Hitler's Foreign Policy

Question 1

What was Hitler’s aims?

Answer 1

R - Rearm Germany
U - Unite all German speaking people
T - To expand Germany’s territory so that Germany would gain more “Lebensraum” (living space).

Question 2

What happened in October 1933?

Answer 2

Germany left the League of Nations and the Disarmament Conference after Hitler said German’s would accept disarmament if every nation disarmed if not, they’d increase armaments to the French levels. The French would then neither disarm or let the Germans rearm so Hitler left the conference.

Question 3

What happened in January 1935?

Answer 3

In January 1935, Hitler held a vote in the Saar and 477,000 to 48,000 votes were in favour of the Saar returning to Germany. So Germany then gained back the Saar and promised to not take any other French territory.

Question 4

Why did Hitler want the Saar?

Answer 4

Hitler wanted the Saar because it was rich in coal.

Question 5

What happened in March 1935?

Answer 5

In March 1935, Hitler announced that Germany now had a military air force and then he’d introduce conscription to expand the army to 500,000 men.

Question 6

What was the Stresa Front?

Answer 6

This was between France, Britain and Italy who agreed to condemn German re-armament and to work together to preserve existing treaties.

Question 7

What was the Anglo-German Treaty?

Answer 7

In June 1935, Britain allowed the German’s to build a navy 35% of the sizes of Britain’s. However Britain didn’t consult with France or Italy about this so the Stresa Front collapsed.

Question 8

What happened in March 1936?

Answer 8

In March 1936, Hitler marched his troops into the Rhineland which was supposed to be demilitarised. His intention was to move out if France or Britain reacted. However, France wouldn’t act without Britain and Britain just thought that Germany was ‘marching into his own backyard’. So Hitler re-occupied the Rhineland breaking another term of the Treaty of Versailles.

Question 9

What was the Rome-Berlin Axis?

Answer 9

A formal agreement between Mussolini and Hitler in 1936 who agreed to work closer together. This then gave Hitler chances to test his weapons out in the Spanish Civil War.

Question 10

What was the Anti-Comintern Pact?

Answer 10

This committed Germany and Japan to hostility towards the Soviet Union in 1936, and Italy joined the pact in 1937.

Question 11

What was the Pact of Steel?

Answer 11

This was the full military alliance between Germany and Italy which was signed in 1939

Question 12

What happened in March 1938?

Answer 12

This was when Austria and Germany were united together to form Anschluss.

Question 13

What is Anschluss?

Answer 13

In March 1938, the Austrian Chanceller Schuschnigg called a pleblicite on whether Austria should stay independent. Hitler demanded that Seyss-Inquart was to take over from Schnuschnigg as Chanceller, so that is what happened. Germany then invaded Austria and Austria was absorbed into Germany forming Anschluss.

Question 14

What was the Czechoslovakian crisis in 1938?

Answer 14

Hitler now wanted the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia because he wanted their industry in order to rebuild Germany’s economy and military. Hitler then threatened to take over Czechoslovakia if he wasn’t given the Sudetenland.

Question 15

What was the Munich Agreement/Conference?

Answer 15

The Munich Conference was between Daladier (the French prime minister), Chamberlain, Hitler and Mussolini. At the Munich Conference, it was agreed that Germany could have the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia. Also, Poland took Teschen from the Czech’s and Hungary took some land too. The Czech leader wasn’t invited.

Question 16

What happened in Czechoslovakia in March 1939?

Answer 16

In March 1939, Hitler marched into two areas of Czechoslovakia which were protected by the Munich Agreement. Hitler then took over the rest of Czechoslovakia as the Czech’s now had little armed forces to defend themselves.

Question 17

What was the Nazi-soviet pact?

Answer 17

This was the agreement between Hitler and Stalin (USSR’s leader) to promise not to attack either other and also to secretly split Poland up between them.

Question 18

What was weird about the Nazi-soviet pact?

Answer 18

Hitler didn’t like Stalin and Stalin didn’t like Hitler.

Question 19

What happened on the 1st September 1939?

Answer 19

Hitler invaded Poland.

Question 20

What happened on the 3rd September 1939?

Answer 20

Britain and France told him to leave, but he ignored this so war was declared.

Question 21

What are the arguments for appeasement?

Answer 21

1. Sympathy for Germany - some people (especially the British) agreed that the Treaty of Versailles was too harsh on Germany.
2. The desire for world peace - countries like Britain didn’t want another war, so to prevent this, they just gave Hitler what he wanted.
3. The threat of communism - Britain, France, Czechoslovakia and Poland all feared and hated Stalin’s communist tyranny.
4. Time to re-arm - Britain weren’t ready for another war, so they appeased to give them time to re-arm.

Question 22

What are the arguments against appeasement?

Answer 22

1. The appeasers misjudged Hitler - they didn’t realize what Hitler was doing until it was too late.
   2 - Appeasement was morally wrong - appeasement was just another word for weakness and cowardice.
2. The appeasers missed excellent chances to stop Hitler - the appeasers had several chances to stop Hitler like during the remilitarisation of the Rhineland.