Section C - Content

Question 1

Key explanations of WW2 (4)

Answer 1

Influence of German History
Hitler’s ideology
Reasons for the invasion of Poland
Contribution of other nations

Question 2

Influence of German History (2)

Answer 2

WW1
Previous German Empires

Question 3

Effect of the WW1 surrender on Hitler ?

Answer 3

Angered at the sudden surrender
Foriegn forces had not entered Germany
Stab in the back myth

Question 4

Terms of ToV

Answer 4

Germany Lost Land - Danzig, Polish Corridor (cut off East Prussia)

Germany had to disarm - <100,000 men

Demilitarised the Rhineland

Repartations - set at 132 million (1921)

Guilt Clause

Diktat - forced to sign

Question 5

How did the ToV shape Nazi FP ?

Answer 5

Viewed as a diktat
Overturning ToV - key part of Nazi FP
Revision of borders needed - restricted by ToV / Locarno

Question 6

How was the ToV dismantled (chronologically)

Answer 6

1933 - Germany withdraw from LoN
1935 - Saar votes 90% to re-join Germany
1936 - Rearmament of Rhineland
1938 - Anschluss + Suddentenland (Munich Conference)
March 1939 - Invasion of Czechoslavakia
September 1939 - Invasion of Poland

Question 7

Racism + Social Darwinism

Answer 7

Psudeo-Scientific
Believed that Humans had to adapt in order to suvive
Natural Selection
Hitler was given Fischer’s book on Eugenics in jail

Question 8

Anti-Semetic History

Answer 8

Jewish discrimination - c. 2,000 years old
Kaiserreich discriminated Jews
Ideas existed before Hitler

Question 9

Influence of previous leaders (2)

Answer 9

Bulow - Weltpolitik, Flottenpolitik = aggressive foreign policy

Bethmann-Hollweg - Programme of expansion, Vassal states to be created/ethnically cleansed for Germans

Question 10

Pressure groups in the Kaiserreich

Answer 10

Pan-German League - Demanded aggressive nationalistic FP to protect the interests of the German pople, c. 1 million members

Navy League - Claimed to have more than 1 million members, also favoured nationalistic foreign policy.

Question 11

Racial Policy continuity from the Kaiserreich

Answer 11

Racial Tensions in German Africa (1904) - Hereo People forced off the land and into concentration camps + genocide.

Only 16,000/ 80,000 Hereo People survived the German racial policies

Question 12

Main features of Nazi foreign policy

Answer 12

Expansion
Remove ToV
Destory Communism
Elimiate Jews
Lebensraum

Question 13

Stufenplan

Answer 13

Outlined in Mein Kampf, Hitler’s ‘step-by-step’ plan to achieve european hegemony.

Question 14

Hossbach Memorandum

Answer 14

1937
A secret conference with the senior members of the German army (eg. Blomberg and Fritsch), in which he revealed that he was pursuing lebensraum at the expense of other European nations.

Question 15

Blomberg-Fristch Affair

Answer 15

During the memorandum (1937), both Fritsch and Blomberg raised their concerns regarding Germany’s foreign policy aims. Suspiciously, three months later both were involved in scandals and removed from office. Hitler then took on the role of Commander in chief of the German Army (1938)

Question 16

Why did British + French ignore German rearmament

Answer 16

The Treaty was perceived by some in Britain and France to be too harsh against the Germans.

This defiance of the Treaty was even ratified by Britain in 1935 via the Anglo-German Naval agreement.

Many nations were facing strong instability, eg. French politics and continental economic redevelopment, leading to any actions which could promote war being quickly dismissed.

Question 17

Weakness of Hossbach Memorandum as evidence

Answer 17

Original copy was lost
No mention of USSR
Only one person’s account
Just made to put pressure on Schact
Hitler was reluctant to become head of the army

Question 18

Mein Kampf + Second Book

Answer 18

Outlines Hitler’s stufen plan - the ‘step by step’ plan to; dismantle the ToV,
war with Britain and France
a war against the USSR to bring an end to Judeo-Bolshevism.

This idea was expanded upon in his second secretive book to include plans for the USA.

Question 19

Why did Hitler Invade Poland ?

Answer 19

Attempted to peacefully take over Poland as a satellite state of Nazi Germany.

Poland had become a significant regional powe

By the mid 1930s, Poland was spending around 50% of the Government budget on the military.

When Germany remilitarised the Rhineland in 1936, Poland offered military support to France to help drive the Germans out - French did not remove Germans - demonstrated Polish Militance

Question 20

Nazi-Soviet Pact

Answer 20

1934
A non-aggression pact
Achieved by von Ribbentrop and Moltov
Neither country would invade each other
It also included secret provisions of how Poland would be divided.

Question 21

Pact of Steel

Answer 21

1939
A military and political alliance between Italy and Germany.
Agreed that if Germany went to war, Italy would join
Made on the mutual agreement that Italy would not be ready until 1943.

Question 22

Inaction from the League of Nations

Answer 22

Manchurian Crisis (1931)
Abysinnian Crisis (1935)
Spanish Civil War (1936)
China + Japan’s territorial disputes (1937)
USSR invades Finland (1939)

Question 23

Anti-Commitern Pact (1936)

Answer 23

Signed by Germany, Italy and Japan
United their anti-communist sentiment.