial propaganda for Hitler's claim that German-speaking peoples wanted unification
- International responses like the Stresa Front were largely ineffective at stopping German aggression
- The Anglo-German Naval Agreement showed that some countries were willing to negotiate with Hitler, undermining collective security