Invasion of the Rhineland — 1936

The Rhineland, located between France and Germany, was demilitarized by the Treaty of Versailles, but in March 1936 the German army moved in, to the evident delight of the inhabitants as seen above. Following the First World War of the early 20th century, the western part of Rhineland was occupied by Entente forces, then demilitarized under the Treaty of Versailles. German forces remilitarized the territory in 1936, as part of a diplomatic test of will, three years before the outbreak of the Second World War. The remilitarization of the Rhineland was favoured by some of the local population, because of a resurgence of German nationalism and harboured bitterness over the Allied occupation of the Rhineland until 1930 (Saarland until 1935).

1936 Nazi Party Rally at Nuremburg

Today’s image is from the Nazi Party rally in Nuremburg in 1936. The following is from the official Party report afterwards:

The Party Rally of Honor

by Dr. Walther Schmitt

“A clear tradition determines the course of the National Party Congress of the NSDAP. It begins with the ringing of every bell in Nuremberg. The party calls Germany to the great gathering of the Germans and announces simultaneously that the Führer has entered the city. Nuremberg then greets the Führer and the party in the old, splendid city hall. The congress gathers the next day to hear Adolf Hitler's yearly proclamation The Führer reviews what has been accomplished and outlines and gives orders for the future. This annual gathering is a powerful arena in which the energy of the entire people is gathered to set the next goals and receive new direction. The cultural session takes place that evening. Adolf Hitler gives a major speech that expounds on the cultural duties of the movement.”

Berlin — 1936

While we will most often feature images from during the war itself, today we are presenting a short film about Berlin in the year 1936. This was the year of the Olympics in that city, which were awarded to Germany prior to the Third Reich coming to power. The movie is narrated in the original German, but seeing the city as it was before the war is worth watching, even if one cannot translate the language.