German foreign policy 1933-40 Flashcards
Give an overview of Hitler and Nazi Germany between 1933 and 38
- Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany in January 1933 and quickly established a single-party state.
- By 1938, he had total power. His foreign policy, based on fascist ideology, became more aggressive as he became more powerful.
Describe the implementation of the Gleichschaltung
In 1933, Hitler and the Nazi Party implemented the policy of Gleichschaltung, meaning ‘making the same’ in German, merging the government with the party.
What were the effects of the implementation of the policy of Gleichschaltun?
- Banning all political parties except the Nazi Party
- Abolishing labour unions
- Filling governing organizations and offices with Nazi Party officials
- Giving all police power to the Schutzstaffel, SS.
Give examples of how Hitler consilidated power between 1933 and 38
- Hitler and the Nazi Party implemented the policy of Gleichschaltung, meaning ‘making the same’ in German, merging the government with the party.
- Hitler also eliminated threats to his power from members of the Nazi Party.
- In 1934, he executed his most serious rivals within the party.
Only the German army evaded his control, where the conservative nobility, who made up the officer corps, did not trust Hitler.
-By 1938, the top commanders had been replaced with men loyal to Hitler. He now controlled the army.
How did Hitler’s consolidation of power between 1933 and 1938 impact his confidence?
With each increase in power, Hitler felt more confident challenging the limitations of the Treaty of Versailles.
Give an overview of Nazi Germany’s economy between 1933 and 39
The Nazis’ early economic policies focused on the problems caused by the Great Depression.
When was the ‘New Plan’ introduced?
1934
Who introduced the ‘New Plan’?
Hjalmar Schacht, German Minister of Economics
What was the ‘New Plan’?
- This gave more power to the government to control the economy.
- Germany only traded with countries if their exports were equal to or greater in value than their imports.
- Trade increased with states that exported raw materials to Germany and bought German manufactured goods.
What were the effects of the ‘New Plan’?
Trade increased with states that exported raw materials to Germany and bought German manufactured goods:
- Food became cheaper in Germany.
- More money became available to use for rearmament.
- Increased trade with central and eastern European states made them rely economically, and therefore politically, on Germany.
How quickly did Germany’s economy recover in the 1930s compared to that of other states?
Germany’s economy recovered more quickly than other states.
What did Germany’s quick economic recovery in the 1930s allow and why?
Because Britain and France relied on imperial preference, this allowed Germany to increase its political influence throughout the rest of Europe.
How did the New Plan turn out?
- The New Plan had been designed to strengthen Germany’s economy, but pressure caused increasing spending on military priorities.
- Schacht wanted to stay focused on the economy.
When was the Four Year Plan introduced?
1936 (1936-39)
What was the aim of the Four Year Plan?
- The government hoped to gain greater self-sufficiency.
- This would reduce Germany’s vulnerability to embargoes and blockades like the one in the First World War.
- However, the main goal was to support rearmament.
Who led the Four Year Plan?
Hermann Goering
What does the historian Richard Overy believe about the Four Year Plan?
That it was designed to prepare Germany for war, probably sometime in the 1940s
What were the effects of the Four Year Plan?
- German military production increased, but it contributed to inflation.
- Some historians argue that political pressure from workers and economic problems were a major cause of Germany going to war in 1939.
Why was German rearmament needed after WW1?
The Treaty of Versailles greatly restricted Germany’s military.
Why was Germany vulnerable after 1919?
- Germany was disarmed, but the countries that bordered it, France and Poland, had large armies and formed an alliance.
- France also formed the Little Entente with Czechoslovakia, Romania and Yugoslavia in 1920 and 1921.
- Many Germans felt encircled.
What factors exacerbated the vulnerability of Germany after 1919?
- When France and Belgium occupied the Ruhr region to enforce reparations payments, the German sense of vulnerability increased.
- Growing concerns over an industrializing Soviet Union added to Germany’s desire to defend itself.
What was the World Disarmament Conference and when did it take place?
- The League of Nations held a World Disarmament Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1932.
- The goal was to decrease the size of armies.
How did the World Disarmament Conference actually turn out?
- France refused to reduce its military without a security guarantee from Britain and the USA.
- Both countries refused. France’s insistence on a large army increased Germany’s desire for rearmament.
- Germany left the conference and soon withdrew from the League of Nations.
When did Germany begin rearmament?
March 1935
German rearmament (which started in 1935) violated ___
The terms of the Treaty of Versailles
Describe German rearmament (starting in 1935)
Germany:
- Began conscription
- Established a large air force
- Expanded the navy.
What was the state of Germany’s army by 1939 and how was this different from other countries?
- By 1939, Germany had a large army, air force and military arms production capability.
- During this time, the Great Depression caused most countries to limit military spending.
When was the Stresa Front created?
April 1935
What was the Stresa Front?
- A front created by the leaders of Britain, France, and Italy in response to Germany’s rearmament.
- They condemned German violations of the Treaty of Versailles and agreed to cooperate with regard to Germany.
What were the limitations of the Stresa Front?
Because of the Great Depression, none of the countries had the ability to act militarily against Germany.
How did Hitler respond to the creation of the Stresa Front?
He gave assurances that he had no aggressive intentions
What was France’s response to German rearmament?
- Although France was a great military power, it sought a new ally.
- Britain and Poland were not reliable. In May 1935, France and the Soviet Union signed the Franco-Soviet Treaty of Mutual Assurance.
What did France and the Soviet Union agree to in the Franco-Soviet Treaty of Mutual Assurance?
They agreed to:
- Work through the League of Nations for peace
- Aid each other in case of conflict.
