German Expansion (1933-1940)

What were Hitler's key foreign policy goals after 1933?

Revision of Versailles, unification of all German-speaking peoples, Lebensraum in Eastern Europe, and destruction of communism.

Which 1933 action demonstrated Germany's rejection of collective security?

Withdrawal from the League of Nations and the Disarmament Conference.

What was the Polish-German Non-Aggression Pact (1934)?

An agreement to normalise relations and weaken French security arrangements in Eastern Europe.

How did the Anglo-German Naval Agreement (1935) undermine collective security?

It allowed Germany a navy 35% the size of Britain's, violating Versailles and showing Britain's willingness to appease.

What event in 1936 marked German reoccupation of forbidden territory?

The Remilitarisation of the Rhineland.

How did the remilitarisation of the Rhineland change European diplomacy?

It strengthened Hitler's confidence, undermined French deterrence, and signalled the collapse of collective security.

What was the Anschluss (1938)?

The union of Austria and Germany in March 1938 - achieved through pressure and a manipulated plebiscite.

What was Hitler's justification for demanding the Sudetenland in 1938?

He claimed to protect ethnic Germans living under Czechoslovak rule.

What agreement was reached at the Munich Conference in September 1938?

Britain, France, Italy, and Germany agreed that Germany could annex the Sudetenland - a prime example of appeasement.

When and how did Hitler occupy the rest of Czechoslovakia?

In March 1939, Hitler occupied Prague, dismantling the Czech state and proving his expansion was not limited to uniting Germans.

How did Britain and France respond to the occupation of Czechoslovakia?

They guaranteed Polish independence (March 1939).

What was the Nazi-Soviet Pact (August 1939)?

A non-aggression pact between Germany and the USSR, secretly dividing Eastern Europe into spheres of influence.

When did Germany invade Poland, triggering World War II?

1 September 1939

What was Blitzkrieg?

"Lightning war" - Germany's fast, coordinated attack strategy combining air, armour, and infantry.

What territories did Germany conquer between 1939 and 1940?

Poland (1939), Denmark and Norway (April 1940), and Western Europe (May-June 1940, including France).

Who were key figures in German expansion?

Adolf Hitler (Führer), Hermann Göring (Luftwaffe), Joachim von Ribbentrop (Foreign Minister).