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.
Why did France not react to Hitler in 1936?
The French government wasn’t ready for conflicts as they were in an election.
The French army was in Tunisia due to the Abyssinia crisis.
The French generals overestimated the German army.
What did Hitler finally achieve in 1938?
An Anschluss with Austria.
How did Hitler takeover Austria?
Seyss-Inquart and the Austrian Nazi Party
What was found in the Austrian Nazi party Headquarters
Plans to overthrow current Austrian Chancellor Schuschnigg.
How did Schuschnigg react to the plan?
Went to Hitler’s mountain retreat .
What did Hitler ask Schuschnigg to do.
Make Seyss-Inquart Interior Minister.
Lift restrictions on Austrian Nazi party.
Nazis were also to take the roles of finance + war.
How long did Hitler give Schuschnigg to make the changes?
3 days otherwise he’d invade.
How did Schuschnigg plan to combat Hitler?
Hold a plebiscite –> If people voted against the Anschluss, Hitler would loose his excuse to invade.
What happened on 11th March 1938?
Hitler demanded the plebiscite be postponed. Schuschnigg agreed. Later Hitler forced him to resign.
Who did Hitler make sure become Chancellor?
Seyss-Inquart
When did the Nazi’s invade Austria?
12th March 1938
How was the invasion greeted by Austrians?
Austrians cheered and clapped on the streets.
Mussolini didn’t invade.
How much of the vote did Hitler win in the plebiscite?
99%
Why did Mussolini not attack in 1938?
An agreement between Germany and Italy
Rome-Berlin Axis made in October 1936
When was the Plebiscite held?
10th April 1938
Why did Hitler want the Sudetenland?
(4 reasons)
Czechoslovakia was formed after the Treaty of Versailles (which Hitler wanted to overturn) which was in Hitlers foreign policy.
This would allow him to achieve Lebensraum (foreign policy)
The Sudetenland had 3 million German speaking people in it and one of his aims was to unite German speaking people.
Czechoslovakia had many factories which cold aid him economically and with his military.
What was adopted by Britain and France to avoid war?
Appeasement
What does appeasement mean?
The name given to the policy of attempting to avoid war and by making concessions.
What happened when Chamberlin and Hitler met on 15th September 1938?
Chamberlin flew to Hitler’s holiday home to discuss with the Fuhrer. Hitler said that the conflicts would be solved if he was given the Sudetenland. Chamberlin was desperate to avoid war, he agreed.
What happened at Bad Godsberg?
Hitler and Chamberlin met again, this time Hitler demanded the Sudetenland be his by 1st October and that Hungary and Poland receive Czech land.
When would Hitler and Chamberlin meet again?
29th September 1938 Munich Conference. This time with France and Italy.
What did Hitler demand at the Munich Conference? (3 demands)
- Czech army to leave Sudetenland and be handed over to Hitler.
- Poland and Hungary get land on the Czechoslovakia border. (This was demanded)
- Hitler promised peace in Europe for Sudetenland.
When did Hitler Invade Czechoslovakia?
15th March 1939
How was the invasion of Czechoslovakia significant?
- Showed Britain and France appeasement had failed.
- Hitler had invaded a country with non speaking German people in it showing he wasn’t taking what was rightfully his.
- Britain would begin its rearmament
- Britain and France promised to protect Poland.
Who was the Nazi-Soviet Pact between and when was it signed?
Germany and Russia (USSR)
23rd August 1939
Why did Russia Sign the Nazi-Soviet Pact?
(3 reasons)
- Both Hitler and Stalin had agreed to split Poland in two between both nations. Stalin would also not do any fighting as Hitler would do it all.
- Stalin had a feeling Hitler would double cross him (1941 Hitler invades Russia) the Pact meant Stalin could buy time to rearm Russia.
- Stalin was also getting no help from Europe especially Britain and France. this meant he was isolated giving him no choice but to sign the Pact.
How did this help Hitler and Germany?
In WW1 Germany had to fight both the East and the West. Having Stalin on his side meant Hitler could now focus on the East only. It also meant he wouldn’t be opposed by anyone when he invaded Poland. Russia also had a massive army, having them as an ally helped Hitler.
How did the Nazi-Soviet Pact impactful on WW2?
Hitler invaded Poland on 1st September 1939. Almost 1 week after the Nazi-Soviet pact was agreed.
When was War declared by Chamberlin?
3rd September 1939
Who was in WW2?
Britain, France, US.
Nazi Germany, Italy and Japan + Russia
