International Relations 6.21 - Germany's challenges to the Treaty of Versailles

What were Hitler’s long term aims?

• Abolish the Treaty of Versailles

• Unite all Germans under one Reich

• Acquire Lebensraum for ‘Aryan’ (German) people, whom Hitler believed were the superior race

• Destroy the USSR

What did Hitler believe of the USSR?

That it was a ‘communist state run by Jews’

Where did Hitler first establish his long term aims?

Mein Kampf

What were Hitler’s short term aims?

• Weaken French influence in Eastern Europe

• Rearmament of Germany

• Anschluss with Austria

When and what was the Hossbach Memorandum?

November 1937; Hitler met with three high-ranking officers in which he claimed that Hitler needed Lebensraum as quickly as possible if they were to survive. Two officials argued that Germany was not yet strong enough to resist British and French retaliation, and Hitler had them dismissed.

How did Hitler avoid international confrontation with his foreign policy objectives?

He conducted the Saar Plebiscite under (mostly) legal means, and criticised the ToV’s forbidding of rearmament, suggesting that Germany had to have some means of protecting itself - particularly with the growth of communist Russia. He was also careful not to antagonise military leaders, who were fearful of another war.

Why was Hitler worried about British and French resistance, despite their failures in Abyssinia and Manchuria?

Because of the legacy of WW1 and geographical closeness to Western Europe.

What is the main debate regarding Hitler’s intentions?

Intentionalism (Hitler planned it all along) vs Functionalism (he was an opportunist)

Who is a key intentionalist historian?

AJP Taylor (sexy man)

What was the percentage change of military spending from 1932-9?

1% to 23% of the national budget

What was Hitler’s excuse for withdrawing from the World Disarmament Conference?

France refused to disarm, so he walked out.

When did Germany withdraw from the League of Nations?

14th October 1933

When and what was the German-Polish Non-Aggression Pact?

January 1934; Germany and Poland agreed not to go to war for at least ten years.

Why did Hitler agree to the German-Polish Non-Aggression Pact?

The Polish military was growing due to the strength of their neighbours (Germany and the USSR), and movements in Danzig worried Hitler, as German remilitarisation was still in its infancy. Furthermore, the Poles were planning a preemptive strike on Germany, should France provide support, and Hitler needed to secure the Eastern border.

What did the German-Polish Non-Aggression Pact do for Hitler’s international reputation?

It reinforced the illusion of his ‘reasonableness’.

When did Hitler first attempt Anschluss?

July 1934

Why did Hitler attempt Anschluss in 1934?

Mussolini attempted to install an anti-Nazi PM. Austrian Nazis launched a retaliatory coup d’etat.

Why did Hitler abandon Anschluss in 1934?

Mussolini sent troops into Austria to face down the coup. Not yet ready for full-scale conflict, Hitler retreated.

What was the effect of the failed Anschluss on German foreign policy?

Hitler abandoned the immediate goal of Anschluss, but pushed it to long tm. He also tried to cultivate friendlier relations with Italy so as to avoid further confrontation.

When and what was the Saar Plebiscite?

January 1935; a vote to see if the Saarland wanted to become French or German. It voted German.

What did Hitler try and do in the lead-up to the Saar Plebiscite?

Harass residents with Nazi propaganda. He abandoned this when it began to attract attention, but it is difficult to estimate how much of an effect this actually had.

What percentage of the Saar voted to become German?

90%

Why was the Saarland strategically important for Germany?

It had rich coal fields, which Germany needed to rebuild the economy and continue rearmament.

When did Hitler publicly declare Germany’s air force?

March 1935

How did Hitler justify the rearmament programme?

Other powers were building their armies and it wasn’t fair that they should remain vulnerable.

When and what was the Anglo-German Naval Agreement?

1935; the German Navy would be limited to 35% of Britain’s