German Rearmament

Introduction

German rearmament was one of the most important developments in European international relations during the 1930s. After the First World War, the Treaty of Versailles imposed severe military restrictions on Germany. These restrictions were intended to prevent Germany from again becoming a major military threat to European peace.

When Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party came to power in 1933, they pursued a systematic programme of military expansion. Germany rebuilt its army, developed an air force, expanded its navy, and introduced compulsory military service.

Rearmament was central to Hitler’s foreign policy. It enabled Germany to challenge the post-war settlement, pursue territorial expansion, and prepare for a major European war. The failure of Britain, France, and the League of Nations to stop German military expansion encouraged further Nazi aggression.

1. Military Restrictions under the Treaty of Versailles

The Treaty of Versailles, signed on 28 June 1919, imposed extensive restrictions on Germany’s armed forces.

The main military provisions included:

• The German army was limited to 100,000 professional soldiers.
• Conscription was prohibited.
• The General Staff was abolished.
• Germany was prohibited from possessing tanks.
• Germany was prohibited from possessing military aircraft.
• Submarines were prohibited.
• The German navy was severely restricted.
• The Rhineland was to remain demilitarised.

These provisions aimed to reduce Germany’s ability to wage offensive war and provide security to neighbouring states, particularly France.

However, many Germans regarded the restrictions as humiliating and unjust. German nationalists demanded the restoration of military equality and national sovereignty.

2. Rearmament Before Hitler

German military development did not begin entirely with Hitler. During the Weimar Republic, Germany explored ways of preserving military expertise and circumventing some treaty restrictions.

The Treaty of Rapallo, signed with Soviet Russia in 1922, created opportunities for military cooperation outside the scrutiny of the Western powers.

German military personnel participated in training and weapons development activities in the Soviet Union, including aviation and armoured warfare experiments.

These arrangements were limited and secretive, but they helped preserve military knowledge and laid foundations that the Nazi government later expanded.

3. Hitler’s Rise and the Beginning of Rearmament

Hitler became Chancellor of Germany on 30 January 1933. His political programme included the restoration of German military power, rejection of the Treaty of Versailles, and territorial expansion.

The Nazi leadership argued that Germany needed armed forces equal to those of other major powers.

In October 1933, Germany withdrew from the League of Nations and the Geneva Disarmament Conference. This marked a significant break with international efforts to establish arms limitations.

The government increasingly pursued military expansion, initially under conditions of secrecy and political ambiguity.

4. Expansion of the German Army

Germany expanded its army through new recruitment, military training, weapons production, and organisational reform.

In March 1935, Hitler publicly announced the reintroduction of compulsory military service. The army was to expand far beyond the limits imposed by the Treaty of Versailles.

The announcement openly violated the treaty.

Germany’s army expanded rapidly, supported by the development of tanks, artillery, motorised units, and modern communications.

The creation of a larger and more mobile army became a central part of German military planning.

5. Creation of the Luftwaffe

The Treaty of Versailles prohibited Germany from maintaining a military air force.

Nevertheless, Germany secretly developed aviation capabilities during the interwar period. In March 1935, Hitler publicly announced the existence of the Luftwaffe, Germany’s new air force.

Under the leadership of Hermann Göring, the Luftwaffe expanded rapidly.

It developed modern fighter aircraft, bombers, and other military capabilities. Aircraft such as the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Junkers Ju 87 became important components of German air power.

The Luftwaffe later played a major role in German military campaigns during the Second World War.

6. The Anglo-German Naval Agreement, 1935

On 18 June 1935, Britain and Germany signed the Anglo-German Naval Agreement.

The agreement allowed Germany to build a navy equal to 35 per cent of the total tonnage of the British Commonwealth’s naval forces. It also permitted Germany to construct a submarine fleet up to 45 per cent of British submarine tonnage, with the possibility of reaching parity in special circumstances.

Britain believed that the agreement could regulate German naval expansion through negotiation.

However, the agreement weakened the collective position of Britain and France against Germany. France had not been consulted, and the arrangement represented a unilateral departure from the military restrictions established at Versailles.

Hitler interpreted the agreement as evidence that Germany could obtain concessions through bilateral diplomacy.

7. Remilitarisation of the Rhineland, 1936

The Rhineland was a strategically important region bordering France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

Under the Treaty of Versailles and the Locarno Treaties of 1925, the region was required to remain demilitarised.

On 7 March 1936, Hitler sent German troops into the Rhineland.

The operation was a direct violation of Germany’s international obligations. The German forces initially received instructions to withdraw if France responded militarily.

However, France did not intervene, and Britain was unwilling to support military action.

