(i) After becoming Chancellor as well as the President, Hitler started the process of re- militarization of Germany in violation of the Treaty of Versailles.
(ii) The German troops entered Rhineland which had been demilitarised by the treaty Moreover, the troops now numbered 800,000 as against the treaty limit of 100,000.
(iii) The absence of any retaliatory action by France and Britain gave Hitler increased confidence to build up an Air force and a Navy The Saar valley was also reunited with Germany.
(iv) In 1936, Hitler and Mussolini signed the Rome-Berlin Axis, and in 1937, they signed the Anti- Comintern Pact with Japan.
(v) Hitler's next plan was the annexation of Austria. The union of Austria and Germany or the Anschluss was completed in 1938. The same year, at a conference in Munich, Britain and France signed the Munich Pact. By this pact, they agreed to the German occupation of Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia. The Czechs had large no role in these talks. Germany wanted Sudetenland because this area had a large German population and was the hub of coal, chemical and iron and steel industries. A few months later, Germany took over the whole of Czechoslovakia. The Munich Pact was the last act of appeasement by the western powers.
(vi) In 1936 the combined army of Germany and Italy leadership of General Franco, a section of the army planned to overthrow the popular government of Spain. Germany and Italy gave armed support to Franco's men and German aircrafts carried out air raids on Spanish towns and villages. They captured many parts of the country and terrorised people into submission.
(vii) The civil war continued for three years. By 1939 Spain fell to the fascists and the new- government was recognised by most of the western powers.
(viii) In August 1939, the USSR signed a Non-Aggression Pact with Germany to protect its own interests
(ix) In September 1939, Hitler invaded Poland to capture the Danzig Free City and the Polish Corridor which were separated East Prussia from the rest of the Germany. However, Britain and France declared war om Germany, and the Second World War began.
