nazi foreign policy1933-1939

foreign policy is a governments strategy for dealing with other nations.to be successful, it needs to involve rational discussion, clear communication, mutual goals and a willingness to cooperate to meet these

space and raceDual, overriding goals of the Nazis foreign policyLebensraum - the need for living space to build a great, self-sufficient German stateRacial Purity - the need to bring all Germans under the Reich and eliminate all others

sub goalsRaceThe volksgemeinschaft - all German speakers united in a single homeland to create the peoples communityDestroy the USSR and remove the threat of CommunismSocial Darwinism - all non-Aryans removed from the new communitySpaceLebensraum - Expand into the East, taking Poland and the western USSR to create living space for the new German communityAutarky - Obtain enough land to make Germany self-sufficientReunite with Austria to create a strong and proud German empireRe-arm and militarise the Rhineland - buffer zoneTo make all this happen - military expansion

Pre-WWIPost-WWI

key terms - autarkyHitler wanted to make Germany self-sufficient in preparation for warProduce own food and raw materials and minimise tradeFour-Year Plan designed to make Germany autonomous - failed (still importing 33% of goods by 1939)Still relied on relationships with other countriesNorway for iron oreCzechoslovakia for metalsUkraine for wheatRomania for oil

key terms - lebensraumLiving space to build the great, pure-blood, autonomous German empireHistorical basis - In the 19th century this was focused on overseas coloniesContinued in 1917 with the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (took Ukraine and Baltic regions from Soviet Union)Under Hitler, it was focused on taking land to the East that was rich in resources (autarky) and unite all German-speaking, pure-blood people under the Reich The Herrenvolk (master race) would then be empowered to dominate EuropeLesser races or untermenschen would become slaves of the pure-blood Germans in their thousand-year ReichCommunism would be destroyed and Nazism established as the controlling system of government in Europe

key terms - appeasementOne stated aim of the League of Nations was collective securityArticle X of the Covenant of the LoN stated that if one nation was under threat the others would have to defend it regardless of personal interest or outcomeHowever this failed - the major powers (Germany, USSR, USA) were not part of it and the League had no real powerLed by British PM Neville Chamberlain the Allies turned to negotiation or appeasement when faced with German aggressionThis meant that they would negotiate with Hitler rather than responding with aggression and enforcing the TreatyIt marked a recognition that Germany was a sovereign nation with its own agenda and needs, not just the villain of WWI

key terms - appeasementEarly historians saw this as a failure on Chamberlains part but revisionists are more sympathetic towards Chamberlain, citing (for example) British support of the policy and their inability to rearm after the economic downfall of the 1930sAJP Taylor in The Origins of the Second World War argues that appeasement was a logical and sound policy but Chamberlain made many blunders, especially abandoning the policy, and this brought on the warThe French followed Chamberlains lead because they were so politically unstable (16 coalition governments from 1932 and 1940) and could not face war

british attitudes to appeasement

rearmamentalliesexpansion

1933Hitler withdraws from the League of NationsFrance would not agree to German equality of rearmamentPromises to regain all lost land from the Treaty of VersaillesHitler declares peaceful intentions: The German government wish to settle all difficult questions with other governments by peaceful methods . . . Germany will tread no other path than that laid down by the Treaties . . . The German people have no thought of invading any country

1934Hitler signs a non-aggression pact with PolandIn January, Hitler promised not to engage in aggressive acts against Poland for ten yearsVery successful move as it placated Britain who took it as evidence of his peaceful intentionsRuined the French-Polish alliance (Little Entente)Guaranteed Polish neutrality when Germany moved against Czechoslovakia and Austria

1934First attempt at the AnschlussAttempted a union between Austria and German in JulyAustrian Nazis (encouraged by Hitler) staged a revolt and murdered Chancellor Engelbert DolfussHowever Mussolini intervened - sent troops to the border, was joined by Britain and France forming the Stresa FrontHitler backed off and claimed no responsibility Realised he would have to win Mussolinis support to take Austria

1935The Saar PlebisciteA small territory on the border with France controlled by the League of Nations since WWIContained many Saar Nazis but also a lot of anti-Nazis (SPD and Communists) who had fled thereNazis in the Saar conducted a scare campaign to make them vote to return to Germany - boycotts and violence17 000 Saarlanders in Germany threatened to invadeLeague too scared to get involved - cause Nazi riotsPlebiscite conducted - 90% voted to return to GermanyElection overseen by independent parties and declared validShowed that Hitler had support outside Germany, that he could expand legally and that the League feared him greatly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCiLQ6KVNPs

1935RemilitarisationIn March, Hitler announced the expansion of the army to 550 000 troops and the creation of the German Air ForceSecret plans to expand had been in place since 1933 (Army was 300 000 and had built 2500 war planes)Conscription was re-introducedIn June this was made legitimate with the Anglo-German Naval Agreement, allowing the German navy 34% of the tonnage of the British navyBeginnings of appeasement - foster good relations and stop Germany feeling cornered by harsh conditions of Versailles

1936Hitler Remilitarises the RhinelandIn March, German troops moved into the Rhineland (border of France and Belgium)Direct contravention of VersaillesBritain and France unwilling to act - Italy had dropped out of the Stresa Front and was moving towards relations with GermanyI see no reason to risk war in order to stop Hitler marching into his own backyard - Lord Lothian, British editor and foreign affairs commentatorGermany built a line of forts along the border and stationed troops

