I'm going to assume you mean the Fertile Crescent, the lands between the Tigris and Euphrates river, where the ancient Mesopotamians built their empire
Hitler was given Sudentenland which is the historical German name for the northern, southern and western areas of former Czechoslovakia which were inhabited primarily by Sudeten Germans. In October 1938, Hitler marched into Sudentenland.
First option, the price decreases
I believe it was the defense the Chinese were implementing, from fear of the Moguls invading. So the Great was in place being built and the Government closed off trade and travel so no more boats were built.