Figure 1.--This is Hitler delivering his speech on military day (August 8) at the Nurrenberg 10th Party Rally. At the time Hitler was contemplating going to war with the military he was addressing. He was very serious. In fact he was reportedly disappointing when Prime-Minister Chamberlain made concessions abandoning Czechoslovakia at the subsequent Munich Conference. Apparently Hitler agreed knowing that he would be even stronger when he made further demands in 1939, expecting Chganerlain to abandon Poland as he had done Czechoslovakia.

The NAZIs held their annual party congress or rallies in Nuremberg during late-August or September. The 1938 rally was the 10th (tenth) Party Congress. It was the largest of all the NAZI rallies. Some 0.7 million 700,000 members of the different NAZI organizations which participated. The festivities which lasted for a week. The 10th Party Congress was named the Reichsparteitag Großdeutschland (Rally of Greater Germany) (September 5–12). This name was due to the Anschluss (annexation) of Austria that had occurred earlier. On youth day, Hitler addressed the assembled enthusiastic Hiler Youuth menmbers, telling them, "You, my youth, are our nation's most precious guarantee for a great future, and you are destined to be the leaders of a glorious new order under the supremacy of National Socialism. Never forget that one day you will rule the world." And by the time of the rally, Propaganda Minister Goebbels had raised the campaign against Czechoslovakia to a fever pitch. Hitler always made his main speech on the last day of the rally when he used the occasion to announce and highlight his priorities. Europe awaited with dread Hitler's address, fearing it might be a declaration of war. Hitler used the Rally as the final statement of his commitment to seize the Sudentenland, leading to the Munich Crisis. Hitler delivered an impassioned address accussing the Czechs of terrible crimes against the Sudeten Germans (September 12). He did not announce any eminent invasion. He made it clear, however, what Goebells propaganda machine had been drumming up for several months -- he was prepared to move against Czechoslovakia. Hitler was demanding that Czechoslovakia turn over the German populated Sudetenland to the Reich. Unlike Austria, the Czechs were prepared to fight. And France had treaty commitments to Czechoslovakia. This would mean war and Europe braced for it. Primeminister Chamberlain flew tob the Reuich for the Munich Conference to prevent war. The 1938 Rally would prove to be the last one. The 1939 raly was cancelled hen Hitler an Stalin launched World War II (September 1939).

Created: 4:52 PM 8/13/2018
Last updated: 4:52 PM 8/13/2018