The Development Of Tension

Question 1

What were Hitler aims?

Answer 1

• he became chancellor of Germany in 1933 and this was his foreign policy aims:
• Lebensraum.
• Overturn Versailles.
• Unite German speaking people (Volksdeutsche) in a greater Germany (this included Anschluss).
• destroy Communism.
• Rearmament.

Question 2

What were the reactions of Hitler foreign policy for Britain and France?

Answer 2

• Britain and France did not want another war, so they let Hitler get away with breaking the treaty of Versailles because:
• they needed time to rearm as their armies were not strong enough to fight and win a war.
• many british people thought Hitler was being reasonable because treaty was too harsh.
• concerned about USSR and thought Hitler would be a good ally against Stalin.
• could not afford war during depression and governments were preoccupied with problems going on at home.
• people could remember horrors of First World War and did not want this again.
• the policy followed by Britain’s and France from 1937 was called appeasement and they let Hitler do what he wanted to try and avoid war.

Question 3

The reactions of the USSR and the USA to Hitler aims?

Answer 3

• Stalin was worried about Hitler saying he wanted to destroy communism and by 1925 he made a deal with France and would work with allies to protect the USSR from Hitler.
• the USA followed its policy of isolationism during the depression. In 1934, there was a poll vote and 70 percentage of Americans stated they wanted to stay out of another war with Europe.

Question 4

1933 - Hitler leaves the disarmament conference - event

Answer 4

• the league held a conference encouraging all nations to disarm.
• when Hitler became chancellor he said he would disarm if everyone did.
• if they didn’t he would disarm on the same level of France.
• France refused and Hitler stormed out and removed Germany from league.

Question 5

The reaction the Hitler storming out of conference.

Answer 5

• very little allies could do.
• hitler claimed he acted in a reasonable way and France were the ones being unreasonable.

Question 6

The Dollfuss affair - 1934 - the event?

Answer 6

• fearful Hitler would try and unite with Austria Dollfuss banded nazis in Austria.
• Hitler ordered nazis to cause havoc in Austria and they murdered Dollfuss.

Question 7

Reactions to the Dollfuss affair?

Answer 7

• Mussolini moved his army closer to Austria border to help support them.
• Hitler was not ready to fight so they retreated.

Question 8

13th January 1935 - The Saar plebiscite?

Answer 8

• there was a plebiscite to decide wether Germany or France should control the area 90% said it should be Germany.
• Hitler used this as propaganda
• he gained valuable resources like the coalfields of the Saar, there was nothing anyone could do as it was a fair and legal plebiscite.

Question 9

March 1935 - rearmament?

Answer 9

• Hitler held a rally and announced he has been rebuilding Germany and is going to start introducing conscription and has started to develop an airforce (Luftwaffe).
• in April 1935 - Britain, France and Italy agreed they would work together against Hitler as the stresa front.

Question 10

June 1935 - Anglo-German Naval Agreement?

Answer 10

• Britain signed agreement with Germany that Germany could have a navy that was 35% of the size of the British navy.
• Hitler realised Britain was allowing him to break the terms of the treaty of Versailles.