By 1936 France, Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union were all raising their military spending. And rather than responding with moderation, the German military leadership reacted to each new threat by heightening the pace of the build-up.19 In December 1933, the army had envisioned a peacetime strength of 21 divisions. By the end of 1934 this was no longer enough. In March 1935 Hitler announced to the world the creation of a German peacetime army of no less than 36 divisions.
