This introduction covers Setting the Scene within Steps to War for GCSE History. Revise Steps to War in Conflict and Tension 1918-1939 for GCSE History with 8 exam-style questions and 4 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 1 of 10 in this topic. Use this introduction to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 1 of 10
Practice
8 questions
Recall
4 flashcards
📖 Setting the Scene
March 7, 1936. German troops march into the Rhineland — the demilitarised zone that was supposed to protect France. Hitler's generals are terrified; they have orders to retreat if France responds. But France does nothing. Britain does nothing. Hitler later admitted: "The 48 hours after the march were the most nerve-racking of my life." He gambled and won. It was a pattern that would repeat: Austria 1938, Sudetenland 1938, Czechoslovakia 1939. Each time, Hitler pushed further. Each time, Britain and France let him. Until Poland.