How far was Hitler's foreign policy responsible for the Second World War? Flashcards
1
Q
What are 2 views that historians have over Hitler’s foreign policy? What does each mean?
A
- Intentionalist: Hitler’s plans determined everything
- Includes if his policy was a departure from the work of previous governments; if it was driven solely by him
- Structuralist: external factors led to the outbreak of war
- Also includes whether Hitler was continuing the work of previous governments (whether this was the Weimar Republic or the German Empire)
2
Q
What are 3 pieces of evidence that suggest that Hitler was continuing the policies of previous German governments (supporting a structuralist viewpoint)?
A
- September Programme/ Memorandum
- Treaty of Rapallo
- Treaty of Locarno (partially)
3
Q
What bit of evidence from before 1933 shows that Hitler wasn’t simply continuing the policies of the Weimar Republic?
A
- Treaty of Locarno (partially)
4
Q
What was the September Programme/ Memorandum? When was it made? What was relevant about this?
A
- Germany’s aim of expanding east during WW1
- 1914
- Early implementation of Lebensraum
5
Q
When was the Treaty of Rapallo made? Who was it made between, and why?
A
- 1922
- Russia and Germany made it to improve relations between them, as both were unpopular in Europe
- Germany started secretly rearming in the Soviet Union
6
Q
What similar moves under Hitler did the Treaty of Rapallo have links to?
A
- The Nazi-Soviet Pact
- Hitler expanded rearmament
7
Q
When was the Treaty of Locarno signed? What 3 things did it contain? What continuity and change was there in the long-term (after Hitler came into the picture)?
A
- 1925
- Germany accepted its western borders- change
- Germany did not accept its eastern borders- continuity
- Germany joined the League of Nations- change
8
Q
How had Hitler reacted to the loss in WW1? Give 2 details.
A
- He was shocked and came to believe the ‘stab in the back’ myth
- This caused him to not support democracy and become involved in politics
9
Q
How did Germans feel about the Treaty of Versailles? How was this shown?
A
- They felt that was it was humiliating
- There were protests against it in the cities
10
Q
How did Britain view the treaty? Give a detail. However, what presented the treaty as justified?
A
- As too harsh
- The prime minister Lloyd George himself said that it would cause another war in 25 years
- The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was much harsher
11
Q
Give an example of how the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was harsher than the Treaty of Versailles.
A
- Russia lost 62 million people in the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk while Germany lost 6.4 million in the Treaty of Versailles.
12
Q
What did the Western powers’ sympathetic views over the Treaty of Versailles cause? What was another reason for this?
A
- They didn’t enforce the treaty
- They also wanted to uphold the peace and hoped by ignoring the reversal of the ‘unfair’ terms, Germany would be satisfied
13
Q
Give 3 examples of the ‘Big Three’ not upholding the Treaty of Versailles.
A
- Germany never paid reparations on time
- They ignored secret rearmament
- The 1935 Anglo-German Naval Agreement
14
Q
How much did the Treaty of Versailles limit Germany? Give 2 details.
A
- Not much, as:
- they were secretly rearming in Russia
- foreign ministers worked for changes diplomatically
15
Q
In what 2 ways did the Treaty of Versailles affect Nazi foreign policy?
A
- Opposing it automatically made the Nazis popular
- The treaty had caused the creation of multiple small states, which then became targets for countries such as the Germany
16
Q
What were Hitler’s 3 main aims when it came to foreign policy?
A
- Overturning the Treaty of Versailles
- Lebensraum
- Pan-Germanism
17
Q
What was ‘Lebensraum’, how was it justified, and how did Hitler plan to gain it?
A
- Living space
- Hitler claimed Germany needed it to become a world power and for its economic needs
- From the east
18
Q
Why did Hitler decide to expand east?
A
- He believed the people living there, such as Slavs, were ‘racially inferior’ and that ‘pure Germans’ should live there
19
Q
What was Pan-Germanism?
A
- The idea that all German-speaking people should unite and live in one country
20
Q
What 3 influences did Hitler’s racist beliefs have?
A
- He wanted to make alliances with countries he believed to be ‘racially acceptable’, such as Britain
- He only made short-term alliances with ‘racially inferior’ countries such as Russia if it benefitted Germany
- He believed he would have to go to war in the east as Europe was under threat from Jewry and Bolshevism
21
Q
How new were Hitler’s racist beliefs?
A
- Social Darwinism and Lebensraum were already popular (Lebensraum had been created as a concept in 1901)
- The Kaiser had been antisemitic, and this wasn’t rare in Germany
22
Q
What 4 pieces of evidence are there that Hitler alone was driving foreign policy (intentionalist view)?
A
- 25-point programme
- Mein Kampf
- Zweites Buch
- Hossbach Conference and its impacts
23
Q
What were the 3 key points in Hitler’s 25-point programme in terms of foreign policy? When was it first presented?
A
- Overturning the Treaty of Versailles
- Pan-Germanism
- Lebensraum
- 1920
24
Q
What were the 3 main ideas in Mein Kampf in terms of foreign policy, and when was it written?
