11 How far was Hitler's foreign policy to blame for the outbreak of war in 1939? Flashcards
What was Hitler’s overriding foreign policy objective when he because Chancellor of Germany?
He wanted to make Germany great again
What secondary objectives would Hitler have to pursue in order to make Germany great again?
- Destroy the Treaty of Versailles
- Create a greater Germany
- Destroy communism
- Acquire lebensraum or “living space”
- Build up a central European empire
How would Hitler destroy the Treaty of Versailles?
- the disarmament clauses would be broken by introducing conscription and by building up the army, navy, and air force
- Germany’s western frontier would be secured by remilitarising and refortifying the Rhineland
- Lost territory would be gained
How would Hitler create a greater Germany?
- All German-speaking peoples would be brought into the Reich
- The frontiers of Germany would be extended to cover those areas where the population was predominantly German. This might include Austria and parts of Czechoslovakia and Poland
How would Hitler destroy communism?
- Germany would be drawn into conflict with Soviet Russia
How would Hitler acquire lebensraum or “living space”?
- Hitler thought that it was entitlement of all Germans to have “living space”
- This meant more land for their recreation and cultivation
- Lebensraum implied expansion eastwards at the expense of Poland and Soviet Russia
How would Hitler build up a central European empire?
- Once Hitler had achieved all his other policies, he would be master of a new central European empire, the most powerful state in Europe, if not the world
What can you not tell with Hitler’s early foreign policies in 1933-5?
That he was heading towards war in Europe
What was Hitler’s general aims or goals for his early foreign policies in 1933-5?
To achieve equality with the western powers such as Britain and France
What was Hitler’s first strike against the Versailles Settlement?
When Germany refused to pay any more reparations, walked out of the World Disarmament Conference, and left the League of Nations in 1933.
When did Germany being to secretly rearm?
In 1933
What did Hitler do to remove the prospect of war with Poland if hitler decided to make a move against Austria or Czechoslovakia?
Sign a ten-year non-aggression pact with Poland
What did Mussolini disapprove of by moving his troops to the Brenner Pass in July 1934 and what did Hitler do?
After the Austrian Nazis murdered Dullfuss, the Austrian Chancellor, Hitler was about to strike the confused Austria but Mussolini disapproved of this. Therefore, Hitler backed down and denied any responsibility for the murder of Dollfuss.
What was Germany’s first regain of lost territory by legal and peaceful means?
The regain of the Saar by a plebiscite, that took accordance with the Treaty of Versailles, which showed over 90% of the population were in favour of a return to Germany
What caused the Allies to respond with the formation of the Stresa Front (the alliance made by Britain, France and Italy against the Hitler’s violations of the disarmament) and which other countries formed an alliance because of it?
Hitler’s reintroduction to conscription, which would allow hitler to build up his army to 36 divisions (550,000 men)
This caused France to sign a mutual assistance pact with Soviet Russia and Soviet Russia to sign another mutual assistance pact with Czechoslovakia
What did the Anglo-German Naval Agreement allow Germany to do and what impression did it give on other countries?
In June 1935, the pact allowed Germany to have a fleet that was 35% the size of Britain’s, with submarines at 45%. This pact essentially legalised German naval rearmament and was made without obtaining the prior knowledge agreement of France or Italy
It gave the impression that it was quite in order for countries to pursue their national interests regardless of others.
Mussolini felt encouraged to apply the same selfish principle to extending Italy’s colonies
What did people think about Hitler’s true intentions between 1936 and 1938?
During the next three years it was still not clear to most western statesmen what Hitler intended. His methods were highly questionably but his objectives often appeared quite reasonable
What did German people think of the Rhineland?
A demilitarised Rhineland was a constant reminder of Germany’s humiliation and disadvantage as, in theory, it enable western armies to invade at will, as happened in January 1923.
How many troops did Germany have against the opposition troops when they marched into the Rhineland in March 1936?
He had two divisions of troops against a possible opposition force of two hundred divisions
Why was Hitler confident the Britain and France would not do anything about Germany’s invasion of the Rhineland in March 1936?
Neither the French nor the British had any desire for war over this issue. The Rhineland was seen as Germany’s “backyard”. This meant that France and Britain thought it was silly to fight a country over Germany’s troops occupying their own land. Furthermore, the French were in the middle of a financial crisis and faced elections in six weeks time.
What did Hitler sign after he occupied the Rhineland?
A 25-year non-aggression pact with the western powers
Who did Hitler, Mussolini and Stalin support in the Spanish Civil War, 1936-39?
Hitler and Mussolini supporter their fellow fascist, Franco, while Stalin supported the Republicans
Did Britain and France get involved in the Spanish Civil War?
No
Who did the Spanish Civil War become a battleground for?
It became a battleground for rival ideologies
