| What methods did Hitler use to pursue his aims from 1934 to 1938? | A mixture of threats and conciliatory statements, often in open defiance of the Treaty of Versailles. |
| How did Hitler convince major European nations to tolerate his actions? | By portraying his motives as honourable, justifiable, and peaceful while isolating target countries. |
| What is a key debate among historians regarding Hitler’s actions during this period? | Whether he followed a meticulously devised plan of action toward war or improvised as opportunities arose. |
| What event in January 1935 allowed Hitler to enhance his reputation within Germany? | The return of the Saar region to Germany following a plebiscite. |
| How did Hitler justify reintroducing conscription in March 1935? | He claimed it was a response to increases in the British air force and France extending conscription from 12 to 18 months. |
| What significant military announcement did Hitler make in February 1935? | The establishment of the Luftwaffe, Germany's air force, which had been secretly formed in 1933. |
| What did Hitler’s comments and withdrawal from the World Disarmament Conference indicate about his intentions? | That he intended to rearm Germany in defiance of the Treaty of Versailles. |
| What was the purpose of the Stresa Front agreement signed in April 1935? | To reaffirm the Locarno Treaties, maintain Austria’s independence, and resist attempts to change the Treaty of Versailles. |
| What was a fundamental weakness of the Stresa Front agreement? | Its terms were vague, did not specify actions to be taken, and did not explicitly mention Germany. |
| What agreement did Britain sign with Germany in June 1935, undermining the Stresa Front? | The Anglo-German Naval Agreement, which allowed Germany to have a navy up to 35% the size of Britain’s. |
| What actions did Hitler take after Britain’s opposition to German rearmament was effectively removed? | He increased the size of the German army, ordered the building of new battleships, and developed a large, efficient air force. |
| Why did France feel increasingly isolated and vulnerable after 1935? | Germany’s rearmament and Britain’s acceptance of it, combined with the collapse of the Stresa Front, caused alarm in France. |
| What was the significance of Hitler's action on 7 March 1936? | He marched 22,000 soldiers into the Rhineland, violating both the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Locarno. |
| What restrictions were placed on the Rhineland under the Treaty of Versailles? | Troops, weapons, and fortifications were forbidden in the area, and no German soldiers were allowed within 50 kilometers of the River Rhine. |
| Why was the Rhineland important to Germany? | It bordered France and the River Rhine provided a natural defense against invasion. |
| Why did Britain not react to Hitler's remilitarisation of the Rhineland? | Many Britons believed Hitler was reclaiming what was rightfully Germany’s and had the right to protect its own borders. |
| What did Hitler propose to Britain in 1936? | That Britain and Germany sign a 25-year nonaggression pact to avoid fighting each other in the event of war. |
| Why did some British politicians want to cooperate with Hitler? | To avoid or postpone war, giving Britain time to rearm, raise funds, and prepare the public for conflict. |
| How did Britain respond to the remilitarisation of the Rhineland? | By strengthening their agreement with France and Belgium. |
| Why did Hitler send troops and weapons to support General Franco in the Spanish Civil War? | To test new weapons, give his troops combat experience, gain an ally if Franco won, and prevent the rise of a Communist state. |
| What was Hitler's main fear if the Republicans had won the Spanish Civil War? | That it would lead to the establishment of a strong Communist state in the West. |
| What was the outcome of the Spanish Civil War for Franco? | Franco became the dictator of Spain by 1939, largely thanks to Nazi support, although he did not formally join the Axis powers during World War II. |
| Why did Mussolini prevent Hitler from invading Austria after the Dolfuss Affair in 1934? | Mussolini sought to maintain Italy's position and prevent German expansion into Austria. |
| What was the significance of the Rome-Berlin Axis formed in 1936? | It was a declaration of closer cooperation between Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany, although it was not a formal agreement. |
| How did Mussolini’s relationship with Britain and France influence his decision to ally with Hitler? | Mussolini's relationship with Britain and France had deteriorated, and aligning with Hitler helped him avoid isolation in Europe and continue his ambitions for a new Roman empire. |
| What was the Anti-Comintern Pact signed between Germany and Japan in 1936? | It was an agreement to work together against Communism, which was later joined by Mussolini. |
| Why did Japan agree to the Anti-Comintern Pact with Germany in 1936? | Japan hoped to intimidate China into surrendering by creating the threat of Soviet intervention, as Japan had already invaded much of China. |
