Why didn't the Allies rearm to stop Hitler before 1939?

Answer 1

Any number of reasons. Among others: > Revulsion in Britain at the thought of another war, since they had lost virtually an entire generation of young men just 20 years earlier. For example, see JFK's famous book, "Why England Slept". > A blindered sense of fair play among many high-ranking officials in the British government. They felt that everyone should run their lives based on being nice to each other and observing the same set of standards. Excellent idealism, terrible reality. Even spying was looked down upon because gentlemen did not engage in snooping. > A longstanding desire on the part of the U.S. to avoid "foreign entanglements". There were strong isolationist movements (involving among others, aviation hero Charles Lindbergh) that sought to keep the U.S. out of involvement with Europe's troubles. > The lack of instant and penetrating communication. Information ways conveyed by newspaper and radio, so people did not see foreign events in real time. Events in Europe were as distant as the Martian rovers are today. > An inability of many people to comprehend the rapid technological advances that were going on just below the surface. For most people, a radio, a car, some lights, and possibly a telephone comprised most of their technology. Oceans - and even the English Channel - were seen as significant barriers to invasion. Few people foresaw that aviation technology would completely negate those protections. For example, read about Howard Hughes' difficulties convincing the Army Air Force that it should fund development of long-range transport planes, how Robert Goddard's missile experiments were dismissed as an eccentric's hobby, or how Sir Frank Whittle's proposal to build a jet fighter (in 1939!) was rejected by the RAF because "an airplane without propellers is impossible". There's plenty more. Please expand on this! The mockery of the RAF as backward-looking is misplaced. From 1930 onwards it had an excellent R&D department headed by Hugh Dowding, who later commanded Britain's fighters in the Battle of Britain. In the 1930s the RAF did in fact develop two types of very effective fighters, which proved their worth in the Battle of Britain in 1940. At the same time, the RAF succeeded in persuading politicians to provide the necessary money to make all RAF runways concrete (instead of grass). Above all, with the development of radar, the RAF put in place an effective co-ordinated early warning system. None of this suggests backwardness. Whittle first present his plans for a jet engine to the RAF in 1929, and I wonder if the reference to 1939 doesn't include a typo, perhaps in the source. When Britain began to rearm in earnest in 1934-35 there was no point in choosing options that involved an unduly long time for R&D.

Answer 2

They were certainly naive about that one. The idea was that economic sanctions should have made it difficult enough to re-arm. Then some of the more liberal European nations didn't really want to follow through on requirements that Germany not re-arm. The result was, nobody was inspecting Germany and the sanctions coupled with GLOBAL the economic crash of the 30's resulted in a very disgruntled German population. Hitler made promises, blamed the German problems on everybody else then proceeded to fund his war on the graves of Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals and anyone else that he determined to be "inferior". After WW2, the rest of the world was so determined to keep Germany from re-arming that they made certain that the nation was split into 3 parts. It wasn't until relatively recently that Germany was re-united.

Answer 3

they should, but they couldn't. They could not stop him, because what would they stop at that time?, just a fuhrer, he hadn't do anything bad yet, until September first 1939, that's when they could have stop him, and they tried, but at that moment Italy and Japan where already protecting him.

France & Britain would, without doubt, have been able to stop Hitler had they reacted with Military power when Hitler re militarised the Rhineland. Had they done so, acted with firmness & determination, then History would of course be very different. But, of course, that is in 20/20 Hindsight !! But the answer to the question is unequivocally YES

Answer 4

Other nations didn't want to get to war with them since they were still recovering from WWI, I am pretty sure they would want to do anything so they chose peace.