Hitler needed military for his ambitious foreign policy He began by appealing for disarmament, but began arming himself Proclaimed he had the right to rearm because Germany is vulnerable He reintroduced conscription and made an army of 500000 men Hitler knew Britain had some sympathy for Germany and how harsh the t of v was

It was important for the defence of Germany In 1936 he remilitarized the Rhineland which breached the t of v and the Locarno Pact. 32,000 armed police and troops March 1936 renounced Locarno treaties France only protested, last chance to stop Hitler

Attention towards former Austria Hungarian empire territories Illegal under t of v Mussolini prepared to except Austro-Germany 1936 Spanish civil war broke out and he helped Franco to win which distracts the western powers To surround France with anti-democratic powers

Tested aerial bombings to destroy cities October 1936 Rome-Berlin axis Hitler hoped for an agreement with Britain Some sympathy but would not produce a result November 1936 Hitler signed anti-comintern pact with Japan- a pledge against communism (Italy joined 1937)

Hitler held Hossbach conference- a secret meeting where Hitler referred to overrunning Austria, Czechoslovakia, and a anti-British/French attitude