Move to Global War - German Expansion

1: What was the impact of the First World War on Hitler's foreign policy aims?

The treaty of Versailles significantly weakened Germany under the Weimar Republic.

Economic: all fault was placed on Germany (guilt clause) which crippled Germany with reparations. German iron and coal production was lost which crippled the economy.

Territorial: Germany lost 13% of territory. Lost Alsace-Lorraine to France, and all overseas colonies. Lost Prussia to Poland, and lost more to Czechoslovakia

Military Limitations: Army, navy, and weapons were all restricted. Rhineland was demilitarized.

2. What ideological aims were set down by Hitler in Mein Kampf?

• Revision of the Treaty of Versailles - regain lost territory and economic resources. Rebuild the German army

• 'Gross Deutschland' - the unification of Austrian Germans with Germany (forbidden by Versailles). also unification of Germany with German minorities under other states, Czechoslovakia and Poland.

• Race - Nazi Germany would include only “pure” Germans of Aryan race. Based on Social Darwinism. Most inferior people were the Jew

• Lebensraum - Aryan race would need space to expand - Lebensraum or living space.  This would be conquered in the East.

• Anti-Communist

• Enemies - destruction of the USSR, there was a significant Jewish population in USSR and Hitler was convinced all Bolsheviks were Jews. France was a enemy, historically but also seen as such due to its role in the Treaty of Versailles. 

• Potential allies - Italy as Nazism had ideological similarities to fascism.  Britain, as Hitler admired its empire and its people were deemed racially similar.

Economic issues of the Weimar Republic

Weimar economy

• Weimar government had been dependent on US loans and Great Depression had catastrophic impact on Germany.

• US loans were recalled and all financial support ended

• Unemployment grew to 5 million by February 1931 and to 6 million in early 1932

• Industrial production dropped by over 50%.

• In agriculture food prices fell and small farmers went bankrupt

• Banks collapsed

• Extreme economic situation led to a polarization in German politics - the far left and the far right.

• Hitler promised 'work' and 'bread'

• Nazi propaganda claimed Germany had been 'stabbed in the back' by the 'November criminals' who still dominated the Weimar government.

4. What was the impact of domestic economic issues on German foreign policy in the 1930s?

Nazi economy

• Opposed to Soviet communist system and US capitalist system

• Economy aimed to be collectivist, authoritarian, nationalist and militarist

• Central principle was autarky(self-sufficiency)

• High tariffs for imports. Encourage domestic substitutes

• State control of trade

• Long-term aim to capture resources via war (with the USSR)

• Significant public works and infrastructure programs

• Massive rearmament program

• Success - Rapid fall in unemployment which was sustained

• Failure - Consumer economy lacks recovery

Four Year Plan 1936 - Hitler set up German economy for war. State control of economy, sped up armament, and autarky.

5. How did changing diplomatic alignments in Europe affect German foreign policy?

Germany leaves League of Nations 1933

Hitler withdrew from the league and Geneva Disarmament, claiming France wanted to weaken Germany. This allowed him to undermine Versailles

Non-aggression Pact with Poland 1934

Hitler created a 10 year pact to not invade Poland while he remilitarized the Rhineland. This was later broken.

Anti-Comintern Pact 1937

Germany and Japan against USSR, then Italy in 1937. This allowed Hitler to capture Austria in 1938

British guarantee to Poland 1939

Hitler broke the Munich Agreement and invaded Czechoslovakia in 1939. Thus, Britain offered military help to Poland. Hitler responded by declaring Anglo-German Naval agreement null and ending 1934 Non-Aggression Poland pact.

Nazi-Soviet Pact 1939

non-agression pact between Hitler and Germany that allowed Hitler to invade Poland without fear of German retaliation.

1. How did Hitler challenge the post-war settlement between 1933 and 1936?

Rearmament

After leaving LON and Geneva in 1933, Hitler began to rebuild German Army despite this violating Versailles. German army conscription tripled and airforce was created.

