British Rearmament

1
By end of 1939 GB aircraft production overtook
German production
Aircraft production rose from 240 per month 1938
-gt 660 per month by 1939
Hope for the best, be prepared for the worse
Main purpose of rearmament deter Hitler
Increased pace of rearmament under Chamberlain
GB spending on rearmament rose considerable after
Oct 1938
Increased emphasis on building fast fighter
aircraft
British Rearmament
GB and France would be able to out power Germany
in a war of attrition through their naval strength
Britain improved its radar defences.
End of 1938 GB had a realistic assessment of
Germanys strength
Sir John Anderson in charge of air raid
precautions plans for evacuation, gas masks and
shelters
Germany facing a growing economic crisis -gt would
not be able to risk/sustain a major war
2
How successful were British rearmament efforts in
1938-9?
Look at the tables on pg 129 How do British
weaponry compare to Germanys? Do the
contemporary estimates differ to British beliefs
on the extent of German weaponry at the time?
If Britain had had a more accurate account of
Germanys strength between 1935-9. Do you think
they would have done anything differently?
3
The end of Czechoslovakia

• Czech problems after the Munich agreement
• Without Sudetenland defences at Germanys mercy
• Internal problems
• Territorial threats from Poland and Hungary
• Martial law proclaimed

Hitler Hacha

• Hacha hoped Germany may help defend him against
  Hungary
• Hitler told Hacha that he intended to enter
  Czech in the next few hours
• Hitler told Hacha his only option was peaceful
  occupation
• After a minor heart attack Hacha agreed.
• 15 March Hacha signed Czech over to Hitler.
• German troops entered Czech under the pretext it
  was close to civil war.
• Hitler gave Ruthenia to Hungary

4
British reaction
Munich agreement British people Chamberlain
Opposition to Chamberlain
5
German threat to Poland
Friendly relations since signing the German
Polish Non-Aggression pact. Polish foreign policy
concentrated on avoiding any commitment to either
Russia or Germany
Pre 1938
Ribbentrop asked Poles to give up Danzig in
return for German friendship, future guarantee of
its borders and Ukrainian territory
Oct 1938
Hitler met Beck, Polish foreign minister to
demand German controlled road/rail link through
the Polish corridor. Poland refused.
Jan 1939
17 March
Untrue rumour that Germany was about to deliver
an ultimatum to Romania
Tensions mounted over the Polish rejection of
German proposals. Rumours that war was imminent
Chamberlain proposed that GB, France Poland and
Russia issue a joint declaration of consulting
together if there was a threat to the
independence of any individual state. The
proposal came to nothing.
20 March
20 March
Hitler demands that Memel a town in Lithuania be
returned to Germany
21 March
Lithuania returns Memel to Germany
British and French governments guaranteed to come
to Polands aid if her independence (not
territory) was threatened
31 March
End of March
This guarantee angered rather than deterred
Hitler. He ordered his chiefs of staff to prepare
for war.
6
Mussolini's actions
Hitler's actions

• Determined not to be outdone by Hitler he
  embarked upon his own foreign policy initiative
  and occupied Albania. Breach of Anglo-Italian
  agreement
• Seen as a further threat to European security
• GB France offered guarantees to Greece and
  Romania
• Pact of steel military alliance between
  Mussolini and Hitler

• Used the GB announcement of conscription to
  repudiate Anglo-German naval agreement
• Announced to Generals planned to attack Poland
  ASAP. Hoped that GB France would not interfere
• German diplomats worked hard to secure support
  from a number of European countries
• June Anti British campaign
• Increasing tension over Danzig

Drift To War
Chamberlain's position

• Relations between GB and Japan reached an all
  time low.
• Chamberlain less active in foreign policy in the
  summer of 1939 but had not given up all hope of
  appeasement
• GB spent most of the summer preparing for the
  worst mobilisation, evacuation plans and
  military tactics
• Evident to most people that GB may be dragged
  into a war soon over Poland

Mood in Britain

• People favoured standing firm against dictators
• Demands for tougher action including faster
  re-armament
• End of March doubling of territorial army
  announced
• April conscription introduced

7
Even though Stalin had a far worse record of
terror than Hitler many of the British public
supported some kind of deal with the USSR
Up until 1939 Britain had no desire to ally with
the USSR
Chamberlain believed that encirclement may lead
to war rather than prevent it. GB also deeply
mistrusted Stalin
Once the pact was signed Hitler realised that
Poland could not now be defended and thought GB
and France would think the same
As only the USSR would be able to help Poland
immediately, Britain and France both felt it
would be sensible to forge an alliance with the
USSR
April 1939 Chamberlain agreed to negotiations
with Russia
The discussions were long winded and little was
achieved over the summer. Chamberlain did little
to encourage an agreement and admitted he would
not mind if the broke down
23 August 1939 Nazi Soviet non aggression Pact
Germany hoped it would frighten GB into backing
off Poland
Talks finally deadlocked when Poland turned down
the Soviets request to place troops in Poland
before Germany attacked
8
The outbreak of war

• Hitler did not want to fight a war on two fronts
• Felt the GB and French were little worms who
  would wriggle out of their commitment to Poland

• The Nazi-Soviet Pact did not worry Chamberlain
• Felt Britain, France and Poland were strong
  enough to deter Hitler
• 22nd Aug sent a letter to Hitler stating
  explicitly that Britain would fight If Germany
  attacked Poland
• 25th Aug Signed an alliance with Poland

9
The outbreak of war
Mussolini announced that Italy would remain
neutral
Hitler proposed that If Britain gave Germany a
free hand in Danzig and the Corridor, he would
agree to guarantee the British Empire and reach
an agreement on disarmament
British government saw this as an attempt to
divide Britain form France and Poland. Britain
announced that it would only accept an agreement
that respected Polands vital interests
Hitler had regained his nerve and ordered an
attack on Poland to begin on 1st Sept
Flurries of desperate last minute diplomatic
activity came to nothing.
29th August Hitler demanded a Polish
plenipotentiary to be sent to Berlin the next
day.
Britain and France put very little pressure on
the Polish government, which decided not to
comply with the German demands.
Promising sign when on 31st August, when
Mussolini proposed a conference
But it was too late, that same evening Hitler
fabricated a story about Poland attacking a
German wireless station. At 4.45 on 1st September
German troops invaded Poland and German planes
bombed Warsaw