Nazi Foreign Policy

When did Germany leave the LofN

1933

When was the Rihneland Remillitariesd

1936

When did Anschluss happen

1938

When did the Sudetenland crisis happen

• 1938

Adolf Hitler claimed that the 3 million ethnic Germans living in the Sudetenland were being mistreated by the Czechoslovak government. He used this as an excuse to demand that the territory be handed over to Germany.

The Munich Agreement^[a] was reached in Munich on 30 September 1938, by Nazi Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and Italy. The agreement provided for the German annexation of part of Czechoslovakia called the Sudetenland, where three million people, mainly ethnic Germans, lived.^[1] The pact is known in some areas as the Munich Betrayal (Czech: Mnichovská zrada; Slovak: Mníchovská zrada), because of a previous 1924 alliance agreement^[2] and a 1925 military pact between France and the Czechoslovak Republic.

When did Hitler’s policy stop being reversing Versailles, and being agressisve

39, Czechoslovakia and Poland

Why did conditions favour Hitler

in the east, the states were ‘artificial’ and contained lost of Germans. They were weak. Perfect for Hitler’s Lebensraum

When was the Anglo-German naval agreement

1935, which allowed Hitler 35% of British naval strength

Why did Italy and Germany get closer

Italy felt betrayed by UK and F over Abyssinia

Why did no one stop Hitler, 4 reasons

1)At first he seemed like a Nationalist, trying to overturn Versailles, with legitimate grievances

He acts with good faith

2)When he left rearmament conference he promised the size of army would be 300,000 men.

3)When he built the air force, he said it would be half the size of France

4)He is seen as a anti communist

Cooper, British Foreign Sec said

the British people don’t give 2 hoots about Germany reoccupying part of their own territory

What did Lord Halifax say

Germany is ‘bulwark’ against communism, and there could be ‘possible alterations’, after the ‘passage of time’

all about peaceful evolution

Arguments about the Hossbach conference

• not a plan for occupying Europe

• More about reassuring aristocratic Generals, as if it is about a war plan, then why no Himmler

• convince them that Germany needed expansion

• pressure them to accept his long‑term goals

• test their loyalty

Key notes of the confrence

Case 1

1)they cant hide the fact they are rearming

2)the rest of the world is rearming

3)the Wermacht is ageing, and needs to be maintained and fear birth rates drop for army

4) Must act by 43-45

Case 2

if France develop domestic crisis, the time for action against czechosolovakia has come

Case 3

If France is involved in a war with another state and therefore unable to act against Germany, Germany should seize the opportunity to expand eastwards by taking Austria and Czechoslovakia. In this situation, Poland would be forced to remain neutral in the event of a German war against France.

Key Summary of Hossbach

1)Lebensraum to become self sufficient and stop threat to Ger’s flank

2) time is not on Germany’s side

3) Armament - they are strongest now and must act

4) element of supprise of secret wepon - incuding uboat

5)declining birhtrate - the need of soilders

6)Austria and Cezoslovakia must be attacked simultateously

more about scaring and testing the Generals, as the onyl Nazis there are Hitler and Goerring who is head of airforce.

What are some factors against Anschluss

• Most Austrians want to be German, not Nazis

• Many feared the Nazis, as the Austrian chancellor Dollfuss murdered by Nazi in the coup

• The Austrian Nazis attempted a coup in 34

Reasons for Anschluss

• Agitation of Austrian Nazis

• Austrian chancellor confronted Hitler to get the Nazis to backdown in Austria. Hitler called him a traitor to his blood.

• The Austrian chancellor called for a referendum, so Hitler must act quick

• As Mussolini and Austrians did not oppoise, Hitler decided to perform Anschluss rather than instal puppet

Why is appeasement not necessarily cowardice?

it is about settling dispute peacefully, and addressing legit grievances through orderly change and agreement

What is the playbook of UK foreign policy

1. minimalize engagement with Europe

2. deal with whatever government is necessary

3. make acceptable concessions that does not harm UK intrests

4. concrete commitment / threat (but this needs to be backed up, but UK not at a position to be tough at the time)

5. War

6. appeasement has been used a long time

How might the idea of a global British empire affect the idea of appeasement?

Japan → southeast Asia

Italy → Egypt

Soviets→ India

Stresa front

• France is paranoid, and strategically dependent on UK, but over the English Channel

• Mussolini is looking for a friend and fears that Anschluss might lead to return of South Tyrol

• Mussolini hopped that Stresa front might stop Anschluss

• Italy mis took UK and France for the green light to invade Abyssinia

• But no! so Mussolini felt betrayed and shifted to Adolf

• 1935

• to contain Ger

Spain

• Royalists vs Leftists

• Franco was flown by Luftwaffe from Morroco to Spain

• Hitler use spain as a testing ground

Examples to show that appeasement follow playbook

Rhineland, and the anglo german naval agreement, as UK is still superior naval power

and chamberlin still getting radar ready

Breaking the myth of appeasement as bad (6 thigs)

• war is costly, 6 - 11% of British men died

• Depression

• In 1933 Oxford union 275:153 voted ‘this house under no circumstances will fight for king and country’ (caputures the mood in institutions)

• Britain has no Ally as the US is still isolationist

• Treasury can’t afford war

• War Office can’t win war

Why was appeasement a sucess?