The Saar Plebiscite 1935

LON held a vote for the Saar coal region(Under French control after 1919) would return to Germany. The Saar voted to rejoin Germany (90% agree)

Remilitarization of the Rhineland 1936

Hitler marched troops into Rhineland, however Britain and France were distracted by Mussolini and Abyssinia. The LON condemned this, however France couldn’t do anything without British help.

The Spanish Civil War 1936 - 1939

Hitler helped Franco (nationalist) with submarines and transport. he did this because he wanted naval bases, to train nazi soldiers, and Spanish raw materials. Hitler’s support led to Franco winning and a Spanish dictatorship

2. How did Hitler challenge the post-war settlement between 1937 and 1938?

Anschluss March 1938

Hitler annexed Austria after securing Mussolini’s support. This was in part done with help of Nazi Austrians and Hitler’s threatening the Austrian Chancellor.

The Sudetenland Crisis September 1938

Hitler was aggressive towards Czechoslovakia due to it being created by the Treaty of Versailles. It was ethnically diverse and thus Hitler wanted to take Sudetenland to “unify Germans”. This was done with the 1938 Munich agreement, however Hitler later went to invade Czechoslovakia in 1939.

How did Germany break the Munich Agreement?

Invasion of Czechoslovakia March 1939

German troops occupied the rest of Czechoslovakia despite stating in 1938 he only wanted Sudetenland.

The Pact of Steel 1939

Germany and Italy formed a formal militant alliance to support eachother in war, and Germany leveraged this to invade Poland.

Why did Germany and the Soviet Union sign a non-aggression pact in August 1939?

Nazi-Soviet August 1939

The USSR did not want to get involved with a war on the west, as they were concerned with eastern war with Japan. The soviet army had been weakened. Germany was also a major trading partner for USSR.

Germany wanted to invade Poland without Soviet interference, however Hitler always planned to invade Russia.

Why did the invasion of Poland lead to the outbreak of war in Europe in September 1939?

Due to previous appeasement, Hitler was surprised when Britain and France declared war after Germany invaded Poland in 1939. German troops then invaded Poland and bombed Warsaw.

1. Why did Britain pursue a policy of appeasement in response to Germany aggression?

Demands of Hitler justified due to harsh terms of Versailles

• The First World War  had been caused by all the powers, not just by Germany and her allies

• Territorial, military and economic terms may have been unfair

Fear of the expansion of Soviet communism

• Many conservative politicians saw the threat of communism was more dangerous than the threat of fascism.

Economic pressures

• Weakened severely by the First World War, the Great Depression exacerbated Britain’s economic issues

• Economic situation meant it was difficult to spend on strengthening armed forces rather than welfare

• Better to focus on reducing enemies at a time of military weakness

The impact of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain

• Chamberlain became Prime Minister in 1937 and his personal  anti-war views meant he was determined to preserve peace via  negotiation and diplomacy

• He had little faith in the League or in Britain’s allies, France and the US

2. Why did France align its foreign policy with Britain?

• Huge debts from the First World War

• French wanted to prevent a resurgent Germany at all costs

• France then pursued 'appeasement' via the Dawes and Young Plans for adjusting reparation

• Great Depression led to economic stagnation and unemployment grew between 1930-32

• Unstable political situation - frequent changes in government (prime minister) meant foreign policy lacked consistency

• Airforce ineffective and allies weak. Had to follow strongest ally Britain in its policies towards growing aggression of Nazi Germany

3. Why was the League of Nations ineffectual in its response to German aggression in the 1930s?

• Its structure and organization were inefficient as exposed by Manchuria in 1931

• It lacked economic power as the US was not a member, this undermined its ability to impose meaningful sanctions.

• The Great Depression had exacerbated its economic weaknesses as member states were less inclined to impose sanctions that would further damage their own economies.

• Japan left the League after the Manchurian crisis

• Hitler withdrew from the League in 1933 - so would not be beholden to its resolutions

• Italy left the League after the Abyssinian crisis