Evening star., 1949-08-28

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and ready to brave a storm Of
threatening words, openly defled
the peace treaty by marching his
forces into demilitarized zones of
the Rhineland. He was right
nothing happened.
The door was open for new
German conquest, world conquest
along lines Hitler had outlined
in his book, ''Mein Kampf," writ
ten years before. It was to be
a new technique in warfare, un-
declared aggression achieved by
pitting opposing elements within
a nation against one another and,
when exhausted, threatening the
victim from it's borders. And it
worked like a charm-until Po-
land.
Details of the pattern showed
when Germany took its first bite:
Austria, whitfield down to small
size by the victors of World War
I, was just starting to get on its
economic feet, torn by political
strife and weak.
Nazi agents, underground and
openly. did much of the work.
The Rome-Berlin axis showed the
first signs of collaborating toward
a mutual goal. Mussolini abrupt
ly Withdrew his support Of Aus
tria. Hitler threatened the ma
ton. Carefully planned rioting
broke out. This, Hitler main
tanned. constituted q threat to the
life and property Of Germans
within Austrian borders.
The dictator talked tough-and
backed up his words by massing
his armies on the Austro- German
border. The weakened govern
ment gave in. And by March,
1888, Austria had tumbled into
the German net, the first Of IS
nations to feel the German heel.
Czechoslovakia was next on the
timetable, a prosperous little de-
mocracy created at the peace ia
bles Of World War I. In the fall
Of 1888 Hitler maneuvered the
worried and tense British into the
famed Munich agreement between
France, Great Britain, Italy and
Germany. It was the major blum
der Of the appeasers. men Of good
will who were willing to make
almost any sacrifice to avoid war.
Under its terms Germany re-
ceived a frontier area of Czecho-
slovakia called the Sudetenland.
The theory of the surrender of
the land was. ironically. a Wilso-
nian principle Of national self-de-
termination. Hitler conveniently
adopted it on the claim the Sude-
ten population was predominant
ly German.
Absorbs Neighbors
With the Munich agreement the
Nazi dictator made his grandilo-
quent promise: "The Sudetens
are the last territorial demand II
shall make in Europe =" Many
people-but not Winston Church
ill-believed him.
Hitler's fifth column and agents
already were hard at work soften
ing up what remained Of Czecho-
slovakia for German consump-
ton.
Hitler's representatives blandly
revoked their promises to keep
hands of the nation by making
familiar charges against the ma
tion's treatment of Jews. This
was followed up by arrogant de-
mands for broad minority rights
of the German population. Final
ly came the order for drastic re-
duction of Czech military forces
and for a reputation Of a treaty
with France.
The Berlin mask was torn aside,
revealing to the world that Hitler
would be satisfied with nothing
short of Czech capitulation. BY
March of 1899, Czechoslovakia was
in chains, snapped on by threats
of invasion and massacre. Czecho-
slovakia was established as a pro-
tectorate" and Germany set to
work to loot it clean.
Hesitation and indecision caused
the rest of the world to stand by
as Germany absorbed its two small
neighbors.
But that was not the end. Ger
many turned her attention to
Poland. The preliminaries were
by this time familiar. There was
the propaganda, stories designed
to stir up hatred Of the Poles.
There were the same old infiam-
matory incidents" involving the
purported mistreatment Of Ger
mans.
Poles Are 'Blitzed'
Like lightning striking suddenly
came the news Of the Ribbentrop-
Molotov non-aggression pact be-
tween Germany and Russia.
Hitler was free to act in the East.
A week later the highly trained
Nazi armies and air forces roared
into Poland.
But two days after the nom
aggression pact Poland and Great
Britain entered into a mutual-as-
sistance pact-and Great Britain,
backed by France which for years
had been an ally, buckled on her
sword.
On the first day Of September.
1899, "a German divisions and two
Slovak ones crossed the Polish
border. Fleets Of German planes
flooded over the land. bombing
cities and killing indiscriminately
men, women and children.
Outnumbered by more than 10
to /, the Poles fought every step
Of their retreat in the blitzkrieg.
hoping to lengthen German sup
ply lines to a breaking point.
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