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
what helped Hitler with his foreign policy after Anschluss 1?
- things were going well domestically
- the reclamation of the Saarland
when did the Saarland return to Germany?
March 1935
how was the Saarland returned?
a plebiscite was held which was legal under the ToV
what was the result of the Saar plebiscite?
98% in favour of returning
what had Hitler declared in March 1935 which broke the terms of the ToV?
- formation of the Luftwaffe
- introduction of conscription and a peacetime army of 550,000
when was the Anglo-German naval agreement signed?
June 1935
what did the Anglo-German naval agreement allowed Germany to have?
it allowed for Germany to have a navy which was 35% of the size of Britain’s navy
what had Hitler achieved with the Anglo-German naval agreement?
- detached Britain from the rest of the Stresa Front
- increase in German naval power
- improved Anglo-German relations
when was the remilitarisation of the Rhineland?
March 1936
what gave Hitler the initiative to remilitarise the Rhineland?
- Italy invading Abyssinia
- the clear weakness of the LoN
- the British were not too concerned with Germany reclaiming the Rhineland
- France had a general election and did not feel like intervening
what was the intl reaction to Hitler’s remilitarisation?
- the ToV and the Locarno pact were both overturned by Germany
- no longer a buffer zone between France and Germany
- French believed fortifications at the Magniot line would be enough to hold Germany back
what was the German reaction to the remilitarisation?
- incredibly happy
- increased popularity of Hitler
- reclamation of German land
- destruction of the ToV which everyone hated
when was the Rome-Berlin Axis signed?
November 1936
what looked to threaten Hitler’s foreign policy ambitions domestically?
- economic crisis in Autumn 1936 showed Hitler that Germany was not ready for war (needed four year plan)
- conservative beliefs in the Army and Foreign Ministry advised Hitler to adopt a more cautious foreign policy so Hitler would have to get support in these offices to ensure his aggressive policy can be carried forwards
what was Hitler’s ambitions with Britain?
he wanted to create an alliance with them but Britain was refusing
he sent von Ribbentrop as ambassador in 1936 to secure an alliance
he saw Britain as a long term ally in destroying the USSR
what was von Ribbentrop’s proposal for an alliance and what were Hitler’s thoughts?
von Ribbentrop wanted a tripartite between Germany, Italy and Japan
Hitler did not agree and wanted Britain instead
when was the Hossbach conference?
November 1937
who attended the Hossbach conference?
- von Neurath (foreign minister)
- Blomberg (war minister)
- three commanders-in-chief of the Armed Forces
what war scenarios did Hitler outline in the Hossbach conference?
- go to war in 1943-45 when the Military would be ready
- exploit the French and take Czechoslovakia
- wait for the French to embroil themselves in another war and then attack
what did the Hossbach conference show?
Hitler moved from a diplomatic approach to a completely military approach
who criticised Hitler after the Hossbach conference?
Blomberg
Neurath
Fritsch
who replaced von Neurath as foreign minister?
von Ribbentrop
what happened to Blomberg and Fritsch?
Blomberg was accused of having a prostitute as a wife
Fritsch was framed for being a homosexual
both offered their resignations
