Final acts of Appeasement
- Versailles forbade the unification of Germany with Austria - Anschluss
- In 1934, Dolfuss affair saw the Nazis assassination of Austrian chancellor.
- Hitler called on new Chancellor Schuschnigg to resign.
- Leader of Austria Nazi party becomes new Chancellor.
- In 1938 German troops roll into Austria.
- Plebiscite saw 99.75% of people in favour of unifying with Germany.
- Here people appeased a distinct act of defiance of the Treaty of Versailles.
- British do nothing and warn Schuschnigg not to cause trouble.
- French won't do anything with British support.
- Italy raised objection, but later gave their approval.
- Sudetenland = Ethnic German area of Czechoslovakia.
- British P.M. Neville Chamberlain asked Czech leader to give up part of his country.
- The Munich agreement: The four power conference saw Benes (the previous Czech leader) resigning, replaced by Emil Hacha, a Nazi sympathizer, who signs over part of the country.
- Neville Chamberlain - "secured peace in our time."
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"If ever that silly old man comes interfering here again with his umbrella, I'll kick him downstairs and jump on his stomach in front of the photographers." -Hitler
Had Hitler not been given such submissiveness from the international community, would he have further taken action that would cause the outbreak of war? |
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