How did Germany's access to land and resources precipitate this war?
The Rhineland Occupation was the movement of German soldiers into West Germany which, after
the Treaty of Versailles, was deemed a demilitarized zone and taken from the Germans. On
March 7, 1936, Hitler moved the Wehrmacht, a unit directly under him, into Rhineland. He
did this to gain the industrial zones and the resources that Rhineland had, to give Germany better
positioning if France invaded. This was also a test to see if the Allies would move against Germany after
they took over Rhineland. The French and the English made no moves against Germany, making Hitler eager to continue
taking over lands, as there were no immediate repercussions. The taking over of the Rhineland boosted Hitler’s popularity
with the German citizens as it helped boost the struggling German economy, and overall this helped solidify Hitler’s position
in power.
