The
remilitarization of the Rhineland by the
German Army took place on 7 March 1936 when German military forces entered the
Rhineland. This was significant because it violated the terms of the
Treaty of Versailles and the
Locarno Treaties, marking the first time since the end of
World War I that German troops had been in this region. The remilitarization changed the balance of power in Europe from France towards Germany, and made it possible for Germany to pursue a policy of aggression in Eastern Europe that the demilitarized status of the Rhineland had blocked until then.