Hitlers Foreign Policy 7 Flashcards
What were Hitlers foreign policy aims?
- Reverse treaty of Versailles (restore lost lands and build German armed forces)
- Unite all Germany speaking people (eg those in the Sudetanland)
- Lebensraum - living space (Hitler saw lebensraum in Poland and Russia)
- Anschluss
- Destroy communism
Who was viewed ad the biggest threat to international threat at the start of Hitler’s chancellorship?
Italy
When was the disarmament conference?
1932-34
What was the disarmament conference? What did Germany want in it?
60 nations discuss how to reduce the chance of war
Germany wanted each nation to reduce its arms to match with Germany
What did Hitler announce when he left the disarmament conference?
He announced that he would increase the German peacetime army to 300,000 and set up a new airforce with 1000 aircraft
When did Germany withdraw from the League of Nations?
October 1933
When was the non-aggression pact with Poland?
1934
What was agreed in the non-aggression pact with Poland?
-Promised to accept polish borders and encouraged trading.
-pact was set to last 10 years and meant Hitler did not fear an attack from Poland
When was the attempted Anschluss with Austria?
1934
What happened in the attempted Anschluss with ausitra?
-the Nazi party in Austria had been campaigning for a union
-chancellor Dolfuss outlawed the Nazis in Austria
-Nazis attacked a radio station and announced Dolfuss’ resignation
-they assassinated Dolfuss
Why did the attempt for an Anschluss fail?
Lack of suppourt from Hitler who was concerned about Mussolini - guardian of Austria
When was the return of the Saarland?
1935
Why was the Saarland returned to Germany?
A plebiscite showed over 90% of the population wanted to rejoin - League of Nations administered the vote so it was seen as leagal
When did Hitler renounce the Treaty of Versailles? Which parts did he renounce?
1935, the parts that dealt with the armed forces
When was conscription reintroduced and what did Hitler aim for the army to increase to?
1935, 550,000 men
How was Hitler able to get away with his rearmament in 1935? How did Germans feels about the rearmament?
He argued that he felt vaunerable as France and the Soviet Union were building up their armed forces - it was self defence
It provided jobs and made them feel that they were a strong nation once again
When was the Stresa Front?
1935
What was the Stresa Front?
France, Italy and Britain were concerned about Germany’s remarmament so they formally protested Hitler’s plans
When did Britain enter into a naval treaty with Germany?
1935
What did the 1935 Germany and Britain naval treaty allow Germany to do?
It allowed Germany to increase its fleet to 35% the size of Britains (breaching the TofV)
What happened as a result of the Invasion on Abyssinia?
Italy broke the rules of the league of nations so destroyed any cooperation between them and France and Britain
It pushed Mussolini and Hitler closer
When did Italy invade Abyssinia?
1935
When and how did Hitler reoccupy the Rhineland?
-1936
-in the treaty of Versailles, it was said that the allies would occupy the area for 15 years. They left in 1935
How did Hitler get away with reoccupying the Rhineland?
Britain and France were preoccupied with the Abyssinia crisis so did not react
This convinced Hitler that Britain and France were unlikely to react against any further aggression
How many voters supported the reoccupation of the Rhineland?
98.8%
When was the Rome-Berlin axis?
1936
What was the Rome Berlin axis?
Italy and Germany agreed to work together on matters of mutual interest
Agreed to follow a common foreign policy eg stopping spread of communism
How was the Rome Berlin Axis strengthened?
Hitlers visit to Italy in 1938
When was the anti-Comintern pact?
1936
Who was the anti-Comintern signed between?
Germany and Japan
What did the anti-Comintern pact do?
Limit the spread of communism and influence of the Soviet Union
Furthered relations between Germany, Italy and Japan
What did Hitler bully the Austrian chancellor into doing in 1938?
Accepting 2 Nazis onto his cabinet and accepting closer economic ties with Germany
When did the Austrian chancellor resign and who took over?
March 1938, replaced by Austrian Nazi leader Seyss-Inquart.
When seyss-inquart became chancellor, what did he do?
Asked Hitler to send German troops to Austria to help restore order.
