Changing Nazi Foreign Policy and The Second World War 1933-1945

what were hitler's aims for foreign policy?

• remove the arms restrictions of the ToV (rearmament ect.)

• take over eastern europe

• destroy france (not Britain whom hitler hoped would be germany's ally)

• lebensraum - conquest of Russia

• Conflict with GB/USA whom hitler despised as racially mongolised and degenerate

Who was involved in the treaty of Rapallo 1922?

Germany and the USSR

What was the Treaty of Rapallo 1922?

re-established diplomatic relations

Why was the Treaty of Rapallo 1922 important?

it came at a time when both germany and USSR were outcasts from the wider international community

Who was the treaty of locarno 1925 an agreement between?

germany

france

belgium

What did the treaty of locarno 1925 establish?

germany formally accepted its western borders

enable germany to be admitted to the League of Nations

When did Germany become part of the league of nations?

1926

Who was involved in the treaty of berlin 1926?

germany and the USSR

What is another name for the treaty of berlin 1926?

German-Soviet neutrality and nonaggression pact of April 1926

What did the treaty of berlin 1926 outline?

neutrality in the event of an attack on the other by a third party for the next 5 years (reaffirmed the treaty of rapallo)

Who signed the Kellog-briand pact 1928?

signed by many nations including US, France, and Germany

What was the kellog-briand pact 1928?

international agreement no to use War to solve disputes of any kind between nations

What was the young plan 1929?

financial stability package give by US which lightened reparation payments on Germany

Why did the young plan 1929 collapse?

following the wall street crash leading to economic crisis in germany

Who was present at the lausanne conference 1932?

representative from GB, Germany, and France

What did the lausanne conference 1932 result in?

agreement to suspend WW1 reparations payments imposed on the defeated countries by the ToV

What did Hitler do immediately after coming to power in 1933?

start a rearmament drive although it did not become really effective until 1934-1935

What did Hitler attended in october 1933 and what did he do?

the Disarmament Conference along with the Allies - withdrew from the conference and out of the LoN (giving himself more freedom)

Was there a plan to withdraw from the LoN at the disarmament conference in october 1933?

No - this was Hitler's own initiative but had Ribbentrop's support

What did Hitler make in 1934?

A non-agression pact with poland - polish corridor had been a long standing disagreement between the nations

What hapened in june 1934?

German interference in Austria was stopped by Mussolini

What did Hitler announce in 1935? [2]

• Germany would have an airforce

• conscription

How did the head of armed forced feel about Hitler going against ToV with conscription and a new airforce and what impact did this have on the public's image of hitler?

disagreed with the speed and scale of the change - every time they disagreed, Hitler was proven right. He looks infalable which meant public perceptions of Hitler were incredibly positive.

What agreement was made in 1935?

the Anglo-German Naval agreement

What did the Anglo-German naval do and what did this tell Hitler?

gave Germany 35% of Britain's naval strength - Britain breaks ToV (doesn't even tell France); Hitler now understands Britain doesn't care about ToV

What happened in april 1936?

The Reoccupation of the Rhineland - Hitler's first really aggressive move against army advice

Why did France do nothing after Germany reoccupied the Rhineland? [4]

• Britain refused to support france

• france's strategy was defensive by this stage (maginot line)

• france was badly divided politically between right and left, and in the middle of a very divisive and antognistic general election

• hitler's clever diplomacy (accused france of aggression and offered to return to LoN and said the Rhineland was German anyway)

What did germany intervene in in 1936 and how?

the spanish civil war - bombing of Guernica by the Condor Squadron

Why did hitler bomb Guernica and what impact did this bombing have?

did this to help facism and as a result this bombing was in the back of people's minds which is why britain anticipate the blitz.

What was hitler generally doing in 1936-1937 in terms of his foreign policy?

• tried for a british link but began to see britain as weak and decadent

• began to turn to a pro-japanese and pro-italian policy

What pact was made in nov 1936 and by who?

Anti-comintem pact by Germany and Japan, joined by Italy in Nov. 1937

What did the anti-comintem pact do?

(Comintem = USSR set up to spread communism - world revolution)

set up against the expansion of communism

What was written in Nov 1937 and what is significant about this time?

The Hossbach Memorandum - 1 year into 4 year plan

Who was the Hossbach memo delivered to?

a private speech to the leaders of the 3 branches of the German Armed forces

What did the Hossbach memo say? [3]

• laid down large scale rearmament

• stressed:

racial hegemony

lebensraum

autarky

• declared hitler's determination to take czechoslovakia and Austria by 1943

What happened in 1938?

The purge of the conservatives

Who was purged in the purge of the conservatives?

• Minister of War - Blomberg (sacked for marrying a former prostitue - Pretty Woman)

• Commander in chief of the Army - Fritsch (gay - not true)

• Chief of the General Staff - Ludwig Beck

What did Ludwig Beck do?

proposed a coup among his fellow officers - if bomb plot had succeeded, beck would become pres.

[Austria] What Agreement recognised the independence of Austria and what was its price?

German-Austria Agreement of 1936 - Austria's foreign policy had to be consistent with Germany's and allowed Nazis to hold official posts in Austria

[Austria] Who became the Austrian Chancellor after the murder of Dolfuss?

