Hitler's Foreign Policy And The Origins Of WW2

Question 1

When Hitler became leader in 1933 what were his 4 aims?

Answer 1

1. To make Germany great again and remove the humiliation of defeat in WW1
2. To tear up the treaty of Versailles
3. To take over the areas where German speaking people lived and bring them into a greater Germany (Grossdeutschland)
4. To conquer more land in Poland or Russia as a living space (Lebensraum) for the German people

Question 2

When was conscription introduced in Germany?

Answer 2

1935

Question 3

What was the Anglo-German naval agreement? + consequences

Answer 3

Allowed Hitler to build up a larger navy that could be up to 35% of the size of the British Navy.

Britain didn’t consult with France, + showed they weren’t sticking to treaty give Hitler confidence to ask for more

Question 4

When was the Anglo-German Naval Agreement signed?

Answer 4

1935

Question 5

Consequences of German rearmament 1935-1939?

Answer 5

Built up his armed forces. Peace less likely as it gave him strength to threaten other countries like Czechoslovakia + Poland later on. If not allowed to rearm then would have been too weak to achieve other goals. Growing strength made him more confident to take more.

Question 6

When did Hitler first put pressure on Austria to join Germany and why didn’t it work?

Answer 6

1934. Mussolini wasn’t yet allied with Hitler, moved troops to Italian border and threatened to help Austria against Germany

Question 7

What happened in 1935 with the Saar and was this a legal move?

Answer 7

The Saar voted to return to German control. This was a legal move since the vote had been arranged to take place in 1935 as part of the ToV

Question 8

What were the consequences of the Saar voting to return to German control?

Answer 8

Used it to win more support from German people + made peace less likely as it gave Germany important industry and coal mines which allowed Germany to produce more things, especially weapons. It was his growing strength and popularity in Germany that made him confident to take more

Question 9

When was the remilitarisation of the Rhineland?

Answer 9

1936

Question 10

What was the Rhineland?

Answer 10

German territory with German laws but the ToV and Locarno Pact said that Germans weren’t allowed any military in this area to protect France from another German attack

Question 11

How did Hitler remilitarise the Rhineland?

Answer 11

Sent troops in. Other countries plus the League of nations did nothing. German troops had orders to withdraw if the French moved in to try and stop them

Question 12

Why didn’t Britain or France do anything to stop Hitler from remilitarising the Rhineland?

Answer 12

They were trying to deal with the Italian invasion of Abyssinia

Question 13

What were the consequence of remilitarising the Rhineland?

Answer 13

Made peace less likely. Showed Britain + France weren’t going to stand up to him so made him more confident. Also impressed Mussolini who now signed a pact with Hitler meaning Hitler could do other things like Anschluss without Italy opposing him

Question 14

What year was Anschluss achieved?

Answer 14

1938

Question 15

What did Hitler do as an excuse to enter German troops into Austria?

Answer 15

Hitler created a situation where he could “establish order” in Austria using German troops. He tricked and manipulated Shuschnigg the Austrian chancellor and Austria was in a chaotic situation.

Question 16

What did Hitler do in Austria after moving his troops in and what was the result? + What did other countries do?

Answer 16

He organised a plebiscite about joining Austria to Germany. It was rigged and opponents had been arrested or scared off. 99% voted yes

Other countries did nothing

Question 17

What were the consequences of Anschluss?

Answer 17

A triumph. Peace less likely. He now had all the resource of Austria: iron, steel industry and its army. Hitler could use these to make Germany more powerful + can threaten other countries. Stronger Germany made it less likely that other countries would try to stand up to Hitler. Also Germany now surrounded the west of Czechoslovakia

Question 18

In what year was the Sudetenland crisis?

Answer 18

1938

Question 19

What did Hitler do in the Sudetenland before demanding that it become part of Germany?

Answer 19

Stir up trouble

Question 20

How many German speakers did the Sudetenland contain?

Answer 20

3 million

Question 21

What was the result of the meeting at Bertchesgaden about the Sudetenland?

Answer 21

It looked like Hitler would allow a plebiscite to decide the issue

Question 22

What happened at the meeting in Bad Godesburg about the Sudetenland?

Answer 22

Hitler demanded the Sudetenland immediately without a plebiscite, Chamberlain refused and it looked like there may be war.

Question 23

Who attended the meeting in Munich and what was decided in the Munich Agreement?

Answer 23

Britain, France, Italy, Germany

Britain wanted to avoid war because it couldn’t afford one ( still recovering from Great Depression) the people didn’t want a war and Czechoslovakia was far away. + genuine fear of air attack. Also persuaded themselves that perhaps it deserved to be German.

The countries at the meeting decided to give the Sudetenland to Germany (without asking the Czechs)

Question 24

What did Hitler promise at the Munich Agreement?

Answer 24

That Britain and Germany would not go to war with each other ever again

Question 25

What was Appeasement + when did it start and finish?

Answer 25

Appeasement was the policy of the British (and French). Involved trying to avoid war by solving some of the grievances Germany had after the ToV- hoped giving Hitler some of what he wanted then he would stop asking for more.

Question 26

What year was the falling Czechoslovakia?

Answer 26

1939

Question 27

Why did Czechoslovakia fall?

Answer 27

March 1939 Hitler invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia. They could not fight back having lost most of their industry and the border fortifications in the mountains

Question 28

Consequences of the fall of Czechoslovakia?

Answer 28

End of appeasement. Chamberlain promised Poland that if Germany attacked then Britain would support Poland- France already had an alliance.

Question 29

4 reasons why Britain and France stopped appeasing Hitler

Answer 29

1. They didn’t really trust Hitler even at Munich- they were already rearming by then
2. When Hitler broke all his promises made at Munich it was obvious that it had failed- Germany had got more threatening not less. If Germany got Poland without a fight it would be greatly strengthened
3. Appeasement had made them look weak
4. Perhaps they could still stop war- if Hitler really believed they would support Poland he might not attack

Question 30

When was the Nazi-Soviet Pact signed?

Answer 30

1939

Question 31

What was the Nazi Soviet Pact?

Answer 31

The agreement between the USSR and Hitler. They agreed not to interfere with each other in war. Secretly agreed to attack Poland and divide it between them

Question 32

Why did Germany want the Nazi-Soviet Pact?

Answer 32

Hitler now knew he could attack Poland without the risk that the Russians would try to stop him therefore avoid a war on two fronts. In WW1 this had led to Germany’s defeat

Question 33

Why did Russia want the Nazi-Soviet Pact?

Answer 33

1. Stalin did not trust Britain and France- had showed no real determination to stand up to Hitler
2. Stalin desperately afraid of a war against Germany- Pact might delay or stop

Question 34

Consequences of the Nazi-Soviet Pact?

Answer 34

1. Made war inevitable- Poland was guaranteed by Britain and France
2. France and Britain lost the USSR as an ally- Hitler was less scared of war because of this and so was prepared to take a risk over Poland

Question 35

When did Britain and France declare war against Germany?

Answer 35

September 1939 when Germany attacked Poland- they kept their promises to Poland