• it helped delay war so Britain can build up air force and radar

• they won the battle of Britain

• Appeasement is accompanied by rearmament

Backround to Stalin in 1930s

• His aim is to protect the 3 main cities - Leningrad, Moscow and Stalingrad

• He needs buffer zone against the Great European Plain

• Russia invaded by Napoleon and by Germany , twice in 100 years

• He shot most of his officers and his army is made up of conscripts

• Stalin’s attempt to forge good relations with west

• In 1935 Communist International, stalin give speech in favour of LofN and collective security

• Litvinov was a Jew appointed to be foreign secretry (who was married to a daughter of Oxford history don)

• But UK and France ignore Stalin

• So Stalin wants to look for an ally in Europe

• France does not want to replicate a pact with Russia against Germany like before WW1 as ideological difference, and they allied with Poland

Biggest Mistake of UK and F in 1930s

Push away Russia and Italy

Why Nazi Soviet Pact

• to form buffer zone

• and both Ger and Stalin diplomatically isolated

• The Russian deputy foreign Minister said to French Ambassador : ‘My friend' what have you done!’ ‘We see no other outcome than the 4th partition of poland’

• 23 August 1939

Nazi Soviet Pact

• Non aggression pact

• Lord Palmerston 1848 said ‘we have no eternal allies and we have no perpetual enemies, Our interests are eternal and perpetual’

• Buffer zone

• Stalin tried UK and F but not work so look to Ger

• He gave speech he will be neutral in capitalist ware and replaced Litvinov with Molotov as Nazis no deal with Jew

• in April 39 Chamberlin negotiate to USSR

• Aug 39 UK military Mission to Moscow, 23 August 1939 already signed

• UK military Mission want to form alliance with Russia to deter Germany from attacking poland

• But by Aug, Ribbentrop already negotiated with Molotov about Lithuania

• Chamberlin’s assumption of USSR and Nazi not working because of ideology failed

• Admiral Drax, who travelled by ship then train was too late

Chamberlin’s war

• Polish guarantee

• war breakout in’39

• By aug 39, Chamberlin on Holiday as war is still not imminent

• 15 Aug, crisis over danzig

• 10 Aug Hitler send ultimatum to Poland

• 15 Aug Seed want a swift agreement to open Romanian and Polish border to red army to pass through, so Red Army cand defend against Nazi

Summary

• from 38 into 39 Hitler is not uniting German or revising Versaille

• Collective security proven to be fake

• Hitler only know about power

• Hitler’s aim is east, so will war happen if UK and F backed down?

What was the Saar plebiscite

In 1935, the Saarland, a German region placed under League of Nations control by the Treaty of Versailles, held a plebiscite in which over 90% voted to rejoin Germany, allowing Hitler to regain the Saar peacefully and weaken the Treaty while boosting his popularity.

Why did Hitler leave the LofN

the LofN created after Versaille and liked to Ger’s defeat so he wanted to leave

Also, Failure of the Disarmament Conference in 1933, France insisted Germany must remain restricted under the Treaty of Versailles, so Hitler thought it was unfair as France did not disarm

Key Dates

1933 → Germany leaves League of Nations

(Rejects international oversight)

1934 → Non-aggression pact with Poland

(Peaceful relations with Poland)

1935 → Reintroduction of conscription & Luftwaffe

(Remilitarisation begins)

1936 March→ Remilitarisation of the Rhineland

(Defies Treaty of Versailles)

1936 → Rome-Berlin Axis formed

(Alliance with Fascist Italy)

1937 → Involvement in Spanish Civil War

1938 March → Anschluss with Austria

(Annexes Austria into Germany)

1938 September→ Munich Agreement / Sudetenland crisis

(Takes Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia peacefully)

1939 March → Occupation of Czechoslovakia

(Breaks Munich Agreement, seizes rest of Czechoslovakia)

1939 → Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact

(Agrees not to fight USSR; secretly plans Poland invasion)

1939 → Invasion of Poland

(Triggers WWII)

why did France not form pact with Russia despite Stalin effort

• France does not want to replicate a pact with Russia against Germany like before WW1 as ideological difference, and they allied with Poland

Problem with UK and Russia negotiating

• in April 39 Chamberlin negotiate to USSR

• 11Aug 39 UK military Mission to Moscow, but negotiation between Ger and Russia already ongoing, 23 August 1939 already signed

• UK military Mission want to form alliance with Russia to deter Germany from attacking poland

• But by Aug, Ribbentrop already negotiated with Molotov about Lithuania

• Chamberlin’s assumption of USSR and Nazi not working because of ideology failed

• Admiral Drax, who travelled by ship then train was too late