✓ Hitler’s ideas and his role in the shaping of Nazi foreign policy - INTENDED WAR (not incl notes)

Question 1

Evidence that Hitler intended war when he came to power?

Answer 1

built up an army from the moment he came to power
& 1935+ did it openly & defied TofV
(e.g. reintroduced conscription, tanks were built)
+
didn’t need Reichstag permission to gear the econ for war (dictator)
+
1936-39 = 4-year plan w stress on militarisation & synthetic oil & other war materials

Question 2

Did H openly say he intended war when he came to power?

Answer 2

NO - stressed G’s need to rearm for defence & reversing TofV by diplomacy

BUT
privately he told his generals that they needed to rearm & build up their forces before they attacked/expanded

Question 3

Could Hitler achieve his aims without war?

Answer 3

H could make G a world power again without war BUT not lebensraum/expansion eastwards

H thought Br & Fr wouldn’t go to war over Eastern Europe
(H remilitarised Rhineland & took Austria without war???)

e.g. Blitzkrieg suited H’s troops numbers & weaponry BUT not designed for a long, drawn out war

Question 4

Why did WW2 almost break out in 1938 instead of 1939?

Answer 4

aimed to invade Sudetenland area in Czechoslovakia (not in TofV but lots of G speakers who wanted to be part of G)

BUT
Fr, Yugoslavia, Romania had a mutual treaty aid w Cz

avoided war at the Munich conference 30 Sept 1938 - H has Sudetenland but wont invade rest of Cz

6 months later H steps in to ‘restore order’ in rest of Cz
- breaks promise made at Munich