Foreign Policy: The influence of German history on Nazi foreign policy Flashcards
What role did Germany’s defeat in the First World War play in Hitler’s foreign policy vision?
It was pivotal in shaping his personal foreign policy vision.
How did government propaganda affect the German people’s reaction to their defeat in 1918?
It prepared them for an impending victory, making the defeat more shocking.
What was the perception of the Versailles Treaty among the German people?
It was viewed as an unfair ‘dictated peace’.
What did Hitler challenge regarding the Versailles Treaty?
He challenged the ‘dictated peace’ settlement.
What was the impact of German defeat on Hitler and the Nazi Party?
It fueled indignation and support for revising the treaty.
How did the German military’s reputation affect German society?
It was revered as symbolic of national pride and infused politics.
What historical event forged Germany into a unified nation?
The military victory over the French in 1871.
What authority did the German armed forces hold beyond the constitution?
They had extra-constitutional authority, acting as a ‘state within a state’.
Who did far-right groups like the Nazis blame for Germany’s capitulation?
They blamed politicians and socialist traitors.
Fill in the blank: The armed forces’ power grew beyond the _______ limits of the constitution.
Legal
What was a significant psychological factor for German nationalists after the First World War?
The deep intertwining of pride in the military and belief in militarism.
What year did the German military capitulate in World War I?
1918.
True or False: The Versailles Treaty was less harsh than the conditions Germany imposed on Russia.
False.
What was Hitler’s reaction to the armistice on 11 November 1918?
He felt disbelief and then anger, believing that the military had not been defeated.
What myth did Hitler spread regarding the German military’s defeat?
That the military had been ‘stabbed in the back’ by traitorous politicians, referred to as the November criminals.
What did Hitler declare Germany needed following the armistice?
A strong, authoritarian leader to reclaim German national pride.
What were the expectations of the German people regarding the peace settlement after the armistice?
They anticipated it would be based on Woodrow Wilson’s proposals for peace.
What did Woodrow Wilson’s ‘Fourteen Points’ advocate for?
A peace based on international justice, self-determination, and negotiated settlements.
When was the Treaty of Versailles signed?
28 June 1919.
What was Article 231 of the Treaty of Versailles about?
It stated that Germany and its allies accepted responsibility for starting the war.
How did military leaders in Germany perceive the Treaty of Versailles?
As a humiliation and a ‘diktat’ enforced upon the German people - although they were the ones that had advised the government to sign it for they felt that the army was in no state to resist an Allied invasion.
What did the signing of the Treaty of Versailles contribute to the perception of democracy in Germany?
It helped create an image of democracy as politically impotent.
What is a ‘Carthagian peace’?
A term created by British economist John Maynard Keynes to compare the harshness of the Treaty of Versailles to the terrible punishment inflicted by the Roman Empire on its vanquished opponents.
What was the comparison made between the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk?
Versailles was considered mild compared to the harsh terms imposed on Russia by the Germans in 1917.
What was the German public’s perception of the Treaty of Versailles?
They viewed it as a ‘shameful’ peace.
What kind of protests occurred in Germany following the Treaty of Versailles?
Angry protests against the settlement broke out in cities across the country, spurred by nationalist propaganda which tended to represent the Allies as ghoulish vampires sucking the blood from Germany.
What did Hitler resolve to do in response to the Treaty of Versailles?
To end the peace settlement’s challenge to German national pride.
Did the Treaty of Versailles constrain German expansionist aspirations?
No, it provided opportunities for Hitler to pursue his foreign policy vision.
What was the impact of the principle of self-determination on the map of Europe?
It led to the dismantling of empires and the creation of smaller, weaker states.
What was France’s aim regarding Germany after World War I?
To permanently cripple Germany.
Why was France unable to cripple Germany through the Treaty of Versailles?
The need for a strong bulwark against Bolshevik Russia meant that Germany could not be dismantled.
How did the reparations demanded from Germany relate to its economic potential?
Although high, they were affordable if careful economic policies were introduced.
What was argued about Germany’s ability to pay the bill after World War I?
Germany might have been able to pay the bill if it had a secure government to introduce effective economic reforms.
- As it was, there was no such government able to make the difficult economic choices such as cutting costs and raising taxes.
What weakened the Allies’ commitment to upholding the conditions of the Treaty of Versailles?
Tensions between the aggressive French and the conciliatory English weakened the Allies’ commitment.
How was Hitler emboldened by the weakness of the treaty itself and the lack of commitment by the Western democracies?
It provided him an opportunity to realise his expansionist vision.
What fundamental goal of Nazi foreign policy was articulated by Hitler?
The revision of the Treaty of Versailles was a fundamental goal of Nazi foreign policy.
- Hitler made this very clear from the earliest days of his political career.
