Hitlers Foreign Policy And The Origins Of The Second World War

Question 1

What steps did Hitler take to achieve his aims:

Answer 1

Each time claimed more territory he managed to convince European leaders, that once Germany had obtained territory lost at Versailles, no further demands would be made

Hitler had benefit of seeing Japan successfully defy League of Nations over Manchuria

Eventually developed close relationship with Mussolini, who withdrew from league as a result of Abyssinia

Question 2

Who took the Saar:

Answer 2

The industrial area of the Saar was taken from Germany by the Treaty of Versailles and put under the control of the League of Nations

Question 3

When was the plebiscite of the Saar:

Answer 3

January 1935

Question 4

How many people voted in favour of rejoining with Germany:

Answer 4

Over 90 per cent voted in favour

Question 5

How did Hitler react to regaining the Saar:

Answer 5

Hitler greeted result as huge triumph, decayed that this was the first injustice of Versailles to be reversed

Question 6

When was the non-aggression act with Poland signed:

Answer 6

In January 1934, Germany signed a non-aggression agreement with Poland

Question 7

Why was the Non-aggression pact with Poland signed:

Answer 7

Hitler was hoping to weaken existing alliance between France and Poland

Hoped to reduce Polish fears of German aggression

Wanted to show he had no quarrel with Poland, only with USSR

Question 8

Hitler’s aims:

Answer 8

Take his country out of League of Nations, which Germany had been allowed to join in 1926

Promised German people that he would reverse the Treaty and retake territory Germany had lost

Planned to expand into Eastern Europe to give German people Lebensraum

Question 9

Anschluss:

Answer 9

Union between Austria and Germany

Question 10

Hitler’s rearmament:

Answer 10

In 1935, he openly staged a massive military rally celebrating German armed forces.

The same year, he reintroduced conscription and announced a peacetime army of 550,000

Question 11

When did the disarmament conference first meet:

Answer 11

February 1932

Question 12

Arguments for appeasement:

Answer 12

People remembered horrors of WW1 and wanted to avoid another war at all costs

People believed Germany treated too harshly under Treaty of Versailles

Some people saw Communism as biggest threat to European stability

Britain was not ready for war

Britain preoccupied with problems caused by depression

Question 13

Arguments against appeasement:

Answer 13

Gave Hitler the advantage

Chamberlain misjudged Hitler

The appeasers missed excellent opportunities to stop Hitler - re occupation of Rhineland 1936

Did not stop war coming in 1939

Question 14

Why was Hitler putting troops back into the Rhineland a risk:

Answer 14

Reoccupation of the Rhineland was a clear branch of the Versailles Treaty

German troops were in no position to stand up to the French army if it reacted

Question 15

When was the remilitarisation of the Rhineland:

Answer 15

1936

Question 16

When was the Anschluss with Austria:

Answer 16

1938

Question 17

Why did Hitler want to join with Austria:

Answer 17

Hitler had been born in Austria and one of his objectives was to see Germany and Austria United as one country.

Question 18

What was Hitler’s first step to form an Anschluss:

Answer 18

Hitler bullied Austrian Chancellor, Schuschnigg, into accepting a Nazi, Seyss-Inquart, as Austrian Minister of the Interior.

Question 19

What did Schuschnigg order:

Answer 19

A plebiscite to be held to find out if the Austrian people really wanted a union with Germany.

Question 20

What did Hitler think of Schuschnigg’s idea to have a plebiscite:

Answer 20

Hitler feared a ‘no’ vote, so he moved German troops to the Austrian border, and threatened to invade if Schuschnigg did not resign in favour of Seyss-Inquart

Question 21

What Nazi became Chancellor of Austria to help form Anschluss:

Answer 21

Seyss-Inquart became chancellor of Austria and invited German troops into the country.

Question 22

When did Germany enter Austria:

Answer 22

On 12 March 1938, the German army entered Vienna. The Anschluss was complete

Question 23

What did the Germans do when they first entered Austria:

Answer 23

Nazis organised their own vote about Union with Germany.

Question 24

How many people voted in favour of a union between Austria and Germany:

Answer 24

99 per cent voted in favour. Austria immediately became a province of the new German Reich.

