Five Brothers and a War

Re-Militarism of the Rheinland—1936

On Saturday, March 7, 1936, Hitler took the next major move when he moved more than 30,000 troops into a section of Germany that was demilitarized under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. This was done on the basis that it was already German territory, and Hitler was simply re-establishing sovereignty. The area was the largely industrialized area west of the Rhein River, up to Holland, Belgium and France, called the Rheinland .

When German troops crossed a bridge over the Rhein River, even Hitler was surprised when neither France nor Britain responded in any way. Hitler knew that if there had been a military response, Germany would have needed to retreat back across the Rhein because they did not have anything approaching a sustainable force.

The Treaty of Versailles required a response, but the Entente Powers did not fulfill their treaty obligations while Germany deliberately violated their end of the agreement. Hitler again went to the German voters for their approval by holding a nationwide referendum just a few weeks after his bold move. 99% of eligible voters participated in the plebiscite and gave Hitler a 99% approval on his actions in the Rheinland. Of course, this had the effect of dulling international objections, because it was more than the actions of a single dictator, it was done with the overwhelming majority of the German populace. It had the illusion of a democratic move. After the incursion had settled with everyone, Hitler retreated to contemplate his next move.

nazi germany

German troops cross a bridge over the Rhein River on Saturday, March 7, 1936.

Five Brothers and a War

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