Hitler's Foreign Policy and the Origins of WW2 Flashcards

1
Q

What were the main aims of Hitler’s foreign policy?

A
  1. Make Germany a Great Power again
  2. Unite all German speaking people under his rule
  3. Gain territory in the East for Lebensraum
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2
Q

How did Hitler aim to achieve his aims?

A
  1. Overturn the Treaty of Versailles
  2. Take the German speakers in Austria, Czechoslovakia and Poland back
  3. Remarmament
  4. Expand in the East
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3
Q

Why did Hitler want to take land in the East?

A
  1. Lebensraum

2. Go against Communist USSR

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4
Q

How did Hitler prepare for German expansion?

A

1933 withdrew from Disarmament conference
1934 signed 10-year friendship pact with Poland
March 1935 introduced conscription
June 1935 naval agreement with Britain - right to rearm

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5
Q

What did the naval agreement with Britain mean?

A

35% of British naval strength

45% of submarine strength

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6
Q

When was Germany allowed to join the League of Nations?

A

1926

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7
Q

Why was the rearmament of Germany not opposed?

A

Differences between France and Britain - Britain sympathised more with Germany

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8
Q

What effect did the 10-year friendship pact have?

A
  1. Pleased Britain because of accepted frontier

2. Weakened French-Polish Alliance

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9
Q

What happened to the Saar?

A

1920 - Under LoN control for 15 years
January 1935 - Plebiscite
March 1935 - Returned to Germany

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10
Q

When did Hitler remilitarise the Rhineland?

A

March 1936

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11
Q

Why did no one stop the remilitarisation of the Rhineland?

A
  1. Abyssinian Crisis
  2. French government not willing to act without Britain
  3. Britain felt Hitler wasn’t doing anything wrong
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12
Q

What did Hitler break through the remilitarisation of the Rhineland?

A
  1. Locarno Pact 1925

2. Treaty of Versailles

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13
Q

Why was the Rhineland perfectly judged by Hitler?

A
  1. French invasion would popularise Hitler
  2. Britain thought Germany was justified
  3. There was no will to use force against Hitler
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14
Q

What were the effects of the Rhineland?

hint: C R I P R E M

A
  1. Hitler gained confidence in reversing the Treaty of Versailles
  2. Hitler’s position in Germany strengthened
  3. Rome-Berlin Axis
  4. End of Britain and France keeping Italy as an ally
  5. Movement towards British rearmament
  6. Maginot Line
  7. End of League of Nations
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15
Q

What happened during the failed Anschluss of 1934?

A
  1. Dollfuss died
  2. Nazis saw an opportunity
  3. Mussolini supported Austria - no invasion
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16
Q

When did the actual Anschluss take place?

A

March 1938

17
Q

What happened during the Anschluss of 1938?

A
  1. Austrian Nazi protests
  2. Schuschnigg forced to appoint Seyss-Inquart as Minister of Interior
  3. Schuschnigg called for plebiscite
  4. Hitler threatened invasion
  5. Schuschnigg resigned
18
Q

Why did Schuschnigg’s plebiscite alarm Hitler?

A

He couldn’t sure he would get the result he wanted.

19
Q

What happened after the Anschluss of 1938?

A
  1. Hitler’s opponents eliminated

2. Plebiscite in April (99.75% )

20
Q

What were the results of Anschluss?

A
  1. Resources of Austria
  2. Another reversal of Treaty of Versailles
  3. Surrounding Sudetenland
  4. Rome-Berlin Axis value proven
  5. Austrians did support Anschluss
21
Q

What is appeasement?

A

The British foreign policy where people tried to show Hitler that reasonable claims could be met with negotiation instead of force.

22
Q

What are arguments in favour of appeasement?

A
  1. Germany had genuine grievances that could be solved
  2. Avoid war at all costs
  3. Bad economy - couldn’t afford rearmament
  4. Collapse of League meant something had to be tried
  5. Recovery of Germany as barrier against USSR communism
23
Q

What are arguments against appeasement?

A
  1. Hitler had already broken promises since 1933
  2. Made Britain look weak
  3. Allowed Hitler to get stronger and build up
  4. Betrayal of lands protected by Treaty of Versailles
24
Q

When did the Sudetenland Crisis take place?

A

1938

25
Q

What happened at Berchtesgarden?

A

Hitler wanted German-speaking parts of Sudetenland to join Germany, after plebiscites

Britain and France forced Benes to accept the deal

26
Q

What happened at Godesberg?

A

Hitler wanted the immediate occupation of the Sudetenland by Germany, without plebiscites

Chamberlain prepared for war

27
Q

Who was represented at the Munich Conference?

A

Britain, Germany, Italy and France.

28
Q

What was agreed at the Munich Conference?

A
  1. Sudetenland given to Hitler
  2. Rest of Czechoslovakia guaranteed
  3. Hitler privately agreed that Britain and Germany wouldn’t go to war
29
Q

What was the importance of the Munich Conference?

A
  1. Hitler gained Sudetenland (without fighting)
  2. Germany gained armaments of Sudetenland
  3. Czechslovakia had been betrayed
  4. Czechoslovakia lost defensive frontier
  5. Peace maintained by Chamberlain
  6. Britain sped up rearmament
  7. USSR felt left out and betrayed
30
Q

Who was Hacha?

A

The Czech President.

31
Q

How did Czechoslovakia collapse?

A
1939 Slovaks (encouraged by Hitler) pressed for independence
Germany marched in to restore order
32
Q

What were the results of Hitler’s takeover of Czechoslovakia?

A
  1. End of appeasement
  2. Hitler broke Munich Agreement and personal promise to Chamberlain
  3. Lithuania forced to surrender Memel
  4. Britain signed an agreement promising help to Poland if needed
  5. Mussolini conquered albania
  6. Britain guaranteed Romanian and Greek independence
  7. Conscription introduced in Britain (during peace)
  8. Pact of Steel
  9. Withdrawal of 1934 10-year non-aggression pact and 1935 Anglo-German Naval Agreement
33
Q

Why did Stalin not trust Britain and France?

A
  1. Exclusion from Munich Agreement
  2. Britain directing Hitler towards the East
  3. Britain and France showed no urgency in making an agreement
34
Q

Why was the USSR unlikely to help Poland?

A

Poland feared the USSR just as much as it feared Germany.

35
Q

Why was the Nazi-Soviet Pact a surprise?

A
  1. Fascism and Communism are enemies
  2. Hitler never hid his opposition to Communism
  3. Went against the Anti-Comintern Pact of 1937
36
Q

What was the importance of the Nazi-Soviet Pact?

A
  1. Attack on Poland inevitable
  2. Hitler thought it would prevent British interference in his attack
  3. If Britain defended Poland, war was inevitable
  4. Britain and France had lost the USSR as an ally
37
Q

Why did Germany sign the Nazi-Soviet Pact?

A

To prevent a war on two fronts.

38
Q

Why did the USSR sign the Nazi-Soviet Pact?

A

To get time to prepare armies.

39
Q

Why did Hitler want Danzig?

A

Its population was over 90% German.