German expansion (1938-1939) Notes

German Expansion (1938-1939), Nazi-Soviet Pact, and the Outbreak of War - Events

Hitler’s seizure of the rest of Czechoslovakia (March 1939)

1. Only six months after the Munich Agreement, HItler started his expansion on the rest of Czechoslovakia and Lithuania.
2. In March German troops marched into the remaining Czech lands (Bohemia and Moravia), turning them into a German protectorate.
   1. In the same month, he forced Lithuania to cede the Klaipėda (Memel) region.
   2. The region had German speaking inhabitants that had been cut off from Germany because of the Treaty of Versailles.

Tension grow over Poland

1. Between October 1938 and January 1939, the German government put pressure on Poland over a series of territories.
   1. In particular, Germany was focused on Danzig, a city with a German speaking population that had become a “Free city” under League’s control.
2. Hitler also wanted free movement through the Polish Corridor.
   1. The corridor gave Poland access to the Baltic Sea and separated East Prussia from the rest of mainland Germany.
3. Poland resisted Hitler’s pressure because they were confident in the support of France and Britain.
4. Hitler did not think Britain and France would defend Poland, but he was indeed worried that they would secure a deal with Stalin in order to protect Poland from German invasion.
5. To get ahead, Hitler sent his Foreign Minister, Ribbentropp, to have secret meetings with his Soviet counterpart, Molotov.

The Nazi Soviet Pact (August 23rd 1939)

1. Germany and the Soviet Union pledged not to attack each other or support any third power that did, ensuring peace between the two ideologically opposed states.
2. The Pact had a Hidden Clause: Eastern Europe would be divided into spheres of influence, allowing the USSR to take eastern Poland, the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), and parts of Romania, while Germany would control western Poland.
3. Only one week later, on September 1st, Hitler invaded (his side) of Poland and WW2 started.

The Betrayal of the Munich Agreement and the End of Appeasement

1. When Hitler betrays the Munich Pact by taking the rest of Czechoslovakia, Britain and France officially abandoned the policy of appeasement in favor of a “deterrence” strategy.
2. Both Britain and France made formal complaints to HItler’s advances into Czechoslovakia and made public declarations of support for Poland.
   1. These promises were overall symbolic and rather vague.
   2. As we have seen, Hitler didn’t take them very seriously and continued to expand.
3. Britain did start some negotiations and talks with Stalin, but again in a very lukewarm style.
   1. Hitler got ahead of them and secured the Ribbentrop - Molotov pact for himself.
4. After the Nazi Soviet Pact, Britain formally allied with Poland on August 25th, but when the attack started in September, they did little to aid Poland.
5. Poland was attacked by Germany on September 1st and by the Soviets on the 17th, according to the secret clause of the Nazi Soviet Pact.
   1. Warsaw surrendered on September 27th with no real support from any ally.
6. In late 1939, the Soviet Union pressured Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania into allowing Soviet troops on their soil.
   1. Around the same time, a territorial dispute with Finland escalated into a brutal conflict known as the Winter War, in which the Red Army eventually forced territorial concessions after heavy losses.
7. Stalin had expanded the USSR to Imperial Russia’s size.
   1. By mid-1940, the USSR had expanded further by fully incorporating the Baltic states and seizing Bessarabia from Romania, pushing its western border deeper into Eastern Europe.