(Topic 3) Nazi Foreign Policy

The influence of German History on Nazi Foreign Policy:

• ‘September Programme:’ drawn up by gov at start of ww1 as an ambition to take over vast areas of Europe

• ‘Weitpolitik:’ Kaisers scheme of colonisation/expansion (racist motive) & building an empire

• ‘Lebensraum:’ ‘living space’- desire to conquer territory (Esp. In East)

• Racial Purity: long prejudice against Jews/those deemed as ‘weak’ or ‘inferior’ to German Race

• Unity: belief that all Germanic speaking people should be united in one country

Hitler’s role in shaping foreign policy: Master planner or Opportunist?

• Lebensraum: expanded the military, annexed Austria & Czechoslovakia (prior to Poland invasion)

• 1936 Remilitarised the Rhineland

• From 1938 purged any opposition towards war (initially unpopular)

Masterplanner?

• Nazi 25 Point Programme

• Mein Kampf

• 4 year plan (1936) for war in 1940s

• Hossbach Memorandum 1937: set out vision for Anschluss

Opportunist? (making the most of opportunities that arose)

• improvisation?

• Excelled by war?

Plan for peace? (Debate of whether he wanted to avoid war)

• Willingness to sign treaties with Britain & France

• An excuse for his invasion into Czechoslovakia?

Contribution to war from other nations: Appeasement

• USA&USSR largely stayed out of foreign affairs

• Britain & France had economic issues- not in strong position to uphold international order

• League of Nations = ineffective (lacked unity/power to take action)→ Hitler withdrew in 1933

Appeasement: (British&French policy towards Germany)

• 1933-39 Diplomatic strategy- concessions made to avoid conflict/war

• Britain & France wanted to avoid war- govs not economically/politically strong enough

• Many British felt TofV was too harsh & supported Hitler’s policies in reversing it

Consequences of appeasement:

• Britain & France overlooked aggressive acts of Nazi party (Took none to little action)

• BUT gave Britain time to rearm/prep for war, whilst giving Hitler confidence that they wouldn’t intervene

=Lack of unity:

• Britain, France, USSR could have prevented invasion of Poland- but didn’t co-operate

• (Britain reluctant to work with USSR- suspicion of sharing intelligence with communist country=made alliances impossible)

Reasons for German invasion of Poland:

The Polish Guarantee: (Essentially marked end to appeasement)

• Britain & France- unprepared for war/didn’t want Germany to grow too powerful

• Following invasion of Czechoslovakia, allies signed the Polish Guarantee (March 1939) as a pledge to support Polish independence

Hitler & Poland:

• “Lebensraum” whilst avoiding war? He did not take the Polish Guarantee with too much threat as he viewed allied govs as weak

• Allies determined to stop expansion of an extremist country→ prepared to ignore this and invade Poland either way

The Nazi-Soviet Pact:

• August 1939- USSR & Germany signed the N-S Pact

• Allowed Poland to be divided between Germany & Russia

• Meant Germany could invade without fear of Soviet Opposition

Declaration of war:

• Day of invasion, Britain & France issues an ultimatum: either Germany withdrew troops from Poland or war will be declared (1st)

• 2nd: no response

• 3rd: Chamberlain announced publicly on radio that they were now at war with Germany

• Within hours- French followed

Miscalculation & Masterplan:

• Did he seek large scale in 1939?

• Did he assume allies would back down?

• Misjudged the situation?

Domestic reasons for German Invasion:

Impact of 4 year plan:

• need for raw materials, weaponry = balance of payment crisis

• 1939: rearmament forced to slow down, Hitlers solution was to gain further territory to gather more resources

• Living standards: decreased (supply of consumer goods/foods were limited)

Roles of individuals:

• Ribbentrop: foreign minister from 1938- removed obstacle of aggressive foreign policy (eg Nazi-Soviet Pact)

• Goering: responsible for airforce, head of 4 year plan, responsible for most of rearmament. Helped lay economic/military foundations for war, advocated for Anschluss (1938)→also hid failures of 4 year plan & weaknesses of airforce (encouraged Hitler to push into the East)

Nature of German Government:

• Radical Nazis/racial policies came to dominate gov

• Conservatives/Pragmatists had no way of stopping Hitler (checks/balances of Weimar Constitution ignored)