Interwar Germany Foreign Policy and the Early Cold War

Comprehensive review flashcards covering Hitler's foreign policy steps from 1933 to 1938 and the emergence of Cold War tensions, alliances, and crises from 1945 to 1949.

What were Hitler's five main foreign policy aims?

1. Destroy the Treaty of Versailles (rebuild military, regain lost territories, end reparations and restrictions)
2. Unite all German speaking people (Austria, Sudetenland, Danzig, parts of Poland)
3. Gain Lebensraum ('Living Space') by expanding eastwards into Poland, Ukraine, and parts of the Soviet Union
4. Destroy Communism
5. Make Germany the strongest country in Europe

When did Adolf Hitler become Chancellor of Germany?

30 January 1933

When did Germany leave the League of Nations?

October 1933

What were the terms of the 1934 Non-Aggression Pact between Germany and Poland?

Germany promised not to attack Poland for $10$ years.

Why did Hitler's attempt at Anschluss fail in 1934?

Italy opposed the move, causing Hitler to back down.

What was the result of the Saar Plebiscite in 1935?

Around $90\%$ of the people of the Saar voted in favour of returning to Germany.

What steps did Hitler take regarding German rearmament in 1935?

He introduced conscription, expanded the army beyond Treaty limits, and rebuilt the air force.

What naval limit was agreed upon in the Anglo-German Naval Agreement?

Britain allowed Germany to build a navy up to $35\%$ the size of Britain's navy.

What occurred on 7 March 1936 regarding the Rhineland?

German troops entered the Rhineland, breaking the Treaty of Versailles, while Britain and France did nothing.

What was established by the Rome-Berlin Axis?

Germany and Italy became allies.

What was the purpose of the Anti-Comintern Pact?

Germany and Japan agreed to oppose communism.

What happened during the Anschluss of March 1938?

Germany united with Austria, an action forbidden by the Treaty of Versailles but welcomed by many Austrians.

When was Cominform established and what was its purpose?

In September 1947, Stalin created Cominform to strengthen Soviet control over Communist parties in Europe.

What triggered the Berlin Blockade in 1948?

France and the USA introduced a new currency in West Germany, leading Stalin to block roads, railways, and canals into West Berlin.

What were the dates of the Berlin Blockade?

24 June 1948 to 12 May 1949

How did the Western allies respond to the Berlin Blockade?

Britain, the USA, and France organised the Berlin Airlift, flying food, fuel, and other supplies into West Berlin until Stalin lifted the failed blockade in May 1949.

What was the purpose and core agreement of NATO, formed in April 1949?

Formed by the USA, Canada, and several Western European countries, NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) was created to defend against possible Soviet aggression, agreeing to help each other if one member was attacked.

How is the Cold War defined?

A period of tension and rivalry between the USA and the USSR after WW2, in which they competed through propaganda, arms races, alliances, espionage, and proxy wars.

How did the ideological and political systems of the USA and USSR contrast during the Cold War?

The USA practiced democracy and free elections, whereas the USSR was a one-party dictatorship.

How did the economic systems of the USA and USSR contrast during the Cold War?

The USA was based on capitalism with private ownership of businesses, whereas the USSR had a planned communist economy with government ownership of industries.

When did the Yalta Conference take place and which leaders attended?

Held from 4-11 February 1945; attended by Winston Churchill (Britain), Franklin D. Roosevelt (USA), and Joseph Stalin (USSR).