How did Hitler Break the Treaty of Versailles? (AQA GCSE History)
Revision Note
Why was Hitler allowed to break the Treaty of Versailles? - Summary
After the First World War, Germany was forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles as part of the peace settlement. This treaty placed harsh penalties and restrictions on Germany. Many Germans felt the treaty was unfair and resented it greatly. When Adolf Hitler became the Chancellor of Germany in 1933, he vowed to undo the Treaty of Versailles. His beliefs focused on making Germany a great military power again.
In the 1930s, Hitler began taking steps to break the Treaty of Versailles. He rebuilt Germany's armed forces, reclaimed the Saar and remilitarised areas like the Rhineland - all of which went against the treaty terms. Nations like Britain and France did little to stop Hitler at this time. They wanted to avoid another war. They adopted a policy of appeasement, hoping Hitler would be satisfied.
However, appeasing Hitler and allowing him to keep breaking the treaty. This enabled and encouraged him to take more risks, making more outrageous demands.
Germany leaves the League of Nations
The League of Nations hosted the World Disarmament Conference
The event took place in Geneva, Switzerland
It ran from 1932 to 1934
The World Disarmament Conference failed in 1934
Weimar politicians challenged all countries to disarm to the level of Germany
France disagreed with Germany’s proposal
Hitler became the leader of Germany in 1933
He promised not to rearm Germany if all countries destroyed their weapons in five years
Hitler was already secretly rearming Germany
France, Czechoslovakia and Poland feared for their safety as they bordered Germany. They refused Hitler’s offer
Hitler used this as an excuse to leave the League of Nations in November 1933
German rearmament
Many people in Britain believed that Germany was right to rearm because:
The Treaty of Versailles had been too harsh on Germany
Other countries were rearming
Hitler could openly display his military strength
Nazi Germany used rallies to:
Advertise the strength of the German army
Show Germany’s lack of respect for the military restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles
The 1935 ‘Rally of Freedom’ at Nuremberg reintroduced compulsory military service
Celebrated Nazi film-maker Leni Riefenstahl made the film Day of Freedom: Our Armed Forces on the rally
By 1939, there were around 1.4 million men in the German armed forces
Spending on armaments increased from 3.5 billion marks in 1933 to 26 billion marks by 1939
Employment in aircraft construction increased from 4,000 people in 1933 to 72,000 people by 1935
Impact of rearmament to Nazi Germany
Official unemployment figures in Nazi Germany
Year | Unemployment |
|---|---|
1933 | 4,800,000 |
1934 | 2,700,000 |
1935 | 2,100,000 |
1936 | 1,500,000 |
1937 | 900,000 |
1938 | 500,000 |
1939 | 300,000 |
Exam Tip
A focus of this topic in the exam could be whether Hitler’s foreign policy was to blame for the Second World War. Building up the military is usually done to prepare for war. However, Hitler’s rearmament programme may have just been a scare tactic. What is important is how the League allowed Hitler to break the Treaty of Versailles’ military restrictions openly. If the League had reacted more harshly to Hitler, it may have stopped his aggressive foreign policy.
The Dollfuss Affair, 1934
The Saar, 1935
How was the Saar plebiscite a failure for the League of Nations?
The plebiscite was a propaganda victory for Hitler
It showed the level of support for his policies, even in a region with Nazi opponents
However, the League resolved a dispute legally
The League had stuck to the 15-year time limit set in the Treaty of Versailles
France and Germany had not gone to war
The people of the Saar achieved their aim of re-joining Germany
Hitler wanted to use his popularity to fulfil his idea of a Grossdeutchland
To fulfil this, Hitler needed to capture land lost in the treaty
The League wanted to avoid war at all costs
Hitler could increase his rearmament programme
The Saar provided Hitler with key natural resources for the rearmament industries
The League of Nations aimed to encourage disarmament
Remilitarisation of the Rhineland, 1936
How was the remilitarisation of the Rhineland a failure for the League of Nations?
After the 1936 invasion, Hitler built up his defences along the French border
Germany constructed the Siegfried Line, a complex system of fortifications
The League of Nations had allowed Hitler to get away with breaching the Treaty of Versailles
Hitler gained more confidence
Hitler knew he could expand Germany without consequences
Historians believe that this was the League’s last opportunity to stop Hitler without a world war
Hitler developed a strategy to manipulate the League
After the invasion, Hitler signed a 25-year non-aggression pact with France and Britain
Hitler had no intention of keeping the pact
It made Germany seem less aggressive than it was
Worked Example
Write an account of how Hilter’s remilitarisation of the Rhineland became a success for his foreign policy
[8 marks]
Partial answer:
The remilitarisation of the Rhineland was a success for Hitler’s foreign policy because it achieved his aim of reversing the Treaty of Versailles. Under the treaty, the Rhineland was demilitarised to ensure that the French border was protected from invasion. In 1936, Germany decided to invade and remilitarise the Rhineland under the claim that enemies surrounded Germany. This was a success for his foreign policy because the League failed to stand up to Hitler. Britain believed that Germany was right to take back the Rhineland and France was preoccupied with elections to seek conflict with Germany. As a result, the invasion of the Rhineland proved to Hitler he could reverse the Treaty of Versailles and expand Germany’s borders without repercussions. This motivated him to take bigger risks in his aggressive foreign policy.
Exam Tip
This is the first paragraph of this answer. To complete this answer, you would need to write another paragraph explaining a different reason why the remilitarisation of the Rhineland was a success for Hitler’s foreign policy.
Your answer could be written in PEE paragraphs:
P- Make a point about the question
E- Include knowledge to support the point you have made
Focused on the group or development mentioned in the question
Show knowledge to demonstrate cause and/or consequence
E- Explain the question
Focus on the key demands of the questions
Include a complex explanation showing your understanding of cause and/or consequence
For further guidance on this question, you can read this revision note on how to answer the 8-mark “Write an account” question.
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