Nazi foreign policy 1933-37 Flashcards
what were the aims of Nazi foreign policy?
- the destruction of the Treaty of Versailles
- restoration of pre-1914 boundaries of Germany
- union of all German-speaking people
- creation of Lebensraum
- establishment of a Nazi racial empire
what countries were home to German-speaking people?
Austria, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Romania
what is the continentalist vs globalist argument about Nazi foreign policy?
continentalists believed that Hitler only intended to expand within Europe
globalists believed that Hitler also wanted global supremacy in places like Africa and the Middle East, as well as taking British colonies and eventually conquering America
who was foreign minister when Hitler came to power in 1933?
Constantin von Neurath
what were Hitler’s diplomatic aims early in his reign?
to build a relationship with Britain and Italy
to weaken French power and influence
which 2 events allowed Hitler to adopt a more aggressive approach?
- Japanese invasion of Manchuria
this showed the ineffectiveness of the League of Nations in cracking down on aggressive and unjustified expansion of nations
Hitler believed he could perhaps get away with expanding Germany aggressively - the Great Depression
Britain, USA and France would have to focus on domestic problems instead of looking at what is going on internationally
when did Germany leave the LoN?
1933
why did Germany leaving the LoN attract sympathy?
France had actually refused a proposal for Germany to have equal numbers of military strength as France
this attracted sympathy from Italy and Britain
when was the Polish-German non-aggression pact signed?
January 1934
how long was the Polish-German pact supposed to last for?
10 years
what was the Polish-German pact successful at doing?
it undermined a French alliance (Poland and France were allies)
it secured Germany’s easter borders while Hitler focussed on expanding it’s southern borders
what was Hitler’s view of the Poland?
he believed it was the gateway to the creation of Lebensraum in the east
what happened with Anschluss 1?
Austrian Nazis successfully attempted a coup in 1934
Nazis gave moral support
scared M into sending 40,000 troops to the Brenner Pass
what did M see Austria as?
a buffer state between Italy and Germany
what did Anschluss 1 show?
that Italy and M were superior to Germany and Hitler