| What role did the Comintern play in the context of the Anti-Comintern Pact? | The Comintern was a group dedicated to spreading Communism, and the Anti-Comintern Pact was aimed at opposing this spread, particularly by targeting the Soviet Union. |
| What was the disagreement between Japan and Italy during the talks for a Triple Alliance in 1939? | Japan wanted the pact to focus on destroying the USSR, while Mussolini wanted it to be a pact against Britain and France. |
| What was the formal name of the pact signed between Germany and Italy in 1939, and what was Mussolini’s nickname for it? | The formal name was the ‘Pact of Friendship and Alliance between Germany and Italy,’ and Mussolini nicknamed it the Pact of Steel. |
| How did Japan's relationship with the USSR impact the formation of the Pact of Steel? | Japan's strained relations with the USSR, particularly after the invasion of Manchuria, influenced Japan's later decision to join the Pact of Steel in 1940. |
| Why did Hitler believe Anschluss was achievable by 1938? | Mussolini had grown to like Hitler and would not oppose a union, and Britain and France’s lack of response to the remilitarisation of the Rhineland encouraged him. |
| What internal factors in Austria made Anschluss more likely? | Austria had a native Nazi party, and support for union was strong inside the country. |
| What was the agreement between Schuschnigg and the Nazis in 1934? | Schuschnigg made a deal with the Nazis to give them key positions in the Austrian government in exchange for their support. |
| How did Hitler intimidate Schuschnigg during their meeting at Berchtesgaden? | Hitler included three Nazi generals in the meeting and forced Schuschnigg to sign an agreement appointing Nazis to key government positions, with the threat of invasion if he refused. |
| What event allowed Hitler to force Schuschnigg to resign as Austrian chancellor? | On 11 March 1938, Hitler demanded the plebiscite be postponed. Schuschnigg complied, fearing lack of support from Britain, France, or Italy, and Hitler forced him to resign, ensuring Seyss-Inquart became chancellor. |
| How did the Austrian people react to the Nazi invasion on 12 March 1938? | The invasion faced no resistance, and Austrian people cheered, giving gifts and flowers to the troops as they entered towns. |
| What was Hitler’s next target for expansion in March 1938, and why? | Czechoslovakia, as part of his quest for Lebensraum, though it had little connection to Germany. |
| Why was the Sudetenland crucial to Hitler’s plans to take Czechoslovakia? | The Sudetenland was a border region with strong defenses that Hitler needed to secure before taking the rest of Czechoslovakia. |
| Why did Hitler view invading the Sudetenland as a first step in destroying Czechoslovakia? | He aimed to overturn the Treaty of Versailles and saw it as a way to "right" another wrong from the treaty. |
| What strategic advantages did the Sudetenland offer to Hitler’s war effort? | It had forts, railways, industries, and factories producing glass, lignite, and weapons, including the Skoda factory for building tanks and other arms. |
| Why did Hitler claim he needed to intervene in the Sudetenland? | He stated that he needed to step in to save the German-speaking Sudeten people, who claimed they were being persecuted by the Czechs. |
| Why was the Sudetenland considered strategically important for Hitler? | Its location jutted into Germany, surrounded on three sides, making it an ideal base for launching an attack on the rest of Czechoslovakia and Poland. |
| What tactics did Nazis in the Sudetenland use in 1938 to weaken the Czechoslovak government? | They started demonstrations similar to those used in Austria. |
| What did Hitler declare in May 1938 regarding the Sudetenland? | He stated that he would fight for the region, claiming that German-speaking people were being treated badly by the Czechs and needed protection. |
| Why were Europeans fearful of a potential war breakout during the Sudeten crisis? | They had witnessed the devastating bombing campaigns of the Spanish Civil War and feared that civilians would become targets of the Luftwaffe. |
| Why did British and French politicians seek ways to prevent Hitler from invading the Sudetenland? | Because if Hitler invaded, Britain and France could be obliged to protect Czechoslovakia and declare war. |
| What demand did Hitler make during Neville Chamberlain's visit to Berchtesgaden on 15 September 1938? | He demanded that the crisis could only be resolved if he was allowed the Sudetenland. |
| What new demands did Hitler make during Neville Chamberlain’s visit to Bad Godesberg on 22 September 1938? | He wanted the Sudetenland to be handed over by 1 October and insisted that Hungary and Poland should also receive Czech land. |
| How did Hitler’s changed demands at Bad Godesberg impact the situation in Europe? | His escalating demands made war seem inevitable, as Chamberlain had not agreed to these terms. |