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdWEJU3bLfw

1936-37Fascists rally togetherIn July, Germany and Italy sent armaments and troops to support Franco in the Spanish Civil WarIn October, Germany and Italy signed the Rome-Berlin Axis, promising to promote mutual foreign policy aimsIn November, Germany and Japan signed the Anti-Comintern Pact, promising to contain the spread of Communism but with a secret clause promising to consult and protect common interests if either power was attacked by the Soviet UnionBut Hitler declares peaceful aims: The German people do not wish to continue waging war to readjust frontiers. Each readjustment is bought by sacrifices out of proportion to what is to be gained

1938Anschluss with AustriaIn March, Hitler decided to make a second attempt to take AustriaAustria had always wanted union with Germany but this drive had decreased since 1933Hitler, a native Austrian, wanted to bring his homeland into the volkAustrian Chancellor Schuschnigg tried to appease Hitler - appointing a Nazi Minister of Police, amnesty for Nazi prisoners, German-Austrian agreement on foreign policy 1936However Hitler was not satisfied - ordered Austrian Nazis to stage demonstrations in major cities (if law and order broke down he could justify marching into Austria to restore it)Austrian Chancellor Schuschnigg was losing control of his country

1938Wed March 9 - In a desperate act, Schuschnigg announced a plebiscite to decide whether they would join Germany. Hitler furious - a vote against him would take away the legitimacy of his invasionThu March 10 - Hitler orders generals to prepare for invasion and Schuschnigg to call off vote. Schuschnigg concedesFri March 11 - Hitler reassures Czechoslovakia that they would not be involvedSat March 12 - German troops march into Austria unopposed. April - In a rigged referendum Hitler shows that the Austrian people approved of being under German control

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t75ldUNc2Xw

1938Impact of the AnschlussIn March 1938 the whole French government resigned - this political turmoil meant that they did not oppose the AnschlussBritish PM Chamberlain was determined to appease Hitler and was also experiencing political turmoil over his new relationship with Italy - did not oppose GermanyGermany added 7 million people and an army of 100 000 to the ReichGained new resources - steel, iron oreGerman influence increased in the BalkansCzechoslovakia now surrounded on three fronts

1938The SudetenlandAfter his success in Austria Hitler set his sights on the German-speaking Sudetenland, a region of CzechoslovakiaIt had coal and copper mines, power stations, farmland, the biggest arms works in the world, and offered the Alps, a chain of fortresses and protection to the East3 million German Sudetens who would be useful to him - historians Mau and Krausnick (1959) argue that Hitler took advantage of the minority status of the Sudetens to convince them of the need to rebel and create chaos in Czechoslovakia, giving him an excuse to invade

1938The Munich AgreementIn September Hitler encouraged the Sudeten Nazis to rebel and demand union with Germany - Czech government declared martial law, Hitler threatened warNeville Chamberlain visited Hitler and, without consulting Czechoslovakia, agreed to give Hitler all areas where more than 50% of the population was GermanHitler demands the whole Sudetenland and Chamberlain refusesWar threatens but Chamberlain tells the British people that the crisis is a quarrel in a faraway country between people of whom we know nothingFrance, Britain and Germany meet in Munich and agree to give Hitler the Sudetenland if he agrees to leave the rest of Czechoslovakia aloneGerman troops march into Sudetenland, welcomed as heroesChamberlain famously declared he had won peace in our time

1939Consequences of the Munich AgreementWeakened CzechoslovakiaScared Hungary, Yugoslavia and Romania who all reached out to HitlerProved the extent of appeasementConvinced Russia that they would have to oppose Hitler aloneGave Britain, France and Germany time to rearmHitler promised he was done: The Sudetenland is the last territorial claim which I have to make in Europe

1939The invasion of CzechoslovakiaOn March 15 1939 German troops marched into Czechoslovakia, taking over Bohemia and establishing a protectorate over SlovakiaShowed that Hitler was not just interested in greater Germany - the Czechs were not GermanOn March 17 Chamberlain gave a speech stating that he could not trust Hitler not to invade other countriesOn March 31st Britain promised to protect Poland if Hitler invaded themHitler maintained his stated commitment to peace: In general we have but one wish - that in the coming years we may be able to make our contribution to the general pacification of the whole world

1939AgreementsMay - Germany and Italy signed the Pact of Steel promising to stand together during warAugust - Germany and the Soviet Union signed the Non-Aggression Pact with the USSR promising not to attack Germany for invading Poland. In return, Russia would get half the Polish territoryHitler avoided a war on two fronts and was given a chance to test Britain and Frances commitment to appeasementStalin was able to delay what he saw as inevitable war to rearm and was able to get back at Britain and France for not involving him in the Munich Conference

1939The invasion of PolandOn September 1 1939, Hitler invaded PolandThe Germans swept through using tanks from CzechoslovakiaReasons included lebensraum, to test Chamberlains resolve, to defend Germans in Poland against persecution, to overturn Versailles, Britain and France demanded that he stopWhen the Germans continued, Britain and France declared war on Germany on September 3

1939Ian Kershaw believes that Hitler invaded Poland out of an over-estimation of his own abilitiesArgues that the yes-men and Fuhrer cult, along with Chamberlains appeasement, convinced Hitler he was untouchable and thus to make a move into Poland before their military was fully readyThis led him to a calamitous over-estimation of his own abilities, coupled with an extreme denigration of those - particularly the military - who argued more rationally for greater caution