Germany (Source): In light of differing interpretations, how convincing do you find the view that British foreign policy towards Germany was largely responsible for the Second World War?

Introduction

• Taylor argues that Hitler was not aiming for war

• Bracher argues that Hitler had a long-term expansionist plan

• The latter is more convincing

Paragraph 1

• Extract 1 = British appeasement actively enabled German expansion

• ‘In 1938 it was the British who took the lead in taking the Sudetenland from the Czechs, not Hitler’

• Br + Fr forced Czechoslovakia to surrender 3m Sudetens

• Also argues that Br was preparing for war with Germany

• ‘All Britain’s military preparations from 1935 onwards were directed at Germany, whereas all of Hitler’s preparations were aimed at making Germany stronger’

• German military expenditure actually increased to RM30b by 1939

Paragraph 2

• Extract 2 argues that Nazi foreign policy aimed at overturning ToV

• ‘The National Socialists were the most determined opponents of the Versailles settlement’

• Violated it in 1935 by creating an army of 36 divisions

• Also argues that racial ideology was central to expansionism

• ‘His racial ideas made German expansion into Eastern Europe and war inevitable’

• German deployed 3m troops for Barbarossa

Paragraph 3

• Britain’s appeasement caused war vs ideological + racial goals meant war

• Between 1933 and 1939, Germany increased military spending 15 times

• Hitler wasn’t aiming for war vs he was

• Invaded Poland with 1.5m troops, so not averse to it