Hitler's ideology and planning Flashcards
what showed that Hitler wanted a sense of continuity from the Kaiser’s WW1 government?
a lot of the foreign ministry were allowed to keep their jobs once the Nazis took control
Hitler’s ideologies
- to overturn the TofV
- the Third Reich should be a great power
- the need for lebensraum
- dealing with the threat of Jews and Bolshevism
how did the need to overturn the TofV affect Nazi FP?
Hitler needed to rearm in order to take back land lost in the TofV
therefore an expansionist FP is the only way to reclaim the lost land
what was Hitler’s view on colonies?
he wanted an established Reich in Europe before he focussed on colonies
how did the need to establish the Third Reich as a great power affect Nazi FP?
Hitler took on an expansionist policy which aimed to create a large Empire in Europe
this was to be done through war and alliances
similar to the Kaiser’s government but without the racial ideology implemented
how did the need for lebensraum affect Nazi FP?
Hitler believed lebensraum was needed to be both a great nation as well as to meet the demands of the German people
he saw lebensraum as important for the German economy as Germany lacked raw materials
similar to Kaiser’s government with the need to expand so important in his weltpolitik
BUT
Kaiser focussed on colonies
Hitler also implemented racial ideology into government policy, something the Kaiser never did
was the need for lebensraum continuity?
similar to Kaiser’s government with the need to expand so important in his weltpolitik
BUT
Kaiser focussed on colonies
Hitler also implemented racial ideology into government policy, something the Kaiser never did
different to Weimar
was the need to establish the Third Reich as a great power continuity?
similar to the Kaiser’s government but without the racial ideology implemented
different to Weimar
was the need to overturn the TofV continuity?
the Kaiser of course had no opinion on the TofV as it did not exist
the Weimar govt held a very similar stance with the TofV
- secret rearmament was allowed
- Stresemann’s work was largely to deal with the TofV
BUT
the need to return to 1914 levels was important for the Weimar govt
INSTEAD
Hitler wanted to expand further beyond pre-war borders
how did the need to deal with the threat of world Jewry and Bolshevism affect Nazi FP?
Hitler maintained his hate for Jews and believed that Nazi FP should reflect the need to purge the Jews
he was also anti-Communist so he looked eastwards to deal with the communist threat through an expansionist policy
was the need to deal with Jewry and Bolshevism continuity?
NO
this was completely new for the Nazis
neither the Kaiser or the Weimar Republic sought the same aim in their foreign policy
what were Hitler’s intentions with his early FP?
wanted to make Germany seem like it wanted peace
allow Germany to rearm in time
THEN
pursue conquest for expansion
what does continuity suggest in terms of an interpretation?
a structuralist argument
Hitler being a system-maker
how did Hitler signing the Rome-Berlin axis show Hitler driving Nazi foreign policy?
he faced major opposition from the Nazi Party who saw the treaty to be preventing Nazi ambitions in occupying South-Tyrol
Hitler instead pushed the alliance through as he saw it as more important, at the time, than overturning the TofV and achieving lebensraum
what were the main features of Nazi FP?
- overturning the TofV
- strategic alliances
- expansion
- germanisation
how did Nazi FP hope to deal with the TofV?
either through military force or by influencing other nations to promote Nazi sympathisers (Austria and Danzig)
why did Nazi FP hope to form strategic alliances?
to prevent an ant-German power block from forming
Hitler did not want to fight a war on two fronts
how did Nazi FP push for expansion?
through the use of military force or by forming alliances and spreading Nazi influenc
how did Nazi FP push for germanisation?
by spreading key Nazi racial ideas and the need to remove ‘undesirables’ in German-controlled lands
how is Hitler perceived by historians?
a step-by-step planner
SO INTENTIONALIST
OR
an opportunist
SO STRUCTURALIST
what can be used to support/criticise the concept of Hitler having a master plan?
- Hitler had retained most of the Foreign Office when he came to power
- Hitler’s expressions in Mein Kampf and the speeches and meetings he held
Hitler had retained most of the Foreign Office when he came to power
SUPPORT concept of master plan
shows that he had a long-term plan in mind
Hitler wanted strong military strength
a show of continuity would appease the members of the German Army as well as the German people
Hitler had retained most of the Foreign Office when he came to power
CRITICISE concept of master plan
shows that Hitler did not look to interfere or impose a plan
he wanted to CONTINUE the work done under the Kaiser’s govt
Hitler’s expressions in Mein Kampf and the speeches and meetings he held
SUPPORT concept of master plan
shows that there was planning from an early age
matched Hitler’s aims of overturning the TofV and establishing lebensraum
Hitler’s expressions in Mein Kampf and the speeches and meetings he held
CRITICISE concept of master plan
suggestions of eastward expansion were more broad aims instead of concrete plans
these suggestions were made at a time where Hitler was either in no power at all or was trying to appease to the German people
does not suggest concrete planning
how can Hitler be seen to have intended for a war?
the large-scale rearmament which he pursued in defiance of the TofV
the switch to a command economy in 1936 suggested an economy geared towards a war (appointment of Goring) and the Second Four-Year-Plan
implementation of Blitzkrieg
how did the Second Four-Year-Plan suggest intention?
appointment of Goring as man in charge of economy
switch to war economy being masterminded by Hitler
a timeframe set up in order for both the military and the economy to be prepared for war by 1940
what showed that Hitler hoped to avoid war with France and Britain?
Blitzkrieg suggested a tactic of quick rapid action warfare
NOT a long war which would occur if France and Britain joined the war
how did Hitler breaking his Munich promise by invading Czechoslovakia show taking advantage of situations?
he had took advantage of disputes over Czechoslovakia and invaded them
three points suggesting Hitler intended for war
rearmament
switch to a command economy
the need for expansion without diplomacy
why had Hitler not expected military intervention over his claim over the Sudetenland?
there was no intervention when Anschluss and the remilitarisation of the Rheinland occurred
suggests he was an opportunist
how did social darwinism reflect Hitler’s FP?
he believed that life was the survival of the fittest
and he believed the Aryan race to be the most fit and superior race in the world
what did Hitler call the Aryan race?
the Herrenvolk
(master race)
what task did Hitler believe was held by the Aryan race?
he believed that it was their task to remain pure and dominate the inferior races
who was at the lower end of Hitler’s racial pyramid?
slavs
gypsies
blacks
JEWS
what was significant of Hitler’s hatred of Jews and Slavs and how did this reflect in his FP?
the Jews and Slavs were to be found mainly in Eastern Europe
Hitler’s primary plan to expand eastwards can therefore be linked to achieving the expansion and dominance of the Aryan race
important quote from Mein Kampf on German world dominance
Germany will either become a World Power or will not continue to exist at all
what shows Nazism was perhaps a continuation of other influences?
the work of the composer Richard Wagner
the work of other right-wing organisations like the Pan-German League
Europe was seeing a rise in Nationalism - Italy and Mussolini
