In the event, the Third Reich benefited once more from the disunity of its enemies. Over the winter of 1933–4 the government of France was paralysed by a sudden upsurge of domestic fascist activity, which culminated in the extraordinary street-fighting of early 1934.57 Poland was neutralized in early 1934 with economic concessions and a friendship treaty. Nevertheless, in a pattern that was to repeat itself, Berlin’s aggression created a sense of menace that in turn provided the justification for an escalation of German rearmament planning.58 In rapid succession, all three branches of the
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