Describe Britain’s rearmament after WW1 and its response to German rearmament
- Following the First World War, there was little support for rearmament.
- Economic problems from the Great Depression strengthened this reluctance.
- Germany’s decision to rearm changed British attitudes towards rearmament.
- Britain began rearmament on a large scale.
- Military spending increased by over 600% between 1935 and 1939.
Give an overview of the political situation in Germany between 1933 and 35
- Between 1933 and 1935, Hitler had a cautious foreign policy.
- Germany’s economy and military was weak.
- Politically, Hitler was consolidating his power.
Give examples of Nazi philosophy and beliefs that influenced German foreign policy
- Completely revising the Treaty of Versailles
- Pan-Germanism or all Germans should live in Germany
- Anti-communism
- Germany needed living space or lebensraum
- Germans were a superior race destined to conquer and rule non-German inferior races
- Democracy created weak states
- Germany needed strong leadership.
When was the Polish–German Non-Aggression Pact signed?
January 1934
What was agreed to at the Polish-German Non-Agression Pact of 1934?
- Both countries agreed not to attack each other for a period of ten years.
- Poland felt it had little to fear from Germany.
Why did Poland feel it had little to fear from Germany (at the Polish-German Non-Agression Pact in 1934?
Poland:
- Possessed a large army
- Had an alliance with France
- Worried more about the Soviet Union.
Why did Germany benefit from the Polish-German Non-Agression Pact?
Germany:
- Could rearm without fear about Poland
- Had weakened the alliance between France and Poland
- Would lead to more trade with Poland, a source of food and metals.
What was France’s reaction to the Polish-German Non-Aggression Pact?
- France was furious with Poland.
- Their alliance and trust was weakened.
- But, France could do little about it.
- The non-aggression pact may have been a cause of France seeking better relations with the Soviet Union.
What was the Soviet Union’s response to the Polish-German Non-Aggression Pact?
- Favourable relations had existed between Germany and the Soviet Union since the Rapallo Treaty established diplomatic relations in 1922. Trade and limited military cooperation soon developed. This cooperation continued after the Nazis came to power.
- The Polish–German Non-Aggression Pact ended all cooperation. The Soviets worried about Poland concentrating military forces on their border and a potential alliance between Germany and Poland.
- The Soviet Union joined the League of Nations in September 1934 and worked to create positive relations with other countries.
Describe the relationship between Austria and Germany in 1934
- Pan-Germanism appealed to many in Austria and Germany, including Hitler who was born in Austria.
- Political instability in Austria may have led to the desire for stability offered by Germany.
- In June 1934, Hitler discussed with Mussolini the idea of making Austria a German satellite state.
- Mussolini rejected this idea. Hitler encouraged the Austrian Nazi Party to stage a coup.
- This led to the Stresa Front. Germany was too weak to intervene militarily.
What was the Saar?
The Saar was an iron- and coal-rich region in Germany administered by the League of Nations
When was the Saar plebiscite?
January 1935
What was the outcome of the Saar Plebiscite?
More than 90% of Saar residents voted to join Germany.
When was the Anglo-German Naval Treaty signed?
June 1935
What was Britain’s thinking in regard to the Anglo-German Naval Treaty?
- Britain considered Germany had legitimate concerns, but should be limited militarily.
- For Britain, the treaty accomplished these goals by limiting Germany’s navy to 35% of Britain’s navy.
What was France’s and Italy’s reaction to the Anglo-German Naval Treaty?
- France and Italy judged the treaty as encouraging German rearmament.
- The Stresa Front was seriously weakened and then collapsed with Italy’s invasion of Abyssinia later in 1935.
How did the situation in Germany change between 1936 and 39?
- Germany’s improved economy and strengthened military encouraged Hitler to pursue a more aggressive foreign policy.
- Hitler benefited from other developments as well.
What benefits did Hitler benefit from between 1936 and 39 (other than military and economic strength)?
- Britain was sympathetic to many of Germany’s goals.
- France and Britain could not agree how to respond to German actions.
- Few countries would cooperate with the Soviet Union.
- Italy developed a favourable foreign policy towards Germany.
Why had the Rhineland been demilitarized and what was the German sentiment around this?
- The Treaty of Versailles created a demilitarized Rhineland, German territory bordering France, Belgium and Luxembourg.
- Germany’s inability to defend the Rhineland was one of the sources of humiliation.
- Demilitarization made Germany vulnerable to attack.
What caused Hitler to remilitarize the Rhineland?
Hitler saw the political turmoil from the Abyssinian Crisis as an opportunity to act in the Rhineland.
When was the Rhineland remilitarized?
March 1936
Describe the events that led up to the remilitarization of the Rhineland
- Hitler saw the political turmoil from the Abyssinian Crisis as an opportunity to act in the Rhineland.
- In December 1935, he ordered the German army to create an occupation plan.
- Diplomatically, Germany argued that the Franco-Soviet Treaty of Mutual Assurance altered the Locarno treaties, permitting Germany to alter other agreements.
Describe the German occupation and remilitarization of the Rhineland
- On 7 March 1936, German troops reoccupied and therefore remilitarized the Rhineland.
- They were few in number in order to minimize France’s reaction.
Why were the Germans few in number in their occupation of the Rhineland?
To minimize France’s reaction.
Describe the French response to Germany’s remilitarization of the Rhineland
France did not respond.
- Germany did not violate the French border.
- The French army believed Germany would not attack through the Rhineland.
- Military plans prepared for a defensive war and therefore had no plans to invade Germany, even if the Rhineland was remilitarized.
- France refused to fight Germany alone.
- Military spending increased.
