German approach was emulated in East Asia by Japan. It had already taken Taiwan and Korea as colonies, and controlled Manchuria. The government that came up after a military coup in Japan ( ) began to cast its covetous eye over Dutch East Indies, the British colonies in Malaya and Singapore, the French colonies in Indochina and the US-controlled Philippines. (g) Responsibility of Hitler for the War (i) Incorporation of Saar into Germany Under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, a plebiscite was to be held in the Saar in January .
The people were to decide whether they wished to join Germany or France, or remain under League of Nations’ control. Ninety per cent voted for a return to Germany. In March the Saar was incorporated into Germany. This was a morale booster for Hitler.
(ii) Annexation of Rhineland In Hitler flouted the peace settlement by sending troops to occupy Rhineland, the area of Germany demilitarised by the Treaty of Versailles. If the French had resisted, the Germans would have withdrawn. The French army at that time was stronger than the German, but economic distress caused by Outbreak of World War II and its Impact in Colonies the Great Depression and political instability leading to the resignation of Prime Minister Edouard Daladier rendered France incapable of resisting the breach of the Treaty of Versailles by Germany. Rhineland in German occupation (iii) Forcible Merger of Austria with Germany Hitler, an Austrian by birth, had always wanted Austria to be part of Germany.
In February , Hitler summoned the Austrian Chancellor Schuschnigg to Berchtesgaden, a mountain town in the Bavarian Alps, for a discussion. The Austrian Chancellor was given a Hobson’s choice – either to legalise Nazi Party in Austria and integrate Austria’s economy with that of Germany or face a German invasion. Austria has lost the support of Italy with the formation of the Rome–Berlin Axis. Schuschnigg was therefore left with no choice but to choose the first option.
At the instance of Hitler, the Austrian Chancellor