Hitler's foreign policy Flashcards
1
Q
describe the events pertaining to the Saar
A
- 1935
- League promised a vote on whether Saar should return to Germany
- Hitler made a campaign to persuade the nation to vote for
- 90% of votes in favour
2
Q
describe Rhineland
A
- 1936
- German troops invade
- ordered to retreat if met with French resistance
- Hitler proposes de-militarization zone on French-German borders
- met with no resistance
3
Q
describe Anchluss
A
- March 1938
- Hitler wanted control over Austrian Nazis
- Hitler demanded that they be allowed to join Austrian government and be given control of laws
- a vote was made where Nazis couldn’t cote
- 12th March, Hitler invades
- month later, a rigged referendum held showing Hitler’s control in the region was supported by population
4
Q
describe the Polish Corridor events
A
- September 1939
- Hitler wanted access to Danzig through the Polish territory
- September 1 he invaded from west and met little resistance
- September 3 Britain and France declare war on Germany
5
Q
describe Sudetenland events
A
- October 1, 1938
- in March, hitler met the Sudeten leader, made demands that couldn’t be accepted
- gained support of Mussolini
- convinced Chamberlain to annex Sudetenland to Germany
- rejected peaceful settlements
6
Q
describe the rearmament of Hitler
A
- introduced conscription
- started rearming in secret against TofV
- 1933 Hitler walks out of disarmament conference
- expanded navy, allowed to do so to 35% of the size of British navy
7
Q
Give four aims of Hitler’s foreign policy
A
- destroy TofV
- racial purity- exterminate Jews and foreigners from Germany
- gain Eastern European land for Germany
- LEBENSRAUM
- defeat communism
8
Q
Give four points on what Hitler gained from Anchluss
A
- Germany grows by 7 million people
- gains resources - iron, steel, Austria’s foreign exchange reserves
- now surrounds Czechoslovakia on 3 fronts
- increases Germany’s influence in Balkans
9
Q
give four point on the Munich conference
A
- 1938, Czechoslovakia wasn’t there
- France broke their agreement with Czech by not opposing Hitler
- Hitler gets Sudetenland unopposed
- Chamberlain refrains to appeasement
10
Q
What does Germany gain out of the Nazi-Soviet pact
A
- oil and grain
- promise of peace
- agreement to divide Poland and Eastern Europe
11
Q
give four impacts of the Nazi-Soviet pact
A
- gave Stalin time to rebuild the red army (he killed off 90% of his officers during a purge)
- made France and Britain less confident and Germany more so
- made two distinct opposing teams
- gave Germany opportunity to start war earlier
12
Q
Why did Stalin agree to the Nazi-Soviet pact
A
- no alternative
- Britain and France’s pact put him at risk of war in Poland
- found Britain and france spineless due to appeasement
- gains
- bought himself 2 years to delay war which he wasn’t ready for
- believed in collective security, got peace
- can get land in Finland and Latvia
13
Q
describe the Spanish Civil War
A
- 1936
- civil war between left and right wing
- Hitler saw this as opportunity to defeat communism
- tested his new weapon - BLITZKEREIG
- his attack had devastating effects on Republican territory
- right wing won
14
Q
Why did hurler want to take over Czechoslovakia?
A
- gain more land
- it was home to 3 million German speakers
- gave him strategic advantage regarding Poland
- create LEBENSRAUM (living space)
15
Q
why was Anschluss a success?
A
- in 1936, Hitler and Mussolini formalized the Rome-Berlin axis, making them allies
- Austria hence lost protection of Italy
- reason why SCHUSCHNIGG conceded to cancelling referendum
- French politics in turmoil at the time, in no condition to stop Germany
- Britain unmotivated to help
- population against idea of another war
- Anschluss not seen as a threat to Britain
