Development of tension

Question 1

What were Hitler’s aims

Answer 1

• Overturn treaty of Versailles
• Rearm Germany
• take Lebansraum (living space) in the east
• Unite German speaking people and create a Greater Germany
• Unite Germany and Austria (Anschluss)
• Destroy communism

Question 2

How would Lebensraum lead to war

Answer 2

• In order to take land in the east, he would have to invade countries in eastern Europe
  -other countries may step in to protect them

Question 3

How would German Rearmament lead to war

Answer 3

• Hitler wanting to introduce conscription and build a Luftwaffe broke international law, and would make other countries suspicious

Question 4

How would reuniting German speaking people lead to war

Answer 4

• Was again breaking international law as Anschluss was banned
• Countries may not want to give up these regions without a fight

Question 5

How would destroying communism lead to war

Answer 5

• USSR had a massive army and were developing better relationships with Britain and France
• USSR was allied with countries Germany and targeted for lebensraum- provoking a powerful nation that are bound to fight back

Question 6

British reactions to Hitler’s foreign policy

Answer 6

• British remembered horror of ww1 and would do anything to prevent another
• Chamberlain had police of ‘appeasement’ to give hitler a little of what he wanted to stop full scale war
• Many felt treaty was in fact too harsh and that Germany should be allowed to become a bit stronger

Question 7

French reactions to Hitler’s foreign policy

Answer 7

• France were suffering greatly in the 30s, and couldn’t concentrate on threat of Hitler due to own problems

Question 8

USSR reactions to Hitler’s foreign policy

Answer 8

• Stalin concerned about Hitler, as he promised to destroy communism
• USSR signed treaty of mutual assistance with France in order to stop Hitler’s expansion

Question 9

USA reactions to Hitler’s foreign policy

Answer 9

• USA followed policy of isolationism throughout 20s and 30s and agreed that if there was another war, they shouldn’t get involved
• Roosevelt tried to get Hitler to stop invading people but it wasn’t taken seriously
• US quietly started preparing armed forces

Question 10

What happened at LofN Disarmament conference 1933

Answer 10

• Hitler agreed to disarm if other nations did, and if not he should have same size army as France
• France disagreed and so Hitler stormed out, claiming France were being unreasonable
• Germany then left LofN

Question 11

What was the Dollfuss Affair 1934

Answer 11

• Dollfuss, the Austrian chancellor banned nazi party in Austria in order to stop Anschluss
• Hitler told Austrian nazis to cause havoc, and they killed Dollfuss
• However due to Mussolini’s troops being on Austrian border as they had agreed to stop Anschluss, Hitler backed down as he was not strong enough

Question 12

What happened at Freedom to rearm rally in 1935

Answer 12

• Hitler openly displayed his weapons and troops he had been building in secret
• Hitler announced he was reintroducing conscription, increasing army to 1 million and building a Luftwaffe
• Showed Hitler could openly defied TofV

Question 13

What was the Saar plebiscite 1935

Answer 13

• A plebiscite was held to decide who should control the Saar coalfields
• 90% of population agreed it should go to Hitler
• Hitler used as propaganda to show that countries wanted to rejoin Germany
• Hitler gained rich coalfields

Question 14

What was the Anglo-German naval agreement 1935

Answer 14

• Britain signed an agreement saying Germany could build their navy to 35% of British one
• Britain allowed Germany too build 45% of number of British submarines
• Hitler saw this as Britain saying TofV was unfair and he could ignore it

Question 15

What was the stresa front 1935

Answer 15

• An agreement between Britain, France and Italy to protect Austrian independence and to stop Hitler from breaking any more terms of TofV
• Didnt concern Hitler