The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-12-27

wear ended Germany had increased its territory by some 45,0OO square miles and its population by 1O,OO0,- 900 persons.
 January, when the first rumblings of the army shakeup were 1elt, opened the year on a restive note. Centering around the much-cr1ti- cized marriage of Minister of War Werner von Vlomberg, and culmin- ating on Feb. 4 with the acceptance of his and Gen. Werner von FritSch's resignations, the storm swept out seven army general, six air force generals, and led to important changes h the government.
 It resulted in Adolf Hitler's talk ing direct command of all the arm- ed forces, with high command but no war minister-to aid hir-; in the establishment of 8 secret cab- inet council to advise Hitler in for- eirn affairs, under the chairman ship of Baron von Neurath, whose place as foreign minister was talk en by Herr Joachim von Ribben- trop: and in the appointment of Gen. Hermann Goering to a field marshalship. Already "No. 3 Nazi" in political life, Goering thus became "No. Soldier" advanced in both prestige and power.
 Austrian Crisis Next
 A week after the army disturb ance, the Austrian crisis began to brew. Hitler called pr. Kurt Schuschnig to Berchtesgaden on Feb. l2 and launched a demand for NaN inclusion in the Austrian gov- ernment. On Feb. 20, Hitler made the first of a series of big speeches during the year, and laid down the principle that Germany assumed ''protection" over the 10000, 900 Ger mans on its borders (referring to those in Austria and Ccechoslo- Yakia).
 Schuschnigg replied on Feb. A, with a speech of his own in the Austrian parliament, in which he virtually defied the fuehrer and his policy of protection" On March 9 he went further, and announced a plebiscite for March 13 to test Austrian Nad strength. The terms ana manner of calling the plebiscite infuriated Hitler, who termed it a ~bekrayal." On March Il Schusch- niee was told to cancel the plebisctte and resign.
 Apparently certain of invasion by German troops, already massed on the frontier, Schuschnigg handed his resignation to President Wilhelm Miklas, who thereupon appointed Arthur Seyss-Inquart as chancellor. The new chancellor immediately dis patched an urgen appeal to Berlin to send German troops to guarantee order, and on March 12 the Ger man army and air force, probably T5,OOO strong, swept into Austria to blanket the country to the tiniest Tyrolean outpost. Hitler born an Austrian, followed the next day in . triumphal entry. The "anchluss" of the fuehrer's old homeland and the Third Reich was emotionally proclaimer on the very day the nlebiscite was to have been held.
 Plebiscite On Austria Held
 Hitler subsequently, dissolved the German Reichstag and called for new elections which were simultane- ously to be 6 vote of approval of the anschluss. It yielded the 99.08 per cent in favor, and elected SIS deputies, including the Austrian delegation.
 It was clear that Hitler's next noal was Sudeten Germany, but no one expected the issue to come to breaking point as quickly as it did. Mobilization of Czech troops on the weekend of May 21 is understood to have determined him to force a con- clusion.
 This mobilization followed reports that the Germans had concentrated troops on the Czech frontier; the re- ports were f1atly denied by Berlin, but the world interpreted Prague's vigorous measures as setback for Hitler. From that time on. deuel- opments began to assume a fateful similarity to what had preceded the Austrian collapse.
 Two things lent sharp impetus to the gathering crisis: the holding of rnaneuvers (virtually mobilization throughout Germany, and the an- nual Nazi congress at Nuremberg, early in September. At this rally. Hitler proclaimed that Germany was ready to go to any limits to support the Sudeten Germans, who, he said, were being terrorized by CzecEs.
 The obvious effect of Hitler's speech was to stir up new excite ment and new hope in Sudetenland. Prague answered with martial law. Incidents increased; blood was spilled; fugitives began streaming into the Reich, and Hitler in ra- dio speech savagely attacked Eduard Benes, president of Czechoslovakia.
 War In Europe Near
 War? By mid-September the de- cisive question was whether, If Prague did not yield to Hitler's threats, the showdown could be To- calizGd to a campaign by the Ger man forces into Czechoslovakia: or whether France and Britain would support Czechosliovakia at the risk of a general war. There is no doubt that Hitler would have risked :. lo- cal campaign. Whether, supported by Italy, he would have chanced fight ing France, Britain, and perhaps Russia, can be answered by few men except Hitler himself.
 No answer was necessary. It was Obyiated, in an atmosphere of nerve shattering tension by British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's trips to Berchtesgaden and Godesberg, and by the final meeting fo Hitler, Chamberlain, Benito Mussolini and Ercuard Daladier, at Munich on Sept. 29. The worlds headlines screamed Peace" whe nthe meet Ing was over. Peace 1t was. with Hitler getting all and more than he had demanded without firing a gun.
 The Naxs were not slow to capital
 s on their erhancer prestige. Not '. aw. ln ma.A