10. Historical Interpretations: Hitler's Foreign Policy and the Second World War Flashcards
Name two previous German empires.
The First Reich (AD 800 to 1806)
The Second Reich (AD 1871 to 1918)
Who was the first leader of the Second Reich?
Otto von Bismarck (1871-1890)
What were the foreign policies of the First and Second Reichs?
- Territorial expansion through war and military strength
- Diplomacy with other nations and forming alliances (e.g. Second Reich – Triple Alliance with Austria-Hungary and Italy in 1882)
Why did Hitler call the Nazi regime the “Third Reich”?
- He believed that his foreign policy continued the work of previous German empires.
- He celebrated the triumphs of the First and Second Reichs, and wanted to make Germany as powerful as they had (e.g. he was positioned next to previous leaders in Nazi propaganda).
When did Germany and the Allies sign the Treaty of Versailles (TOV)?
June 28, 1919
After the TOV, and Germany’s territorial losses, how many Germans lived outside of German borders?
6.4 million
What happened to the German military after the TOV?
It was significantly reduced (max. 100,000 soldiers; no air force, submarines, tanks).
After the TOV, which area became a demilitarised “buffer zone” between Germany and France?
The Rhineland
How did Stresemann change the terms of the TOV (reparations)?
He negotiated the Dawes and Young Plans (1924; 1929), which made payments more manageable (e.g. longer time period given to make payments).
How did Stresemann go against the terms of the TOV (German military)?
Secret rearmament agreements were made with the USSR – a German tank-training school was set up in 1926; German tanks were being the built and tested in Russia by 1928.
What agreement was made about the Rhineland in 1930?
The Allies withdrew their troops (5 years earlier than planned).
What was the KWIA, set up in 1927?
The Kaiser Wilhelm Institute of Anthropology, Human Heredity and Eugenics
Who was the director of the KWIA, and what did he believe in?
Eugen Fisher.
He supported eugenics - controlling human reproduction to improve the genetic quality of humans. Hitler used Fischer’s work to support his ideas of a racially pure and superior Aryan society.
How did Hitler overturn the work of Stresemann?
He withdrew Germany from the League of Nations in 1934, which Stresemann had negotiated in 1926.
When did Hitler write Mein Kampf (“My Struggle”)?
1925
What was the name of his later, unpublished work?
Zweites Buch (1928)
Identify three foreign policy aims outlined in Mein Kampf and Zweites Buch.
- Overturning the TOV;
- Expansion east & establishing lebensraum (“living space”) for German people;
- Seeking alliances with racially superior countries, such as Britain.
What theory influenced Hitler’s foreign policy?
Aryan racial theories – a hierarchy of human races.
Why did Hitler want to expand German territory east?
He believed the races of eastern Europe to be inferior.
How did racial theories influence Hitler’s foreign policy?
It determined where he wanted to expand (i.e. eastwards) and who he wanted to be in alliances with (i.e. Britain – seen as racially superior).
What was the name of the Nazi Party’s foreign office set up in 1933?
The Bureau Ribbentrop
Who was the leader of the Bureau Ribbentrop (Nazi foreign office)?
Joachim von Ribbentrop
What did Hitler declare in his speech to the Reichstag in 1933?
He would aim to overturn the terms of the Treaty of Versailles using diplomacy.
What did Germany and Poland sign in January 1934?
A non-aggression pact – an agreement that they would not go to war with each other.
What did the Nazis fail to negotiate with Poland between 1935 and 1937?
A military alliance
Why were the pacts / discussions with Poland at odds with Hitler’s foreign policy aims?
In Mein Kampf, Hitler stated his aim to expand eastwards in order to create lebensraum – Poland was in the east.
When did the Nazis attempt, but fail, to take control of Austria?
July 1934
Why did the Nazis fail to take control of Austria in 1934?
Mussolini moved 40,000 Italian troops to the Austro-Italian frontier, forcing Germany to back down.
Which area voted to be a part of Germany in January 1935?
The Saarland (previously controlled by the LoN) – this was great propaganda success for the Nazis.
When did the Nazis announce that Germany was rearming?
March 16, 1935
Why was rearmament controversial?
It went against the terms of the TOV – an army of 550,000 was set up, and the existence of the Luftwaffe (airforce) announced.
When did Hitler announce his “Four Year Plan” for the economy?
1936
What did Hitler’s “Four Year Plan” for the economy focus on?
The development of a war economy and autarky (self-sufficiency), so Germany would not have to rely on other countries in time of war.
What area did German troops occupy in March 1936?
The Rhineland
Which country did Hitler send Joachim von Ribbentrop to form an alliance with in 1936?
Britain
