In 1936, Hitler sent troops into the Rhineland, breaking the treaty; no one stopped him, which made later expansion easier.
The Rhineland is in western Germany, next to France. After the First World War, it stayed German but was demilitarised: Germany could not keep troops or build military defences there. This helped protect France from attack.
On 7 March 1936, Hitler sent troops into the Rhineland. This is called remilitarisation, bringing military forces back into an area. It was not the seizure of French land. But it broke both Versailles and the later Locarno agreements. Hitler claimed a new defence pact between France and the Soviet Union threatened Germany.
France would not act without British support. British leaders did not want to risk war over German troops entering German land. So the move succeeded with no military resistance.
This mattered beyond the Rhineland itself. Hitler became more confident that further risks would meet little resistance. Germany could also build defences in the west. If it later threatened a country to its east, such as Czechoslovakia, France would find it harder to help by threatening Germany from the west. So failing to enforce one treaty rule removed an obstacle to later expansion.
- 7 March 1936
- German troops enter the Rhineland.
- Demilitarised
- No troops or defences allowed.
- Reaction
- France and Britain do not resist.
Worked example: How western defences affected the east
France lay west of Germany. Czechoslovakia lay to its east.
- France could protect Czechoslovakia by threatening Germany from the west.
- German troops and forts in the Rhineland made that much harder.
- So Czechoslovakia became less protected.
Watch out for this
Hitler took the Rhineland from France in 1936.
The Rhineland was already German land. Hitler broke the rule against putting troops there.
Check your understanding
Why did Britain not resist the Rhineland move?
- Britain had agreed to it at Versailles.
- Its leaders did not want war over German troops entering German land.
- The Rhineland belonged to Britain.