On March 7, 1936, over 20,000 German troops re-occupied the Rhineland, a de-militarized zone in Germany according to the Treaty of Versailles, that bordered France, . This action was directly against the terms which Germany had accepted after the First World War but neither France or Britain took any direct military action.
Hitler argue that it was done in response to France and the USSR signing a treaty of friendship and mutual support, saying it was a hostile move against Germany, and the area of the Rhineland could in turn be used by France to invade Germany. More
