March 7, 1936
The 1936 German occupation of the Rhineland was met by Hitler's troops. Hitler created the reoccupation of the Rhineland military forces to build up his own army.
It was against the Versailles Treaty. The Rhineland was suppose to be a demilitarized zone with no German troops. Hitler chanced putting troops into the Rhineland but fear an attack from France. He would send around 32,000 troops to be stationed in the Rhineland, to be ready if France would attack but no such thing happened. France would appease Hitler, allowing him to break the Versailles Treaty.
Events leading up to world war 2- the reoccupation of the rhineland, the polish crisis, the Czech crisis, the anschluss, spanish civil war and Mussolini's actions in abyssinia.
March 7, 1936
In the history of Europe the areas known as Rhineland have been fought over many times. Rhineland itself has moved and shifted. If you put a date on it, you will get a better answer.
The German reoccupation of the Rhineland in March 1936 marked a significant turning point toward war as it directly violated the Treaty of Versailles and the Locarno Treaties, undermining the post-World War I order in Europe. This bold move demonstrated Hitler's willingness to challenge the Allies and expand German territory, emboldening him to pursue further aggressive actions. The lack of a strong response from France and Britain signaled to Hitler that the Western powers were unwilling to confront his ambitions, ultimately leading to increased aggression and the onset of World War II.
Hitler was obviously aware of the unfairness of the Versailles peace treaty. The demilitarisation of the Rhineland was designed to be a buffer to prevent Germany having a military presence near to France. If the Allies didn't react militarily against the move, only a few thousand men were involved initially, then it would be a flagrant, & successful, violation of the area. The French & British already had removed their occupying forces previously. It was a step towards war, had the Allies reacted at the time then history would be very different, but they did not do anything to prevent Hitlers reoccupation. Hitler remilitarised the Rhineland in defiance of the Versailles Treaty.
According to the terms set forth in the Treaty of Versailles; Rhineland was to be a demilitarized zone. It was a gamble because the Allies were legally able to oppose this and the war could have commenced at that time. Luckily for the Germans, France was going through a political crisis and therefore was uninterested.
Both, Hitler calculated correctly that France & Britain would not interfere. France & Britain had lost their joint resolve to prevent this action. Eventually any German leader would have forced the French & British to back-down on the demilitarization of the Rhineland. However, Hitler did this unilaterally & in a surprise action without negotiating with the French or British. This is an early indicator of the methods that Hitler will use in the future.
The Rhineland was is a part of Germany. There is a German state Rhineland-Palatinate. The northern part of this state is the Rhineland and further north, up to the region around cologne is the Rhineland.
Germany broke several provisions of the Treaty of Versailles, but one of the most significant was the reoccupation of the Rhineland in 1936. The treaty had established the Rhineland as a demilitarized zone to serve as a buffer between Germany and France. By sending troops into this area, Germany violated the treaty's terms, undermining the post-World War I peace and escalating tensions in Europe. This action was a key step in Adolf Hitler's broader strategy of reasserting German power and territorial expansion.
Rhineland is Germany.