Hitler's Foreign Policies, Aims And Actions 1933-39 Flashcards
Hitler’s Rearmament:
Step 1 = 1933, Hitler left the disarmament conference by claiming that no other powers were prepared to disarm. He claimed that he wanted peace and to disarm fully with his neighbours. He also withdrew from the League of Nations.
Step 2 = 1934, He signed a non-aggression pact with Poland (promising not to attack each other for 10 years).
Step 3 = 1935, Hitler started to build up his army by introducing conscription (banned by the ToV). Again he claimed this was the fault of other countries who were building up their arms.
Step 4 = 1935, Even though Germany was forbidden to rearm, Britain agreed to a deal with Hitler on the size of his army, saying that it should be no bigger than 35% of Britain’s Navy.
Hitler’s Main Three (Four) Aims?
- To destroy the Treaty of Versailles, re-arm Germany and recover its lost lands.
- To bring all German-speaking people everywhere under German control.
- To expand eastwards to gain Lebensraum (‘living space’) for the German people.
(4. To destroy the Communist USSR)
Return of the Saarland
The Saar was an industrial area put under the control of the League of Nations after World War One. A Plebiscite (vote) or referendum was to be held after 15 years in which the people of the Saar would decide if they wanted to return Germany.
A vote was held and 90% of the people voted to return to Germany. The Nazis celebrated and claimed this was the start of removing the Treaty of Versailles. Although the plebiscite was ruled as genuine, it is known that Nazis beat up opposition and pressurised some Saarlanders into voting to reunite with Germany.
Remilitarisation of the Rhineland
Hitler started doing things forbidden by the ToV to see if anybody would challenge him. This started with the Rhineland which was demilitarised under the ToV, it was German land but they were not allowed troops or weapons there.
7th March 1936, Hitler sent 32,000 troops into the Rhineland, he feared that Britain and France would try to stop him but they did nothing. The Germans were pleased and it encouraged Hitler to continue to go against the Treaty and pursue his Foreign Policy aims.
This is a key point where Britain and France could have stopped Hitler when he was too weak for war but they failed to act against him. The LoN also did nothing except condemn Hitler. They were more concerned with Mussolini in Abyssinia.
Rome-Berlin Axis
Hitler wanted to remove another part of the ToV and join German speaking Austria with Germany.
- 1934, Nazi Party activists murdered Engelbert Dolfus, the chancellor of Austria.
- The Nazis then tried to take over the government but were stopped by his successor, Kurt von Schuschnigg and by the opposition of Benito Mussolini, the Italian dictator.
- This forced the Nazis to back down and Hitler promised to stay out of Austria’s affairs.
- 1936, Hitler & Mussolini fought on the same side in the Spanish Civil War where they supported the Fascist General Franco. Hitler formed an alliance with Mussolini (Rome-Berlin) and another with Italy and Japan in 1937 (Anti-Comintern) and was now stronger so he felt Italy would not challenge the Anschluss.
Appeasement
What?
Appeasement was an idea started by the British Prime minister Neville Chamberlain in 1937. Chamberlain believed if he discussed with Hitler what he wanted and saw it was reasonable he would allow Hitler to have it. This he believed would show Hitler that Britain was being fair and would prevent Hitler from going too far and causing another war.
Why?
People in Britain did not want another war like World War One and felt this was a good policy at first. In addition Britain had not rearmed quickly enough and was not strong enough to fight Germany. Also with Communist Russia seeming to be a threat to democracies Britain saw a strong Germany that would act as a buffer against Russia’s power and territorial ambitions.
Anschluss
1938, Hitler ordered the Nazi Party in Austria to campaign for Anschluss and riots began. The Austria Chancellor, Schuschnigg tried to arrange a plebiscite so the Austrian people could decide if they wanted to join with Germany.
Hitler feared the answer might be ‘No’ and moved swiftly placing troops on the border and ordering the Austrian Nazis to riot. The Chancellor Schuschnigg resigned and was replaced by a pro German Chancellor and Nazi leader, Seyss-Inquart who invited Hitler to send German troops into Austria to restore order.
12th March 1938, Hitler entered Austria in triumph
14th March 1938, Germany and Austria are united and a plebiscite is held in which 99.75% of the population agrees. This was another success for Hitler as no-one stopped him.
Czechoslovakia and Sudetenland
Czechoslovakia - Strong defences in the Sudetenland, large coal deposits, and defence agreements with Russia and France. Hitler wanted it for Lebensraum and he hated the country as it was a symbol of the hated Treaty of Versailles.
