Germany

Lebensraum

The core Nazi ideological belief that Germany required “living space” to survive, justifying eastward expansion into Eastern Europe through conquest, displacement, and racial domination of Slavic peoples.

Grossdeutschland (Greater Germany)

Nazi foreign-policy aim to unite all German-speaking peoples into one state, achieved through Anschluss with Austria and the annexation of German-speaking regions such as the Sudetenland.

Revision of the Treaty of Versailles

A central objective of Hitler’s foreign policy, aiming to overturn territorial losses, military restrictions, and the war-guilt clause, portrayed by Nazis as a humiliating betrayal imposed by the Weimar government.

Aryan Race Ideology

The belief in German racial superiority, used to justify expansion, ethnic cleansing, and domination of “inferior” races, particularly Slavs and Jews, as part of Nazi imperial goals.

Anti-Communism

An ideological foundation of Nazi foreign policy that identified the USSR as Germany’s ultimate enemy, portraying communism as a Jewish conspiracy and making war in the east appear inevitable.

Impact of the Great Depression

Economic collapse and mass unemployment radicalized German politics, increasing support for the Nazis who promised jobs, stability, and national revival, enabling aggressive foreign policy.

Autarky

Economic policy of self-sufficiency designed to prepare Germany for war by reducing dependence on foreign imports and avoiding the effects of a naval blockade.

Four Year Plan (1936)

A state-directed economic program led by Göring to accelerate rearmament and autarky, prioritizing military production over consumer needs and tightening Nazi control of the economy.

Rearmament and Foreign Policy

Massive military expansion that violated Versailles, reduced unemployment, strengthened domestic support, and enabled Hitler to pursue expansion through intimidation and force.

Withdrawal from the League of Nations (1933)

Germany’s rejection of collective security and international oversight, allowing unrestricted rearmament and signaling the collapse of post-war cooperation.

Non-Aggression Pact with Poland (1934)

A temporary diplomatic tactic to secure Germany’s eastern border, weaken French alliances, and buy time for rearmament.

Stresa Front (1935)

An attempt by Britain, France, and Italy to oppose German treaty violations, which collapsed due to British appeasement and Italian ambitions.

Anglo-German Naval Agreement (1935)

Britain’s acceptance of German naval rearmament up to 35% of the Royal Navy, legitimizing treaty violations and undermining collective security.

Rome–Berlin Axis (1936)

A diplomatic alignment between Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy based on shared ideology and cooperation in the Spanish Civil War.

Anti-Comintern Pact (1936–37)

An agreement between Germany, Japan, and later Italy opposing international communism, reinforcing hostility toward the USSR.

Pact of Steel (1939)

A formal military alliance binding Germany and Italy to support each other in war, committing Mussolini to Hitler’s expansionist policies.

Nazi-Soviet Pact (1939)

A non-aggression agreement that removed the threat of a two-front war for Germany and secretly divided Eastern Europe.

German Rearmament Announcement (1935)

Public rejection of Versailles through conscription and the Luftwaffe, met with no military response and encouraging further aggression.

Saar Plebiscite (1935)

A League-supervised vote returning the Saar to Germany, used as propaganda proof of peaceful revisionism and national unity.

Remilitarization of the Rhineland (1936)

A high-risk violation of Versailles and Locarno that succeeded due to Allied inaction, emboldening Hitler.

Anschluss with Austria (1938)

The annexation of Austria into Germany, fulfilling racial and national goals and exposing the weakness of international opposition.

Sudeten Crisis (1938)

Germany’s exploitation of ethnic Germans in Czechoslovakia to demand territory, leading to appeasement and dismemberment of the state.

Munich Conference (1938)

Britain and France agreed to cede the Sudetenland to Germany to avoid war, marking the peak of appeasement.

Liquidation of Czechoslovakia (1939)

German occupation of non-German territory, proving Hitler’s aims went beyond uniting Germans and ending appeasement.

Danzig Crisis and Invasion of Poland (1939)

Germany’s final territorial demand used as justification for invasion, directly triggering World War II.

British Appeasement

A policy of concessions based on avoiding war and revising Versailles peacefully, which encouraged further German aggression.

French Foreign Policy Weakness

Political instability and reliance on defensive strategies like the Maginot Line limited France’s ability to resist German expansion.

US Isolationism

American refusal to intervene in European conflicts due to domestic priorities and Neutrality Acts, reducing deterrence.

International Response to the Rhineland

Allied inaction demonstrated the collapse of collective security and convinced Hitler future risks were low.

Spanish Civil War Intervention

Germany tested weapons, strengthened Axis ties, and distracted Britain and France while presenting aggression as anti-communism.

British Guarantee to Poland (1939)

Britain’s commitment to defend Poland, marking the official end of appeasement.

Stab-in-the-Back Myth

A nationalist narrative blaming Germany’s WWI defeat on internal enemies, fueling resentment and revisionist foreign policy.

Hossbach Memorandum (1937)

A record of Hitler outlining expansionist aims and acknowledging war as inevitable.

Failure of Anglo-Franco-Soviet Talks (1939)

Mutual distrust prevented an alliance against Germany, pushing the USSR toward the Nazi-Soviet Pact.

Mussolini’s Shift on Anschluss

Mussolini opposed Anschluss in 1934 but supported it by 1938 after alignment with Nazi Germany.

Strategic Importance of the Rhineland

Secured Germany’s western border, allowed fortifications, and freed Hitler to expand eastward.

End of Collective Security

Symbolized by Germany’s withdrawal from the League of Nations and the World Disarmament Conference.