A
- Lebensraum
- Expanding east
- England and Italy as allies
- 1925
25
When was Zweites Buch written, and what were the 2 main ideas in it in terms of foreign policy?
- France would always be an enemy
- Lebensraum
- 1928
26
What were 3 actions Hitler took soon after being appointed as chancellor? When did these events take place?
- Meeting the army generals
- Withdrawing from the League of Nations
- Withdrawing from the Disarmament Conference
- All took place in 1933
27
List 3 aims Hitler laid out when meeting with the generals in 1933.
- Lebensraum
- Need to rearm
- Overturning the Treaty of Versailles
28
When was the Hossbach Conference? What key points did Hitler make there in terms of foreign policy?
- 1937
- Lebensraum
- Invading Czechoslovakia
- Going to war in 1943
29
What was an important impact of the Hossbach Conference?
- The Blomberg-Fritsch affair in 1938
- This was a way that Hitler pushed through his plans despite army generals not supporting them due to the risk
30
How was Hitler's foreign policy a continuation of the policies of the authorities before him?
- Weimar also wanted to overturn the Treaty of Versailles
31
In what 2 ways was Hitler's foreign policy different from the policies of the authorities before him?
- Weimar wanted to return to the 1914 borders and wanted colonies, while Hitler wanted to expand beyond the 1914 borders and wasn't interested in colonies
- The Kaiser's government simply wanted to expand; they didn't care about the 'racial purity' of the lands they conquered or their allies
32
What foreign policy events happened in 1934?
- A non-aggression pact was signed between Germany and Poland
- Destabilisation of Austria
33
What are thought to be the reasons why Hitler signed a non-aggression pact with Poland?
- In 1934, Hitler needed to consolidate his power in Germany and build up the army before doing anything aggressive
- He wanted Poland as an ally against the USSR, who he viewed as the biggest threat to Germany
34
What happened in Austria in 1934? What was particularly important about this event?
- A Putsch by Austrian Nazis failed after Mussolini placed troops on his border with Austria, as this forced Hitler to withdraw his support for the Putsch
- It shows that other countries may have been capable of stopping Hitler, as Mussolini did this in example
35
What foreign policy events took place in 1935?
- Hitler announced conscription and that Germany had been secretly rearming
- Signing of the Anglo-German Naval Agreement
36
What were the contents of the Anglo-German Naval Agreement? What was important about it?
- Germany could have a navy 35% the size of Britain's
- Britain made it with Germany, although it broke both the Stresa Front and the Treaty of Versailles in order to look out for its own interests
37
When was the Rhineland remilitarised, and what did Hitler expect to happen when he reoccupied it? What happened as a result? What was relevant about the timing?
- March 1936
- He expected France to do nothing, but he still had prepared his troops to withdraw once the order was given
- France did nothing, so he became more confident
- The rest of Europe was distracted with the invasion of Abyssinia, and Hitler noted how nobody was stopping Italy
38
What did Hitler do in 1936 and 1937 that can be seen as both structuralist and intentionalist? Explain how.
- 1936: Rome-Berlin Axis
- 1937: Anti-Comintern Pact (anti-USSR treaty with Japan)
- Intentionalist: Hitler was preparing to go to war as he was making allies
- Structuralist: Italy and Japan were enabling Hitler
39
In what 2 ways did being allied with Japan encourage Hitler?
- Japan was an enemy of the USSR that could fight it from the east
- Japan could geographically fight the USA in the Far East
40
When did Anschluss happen?
- March 1938
41
When did Hitler take over Czechoslovakia?
- October 1938: took over the Sudetenland
- March 1939: invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia
42
How did Hitler take over the Sudetenland?
- He demanded the Sudetenland which was given to Czechoslovakia in the Treaty of Versailles, as 3 million Germans were living there
- The Munich Conference was held in September 1938, where British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and officials from France and Italy agreed to give Hitler the Sudetenland
- However, Hitler had to agree that his territorial expansion would stop with the Sudetenland
43
What had made the invasion of Czechoslovakia easier for Hitler?
- Hitler took advantage of demands of independence within Czechoslovakia to send troops 'to restore order'
44
What event started WW2? When did it happen?
- The invasion of Poland in September 1939
45
What were 3 reasons why Hitler would have decided to invade Poland?
- Poland had what had been German territory, and split East Prussia from the rest of Germany
- 1 million Germans lived there due to the creation of the Polish Corridor
- To secure his eastern border in the case of war
46
Describe 2 aspects of Nazi relations with Poland up until 1936.
- 1934: non-aggression pact signed between Poland and Germany
- From 1935 to 1937 Germany worked to try to make Poland a German satellite through alliances
47
How did Poland respond to Hitler's attempts to make Poland a satellite state? Why?
- They avoided signing an alliance with them as this would turn the USSR against them
- They tried to maintain a balance between the USSR and Germany so that neither would attack them
48
Which countries did Poland have an alliance with, and from when? What had Hitler ignored when invading Poland?
- Britain and France in 1939 to guarantee its independence after the invasion of Czechoslovakia
49
What important event happened just before the invasion of Poland? What other 'final step' encouraged Hitler to invade Poland? Why were these events important?
