The Development of Tension with Hitler

Question 1

What were Hitler’s foreign policies?

Answer 1

-Take Lebensraum
-Rearmament
-Re-unite German speaking people and create a greater Germany
-Destroy Communism
-Overturn the Treaty of Versailles
-Rearm to make Germany strong again

Question 2

What was Hitler’s plan to re-unite German speaking people called?

Answer 2

Volksdeutsche.

Question 3

What had satisfied British politicians that Hitler didn’t want war after all?

Answer 3

When Hitler signed a non-aggression pact with Poland in 1934.

Question 4

Why had many British people decided to turn a blind eye to Hitler?

Answer 4

They remembered the horrors of the First World War and would do anything to prevent another .

Question 5

What policy did Chamberlain use with Hitler until 1939?

Answer 5

Appeasement.

Question 6

How had public opinion about the Treaty of Versailles changed in Britain?

Answer 6

Many felt that it was too harsh and Germany should be allowed to reclaim some of what had been lost. This would help Germany become strong which could help stop the expansion of the USSR, and France, who Britain feared were becoming too powerful in Europe.

Question 7

Name 1 British person who thought appeasement was a mistake:

Answer 7

Winston Churchill

Question 8

When was the Stresa Front signed?

Answer 8

April 1935

Question 9

What was the Stresa Front agreement?

Answer 9

Britain, France and Italy promised to unite against the threat of Hitler. It stated they would guarantee the terms of the Locarno Treaty, protect Austrian independence and work together to stop Hitler from breaking any more terms of the Treaty of Versailles.

Question 10

Who was the president of France for much of the 1930s?

Answer 10

Edouard Daladier.

Question 11

What was France’s reaction to the Hitler’s foreign policy?

Answer 11

The people in France suffered greatly int he Depression and some started rebelling against the government. The government found it difficult to concentrate on the threat from Hitler with so many problems of their own. France could also not afford to act against him without the support of Britain.

Question 12

What were the USSR’s international relationships often like and why?

Answer 12

They were often hostile, as Communism was a very different political system from that of most countries in the West.

Question 13

When was the USSR allowed to join the League of Nations?

Answer 13

1934

Question 14

What treaty did the USSR sign with France and when?

Answer 14

In May 1935 a treaty of mutual assistance was signed with France, saying the two countries would work together.

Question 15

What did Stalin decide was worth doing if it meant Hitler’s expansion into the East could be stopped?

Answer 15

Cooperating with capitalist states.

Question 16

What policy had America followed during the 1920s?

Answer 16

Isolationism, involving getting involved in European affairs.

Question 17

Who came to power in 1932 in the USA?

Answer 17

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR for short)

Question 18

What were the 1930s like in the USA (regarding policies and unemployment)?

Answer 18

Policies were no different from the 1920s. Unemployment had reached 25% in the USA, following the Wall Street Crash, so FDR focused on creating jobs for his people.

Question 19

What did a poll published in 1934 in America say?

Answer 19

That 70% of Americans felt that the USA should never had got involved in the First World War, and if there was a second one, the USA shouldn’t interfere.

Question 20

In what election did FDR promise what?

Answer 20

In the 1936 election FDR promised to keep America out of any war in Europe.

Question 21

When and what did FDR try to get Hitler to promise?

Answer 21

In 1938, FDR did try to get Hitler to promise that he would stop invading countries, but Hitler did not take the request seriously.

Question 22

What the US government begin to do as there was little more that FDR could do?

Answer 22

They watched and quietly started preparing its armed forces.

Question 23

When did Hitler leave the League of Nations disarmament conference?

Answer 23

1933

Question 24

What happened in the League of Nations disarmament conference?

Answer 24

Hitler said he would disarm as long as every other nation would too. If other nations would not, then he wanted to be allowed an equal size army to that of France. France refused to cooperate, which gave Hitler the excuse to storm out of the conference while claiming that it was the French, not him, who were being unreasonable. Germany then left the League of Nations so was no longer expected to keep its covenant and work to avoid war.

Question 25

When was the Dollfuss Affair?

Answer 25

1934

Question 26

What was the Dollfuss Affair?

Answer 26

The Austrian Chancellor, Dollfuss, banned the Nazi Party in Austria as he was aware of Hitler’s intentions with Volksdeutsche. Hitler responded by telling the Nazis in Austria to cause havoc. They murdered Dollfuss. However Hitler’s plot failed because the Austrian army supported the government and because Mussolini moved his troops onto the Austrian border, promising to stop Hitler’s Anschluss. Hitler realised his army was not strong enough yet, so backed down and claimed the Austrian Nazis acted alone.

Question 27

Why did Dollfuss shut down parliament and ban the Austrian Nazi Party in 1933?

Answer 27

In order to become the Fascist dictator of Austria.

Question 28

When and where did Hitler show his rearmament?

Answer 28

At the ‘Freedom to Rearm rally’ in March 1935 Hitler showed off weapons and troops he had secretly been building.

Question 29

When did Hitler announce he was reintroducing conscription and when did he actually?

Answer 29

He announced this at the ‘Freedom to Rearm Rally’ in 1935 and he actually did in 1936.

Question 30

What 2 things other than conscription did Hitler announce at the ‘Freedom to Rearm Rally’?

Answer 30

That he was expanding his army to 1 million men and building a Luftwaffe (air force).

Question 31

What did Hitler’s announcements at the ‘Freedom to Rearm Rally’ show?

Answer 31

It showed Hitler was sure he could openly defy the Treaty of Versailles, without other countries stopping him.

Question 32

When was the Saar plebiscite?

Answer 32

13 January 1935

Question 33

Why was the Saar plebiscite held?

Answer 33

The agreement for the League of Nations to control it was due to expire in 1935, so a plebiscite was held to decide on who should govern the area - France or Germany.

Question 34

What were the results of the Saar plebiscite?

Answer 34

90% of the population voted to rejoin Germany.

Question 35

What did Hitler use the results of the Saar plebiscite to do?

Answer 35

He used it as propaganda to show that German-speaking people wanted to unite under the Nazis.

Question 36

What did Hitler gain from the Saar plebiscite?

Answer 36

Rich coalfields which could be used to power his industry and build weapons ready for the future.

Question 37

When was the Anglo-German Naval agreement?

Answer 37

June 1935.

Question 38

What was the Anglo-German Naval Agreement?

Answer 38

Britain signed an agreement with Germany saying that Hitler could build his navy to 35% of the British one. Britain also allowed Germany to build 45% of the number of British submarines.

Question 39

What did Hitler see the Anglo-German Naval Agreement as?

Answer 39

He saw it as Britain admitting that the Treaty of Versailles was unfair and they they could therefore ignore it.

Question 40

Which Treaty terms were officially dead after the Anglo-German Naval Agreement?

Answer 40

The military terms.

Question 41

What was significant about the Anglo-German Naval Agreement?

Answer 41

Britain hadn’t consulted France and Italy before signing this agreement.

Question 42

When was the Stresa Front?

Answer 42

April 1935

Question 43

What was the Stresa Front?

Answer 43

An agreement between Britain, France and Italy that stated they would guarantee the terms of the Locarno Treaty, protect Austrian independence and work together to stop Hitler from breaking any more terms of the TofV.

Question 44

Was Hitler concerned by the Stresa Front?

Answer 44

No.