Military Expansion in Germany

Definition

This refers to the period during the 1930s when Nazi Germany significantly increased its military size and power, violating the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.

Analogy

Imagine you're playing a game of Monopoly. You start off with just one property but then you start buying up all available properties on the board, even though there's a rule against owning more than a certain number. That's what Germany did - they expanded their military beyond what was allowed by international agreement.

Related terms

Lebensraum: A term used by Nazis during WWII meaning "living space". It was Hitler’s foreign policy that aimed at acquiring vast territories for German expansion.

Anschluss: The annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in March 1938. This was part of Hitler's plan for German expansion.

Sudetenland: An area in Czechoslovakia inhabited mostly by ethnic Germans. In 1938, it was annexed by Nazi Germany as part of its expansionist policies.