1. Violent punishment
At the Paris Peace Conference after World War I, the Entente had a protracted debate over how to punish defeated Germany. Luckily, France, which had been invaded by Germany twice in 50 years, had a tough attitude and humiliated Germany during the period. In order to occupy the Saarland region of Germany, France's "tiger prime minister" Clemenceau quarreled with British Prime Minister Lloyd Georges and US President Wilson.
In fact, the Big Three have a deep understanding of the German nation, especially France, which has been its neighbor for a long time, and what it means to be too cruel to Germany, the French are very clear. However, in the midst of strong vengeance, Germany, which had been defeated and surrendered, was severely punished beyond its imagination.
1. The Saarland industrial zone in Germany shall be managed by the League of Nations for 15 years, during which France can be compensated for the free mining of coal mines;
(2) The left bank of the Rhine is designated as a demilitarized zone, and German garrisons are prohibited from fortifying;
(3) Ceded territory to neighboring Denmark, Belgium, etc., especially the nascent Czech Republic and Poland, to acquire large areas of German territory, followed by millions of Germans who have lived there for generations.
(4) It is strictly forbidden for Germany to merge with Austria or form any form of alliance, even though it is known that they are of the same language.
Isn't this string of punitive measures particularly familiar, and isn't this a prelude to Germany's launch of World War II? From here, it can also be seen that World War II was a continuation of World War I. The difference is that the old politicians at the time predicted that Germany might make a comeback in 30 years, and it was not expected that in less than 20 years, the opponent would be fiercely seeking revenge.
Second, create miracles
In 1923, france and Belgium sent troops to occupy the Ruhr industrial area in Germany due to the "malicious" arrears of the Weimar government. German workers fought back with an eight-month general strike and eventually saved the Ruhr, but hyperinflation brought the German economy to the brink of collapse. After this disturbance, the creditor France once again learned the indomitable spirit of struggle of the German nation.
With the arrival of the economic crisis in 1929, Germany simply terminated the war reparations, and the Allies, whose economy was also devastated, were helpless. When Hitler came to power, he set fire to the eradication of unemployment, the revitalization of the economy and the construction of a social security system. In just five years, Germany's unemployment rate fell to a staggering 1.3 percent, gross domestic product grew by 102 percent, and in 1937 alone, more than 10 million workers across Germany enjoyed enviable paid leave.
Compared with Roosevelt's New Deal in the United States at the same time, the economic miracle created by Germany is no less than that. If Hitler had not waged war later, the democratically elected "Führer" could have become one of the preeminent statesmen in German history.
While reviving the economy, Hitler certainly did not forget the "unfinished business" of world war I. After secret rearmament, in just a few years, the Luftwaffe surpassed britain, and the army surpassed France, the "first army power in Europe".
Third, make a comeback
In 1935, the League of Nations' 15-year escrow of the Saar industrial zone in Germany expired. In accordance with the terms of the Treaty of Versailles and the requirements of Germany, a referendum was held in the Saar region to decide whether to "follow" France or Germany. The strong centripetal force and cohesion of the German nation were once again presented to the world, and up to 98% of the people of the Saar region did not hesitate to choose Germany.
In March 1936, Germany openly sent troops to occupy the Rhine Demilitarized Zone. After what Hitler later called "the most stressful moment of his life," britain and France muttered a few words that went down. Hitler's gamble won, and the Allies' Serene was clearly seen by him. In August of that year, Germany successfully hosted the Berlin Olympic Games, the Nazis took the opportunity to exaggerate the strength of the country, and the unprecedented unity and strength of the German nation made all of Europe tremble.
After a series of elaborate planning, in March 1938, Germany and Austria "merged", and when the Nazis raised their flag in Vienna, "the whole of central and southern Europe from the Bohemian and Carpathian Mountains to the Adriatic Sea burned up".
Britain and France were well aware that once Germany and Austria were combined, Germany would gain not only those territories, but also the intimidating strategic depth and access to the Mediterranean Sea. Italy, Slovenia and Croatia on the Adriatic Sea had always been "friendly" to Germany, and Germanic chariots stretched from the North Sea to the Mediterranean Sea across the European continent, and the most feared scene of the Allies appeared.
Fourth, the East-West game
Six months later, Germany opened fire on Czechoslovakia. The Sudetenland was located on the German-Czech border, and Hitler always "cared" about the more than 3 million Germans living there. The Fuehrer was blunt: "The Sudetenland must return to Germany, only then can they have security guarantees." ”
The Entente countries, which had arbitrarily divided their territories in Paris, could not sit still, and in order to solve the "demands" of the Germans, the British and French leaders hurriedly launched diplomacy for peace in Europe. The nearly rare British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain flew to Germany three times to meet Hitler, and the busy figure of the Prime Minister of the British Empire shuttled across the strait, and his professionalism was really admirable.
At first, Czechoslovakia had the support of Britain and France, and at the same time had an alliance with the Soviet Union, and President Beneš categorically refused Germany's demands and mobilized the whole country. Seeing that the Czechs were "ignorant of current affairs", Britain and France came together to exert pressure. The British threatened to stop aid, the French threatened to break the alliance, and in desperation, Benes softened.
The Czech Republic promised to give Germany more than half of its inhabitants, which were more than half Germanic, but Hitler sternly refused. On 27 September, Hitler ordered 7 German divisions to enter the German-Czech border and to carry out general mobilization of the German army from 28 September.
In his rally speech that day, Hitler shouted: If the Sudetenland does not return to Germany on October 1, I Hitler will be the first soldier to rush into Czechoslovakia.
On the 30th, the heads of state of Germany, Italy, Britain and France signed the Munich Agreement to cede the Sudetenland to Germany. At the end of the day, the Czechoslovak representative, who had been waiting in the next room, was brought into the chamber. Under pressure from many quarters, the Czechoslovak government had to accept reality within a limited 6-hour period in Germany.
After this disaster, the Czechs' hearts were cold and cold, recalling how much the Allies loved themselves when they were "born" 20 years ago. Now that the Germans are coming to the door, the allies not only do not help but fall into the well. Even more chilling, restless Poland also took advantage of the fire and robbery to seize the Ceschin region of the Czech Republic.
It was disgraceful that the Poles did not understand the coldness of their lips, and this act of aggression, together with the betrayal of Britain and France, contributed to the rapid defection of the Czechs to Germany. A year later, when the Germans blitzed Poland, it was no surprise that the Czechs appeared in the large army attacking Poland.
Fifth, the technology is superior
The four big men hatched the Munich conspiracy, and what was Stalin's Soviet Union doing as a powerful force in Europe at that time? It has to be said that the Munich Agreement dealt a fatal blow to the "collective security policy" advocated by the Soviet Union.
The Soviet Union, which seemed to be on the sidelines, had been paying attention to the movements in Munich, but what was the intention of Britain and France to appease Germany? Stalin naturally looked at the fire and could not but be vigilant against the conspiracy of Britain and France to cause trouble. After the Munich Agreement, the Soviet Union took the initiative to lend a helping hand to Czechoslovakia on the grounds of the Soviet-Czech alliance.
The Soviet government promised to provide Czech military assistance in all its aspects, and the Red Army could enter the Czech Republic to ensure its security. Perhaps with the same idea as the Poles later, "the lesser of two powers", the Czechs simply rejected the Soviet Union's good intentions. As President Beneš said: The Soviets come and don't leave.
A year later, on August 23, 1939, the Soviet-German Non-Aggression Pact came out, and the world was astonished and condemned the Soviet Union's appeasement of the Nazis. To this day, however, Russia insists that "this was forced out by the Munich Agreement." ”