The Rising Threat of Rearmament and the Precarious State of Europe

Summary

This transcript discusses the state of Europe in 1937, marked by rising militarization and fascist expansionism. The aftermath of the Spanish Civil War left a profound impact, with the recognition that fascist regimes could only be defeated through force of arms. Germany’s rearmament agenda was creating an arms race among the powerful nations, with Hitler contemplating the possibility of armed conflict. The western democracies were wary of the growing danger from Germany and working towards appeasement at all costs. France’s expanded armaments program and restructuring of the aircraft industry had resulted in production problems, and the threat from the air was particularly concerning. Italy’s rearmament pace was slower, while the Soviet Union was increasing the pace of their own rearmament.

Table of Contents

• The Legacy of the Spanish Civil War
• Germany’s Rearmament Agenda and Balding Economy
• Italy’s Slower Rearmament Pace
• The Soviet Union’s Allergy to Growing Danger
• France’s Military Weakness and Search for Accommodation
• Lord Halifax’s Visit to Hitler and the Rise of Appeasement
• The French Foreign Policy and the Limits of their Options
• Italy’s Pact with Germany and Soviet Union’s Acceptance of Isolation

Q&A

Q: How did the Spanish Civil War impact the recognition of fascist regime defeat?
A: The Spanish Civil War left a profound impact, with the recognition that fascist regimes could only be defeated through force of arms. The Republic’s defeat was practically certain due to foreign intervention, with the nationalists receiving regular flows of arms from fascist powers, while the republicans were feeding off scraps. The defeat of the left affected the acknowledgement that only force of arms could defeat fascism, with the civil war not significantly affecting the events leading towards another great continental conflagration in central Europe, shaped by Germany’s relentless drive to expansion.

Q: What was the risk with Hitler contemplating the possibility of armed conflict?
A: Hitler contemplating the possibility of armed conflict posed the risk of war between Germany and the western powers triggering alarm. The German rearmament programme was suffering from shortages of steel, which led to difficulties in meeting the demands of the army and lagging behind naval targets. The state of air defences was acutely worrying, and the predominant economic and military arguments advanced pointed towards appeasement at all costs.

Q: How was Germany’s rearmament programme affecting the economy?
A: The German rearmament programme was suffering from shortages of steel, which led to difficulties in meeting the demands of the army and lagging behind naval targets. Economics Minister Hjalmar Schacht was ousted due to objections raised towards a military spending programme that was out of control. Göring, head of the Four-Year Plan programme, was in charge of the economy and solely interested in economic management to maximize rearmament production, regardless of cost. Reluctant Ruhr steel barons greatly benefited from the vast state expenditure on rearmament.

Q: How did Italy’s rearmament pace compare with Germany’s?
A: Italy’s rearmament pace was much slower than Germany’s and saw a drop of 20% in military spending in 1937-8 compared to the previous year due to dwindling currency reserves and the lack of industrial capacity.

Q: How was the Soviet Union reacting to the growing danger from Germany?
A: The Soviet Union was reacting ever more allergically to the growing danger from Germany. For them, war with the capitalist powers was viewed as inevitable, and Stalin’s options were narrowing. He accepted Soviet isolation while increasing the pace of rearmament.

Q: How was France responding to the threat from the air?
A: France’s expanded armaments program and restructuring of the aircraft industry had resulted in production problems. The threat from the air was particularly concerning, and the state of air defences was acutely worrying. The government was aware of its military weakness and was searching for a way to come to terms with Hitler’s Germany. The austerity policies implemented to stabilize state finances were incompatible with France’s expanded armaments program.

Q: Who was leading the foreign affairs direction in Britain at the time?
A: The Foreign Secretary, Anthony Eden, was recuperating in the south of France at the time, which led to the direction of foreign affairs being in Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s hands.

Q: What was the visit by Lord Halifax to Hitler in November 1937 seen as?
A: In November 1937, Halifax’s visit to Hitler was seen as a great success and was the first step in an active appeasement policy. The western democracies were working towards appeasement at all costs, with the predominant economic and military arguments advanced pointing towards this approach.

Q: What was the French foreign policy at the time?
A: The French were aware of the limits of their options and recognition that French foreign policy was heavily subordinated to that of Britain. They were searching for a way to come to terms with Hitler’s Germany, and France’s expanded armaments program was incompatible with the austerity policies implemented to stabilize state finances.

Q: How was Italy aligning themselves in this situation?
A: Italy was being pushed into Germany’s iron embrace as they signed the Anti-Comintern Pact.

Conclusion

The year 1937 marked a time of rising militarization and fascist expansionism in Europe, with the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War leaving a profound impact. Germany’s rearmament agenda and Hitler’s contemplation of armed conflict were a cause for concern, and the western democracies were working towards appeasement at all costs. France’s expanded armaments program had resulted in production problems and the threat from the air was of particular concern. The Soviet Union was increasing the pace of their own rearmament, while Italy was aligning themselves with Germany. The limits of foreign policies and options were recognized across nations, with many working to come to terms with Hitler’s Germany.