German Foreign Policy KEY POINTS

Question 1

Influence of German History

Answer 1

• September Program drawn up by German government at the start of WW1 to set out to take over vast areas of Europe ; plan for territorial expansion by Chancellor Theobald
• Kaiser Wilhelm’s Westpolitik of colonial expansion was based upon racist assumptions
• Anti-semitism and racial inferiority ideas were born out of the Volk in 1871 and Weimar Government spawned ideas of Eugenics
• Idea of Pan Germanisation held by many in the Habsburg empire too

Question 2

Radical change? Hitler changed the direction of Sonderweg?

Answer 2

Hitler’s role in shaping foreign policy
Wanted Lebensraum to overturn TOV
Hitler ultimately made the decision (structure of Nazi gov) to redirect economic policy from 1936 and then he remilitarised the Rhineland
Hitler was behind decision to annex Austria and Bloomberg Frisch affair
Mein Kampf and Nazi 25 point Programme both set out Hitler’s vision of Lebensraum and demanded abolition of TOV
Hitler’s second books (published after death) written in 1928 set out his Stufenplan ; step by step plan
How’s back Memorandum sets out Hitler’s vision for Anschluss and destruction of Czechoslovakia in 1945

Question 3

International context after WW1 - weaknesses

Answer 3

States of Austria Hungary were unstable and inward looking
Britain had been weakened - had to lay for enormous economic costs + empire was fighting back (Egypt and India)
France faced ongoing political and economic turmoil
USA followed isolationism and did not uphold European order + join LON

Question 4

Nazi Aims

Answer 4

Overturning TOV had begun under Weimar and under Nazi regime the pace and direction changed
Hossbach conference 1937 ; address to Von Neurath marked a turning point from a revisionist policy to one of aggressive expansion

Question 5

Was Hitler an opportunist?

Answer 5

Taylor - Hitler’s role was more that of a pragmatist and the Anglo-French Policy of appeasement gave Hitler the real opportunity to exploit Nazi expansionism
Broszat - Hitler’s goals of expansion were utopian and it was the dynamism of Nazi movement + incessant demands for change which transformed Lebensraum into political reality
Mason - internal discontent of Nazi economic policy shaped Foreign policy ; in order to preserve his own political supremacy at home, he was forced to accelerate his war ambitions
Bullock - had aims but these were adapted with complete opportunism in methods and tactics

Question 6

Continuity?

Answer 6

Foreign policy did not undergo a complete turn about in 2934 - unexpected failure of Germany to achieve its ambitions in WW1 left a legacy of unsatisfied aspirations at many levels of German society which were fuelled by the Diktat of Versailles ; Weimar were revisionists and Hitler advanced these ideas to gain acceptance among the established elite

Question 7

Critics of the view that it was influenced by German History

Answer 7

USSR and USA stayed largely out of foreign affairs
League uh nations was ineffective and unable to prevent Italy’s invasion of Abyssinia
Spanish Civil war strengthened Hitler’s position between Italy and Germany ; Britain and France didn’t intervene giving Hitler confidence

Question 8

Appeasement

Answer 8

Genuine desire to avoid war while recovering from WW1 + recovery of Great Depression
Many sympathised with Germany because TOV so harsh

Question 9

4 year plan - Intentionalist

Answer 9

Need for raw materials to make weapons ; solution was to get more territory

Goering- Responsible for creating and equipping the luftwaffe. He was head of the four year plan organisation and repsonsible for much of the rearmament in the 1930’s. So he built military foundations for war. In 1938 he advocated an aggressive approach to Anschluss - showing similary views to Hitler. He hid weaknesses and failings of four year plans and luftwaffe from Hitler, and encouraged Hitler to think Germany was ready for war.