Germany (Source): In light of differing interpretations, how convicing do you find the view that Britain and France assissted Hitler’s desire for war?

Introduction

• Assist = to deliberately engage in behaviour in order to help AH

• Whilst Br and Fr created the conditions for German war, they did not do it in order to help AH

• They did it in order to try and suppress expansionist aims, which didn’t work

Paragraph 1

• Extract 1 argues that Br and Fr were partly responsible for Hitler’s increased power in Europe

• ‘The British government and its French allies had assisted Hitler in creating a unique power base in Europe.’

• Germany gained control of 70% of Czechoslovakia’s heavy industry

• Also acknowledges policy of appeasement and its failures

• ‘They went out of their way to appease him, but he simply increased his demands.’

• Britain allowed Germany a navy of up to 35% of Britain despite Versailles restrictions

Paragraph 2

• Extract 2 argues for expansionism being the deliberate driver of AH’s foreign policy

• ‘Hitler’s foreign policy was based on rigid racial and expansionist ideas.’

• 31m Slavs would have to die to create Lebensraum

• Hitler actively wanted war, so role of Br and Fr was not necessarily deliberate assistance

• ‘For Hitler war was not a last resort of foreign policy; it was a preferred means.’

• Military expenditure consumed 235 of German GNP by 1939

Paragraph 3

• Extract 1 = Br + Fr helped create the conditions for war through appeasement

• Extract 2 = Hitler’s ideology made war inevitable regardless of appeasement

• Germany sending 22,000 troops to Rhineland whilst France having 100 divisions available supports Extract 1

• Extract 1 = Hitler exploiting circumstances

• Extract 2 = portrays Hitler as pursuing a long-term ideological master plan

• AH argued for Eastern expansion in Mein Kampf + had absorbed 10m non-Germans by 1939, supporting Extract 2