Hitler's foreign policy, 1933-39 Flashcards
what is a master-planner?
someone who devises a comprehensive plan of action, conceived significantly in advance of the action being carried out
what is an opportunist?
someone who exploits circumstances/seizes opportunities as they arise
when did Hitler withdraw Germany from the Disarmament Conference and the League of Nations?
October 1933
why did Hitler withdraw Germany from the Disarmament Conference and the League of Nations?
he resented the discrimination against Germany over armaments and disliked the multilateral nature of the League of Nations
what significant agreement did Hitler make with Poland in January 1934?
the Non-Aggression Pact
what was the outcome of the failed Nazi coup in Austria in July 1934?
Austrian Nazis assassinated Chancellor Dolfuss in an attempt to unite Austria with Germany, but Mussolini’s intervention forced the coup to fail
what happened in January 1935 in Saarland?
a plebiscite held in Saarland resulted in 90% voting to rejoin Germany, marking a triumph for Hitler
when did Hitler reintroduce conscription in Germany?
March 1935
what was the Stresa Front?
a cooperation between Britain, France and Italy in 1935 to prevent any country from unilaterally abandoning the Treaty of Versailles
what did the Anglo-German Naval Agreeement do? + when
June 1935
it allowed Germany’s navy to be limited to 35% of Britain’s navy, breaking the Stresa Front
what happened during the remilitarisation of the Rhineland?
in March 1936, 20,000 German trops entered the Rhineland, and there was no French military response, emboldening Hitler
what event marked the start of an alliance between Hitler and Mussolini?
the involvement in the Spanish Civil War in 1936
what was the Pact of Steel?
May 1939
a military alliance between Germany and Italy, committing to mutual support if either country went to war
what was the significance of the Hossbach Memorandum?
November 1937
Hitler outlined the need for increased rearmament to prepare for war in the mid-1940s
when did the Anschluss (annexation of Austria) occur?
March 1938
what was the Munich Conference of 1938 about?
it was a meeting between Britain, France, Germany and Italy that agreed to allow Germany to occupy the Sudetenland
how did Hitler proceed with the destruction of Czechoslovakia in 1939?
he used the Sudetenland issue to dismember Czechoslovakia, culminating in the invasion and occupation of Bohemia and Moravia
what led to the British guarantee to Poland in March 1939?
Hitler’s pressure on Poland, inc. the demand for Danzig and a rail-and-road route to East Prussia
what was the Nazi-Soviet Pact and when?
August 1939
a non-agression agreement between Germany and the USSR, with secret protocols to divide spheres of influence in Eastern Europe
what was the significance of the Nazi-Soviet Pact for Hitler?
it isolated Poland, destroyed attempts to create a Soviet alliance with the West, and allowed Germany to avoid a two-front war
when did Germany invade Poland?
1 September 1939
what was the outcome of Britain and France’s declaration of war and when?
3 September 1939
despite declaring war, Britain and France were unable to provide significant military assistance to Poland
