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The Non-Aggression pact with Poland
Hitler signed a Non Aggression Pact in 1934 with Poland. This was to guarantee that for a period of 10 years there would be no conflict and all the border disputes that previously occurred would calm down. Because of the agreement, Poland maintained friendly relations with Germany, however this also provided more time for Mr. Hitler’s rearmament. -
Regaining the Saar
The Treaty of Versailles had put the Saar under the control of the League of Nations for 15 years. In 1935, the plebiscite (vote) was to be held where inhabitants would decide whether they
would be returned to Germany, or retain their separate identity.
When the plebiscite was held it was declared that the election was fair and 90 percent voted to return the Saar region to Germany, putting it under Hitler's control. -
The Stresa Front
The Stresa Front was an agreement
made in Stresa, Italy. It was made between French Pierre Laval, British Ramsay MacDonald, and Italian Benito Mussolini.
Its aim was to reaffirm the Locarno Treaties, which allowed Germany in the LON, demilitarized the Rhineland and
secured European borders after WW1. -
The Anglo – German Naval Agreement
The Anglo-German Naval Agreement was signed in 1935 by Germany and Great Britain. It was to govern the size of Germany’s navy. The agreement limited Hitler’s navy to 35% of the size of Great Britain’s Royal Navy based on tonnage.
The agreement allowed Germany to build more warships than some of the western nations had and a navy far larger than the Treaty of Versailles allowed. Also, Germany was allowed to build submarines, something the Treaty of Versailles had forbidden. -
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War started, with Hitler supporting the nationalists under General Franco. In September 1936 a Non-Intervention Agreement was drawn-up in London and signed by 27 countries including Germany, Britain, France, the Soviet Union and Italy.
Hitler continued to give aid but attempted to disguise this by
sending the men, planes, tanks, via Portugal; however Germany was not the only country to break the pact. Several countries provided aid either directly or indirectly. -
Anschluss
Under increasing pressure from pro-unification activists, Austrian chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg announced that there would be a referendum on a possible union with Germany to be held on 13 March. Portraying this as defying the popular will in Austria and Germany, Hitler threatened an invasion and secretly pressured Schuschnigg to resign. A day before the planned referendum, on 12 March, the German army crossed the border into Austria, unopposed by the Austrian military. -
The Munich Conference
The Munich Conference was a conference and agreement concluded at Munich by Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and Italy. It provided "cession to Germany of the Sudeten German territory" of Czechoslovaki. -
Pact of Steel
Alliance between Germany and Italy. Signed by Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini it formalized the 1936 Rome-Berlin Axis agreement, linking the two countries politically and militarily. -
The German-Soviet Nonagression Pact signed.
The terms of the German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact were briefly as follows: the two countries agreed not to attack each
other, to not support or join others that might attack either party; to remain in consultation upon questions of their
common interests and to solve all differences between the two by negotiation. The -
Polish Corridor, Danzig, and Invasion of Poland.
Adolf Hitler demanded the cession of Danzig and the creation of extraterritorial German highways across the corridor connecting to East Prussia. Poland refused the demand, and the following day Germany invaded.