just what had caused hitler to change his attitude is not entirely clear , but it is likely that the combination of franco-british warnings , and especially the mobilization of the british fleet , had finally convinced him of what the most likely result of fall grn would be ; the minor nature of the alleged casus belli being the timetables for the transfer made hitler appear too much like the aggressor ; the view from his advisors that germany was not prepared either militarily or economically for a world war ; warnings from the states that hitler saw as his would-be allies in the form of italy , japan , the soviet union , and hungary that they would not fight on behalf of germany ; and very visible signs that the majority of germans were not enthusiastic about the prospect of war .