When did the German troops March to Austria and when was the Anschluss proclaimed?
12 March 1938 - troops marched to Austria
13th - Anschluss proclaimed
How many voted in favour of the union with Austria? Why
99.75% - they were under the watchful eye of Nazi troops
What was the reaction to the Anschluss?
Britain, France and the League of Nations protested but took no action
Followed the policy of appeasement (giving Hitler what he wanted in order to keep the peace)
What conference was held to attemp to resolve the Sudetanland Crisis?
Munich Conference = Germany, France, GB and Italy
What decisions were made at the Munich conference?
-The Sudetanland was to be transferred from Czechoslovakia to Germany
-this would take place over a 10 day period
What event made Britain concerned that Poland would be invaded?
German invasion of Lemel
What and when was the Pact of Steel?
-1939
-Hitler and Mussolini full military and economic alliance
What and when was the Nazi Soviet pact?
-1939
-Ribbentrop (Nazi) and Molotov (Russian) foreign ministers met to agree:
-not to suppourt any third country if it attacked the other
-secretly invade Poland
-consult each other
-not join an alliance aimed at the other
-Soviet Union allowed to occupy the Baltic states
Why was Hitler in a stronger position to carry out the 1938 Anschluss?
-he had built up the German forces
-encouraged by success in the Rhineland in 1936
-Mussolini had opposed the attempt in 1934 but was now an ally thanks to the Rome-Berlin axis and Anti-Comintern pact
-Schuchnigg (Austrian chancellor) has accepted Nazis into his government in return for Germany to respect Austrias independence (a promise that Hitler didn’t keep)
Give the events of the 1938 Anschluss
- Hitler encourages the Austrian Nazis to stir up trouble, staging demonstrations for a German union
- Hitler stepped this campaign up to Austrian Nazis bombing public buildings and staging mass parades
3.Hitler has a meeting with Schuchnigg (Austrian chancellor) to discuss the chaos - Schuchnigg is bullied into accepting two Austrian Nazis onto his cabinet and accepting closer economic ties with Germany
- When he returned to Vienna, Schuchnigg held a plebiscite so the people could decide the future of Austria
- Hitler feared a vote against him so threatened invasion and bullied Schuchnigg.
- Schuchnigg resigned in March and Seyss-Inqaurt (leader of the Austrian Nazis) became chancellor
- He asked Hitler to send German troops in to restore order and Anschluss was announced 13 March 1938
Why did no one respond to the Anschluss?
-Chamberlain felt that Germany and Austria had a right to be United and that the treaty of Versailles was wrong to separate them
-many Austrians seemed pleased with the Union
-policy of appeasement from Britain and France
-Britain and Frances armed forces couldn’t cope with another conflict
Why did Hitler want Czechoslovakia (Sudetanland)?
-it would prevent him from having to fight a war on two fronts.
-he thought that the Soviet Union might invade Germany through Czechoslovakia
-wanted to acquire the wealth and resources of the area (Sudetanland = 3/4 of Czech industry) and create more Lebensraum
Describe the events of the Sudetanland Crisis of 1938
-Hitler ordered Henlien, Sudetan Nazi leader, to stir up trouble in the area
-German newspapers published reports of the atrocities committed against the Sudetan Germans by Czech officials
-because of this ‘crisis’ Hitler said that he would support the Sudetan Germans with military force if needed
-Czechs couldn’t surrender the Sudetanland as all their defences against Germany were in that area
-this worsened and Chamberlain intervened with the Munich conference
Who was at the Munich conference and what was significant about this?
France, Britain, Germany and Italy (Czechoslovakia and the USSR weren’t invited!)
When and why was the policy of appeasement dropped?
-After Hitlers invasion of other parts of Czechoslovakia after the Sudetanland crisis = March 1939
-He had broken the Munich agreement
-couldn’t justify this by saying the Czechs were German - they weren’t
Why did Germany and Soviet Union each benefit from the Nazi-Soviet pact?
S.U. = allowed Stalin to take parts of Poland making the Soviet Union more difficult to invade
Germany = didn’t have to face war on two fronts
