MAP 26.2 The Growth of Nazi Germany, 1933–1939

German expansion was rapid and surprising, as Hitler’s forces and Nazi diplomacy achieved the annexation of several new states of central and eastern Europe. Although committed to defending the independence of these states through the League of Nations, French and British diplomats were more concerned with satisfying Hitler in the mistaken belief that doing so would prevent his claiming more of Europe. In the process, Hitler acquired the human and material resources of adjacent countries to support his Third Reich. What is the relationship between Germany’s expansion during the 1930s and the terms of the Treaty of Versailles after World War I?