THE ROAD TO WAR 1939 - HITLER GROWS IN CONFIDENCE.

1. CONTENT
ROAD TO WAR
HITLER GROWS
IN CONFIDENCE
- HOMEWORK -
5

2. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – ROAD TO WW2 – MR. D
ENCOURAGED BY MANCHURIA AND ABYSSINIA
Hitler was encouraged by the two major failures of the League of
Nations and its ineffectiveness.
He was also encouraged by the Saar plebiscite in January 1935.
The Saar had been taken away from Germany by the TOV and
administered by the LON.
It was an important industrial area and had large coal deposits.
In the plebiscite, 90% voted for joining with Germany.

3. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – ROAD TO WW2 – MR. D
REARMING GERMANY
Hitler now felt confident enough to announce his programme of
rearmament for Germany.
When he came to power Germany’s military position was very weak.
Hitler simply ignored the terms of the Treaty of Versailles and began to
build up the German army.
Britain and France did nothing to prevent this, and in 1935 Britain even
signed a naval agreement with Germany, allowing Nazi’s navy to be
35% of the size of the British navy.
This agreement broke the TOV and is the first example of Britain
practising the policy of appeasement towards Germany.
France was furious.

4. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – ROAD TO WW2 – MR. D
KEY POINT
There is agreement about Hitler’s aims were but historians disagree
about how he planned to achieve them.
Some argue that he had a plan from the beginning which he followed
step by step.
Others argue that he simply acted when opportunities were right.

5. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – ROAD TO WW2 – MR. D
HOMEWORK
1. Name 4 of Hitler’s foreign policy aims.
2. Explain what Hitler meant by the “Aryan” race.
3. How did the plebiscite result in the Saar and the naval agreement
with Britain encourage Hitler to become more aggressive?

6. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – ROAD TO WW2 – MR. D
HOMEWORK - ANSWERS
1. Name 4 of Hitler’s foreign policy aims.
Make Germany Great again; reclaiming land lost at Versailles; expand
into Eastern Europe and Russia; build a Germany where all German
people could live together.
2. Explain what Hitler meant by the “Aryan” race.
Hitler believed the Aryan race was a superior one.
3. How did the plebiscite result in the Saar and the naval agreement
with Britain encourage Hitler to become more aggressive?
The plebiscite in Saar encouraged Hitler to be more aggressive because
it showed that the people wanted to be part of Germany.