To What Extent Did Hitler Have A Masterplan For His Foreign Policy Flashcards
How does the timining of the Anschluss suggest Hitler had an opportunistic foreign policy
- The timing of the Anschluss in Austria in March 1938 was driven by the activities of the Austrian Nazis,
- as well as Italy’s preoccupation with the Spanish Civil War
- and domestic problems in Britain and France such as the resignation of British foreign secretary Anthony Eden).
How was Hitler’s own masterplan layed out pre 1933 in literature
- Hitler’s publications, such as Mein Kampt (1925) and Zwites Buch (1928) outlined his foreign policy aims which Hitler made reality after 1933.
- This included uniting German-speaking people;
- creating a lebensraum by expanding eastwards;
- and overturning the Treaty of Versailles
How does Menikampf suggest Hitler was actually opportunistic so he didnt follwo his book and instead respond to Germany’s international position at the time in his foreign policy
- In Mein Kampf, Hitler claimed that Poland would serve as the gateway to creating lebensraum in the east
- Instead, in January 1934, Hitler negotiated the Polish-German nonaggression pact to secure its eastern borders while the country developed militarily
In Mein Kampf, Hitler envisaged an alliance with ………….. and made several attempts to secure one….. (give example)
- Britain & Italy
- In 1936, he sent von Ribbentrop to Britain with the aim of securing an agreement, demonstrating evidence of long-term planning.
- From his appointment as chancellor
How did external factors limit Meinkampf
- Despite devising a military plan to “smash Czechoslovakia by military action” in May 1938,
- Hitler delayed his invasion and settled for the Munich Agreement in September 1938
- in response to: Mussolini’s unwillingness to provide military support; the threat of a military response from Britain and France
How did Hitler keep ministers in fp the same (OPPORTUNIST)
- When Hitler first came to power German foreign policy was not immediately changed - he kept most of the foreign policy officials like Konstantin von Neurath until 1938.
Give evidence to suggest it was cabinet ministers not just Hitler who sought war
- Von Ribbentrop who acted as an alternate foreign minister to Von Neurath, negotiated the Nazi Soviet Pact of 1939.
- He said this pact was, ‘my very own ideas which I urged on Hitler’ In 1943, Goering remarked that,
- ‘this war is Ribbentrop’s war.’
- Goering pushed Hitler to be more aggressive and take Austria by force rather than diplomacy.
How was Hitler oppotunist is clearing out fp and army people to become dominant opportunistically for war
- After the removal of von Blomberg and Fritsch , Hitler acted decisively to make himself commander in chief of the armed forces - his dominance over the military was complete.
Who had the overall final say on Nazi foreign polcy
- However, Von Ribbentrop’s suggestions were only acceptable when they were compatible with Hitler’s personal vision.
How did army seek to influence fp
- Like Hitler the army wanted to reverse the Treaty of Versailles BUT they were worried Hitler was moving too fast
- Two army leaders von Blomberg and von Fritsch had sharp exchanges with Hitler at the Hossbach Conference in 1937
- Within a year they were removed from office Blomberg’s wife had previously posed for pornographic pictures and Fritsch was wrongly accused of being homosexual).
- Evidence suggests it was Goering and Himmer who manipulated Hitler into firing them.
what are niche examples which suggests hitller preared germany ofr war to fulfil his long-term plan
- Four Year Plan (1936-1939) - geared at developing a war economy.
- 1937 Hossbach Conference: outlined three different war scenarios
what is the evidence hitler pusued his policies laid out in Mein Kampf
- Alliance with Italy: 1936
- Rome-Berlin Axis; 1939 Pact of Steel
- October 1, 1938: Took over the Sudetenland (3.5 million German-speaking people)
- March 1939: Invasion of Czech.
- Sep. 1 1939: Invasion of Poland
evidence hitler acted opportunistically and responded differently as his aims in meinkampf were delayed
- Took advantage of the weakness of the League of Nations.
- Remilitarisation of the Rhineland (1936) in response to Italy’s aggression and
- diverted attention of the West (Britain, France).
- Munich Agreement - Hitler chose to sign agreement and not invade Czech. in response to Mussolini’s lack of support.
- Appeasement (Britain; France) (e.g.Naval Agreement 1935) - took advantage of Britain and France’s lack of intervention in his foreign policy (e.g. gave him the confidence to invade Czech. in March 1939).
