Hitler's ideas and his role in the shaping of Nazis Foreign Policy Flashcards
Where did Hitler outline his intentions for his foreign policy?
In Mein Kampf (My Struggle) in which he laid out is views, ideas and plans for future Germany. Zweites Busch, however was discovered after the war.
When was it written?
While imprisoned after the Munich Putsch in 1923 for 5 years but served 9 months.
How was foreign policy dictated?
By the issue of race eg. for the Aryan race to flourish lebenstraum would be need and would need to be taken forcibly
In what way was Hitler’s foreign policy not aggressive?
In order to achieve lebenstraum by invading Russia and some of France, Hitler proposed to have an alliance with Britain because he saw the British as racially pure allies.
What is the Globalist argument?
Hitler harboured ambition toward German world domination making WWII inevitable.
What is the Continentalist argument?
Hitler exploited the situations that he found himself in and did not intend for war to breakout and that lebenstraum was the ultimate goal.
According to Globalist historians what are the three separate stages of expansion?
- The conquest of Europe and Russian with the help of Britain.
- The conquest of the US and the Atlantic
- Final world domination
What is the basis of the Globalist argument?
It relies upon the idea that German foreign policy was dictated entirely by Hitler and his plans and ideas had not been altered since the time of writing Mein Kampf and Zweites Busch.
Why do Continentalists argue that Hitler did not want global domination?
His alliance with his ideological enemy, Stalin, was an indication that he had no long term goals of global domination.
How do Continentalists view Mein Kampf?
As a propaganda tool than foreign policy and played into the desire of the Germans to break Versailles.
What is the Continentalist view on the invasion of Poland and Czechoslovakia?
Hitler took a gamble in believing that France and Britain were too weak to too apprehensive to intervene.
Why do some argue that Hitler did not have total influence over foreign policy?
Other factors such as powerful German industrialists and businessmen, had their input into decisions, specifically in order to obtain the raw resources of foreign countries.
How far can it be argued that expansion was Hitler’s idea?
As a result of German Imperial History, German expansion was not so much an enactment of Hitler’s ideas; it was of the general attitudes that had continued to form the era of the foundation of the German empire.
Why do some believe that Hitler had total influence over the foreign policy?
German foreign policy directly reflects Hitler’s key terms as outlined in Mein Kampf. His acts of walking out of the Disarmament Conference and the League of Nations are examples of his enacting of principles.
