Hitler's Road to War Flashcards
When did Hitler become Chancellor of Germany?
1933
What did Hitler want to achieve?
Make Germany a world power again
What did Hitler want to achieve with his foreign policy?
Lebensraum (Living space) –> expand his empire East.
Overturn the Treaty of Versailles
Rearm Germany
Unite German speaking people together –> 10% of the German population were living outside Germany after 1919
Achieve an Anschluss with Austria (Union)
Destroy communism
What restricted Hitler?
Army wasn’t large/strong enough
No allies
Not enough money
Couldn’t risk alarming foreign powers
How did Britain react to the rise of Hitler?
(Foreign Policy)
Appeasement - giving Hitler what he wanted/ being more lenient.
Equally hated communism - wanted Hitler to destroy communist Russia.
Signed Stresa Front (1935) - Italy, France, Britain would stand against Hitler.
How did France react to the rise of Hitler?
(Foreign Policy)
Too busy dealing with economic crisis.
Needed Britain’s help if wanted to fight.
Couldn’t concentrate on threat.
How did USSR react to the rise of Hitler?
(Foreign Policy)
Wary of Hitler but also Britain, France and US.
Wanted to cooperate with capitalist states to prevent Eastern expansion.
Made a treaty of mutual assistance with France.
How did USA react to the rise of Hitler?
(Foreign Policy)
US citizens didn’t want the US to enter another war.
In 1938 FDR told Hitler to stop invading.
US government started preparing its armed forces.
In 1933 what did Hitler do?
Left the League of Nations in Disarmament Conference
What happened in 1934 with Austria?
The Dollfuss affair –> Austria
What happened in the Dollfuss affair?
Hitler was trying to reunite Austria and Germany.
Dollfuss didn’t want to and ordered the Nazi party to be banned in Austria.
Hitler ordered the Austrian Nazi’s to cause havoc in Austria, murdering Dollfuss.
The army supported the government and Mussolini was on the border threatening Hitler Anschluss. Hitler withdrew.
What part of the Treaty of Versailles was overturned in 1935?
Rearmament –> Hitler had created new weapons, built an airforce, expanded his army to 1 million and brought back conscription in 1936.
What demonstrated Hitler’s popularity in 1935?
Saar plebiscite –> Germany reoccupied the Saar after 15 years getting 90% of the vote.
What was the agreement between Germany and Britain?
Anglo-German Naval Agreement –> Hitler could build 35% of Britain’s navy and build 45% of British Submarines (amount.) Britain hadn’t consulted major powers Italy and France.
What did Italy, France and Britain agree in 1935?
Stresa Front –> All 3 nations would work together to protect Austrian Independence and stop/prevent Hitler from breaking anymore terms of the Treaty of Versailles.
What event happened in 1936 that allowed Hitler to expand East?
Reoccupation of the Rhineland –> March 7th 1936, Hitler rearmed the Rhineland.
Why did Hitler rearm the Rhineland?
So he was protected on his Western border, meaning he could expand East.
How did Germany remilitarise the Rhineland?
He claimed he was under threat from France and USSR after the signed the Franco-Soviet pact.
How did Remilitarisation of the Rhineland help Hitler?
Helped defend borders.
He felt confident he could get away with things.
Hitler could now expand East.
Why did Britain not react to Hitler in 1936?
- Many Britons felt Germany had a right to defend its
borders. - British troops were busy with the Abyssinia crisis.
- The depression meant Britain weren’t ready to deal
with foreign affairs. - People felt Hitler was reclaiming what was his.