StudyWise
Hitler’s Foreign PolicyAimsAbolish Treaty of VersaillesReunite Germany e.g. Sudetenland, Polish Corridor – Greater GermanyRearmamentDestroy communismLebensraum – German empireEnforce Master Race Theory – take over Slavs, get rid of Jews etc.Steps to warSaar plebiscite (1935) – after 15 years of League ruling, went to Germany – expected outcome.Conscription (1935) – had already started rearmament, exploited guilt surrounding T of V and broken promise of global disarmament. Stresa Front (GB, France, Italy) – Failed.Rhineland (1936) – Army marched into Rhineland, used same excuses as above, France having general election so didn’t want conflict, GB sympathetic and wouldn’t support anyway, world distracted by Abyssinian Crisis.Anschluss (1938) – previous attempt at coup in 1934 failed. Hitler bullied chancellor Schuschnigg accept a Nazi person into government, so he called plebiscite to see if Austria wanted Anschluss. Hitler feared no-vote, assembled army at border, forced Schuschnigg to resign in favour of Nazi Seyss-Inquart who proceeded to invite German army in. Organised own plebiscite – 99% voted YES for union. Munich Agreement (1938) – Hitler made Czech Nazi party stir trouble in Sudetenland. Claimed Sudeten Germans were being oppressed by Czechs. Threatened war if solution not found. Chamberlain flew to see Hitler and they agreed that Germany could have half of Sudetenland and hold a plebiscite there. Week later, Hitler changed his mind – wanted all of it. Britain, France, Italy and Germany meet in Munich and decide to give it all to him. Tell Czechs they won’t support any resistance. Chamberlain gets Hitler to sign “Piece of paper” promising peaceful negotiations. Praised as hero who prevented war.Czechoslovakia (March 1939) – Hitler invades Czechoslovakia with no excuse, uses brute force and takes it over. Appeasement ends.Nazi-soviet pact (Aug 1939) – USSR and Germany shock everyone by signing non-aggression pact. Secretly agree to carve up Poland between them.Poland – 1st September Hitler invades, 3rd September Britain declares war on Germany.AppeasementFor/why:Bought time to prepare for war.Democracy – people didn’t want war so couldn’t go for somewhere “unimportant” like Czechoslovakia.Fear of communism – Germany = barrier.Thought Hitler could be appeasedGuilt over Treaty – too harshTaken in by early propagandaSpanish civil war showed how weapons had advanced and they wanted to avoid anything like Guernica.Depression so people wanted to keep out of unnecessary conflict.Timing was bad. GB and France declining, Germany rising in power.Against:Hitler could not be satiated.Fed Hitler’s belief that democracies were weak and easily manipulated.Gave Germany more time to rearm – could have beaten them in 1936, much harder in 1938.Should make an alliance with USSR to surround GermanyFed Stalin’s belief that they wanted to strengthen Germany to defeat USSR, led them to Nazi-Soviet Pact.Results:Let Hitler grow stronger.Gave GB time to rearm.Humiliated GB.Abandoned millions to the Nazis.Caused war by making Hitler think he could do anything.Gave GB moral high ground – had done everything to try and prevent war.Would never have stopped Hitler who always planned to go to war.Fine attempt to prevent war in Europe.Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact. ................
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