On March 7, 1936, 22,000 German troops marched into the demilitarized Rhineland, following a direct order from the chancellor, Adolf Hitler. This belligerent action from Germany following the end of World War I was a blatant violation of the Treaty of Versailles, which was the document that had the Rhineland demilitarized as a reduction of German territory. Even though this action could be regarded as a threat since it violated and the Treaty of Versailles, which Germany had signed, the Allied countries ignored the remilitarization of the Rhineland, giving no response to the German aggressors. Without an Allied response, it gave way for more of these offensives from Germany. By not responding to the breach of the treaty, the Allies demonstrated …show more content…
Although many components fueled the civil war, the conflict between the ways of communism versus fascism continually presented itself throughout the war. As a result the Spanish Civil War and the communist versus fascist battle was present on the world stage- and everyone was watching the tensions that can arise from the different ideologies. Fascists and communists already considered each other political enemies, the violence of the Spanish Civil War emphasized their animosity. Inevitably, the battle between the communists and fascists pitted countries against each other, such as Nazi Germany and the USSR, finally materializing in World War II. On April 26, 1937, showing support for the Spanish fascists, the German Luftwaffe bombed the civilian coastal town of Guernica. Far before the battles of World War II, Hitler used Guernica as a test trial for Germany’s military and weapons. The Guernica bombing showed off German military power and weapons to the rest of the world, and showed their support for a fascist movement across Europe. Dropping the bombs demonstrated to the rest of the world that Hitler has ambitions outside of Germany, and is willing to pursue them using