Schuschnigg

[Austria] Schuschnigg's position was undermined in 1936 when Hitler and Mussolini formalised what and why was this significant?

The Rome-Berlin Axis during their joint involvement in the Spanish Civil War - Austria had lost the protection of Italy and was vulnerable to German attack

[Austria] What Nazi was made Minister of the Interior in 1938?

Seyss-Inquart

[Austria] What did Schuschnigg announce on the 9th March 1938?

a referendum whereby Austrian people would decide for themselves if they wanted to be a part of Hitler's Germany

[Austria] What did Hitler do on the 10th March 1938?

Ordered Schuschnigg to call off the referendum

[Austria] What was Schschnigg's response to Hitler's order to call off the referendum?

Schuschnigg conceded and called it off and resigned

[Austria] Why did Schschnigg call off the referendum?

Knew he would receive no help from Italy and that France and Britain would not interfere in Hitler's plans

[Austria] What happened on the 12th March 1938?

German troops marched into Austria unopposed. Hitler now had control of Austria

[Austria] What was the benefits of the Anschluss with Austria for Germany? [3]

Hitler now had added:

• 7 million people to his reich

• an army of 100,000 to his reich

• useful resources such as steel, iron ore, and Austria's foreign exchange reserves

When was the Munich Crisis?

September 1938

[The Munich Crisis] What was Hitler suddenly determined on?

A blitzkreig war against Czechoslovakia in October

[The Munich Crisis] How did Hitler justify adding Czechoslovakia to the Reich?

They were German speaking so could be justifiably be added to the Reich under the policy of Pan-Germanism

[The Munich Crisis] What happened on the 15th September at Berchtesgaden?

Hitler said this was his last territorial claim in Europe. Neville Chamberlain agreed. Czechoslovakia was forced by Britain and France to agree

[The Munich Crisis] What did Hitler say on the 22nd September at Bad Godesberg?

he wanted to seize the Sudetenland at once by occupation

[The Munich Crisis] What did Britain promise to do as a result of Hitler's claims over the sudetenland?

help france defend czechoslovakia and mobilised the armed forces

[The Munich Crisis] What did the German army do as a result of Britain mobilising their forces?

the german army and navy, supported by Goring, warned Hitler they could not win against Czechoslovakia, Britain, and France all at once.

[The Munich Crisis] What happened on the 29th september in Munich?

Chamberlain agreed to let German troops enter the Sudetenland on October 1st in a staged occupation

[The Munich Crisis] In return for Chamberlain agreeing to let German troops enter the Sudetenland what did Hitler promise in writing?

to make no more claims

[The Munich Crisis] What was Hitler secretly determined to do?

eliminate Czechoslovakia and break his promise to Chamberlain, convinced that Britain would continue to back down. He had an intense personal hatred of Czechoslovakia

Whe n was the invasion of Czechoslovakia?

March 1939

[Invasion of Czechoslovakia] Who else turned on Czechoslovakia?

Poland and Hungary

[Invasion of Czechoslovakia] Who was appointed to run Bohemia and Moravia?

Reinhard Heydrich

[Invasion of Czechoslovakia] Hitler had to avoid a two-front war at all costs. Why?

Germany could only fight a short, few-weeks war against only one country.

Britain and France were in an increasingly improved military position in 1939, catching up quickly on Germany

[Invasion of Czechoslovakia] Hitler wanted to scare off Britain and France by linking up with Russia. How did he do this?

Nazi-Soviet Non-Agression Pact

[Nazi-Soviet Non-Agression Pact] When was it?

23rd August 1939

[Nazi-Soviet Non-Agression Pact] There had never been any love lost between the two states and the agreement shocked the world as it appeared so unlikely. Why did it suit Hitler to make the deal?

He wanted Poland without the fear of Russian intervention

[Nazi-Soviet Non-Agression Pact] There had never been any love lost between the two states and the agreement shocked the world as it appeared so unlikely. Why did it suit Stalin to make the deal? [3]

• bought him time for rearmament

• hoped it would divert Hitler towards a war with Britain and France

• gained the eastern half of Poland

[Invasion of Poland] What did Hitler offer Neville Chamberlain on the 25th August 1939?

a deal with Britain to have a free hand in the Empire and Germany to have Eastern Europe

[Invasion of Poland] Why did Hitler offer a deal with Britain to have a free hand in the Empire?

to ensure Britain's non-participation

[Invasion of Poland] What was Chamberlain's response to Hitler's offer for Britain to have a free hand in the Empire?

refused

[Invasion of Poland] What was the result of Chamberlain's refusal of Hitler's offer for Britain to have a free hand in the Empire?

Hitler delayed the invasion of Poland in order to win over Neville Chamberlain

[Invasion of Poland] What happened on the 31st August?

The Gleizwitz incident

[Invasion of Poland - The Gleizwitx Incident] What was it?

SS troops dressed as Polish soldiers to 'attack' the German border radio post

[Invasion of Poland - The Gleizwitx Incident] What did the SS troops leave behind to stage the 'polish soldiers' defeat?

dead concentration camp prisoners in Polish uniforms

[Invasion of Poland - The Gleizwitx Incident] Why was this tactic used?

used to justify war against Poland