What were Hitler's foreign policy aims?

Hitler had three key Foreign policy aims:-

Abolish the Treaty of Versailles

Create Lebensraum (living space) by expanding German territory

Defeat Communism or Bolshevism.

Conscription and Rearmament - 1933 + - Hitler's first steps against the Treaty of Versailles

One of Hitler first steps

1933 onwards thousands joined the army despite it going against the Treaty of Versailles - kept as secret as possible at first. Helped reduce unemployment.

1933 Germany withdrew from the League of Nations like Japan

1935 Britian signed a treaty with Germany allowing them to have a navy 35% of Britains

1936 Reintroduced concription and rearmament was no longer secret - by this point the League was failing after Manchuria 1931, Abyssinia 1935 and countries concerned with their own issues.

Rhineland Remilitarised March 1936 - How big a gamble was it for Hitler?

The cartoonist has shown Germany as a goose entering the Rhineland. They have chosen a goose as the German army marched with the goose step. The goose is carrying older weapons from WWI showing that Germany is not that strong or prepared, Hitler taking a gamble perhaps this was the point where Hitler could have been stopped by the League and/or GB & France.

In its mouth it carries an olive branch with 'Peace German style' in latin written on it and in the background the people are flying swatika flags from the windows showing that the remilitarisation is popular with the German people. The goose is stepping all over a ripped Locarno treaty showing that Germany is abolishing the treaties and should be stopped.

In general the cartoonists gives a mixed message, firstly that Germany could be stopped, but secondly there is some sympathy with Germany as they are not shown as overly aggressive and the remilitarisation is popular with the German people in the Rhineland.

Click on the cartoon to take a closer look!


March 1936 German troops marched into the Rhineland and remilitarised it going against the Treaty of Versailles and the Locarno Treaty of 1925.

Gamble - Yes
Went against Treaties
League of Nations could take action
Germany was weaker than the French despite the start of rearmament
If forced to withdraw it would have damaged Hitler position with the army/people

Gamble - No
Britain had sympathy with Germany
France and USSR has signed a treaty - Hitler claimed Germany was under threat
The League distracted with Abyssinian crisis
League protested but took no action
French politician busy with an election wanted to avoid an unpopular war
No one really knew how weak Germany was

Austria March 1938 - How did Hitler achieve Anschluss?

The cartoon is called 'Good Hunting' to show that Hitler has taken Austria. Significantly Mussolini is saying to Hitler that he 'never heard a shot', showing that despite Anschluss being against the Treaty of Versailles no one challenged Hitler. Austria is shown as a defenceless and killed deer. Mussolini had previously stopped Hitler from taking Austria in 1934, now as allies he did not stand in his way. Hitler used Nazis in Austria to create protests for the union, he then suggested to the Austrian Chancellor Schuschnigg to agree to Anschluss as the only way to solve the issue. Schuschnigg asked Britain and France for support but they refused. A referendum (vote) was then held on Anschluss but rigged by the Nazis so gaining over 99% in favour, Hitler then marched into Austria without any military confrontation.

Munich September 1938 - A triumph or a sell-out?

REASONS FOR SELL OUT - CLICK ON THE DIAGRAM BELOW



REASONS FOR APPEASEMENT - TRIUMPH - CLICK ON DIAGRAM BELOW




Czechoslovakia, MARCH 1939

Although the British people welcomed the Munich Agreement, they did not trust Hitler. In an opinion poll in October 1938, 93 per cent said they did not believe him when he said he had no more territorial ambitions in Europe. In March 1939 they were proved right. On 15 March, with Czechoslovakia in chaos, German troops took over the rest of the country.
There was no resistance from the Czechs. Nor did Britain and France do anything about the situation. However, it was now clear that Hitler could not be trusted. For Chamberlain it was a step too far. Unlike the Sudeten Germans, the Czechs were not separated from their homeland by the Treaty of Versailles. This was an invasion. If Hitler continued unchecked, his next target was likely to be Poland. Britain and France told Hitler that if he invaded Poland they would declare war on Germany. The policy of Appeasement was ended. However, after years of Appeasement, Hitler did not actually believe that Britain and France would risk war by resisting him.

USSR - Nazi Soviet Pact August 1939 - why was it important?

The Nazi-Soviet Non- Aggression Pact in some ways seems strange as Hitler openly said he wished to destroy communism and indeed he would later invade Russia in 1941. However in 1939 the Soviet Union led by Stalin presented Hitler with a problem if he wished to invade Poland, he did not wish to have to potentially fight Britain, France and USSR at once.

Stalin on the other hand feared Germany but could not gain any lasting agreements/alliances with Britain or France, therefore decided to sign the pact with Germany to prevent invasion and gain valuable time to prepare for war. Stalin had signed a treaty with France in 1935 but did not trust it and he was also not included in the discussions at Munich in 1938. In some ways Stalin feared the worst, that Britain and France would be happy for Hitler to take over Eastern Europe and the USSR.

The pact was signed in August 1939. The two countries agreed not to attack each other and secretly agreed to divide Poland between them.

On 1st September 1939 Germany invaded Poland, Britain had previously guaranteed Polish independence and gave Germany an ultimatum to withdraw, when they did not Britain and France declared war on Germany 3rd September 1939.

War - POLAND INVADED SEPTEMBER 1939



The Pact was perhaps the pinnacle of Hitler’s triumphs. It cleared the way for Germany’s invasion of Poland.
On 1 September 1939 the German army invaded Poland from the west. On 17 September Soviet forces invaded Poland from the east. Poland soon fell.
If Hitler was planning ahead at all, then in his mind the next move would surely be an attack against his temporary ally, the USSR. He was certain that Britain and France would not go to war over Poland. But Hitler’s triumph was spoilt by a nasty surprise. Britain and France did keep their pledge. On 2 September they declared war on Germany.
Hitler had started a war, but it was not the war he had in mind. It was too soon and against the wrong opponents. Hitler had taken one gamble too many.