Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany in 1933 and was given dictatorial powers through the Enabling Act. He then began violating the Treaty of Versailles by rebuilding the German military, remilitarizing the Rhineland, annexing Austria and the Sudetenland. Other nations did not intervene because many saw the Treaty as too harsh and thought Germany could help contain the spread of communism from Russia. World War 2 began on September 1, 1939 when Germany invaded Poland. In response, Britain and France declared war on Germany on September 3, while other countries declared neutrality.