What were the reactions to the remilitarisation of the Rhineland?
This GCSE history worksheet consists of questions on three sources about Hitler's remilitarisation of the Rhineland in 1936.
The sources are an extract from W. Shirer's Berlin Diary, a cartoon and caption from Punch magazine and a comment made by Lord Lothian about the remilitarisation of the Rhineland.
The resource can be used to help students prepare for exam questions on Weimar and Nazi Germany that ask them to compare interpretations or identify similarities and differences between sources.
The resource includes helpful teaching notes on two of the sources:
Notes on source A:
There was a division in opinion about whether Hitler was right or wrong for remilitarising the Rhineland. Many, including some French, felt that it was only fair that Hitler remilitarise the Rhineland. There are some who looked on with concern, like W. Shirer, but they were the minority in 1936.
Notes on source C:
Lord Lothian was a leading British politician and his comment reflects the mood the majority of people in Britain at the time. For many people in Britain, World War One was a distant memory and many thought that the Treaty of Versailles was too harsh on Germany. There was a belief that Hitler was justified in his decision to remilitarise the Rhineland and protect the German border. After all, the French were allowed to defend their border in the Rhineland.