- Germany and the USSR signed the Nazi-Soviet Pact, a non-aggression pact, in August 1939
- In a secret clause, the 2 countries had agreed to invading Poland and splitting it between themselves
- The Pact of Steel with Italy in May 1939
- Hitler could then rely on Italy's military
50
What was particularly surprising about the signing of the Nazi-Soviet Pact?
- The Nazis and the Soviets were complete ideological enemies
51
What were 2 factors that pressured/ encouraged Hitler into invading Poland in 1939?
- Economic problems
- Britain and France's inaction over the invasion of Czechoslovakia and Anschluss
52
How did economic problems affect Hitler's plans? Give 2 details.
- They forced him into acting sooner, as:
- the economic situation could only be sustained for a few more years, so Germany had no choice but to act then
- small-scale wars of plunder could be used to support the German economy
53
What is a possible reason why Hitler could have decided to start a world war with the invasion of Poland?
- Hitler could have been prepared to fight a major war due to the Nazi-Soviet Pact; his eastern border was secure and he would have the support of the Red Army
54
What 2 facts give the impression that Hitler had not been intending to start a world war when he invaded Poland?
- He didn't plan to start a major war until the mid-1940s
- He wasn't aware that appeasement had come to an end, and that Britain and France would actually fight against him
55
What evidence is there to show that Hitler always intended to go to war? Give 3 examples.
- The Four-Year Plan from 1936
- The building of tanks
- The reintroduction of conscription
56
Give 2 reasons why Hitler might have thought he could achieve his aims without going to war.
- France, Yugoslavia and Romania had all signed mutual aid treaties with Czechoslovakia, but did not honour it
- He believed Britain and France would not fight him over Eastern Europe
57
Why wasn't it possible for Hitler to achieve his aims without going to war?
- Expansion was impossible without war
58
What body was meant to stop Hitler's expansion?
- The League of Nations
59
Give 3 reasons why the League of Nations was ineffective.
- Not all nations were members of the League (non-member countries did not work with it)
- The League was slow to make decisions as they needed the agreement of the vast majority of members to even make economic sanctions, let alone military action
- It did not have its own army, and had to rely on member countries to supply troops, who were unwilling to do so
60
Give an example of the League being ineffective.
- 1935: the League of Nations imposed partial economic sanctions on Italy for the invasion of Abyssinia, but this didn't stop Italy
61
What had Britain done that had encouraged Hitler? Who else had this encouraged?
- They followed a policy of appeasement
- This had also encouraged Italy and Japan to expand
62
What were 6 reasons why Britain was following a policy of appeasement?
- They wanted to avoid war as this would cause issues with their colonies and trade
- They didn't want to make more enemies as their empire was already being threatened by Italy and Japan
- There was unrest and calls for independence in colonies such as India and Egypt
- There was a reluctance to fight in Britain after WW1
- A lack of allies
- They did not have the resources to fight a war on land, so they wanted to buy themselves time
63
Why was Britain lacking in allies?
- The USA was isolationist
- France was unreliable due to its domestic political weaknesses
- The Soviet Union was communist
64
What were 3 reasons why Britain didn't have the resources to fight a war on land?
- The 'Ten Year Rule'; the belief that there wouldn't be another war for the next ten years
- The Great Depression
- The Dominions had made it clear in 1937 that they would not fight after the losses in WW1
65
How did France behave towards Germany? After what event, and why?
- They also followed a policy of appeasement
- The invasion of the Ruhr in 1923 had been a failure
66
List and explain 4 reasons why France was following a policy of appeasement.
- Political weakness at home
- The strength of the army was uncertain; they had lost a quarter of men between 18 and 27 in WW1
- There were colonial demands for independence
- They relied on British support, but Britain was an unreliable and self-serving ally (shown by the Anglo-German Naval Agreement)
67
What were relations between Italy and Germany like after 1936? Give an example.
- Despite their agreements, they didn't fully trust each other
- They kept plans secret, such as Hitler's plan to invade Poland immediately after he promised not to start a war until 1943 when negotiating the Pact of Steel, and the Nazi-Soviet Pact
68
Why was the alliance between Italy and Germany not ideal for either of them?
- After the invasion of Abyssinia, Britain and France were no longer willing to trust Mussolini, so he had no choice but to turn to Hitler
- Germany was aware that Italy was militarily weak
69
In what 4 ways did Italy help Hitler take the steps to war?
- The invasion of Abyssinia provided Mussolini with the distraction he needed to remilitarise the Rhineland
- Mussolini had shown that the League of Nations would not take military action
- Mussolini no longer opposed Anschluss by 1938, preventing war from breaking out over this
- The Western powers did not know how weak Italy was, so they believed Nazi Germany had a strong ally, which encouraged them to continue with their policy of appeasement
70
What was the USA's foreign policy like in the 1920s and 1930s? List 2 actions that the USA took that encouraged Hitler to act more aggressively as a result.
- They were following a policy of isolationism
- The USA was neutral over the invasion of Abyssinia and the Spanish Civil War
- The USA openly said it would not go to war in Europe and produced a permanent Neutrality Act in 1937