Czechoslovakia had 3 million German speakers living in the Sudetenland, and this encouraged Hitler. He used the Czech Nazi Part to try and get rights for these German speakers. Nazi troops on border of Czechoslovakia. 12th September 1938, Sudeten Nazis riot, crushed by Czechoslovakian government and Hitler threatens war.
15-22nd September 1938, Chamberlain meets Hitler in Berchtesgaden. Chamberlain persuades Czechoslovakians to give up areas with majority Germans. Hitler wants all of Sudetenland and again threatens to go to war. Chamberlain refuses this final demand.
The Munich Conference
Mussolini, leader of Italy, persuaded Hitler to attend a four power conference to discuss Czechoslovakia in Munich on 29 September 1938. Hitler, Mussolini, Chamberlain and Daladier (France) attended but Czechoslovakia was not invited.
It was agreed that the Sudetenland would become part of Germany immediately. Britain and France forced the Czechoslovakians to accept this agreement.
1st October 1938 - Hitler’s armies occupied the Sudetenland.
Peace had been obtained. Chamberlain signed a separate agreement with Hitler, in which they promised not to go to war with each other.
Chamberlain returned a hero, but Churchill was critical. Chamberlain had achieved what most people wanted - kept peace in Europe.
Germany Invades Czechoslovakia
The Munich Conference weakened Czechoslovakia:
- Lost strong defensive system
- Lost key industrial areas
- Lost land to Poland in October and Hungary in November
- Other nationalities now demanded a return to their nation states.
In 1939, with the Slovaks demanding more rights, President Hacha asks for Hitler’s help. Hacha had no choice but to invite the Germans into Czechoslovakia. 15 March Nazis march into Prague and take control of Czechoslovakia.
Not opposed by Britain or France as Germany was invited in by the Czechoslovakian government. Marked end of appeasement - Hitler showed himself the aggressor and Britain introduced conscription.
Arguments for Appeasement
- Many people agreed that the Treaty of Versailles was unfair and many of the people in the Saar, Rhineland and Austrians, wanted to be part of Germany
- Britain feared communist Russia and saw a strong Germany as a barrier to communist expansion in Europe
- Many people wanted to avoid war - WWI was too fresh in many minds
- Britain was unprepared for a war. Britain still suffering the effects of the depression and had not had time to re-arm in 1938.
- Britain had a moral advantage. When war did start they knew they had done everything possible to prevent war and were fighting a just war against an evil aggressor.
Arguments against Appeasement
- Churchill and other leading figures argued you could not negotiate with someone like Hitler, as he would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. 2. 2. His demands became more extravagant.
Appeasement encouraged Hitler to see Britain and France as ‘little worms’ and he could score easy victories over them. - Gave Hitler the time to become strong. Britain had lost the opportunity to stop him while he was relatively weak.
- Churchill called appeasement a defeat and humiliation for Britain. Chamberlain had been made a fool of through meaningless promises.
- Appeasement was morally wrong. People and land were betrayed to Nazi control after the Treaty of Versailles had promised protection.
Nazi-Soviet Pact
- 23rd August 1938- Germany and Russia signed a pact in which they agreed not to attack each other. A shock as they didn’t like each other and Lebensraum threatened Russia.
- Agreed not to interfere with each other in war. A secret clause divided Poland between them. Both countries regained land lost at the end of WWI.
Why is it important?
- Stalin gained time to prepare Russia for an expected attack from Germany.
- Attack on Poland inevitable - no danger of a war on 2 fronts, which had cost Germany WWI
- Stalin felt Britain and France had no intention of forming an alliance with him.
- Hitler presumed Britain would not oppose a Polish invasion as they had intervened before.
Invasion of Poland
Why Poland?
- Danzig had 90% German population. Hitler had demanded the Poles return it to Germany in April 1939.
- Hitler believed if he kept pressuring Poland, Britain and France would agree to Danzig’s return.
- Hitler still believed Britain and France were scared of war, but Britain and France stood by their guarantee of independence to Poland
- Czechoslovakia was the final straw for Britain and France, who warned they would join the war if Poland was attacked.
- British opinion supported opposing Hitler
1st September 1939 - German troops invade Poland
3rd September 1939 - Britain declares war on Germany.
Caused of World War Two
- Failures of league
- Paris Peace settlement effect on eastern Europe
- Appeasement
- Weakness of League
- Effects of great depression
- Hitler’s invasions
- Pacts and treaties
- USSR signing Nazi-Soviet Pact
