German expansion and the outbreak of war (1938–1939)
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Flip to reveal answersWhat did Hitler do in March 1939 that ended appeasement?
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All 12 Flashcards — German expansion and the outbreak of war (1938–1939)
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Question
What did Hitler do in March 1939 that ended appeasement?
Answer
He occupied the rest of Czechoslovakia (including Prague), breaking the Munich Agreement and proving his promises could not be trusted.
Question
Define the Munich Agreement (Sept 1938).
Answer
A deal letting Germany annex the Sudetenland in return for Hitler's promise of no further territorial demands.
Question
What were Danzig and the Polish Corridor?
Answer
Danzig was a German port under League control; the Corridor was Polish land separating Germany from East Prussia. Hitler demanded both from Poland.
Question
What was the British/French guarantee to Poland (March 1939)?
Answer
A pledge to defend Poland's independence, signalling that an attack on Poland would mean war and marking the end of appeasement.
Question
What was the Pact of Steel (May 1939)?
Answer
A full military alliance between Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy committing them to mutual support in war.
Question
What was the Nazi-Soviet (Molotov-Ribbentrop) Pact, signed 23 Aug 1939?
Answer
A non-aggression pact between Germany and the USSR whose secret protocol divided Poland and eastern Europe between them.
Question
Why was the Nazi-Soviet Pact so significant for the outbreak of war?
Answer
It removed the threat of a two-front war, so Germany could invade Poland safely, and it secretly doomed Poland to partition.
Question
What happened on 1 September 1939?
Answer
Germany invaded Poland, directly triggering the move to war.
Question
What happened on 3 September 1939?
Answer
Britain and France declared war on Germany after it refused to withdraw from Poland.
Question
Long-term vs short-term causes of war in 1939?
Answer
Long-term: Versailles grievances, Lebensraum, a weak League. Short-term: seizure of Czechoslovakia, the Nazi-Soviet Pact, and the invasion of Poland.
Question
Memory hook for the 1939 sequence (C-G-P).
Answer
Czechoslovakia seized, Guarantee to Poland given, Pact (Nazi-Soviet) signed — then Poland invaded.
Question
Why did the Nazi-Soviet Pact shock observers?
Answer
Nazis and Communists were ideological enemies; the pact was a cynical, temporary deal that let Hitler attack Poland first before turning on the USSR in 1941.
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German and Italian expansion (1933–1940)
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