On 16 March 1935, Adolf Hitler formally announced the rearmament of Germany, brazenly violating the Treaty of Versailles, which had imposed strict limitations on the nation’s military capabilities in the aftermath of World War I.
Declaring the restoration of conscription and the expansion of the Wehrmacht to 550,000 troops, Hitler’s move marked a pivotal moment in his defiance of international agreements, a calculated gambit that emboldened Germany’s resurgence as a military power.
The League of Nations issued formal protests, yet the lack of decisive action from Britain and France only reinforced Hitler’s confidence, setting the stage for further aggression that would culminate in the Second World War.
