Influence of German History on Nazi Foreign Policy Flashcards
How influential is the name Reich?
It is indicative of the influence and importance that German history had upon the formation of Nazi policy.
How important the Holy Roman Empire to Hitler?
After the 1939 occupation of Bohemia, Hitler declared that the HRE had been ‘resurrected’. This indicated the regard of which Hitler held German history.
How successful was the Second Reich?
Although it was smaller than the HRE, Imperial Germany was made powerful by its industrial abilities which allowed Kaiser Wilhelm II to have a reckless foreign policy.
Did the Second Reich have an impact on the Third Reich?
Much of the Imperialist officers of the Second Reich supported the Nazis because of the sentiments of expansions and conquests.
Were there still elements of the Second Reich in the Third Reich of significant importance?
The continued use of the symbol of the Imperial Eagle to represent Germany was seen as indicative of the continuation of German imperial ambitions.
How was the War Guilt Clause influential in Nazi Foreign Policy?
Because it came as a shock to Germany, it was seen as an insult that wounded the country’s national pride and bred distrust and hatred towards the allies.
How was the disarmament and limitation of Germany’s power influence the Third Reich?
Many Germans refused to believe that the war had been lost militarily, instead believing in the ‘stab-in-the-back’ myth. This became Hitler’s intention to destroy the treaty in Mien Kampf.
To the people who lived through WWI and WWII what was Versailles seen as?
It was an armistice for 20 years because they only saw the same events unfold again at the start of the Second World War.