The remilitarisation was a major political victory for Hitler. It strengthened Germany’s strategic position, weakened French security, and encouraged further German expansion.

8. Rearmament and the German Economy

Rearmament became a major component of Nazi economic policy.

The government increased public spending on weapons production, military infrastructure, roads, and industrial development.

The Four Year Plan, introduced in 1936 under Hermann Göring, sought to prepare Germany for war and reduce dependence on imported strategic materials.

The plan promoted synthetic fuel, synthetic rubber, domestic production, and greater state direction of the economy.

Rearmament helped reduce unemployment and stimulate industrial production, although the economic system became increasingly distorted by military priorities.

Germany still faced important resource limitations, particularly shortages of oil, rubber, and certain raw materials.

9. Rearmament and the Failure of Collective Security

The international response to German rearmament was weak and divided.

Britain and France were reluctant to risk another major war. Both countries were affected by the economic consequences of the Great Depression and faced domestic political pressures.

The League of Nations lacked the military power and political unity required to enforce the Treaty of Versailles.

The Stresa Front of April 1935, formed by Britain, France, and Italy to oppose unilateral changes to the European settlement, soon weakened because of disagreements over Ethiopia and the Anglo-German Naval Agreement.

The failure to respond effectively to rearmament encouraged Hitler to believe that the Western powers would avoid military confrontation.

10. Rearmament and German Foreign Policy

Rearmament was not simply a defensive programme. It provided the military foundation for Hitler’s wider foreign policy.

The Nazi leadership pursued several objectives:

1. Overturn the Treaty of Versailles.
2. Restore Germany as a major European military power.
3. Reunite ethnic Germans within a larger German state.
4. Expand German territory and influence.
5. Secure resources and strategic depth.
6. Prepare for a wider war in pursuit of Nazi ideological objectives.

German military strength made possible the later annexation of Austria, the destruction of Czechoslovakia, and the invasion of Poland.

11. Consequences of German Rearmament

German rearmament transformed the European balance of power.

Its principal consequences included:

• Collapse of the Versailles military settlement: Germany openly rejected the military restrictions imposed after the First World War.
• Decline of French security: German remilitarisation of the Rhineland weakened France’s strategic position.
• Weakening of collective security: International institutions failed to enforce existing agreements.
• Arms competition: Other European states faced pressure to reconsider their own military capabilities.
• Greater German confidence: Hitler became increasingly willing to pursue territorial expansion.
• Preparation for war: German military expansion created the capacity for large-scale military operations.

Conclusion

German rearmament was a decisive factor in the destruction of the European security system established after the First World War. Hitler used military expansion to overturn the Treaty of Versailles, strengthen the Nazi regime, and prepare for territorial conquest.

The failure of Britain, France, and the League of Nations to respond firmly to German violations encouraged further aggression. By the late 1930s, Germany had become a powerful military state capable of challenging the European balance of power.

German rearmament demonstrates how the collapse of arms-control arrangements, combined with aggressive nationalism and weak international enforcement, can increase the danger of war.

Key Takeaways

1. The Treaty of Versailles imposed strict military restrictions on Germany.
2. Germany’s army was limited to 100,000 professional soldiers.
3. German military cooperation with the Soviet Union helped preserve military expertise.
4. Hitler came to power in January 1933.
5. Germany withdrew from the League of Nations in October 1933.
6. Compulsory military service was reintroduced in March 1935.
7. Germany publicly established the Luftwaffe in 1935.
8. The Anglo-German Naval Agreement was signed in June 1935.
9. German troops remilitarised the Rhineland in March 1936.
10. The Four Year Plan strengthened the war-oriented economy.
11. Britain and France failed to stop German rearmament.
12. Rearmament enabled Hitler to pursue territorial expansion.
13. The programme contributed directly to the outbreak of the Second World War.

Review Questions

1. What military restrictions did the Treaty of Versailles impose on Germany?
2. How did Germany preserve military expertise during the Weimar period?
3. Why did Hitler withdraw Germany from the League of Nations?
4. Explain the reintroduction of compulsory military service in 1935.
5. What was the Luftwaffe, and why was its establishment significant?
6. What were the main provisions of the Anglo-German Naval Agreement?
7. Why was the remilitarisation of the Rhineland a turning point?
8. What was the purpose of the Four Year Plan?
9. Why did Britain and France fail to stop German rearmament?
10. Assess the role of rearmament in Hitler’s foreign policy.

Further Reading

• Encyclopaedia Britannica: Treaty of Versailles
• German History in Documents and Images
• The National WWII Museum
• Adam Tooze, The Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy.
• Ian Kershaw, Hitler, 1936–1945: Nemesis.