Question 25

Why did Britain and France take no action against Germany’s violation of the treaty in the forming of the Anschluss:

Answer 25

As there was a feeling among the people in Britain that the Treaty had been harsh and Britain should not defend it

Question 26

What happened in 1935:

Answer 26

In 1935 Britain signed a naval agreement with Germany.

Question 27

What did the Anglo-German Naval Treaty agree:

Answer 27

The agreement meant Germans allowed to build their navy up to 35 per cent of the size of the British navy and have the same number of submarines.

Question 28

What was the Sudetenland:

Answer 28

Part of Czechoslovakia which consisted of German-speaking peoples.

Question 29

How did Hitler stir up trouble in the Sudetenland:

Answer 29

Hitler ordered Henlein (the leader of the Sudeten Germans) to stir up trouble

German newspapers produced allegations of crimes apparently committed by Czechs against Sudeten Germans

Hitler threatened war if a solution was not found

Question 30

What did the British prime minister believe could happen about what was going on in the Sudetenland:

Answer 30

Chamberlain believed that a peaceful solution could be worked out.

Question 31

What did Chamberlain do to resolve the Sudentland crisis:

Answer 31

He tried to persuade the Czech President, Beneš, to accept self-government for the Sudentland.

Question 32

What happened on the 22 September:

Answer 32

On 22 September, at a meeting at Godesberg, Beneš refused to accept the German demands. It seemed that war was a real possibility, but Chamberlain appealed to Hitler to give him more time to find a settlement.

Question 33

What happened on the 29 September:

Answer 33

Chamberlain made one last effort to maintain peace

Question 34

The Munich agreement:

Answer 34

Chamberlain met with Daladier, the French leader, Hitler and Mussolini at Munich in a final bid to resolve the Sudeten crisis.

Czech representatives were not invited to the meeting

Czechs were forced to hand over the Sudetenland to Germany and a commission was set up to decide precisely which territory the Czechs would lose

Question 35

Results of Munich agreement:

Answer 35

The Czech Government was completely humiliated

Vital area of the Sudetenland was lost

In October and November 1938, Hungary and Poland also occupied other parts of Czech territory

Britain and France had again given in to Hitler

Question 36

When was the collapse of Czechoslovakia:

Answer 36

March 1939

Question 37

Collapse of Czechoslovakia:

Answer 37

Hitler invaded and occupied what was left of Czechoslovakia

Bohemia and Moravia became German protectorates

Slovakia remained independent in theory, but was dominated by Germany

Ruthenia was handed over in Hungary

Question 38

End of appeasement:

Answer 38

Hitlers promises at Munich were worthless

Britain and France were rapidly rearming and it was accepted that the policy of appeasement had failed

Question 39

When was the Pact of Steel:

Answer 39

May 1939

Question 40

What happened in March 1939:

Answer 40

Hitler forced the Lithuanians to hand over the Baltic town of Memel and a portion of land along their south-west border

Question 41

What happened in April 1939:

Answer 41

General Franco’s nationalist forces, supported by Germany and Italy, took power in Spain

Question 42

What happened in May 1939:

Answer 42

Mussolini followed Hitlers example in Czechoslovakia by invading Albania

Question 43

When was the Nazi-Soviet Pact:

Answer 43

On 23 August 1939

Question 44

What was the Nazi soviet pact:

Answer 44

The German Foreign Minister, Ribbentrop, and Soviet Foreign Minister, Molotov, signed the Nazi-Soviet Non aggression Pact

Question 45

The Nazi-Soviet Pact:

Answer 45

The soviets and Germans agreed not to fight each other in the event of war in Europe

Both powers secretly agreed to divide up Polish territory should war occur

Hitler gave Stalin a free hand to occupy part of Romania and the Baltic states of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania

Question 46

Why was the Nazi-Soviet Pact good for Hitler:

Answer 46

Pact removed the threat of war on two fronts

Gave him the opportunity he needed to deal with Poland, despite the threats coming from Britain and France

Question 47

Why was the Nazi-Soviet Pact good for Stalin:

Answer 47

Hitler had more to offer for the soviets, e.g territory in Eastern Europe