German troops had been forbidden to occupy the region bordering France called the Rhineland (see map on page 333). In March 1936, Hitler sent troops into the Rhineland with orders to retreat if France sent its army to meet them. The German troops were greeted by cheering crowds as they crossed the River Rhine. Once again, Britain and France did not react.
The Anschluss
First on the list for Lebensraum was Austria: a German-speaking country, Hitler’s birthplace, and somewhere the Nazi Party had strong support. The Treaty of Versailles had specifically forbidden Germany and Austria to unite.
Rhineland citizens welcoming the German troops
In February 1938, Hitler threatened the Austrian Chancellor with war unless he let Austrian Nazis into his government. The Chancellor tried to limit the Nazis’ grasp on power and was replaced by a Nazi chancellor, who immediately invited German troops to enter Austria. An agreement was then signed absorbing Austria into the Third Reich. This event was known as the Anschluss, the joining together of Germany and Austria. Hitler entered the Austrian capital Vienna, greeted by cheering crowds. Britain and France did not interfere.
DID YOU KNOW?
Hitler and Mussolini made an agreement together in 1936 called the Rome-Berlin Axis, linking the two countries and stating that they would support each other.
