Foreign Policy: Why did Germany invade Poland in 1939? Flashcards
What was the debate among historians regarding the outbreak of war in 1939?
Historians debate whether Hitler wanted a war in 1939 or stumbled into it by accident.
What events contributed to Hitler’s confidence before the outbreak of war?
Successful engineering of the Anschluss and failures of Western democracies to prevent him seizing Czechoslovakia.
What did Hitler underestimate that led to his miscalculations?
He underestimated Polish, British, and French resolve to stop him from dominating Europe.
What miscalculations did Hitler make?
He miscalculated and was shocked first by Polish resolve and then by the military preparedness and the willingness of the Western Allies to fight.
What were the pacts that Hitler made prior to the war?
Pacts with Italy and the Soviet Union.
- This merely added to his sense of confidence and led him to believe that the time was right to launch a war.
Why was German control over Poland vital for Hitler?
To secure his eastern borders and as a first step towards invading the Soviet Union.
What was the Polish Corridor?
Splitting of Eastern Prussia from the rest of Germany and granted Poland access to the sea.
What was a significant consequence of the Versailles settlement for Poland?
Poland received parts of the important industrial region of Silesia.
What was the status of the Port of Danzig before the war?
It was controlled by the League of Nations and was formerly a German city.
What did Hitler fail to understand about British and French reactions to his territorial ambitions?
Hitler could not conceive why they would risk war to prevent his securing German territories when they had not prevented his invasion of non-German Czechoslovakia.
How did Poland’s political stance affect its relationships with Western powers?
Poland was an authoritarian dictatorship that introduced anti-Semitic policies, similar to Germany, which made them not obvious friends of the West.
What impact did the dismemberment of Czechoslovakia have on Poland?
Poland benefited from the German dismemberment of Czechoslovakia by forcing the secession of the Teschen territory.
What was the nature of the agreement between Germany and Poland in 1934?
Germany and Poland signed a non-aggression pact.
What did Hitler believe after the Munich Conference regarding the Allies?
Hitler was convinced that the Allies were weak and could be bullied without risking war.
What was the purpose of the meeting between Polish ambassador Jozef Lipski and German foreign minister von Ribbentrop in October 1938?
To discuss the revision of German-Polish borders and the return of Danzig.
What was the Anti-Comintern Pact?
An agreement between Germany, Italy, and Japan in opposition to the Soviet Union.
- Germany hoped that Poland would join the Anti-Comintern Pact.
How was Poland’s military expenditure characterized in the mid-1930s?
Poland was spending approximately half of its government expenditure on its armed forces.
What was Poland’s stance towards German aggression in 1939?
Polish leaders were in no mood to crumble in the face of German aggression.
What did Hitler express as a strategy regarding Poland in May 1939?
The task is to isolate Poland. The success is decisive.
What realization did the British government come to after the German invasion of Czechoslovakia?
Hitler sought to dominate the world by force, not just revise Versailles.
What did Chamberlain announce in 1939 regarding British support for Poland?
The British would guarantee Polish independence if they were attacked.
What limitations did the British guarantee to Poland include?
The guarantee would not be invoked if the Poles showed provocative or stupid obstinacy.
Did Hitler believe that Britain was committed to defending Poland?
Hitler believed that Britain’s commitment to Poland was weak.
What was the Pact of Steel?
A military alliance between Germany and Italy that guaranteed mutual support in war.
What condition did Mussolini have when signing the Pact of Steel?
That Germany would not start the war until 1942.
How did Hitler misinterpret the British pledge to Poland?
He believed they would not fight a war to defend Poland.
Fill in the blank: The Poles took the British guarantee of independence seriously, which _______ them.
emboldened
When did Germany sign the Pact of Steel with Italy?
May 1939
What was the Pact of Steel?
A military alliance that guaranteed that the 2 nations would support each other in war.
Mussolini signed the pact on the proviso that it included a provision that Germany would not start the war until 1942 - this was omitted.
What did Hitler refer to his enemies as during a meeting in August 1939?
‘tiny little worms’
This reflects Hitler’s underestimation of the Allied powers’ resolve.
What miscalculation did Hitler make regarding the Allied pledge to Poland?
He believed they had ‘undertaken obligations which neither is in a position to fulfil’
- This indicates his lack of understanding of the seriousness of the Allies’ commitments.
How did Hitler misjudge British military strength?
He thought there was no real rearmament in England, only propaganda
- Hitler underestimated the actual military preparations that included radar installation.
What was Hitler’s belief about the British response after Germany attacked Poland?
He believed they would ‘chicken out again’
- This reflects his confidence in the lack of Allied military resolve.
How did Hitler underestimate British public opinion?
He did not understand the strength of public opinion in Britain, which was increasingly anti-German
- This misjudgement led to significant political pressure on the British government.
What was the Polish issue from Hitler’s perspective?
He saw it as no different from the Czech crisis
- Hitler believed Britain’s lack of action in Czechoslovakia would carry over to Poland.
What was the main reason Britain risked war over Poland?
To protect the balance of power in Europe
- Britain’s status as a great power depended on preventing any single nation from dominating Europe.
What was the significance of the Nazi-Soviet Pact for Hitler’s confidence?
It made him more confident that he could invade Poland without Western intervention
- The pact ensured that Germany would not have to fight on two fronts.
Who signed the non-aggression pact in August 1939?
German foreign minister von Ribbentrop and the Soviet Union
This pact guaranteed neither side would attack the other for ten years.
What did von Ribbentrop’s personal feelings towards Britain influence?
It influenced his portrayal of British resolve and his advice to Hitler
- His low opinion of the British led him to mislead Hitler about their willingness to fight.
What warning did Chamberlain give to Hitler regarding the Nazi-Soviet Pact?
‘no greater mistake could be made’
Chamberlain warned that the pact would not reduce British commitment to defend Poland.
- Hitler ignored this
How did Ribbentrop frustrate last minute attempts to avoid war?
By forbidding the German ambassador in Warsaw to negotiate in 1939 and refusing to pass onto Hitler warning reports regarding the crisis because they didn’t support Hitler’s personal perspective.
Why was Hitler concerned over the growing power of the USA?
He believed that they were going to ally with Britain and France to destroy Germany due to the powerful Jewish elements in their government.
He saw them as part of the Jewish conspiracy.
- To prevent this, he believed he needed to launch war before it was too late.
In what year did Poland sign a non-aggression pact with the USSR?
1932
Why was Hitler convinced that Britain ‘will not take any risks’?
Britain had turned down a request for a loan for rearmament - he was unaware that Britain were relatively pleased with their pace of rearmament (as well as their development of radar which would help protect them against German bombing).
What does it mean for a plan to be ‘precise’?
For it to be a specific idea
What does it mean for a plan to be ‘coherent’?
For a plan to have clarity or intelligibility, cohesion of plans/ideas.
