Nazi foreign policy 1938-39 Flashcards
what was Italy’s relation with Austria after the Rome-Berlin Axis?
Austria no longer had protection from M
M felt no need to intervene when Germany invaded
when did Germany invade Austria?
12 March 1938
was Germany’s invasion of Austria legal?
yes because the Austrian govt invited German support
what consequences did Anschluss have?
- showed that Britain and France were unwilling to intervene with acts of aggression
- M was now controlled by Hitler
- Austria’s gold reserves and mineral deposits would be economically useful for Germany
- western part of Czechoslovakia was now surrounded and the Danube valley gave Hitler a pathway into Eastern Europe
what was Hitler’s opinion of Czechoslovakia?
he wanted to unite the German speaking western part of the country but he was happy to ‘smash Czechoslovakia by military action’
what did Czechoslovakia have to defend itself from Germany?
- it was a democracy so it could rely on help from other democracies
- the natural geography of the Sudetenland would make a Nazi invasion difficult to achieve
- it had a reasonably strong army at it’s disposal
- it had military alliances with France and Russia
how many Sudeten Germans lived in Czechoslovakia?
3.5 million
how did the Sudeten Germans put pressure on the Czech govt?
the Nazi Sudeten German Party was able to spread Nazi propaganda amongst it’s followings
brawls broke out between Sudeten Germans and Czechs which caused German and Czech troops to build up at their respective borders
what was the Munich agreement?
signed by Britain, France, Italy and Germany it ceded the Sudetenland to Germany
what was Hitler’s view of the Munich agreement?
he settled for the diplomatic solution however he wanted to destroy Czechoslovakia from existence…
when was the Munich conference?
29 September 1938
who were the representatives at the Munich agreement in 1938?
Germany - Hitler + Ribbentrop
Britain - Chamberlain + Henderson
Italy - Mussolini + Ciano
France - Daladier
what did Germany get from the Sudetenland?
- it was rich in coal, copper and lignite
- strong manufacturer of textiles
- increased public opinion of Hitler without any bloodshed
- Czech defences which were to be used against Germany were now in the hands of Germany and they would prove useful in war
what were the implication of the Czech crisis on world peace?
- the fact that the USSR was not invited to the Munich conference made them trust the west even more and instead would look to open diplomatic doors with Nazi Germany in order to protect itself
- Germany now had an almost dominant position in Central and Eastern Europe
when was the Pact of Steel signed?
May 1939
