Historical Interpretations

Question 1

What were the foreign policies of the First and Second Reichs?

Answer 1

1. Territorial expansion through war and military strength
2. Diplomacy with other nations and forming alliances (e.g. Second Reich – Triple Alliance with Austria-Hungary and Italy in 1882)

Question 2

Why did Hitler call the Nazi regime the “Third Reich”?

Answer 2

1. He believed that his foreign policy continued the work of previous German empires.
2. He celebrated the triumphs of the First and Second Reichs, and wanted to make Germany as powerful as they had (e.g. he was positioned next to previous leaders in Nazi propaganda).

Question 3

Identify three foreign policy aims outlined in Mein Kampf and Zweites Buch.

Answer 3

1. Overturning the TOV;
2. Expansion east & establishing lebensraum (“living space”) for German people;
3. Seeking alliances with racially superior countries, such as Britain.

Question 4

What was the name of the Nazi Party’s foreign office set up in 1933?

Answer 4

The Bureau Ribbentrop

Question 5

What did Germany and Poland sign in January 1934?

Answer 5

A non-aggression pact – an agreement that they would not go to war with each other.

Question 6

Why did the Nazis fail to take control of Austria in 1934?

Answer 6

Mussolini moved 40,000 Italian troops to the Austro-Italian frontier, forcing Germany to back down.

Question 7

When did Hitler and Italy sign the Rome-Berlin Axis?

Answer 7

November 1936

Question 8

Why was the Rome-Berlin Axis signed?

Answer 8

Germany and Italy were both supporting the Spanish fascists in the Spanish Civil War.

Question 9

What did the Anti-Comintern Pact state?

Answer 9

Germany, Japan and Italy would do all they could to “safeguard their common interests” from communism.

Question 10

Why did the Nazis decide to take over Austria in 1938?

Answer 10

1. They took advantage of political instability in Austria, created by Austrian Nazis.
2. Germany’s relations with Italy were improved.
3. Britain and France was preoccupied with situations at home (e.g. the resignation of Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden in Britain).

Question 11

When did Hitler and Mussolini enter a military alliance?

Answer 11

May 1939

Question 12

How big was the German army by mid-1939?

Answer 12

103 infantry (soldier) divisions of 15,000 to 18,000 men

Question 13

What did the Nazi-Soviet Pact (1939) state?

Answer 13

1. It was a non-aggression pact – they agreed to not go to war with each other.
2. They agreed to invade Poland and divide eastern Europe between them.

Question 14

When did Germany invade Poland?

Answer 14

September 1, 1939

Question 15

What was the aim of the League of Nations (LoN)?

Answer 15

To encourage cooperation and diplomacy between LoN member countries, and to avoid the outbreak of war (“collective security”).

Question 16

Why was the League of Nations so weak? (Three reasons)

Answer 16

1. It did not have a military.
2. It was slow to make decisions, as the majority of its members had to agree to them.
3. Not all nations were a member.

Question 17

Why did Britain follow a policy of appeasement?

Answer 17

Britain wanted to avoid another world war, as it could not guarantee the support of its colonies if war broke out. They feared another war might cause problems in their empire.

Question 18

Why did appeasement influence Hitler’s foreign policy?

Answer 18

It gave Hitler greater confidence that Britain and France would not go to war, therefore encouraging his aggression.

Question 19

What agreement encouraged Hitler to invade Poland in September 1939?

Answer 19

The Nazi-Soviet Pact – the USSR promised not to go to war with Germany.

Question 20

Why did the USSR sign the Nazi-Soviet Pact?

Answer 20

1. Stalin had suggested an alliance between Russia, France and Britain in April 1939, but this was not agreed (fear of communism).
2. The USSR was fighting a war against Japan from July 1938, and wanted to avoid a war on two fronts.