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Hitler's expansionist policy (1- Conscription and rearmament (Since…
Hitler's expansionist policy
Hitler’s foreign policy aims for ...
Tear up TOV
A Greater Germany that incorporated all Germans
Lebensraum (Living Space)
Aryan dominance
Withdrawal from the league of nations and the Geneva Disarmament Conference
At Geneva Disarmament Conference, Hitler proposed that France also disarm together .
The Nazi's tried to get rid of the Treaty of Versailles
France said no
Hence, Hitler used this excuse to withdraw from the LON and the Geneva Disarmament Conference
1- Conscription and rearmament
Since Germany has left the LON, the TOV did not apply to Germany anymore.
Hence, from 1933 to 1934, there was a massive rearmament programme to build up Germany's defences
Hitler
significantly improved his status. Continued rearmament till it surpassed Britain and France Rome Berlin Axis formed in 1936
Italy
Started to doubt the credibility of the Stresa Front Agreement (that will resist Germany changing TOV)(1935)Italy, Britain, France
France
continued to strengthen the Maginot Line
France's alliance with Britain became strained due to Britain's refusal to stand up
to Germany
Austria
Austria now came under more German pressure.
Britain
Started rearming its military forces.
2- German unification with Austria
Austrian Chancellor, Schuschnigg was presented with a list of demands from Hitler, primarily naming Seyss-Inquart as the Minister for Interior, giving him the control of the police. Schuschnigg refused.
Schuschnigg tried to delay Hitler by suggesting a plebiscite (change in constitution) but Hitler, fearing negative results, threatened to invade Austria and make it resemble Spain. (Drawing a parallel to the 1936 Spanish Civil War)
Schuschnigg resigned with the rest of the cabinet and Seyss-Inquart invited Hitler and his troops into Austria
Why did Austrians
support an Anschluss?
Austrians are culturally similar to Germans
Austria used to be part of a powerful empire and Austrians saw the Nazis as being able to lead Austria back to its days of glory
The Nazi's did not even fire a single shot
3 - Sudetenland
1- Important resources such as coal
2- A large population of Germans
3- Excellent defences that would pose a problem for Hitler’s forces
4- Sudetenland was eventually given to Hitler.
5- Germany, Britain and France were at this conference
3 meetings to decide the fate of Sudetenland
1- Berthsgaden - peaceful annexation of Sudetenland ut Hitler refused, wanted to take Czech by force
2- Bad Godesberg - Hitler demanded whole whole of Sudetenland to be handed over iimmediately - Britians mobilised for war
3 - Munich Agreement - Italy help arrange the meetg. Britain, France, Germany and Italy were there but not Czech & USSR (not consulted). If whole Sudetenland refused to be part of German, Czech have to fight Germany alone...
Hilter broke the Munich Agreement and took the whole Czech
Sudetenland, part of Czechoslovakia was threatened by Hilter. Hilter demanded that Sudenteland become part of German territory.
Because many Sudeten Germans were discriminated by Czech Govt. Hitler wanted to to invade Czech but not easy as Czechoslovakia had modern and huge army. Czech also had support from Britain, France and USSR but these countries.
France had a treaty to support Czech but PM not willing to go to war
Britain did not have a treaty
USSR army was already weakened by Stalin's purge
4 -Czechoslovakia
was worried about Austria invasion
Hitler breaks his promise of ‘the last territorial
claim’ and invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia
Chamberlain realized that he was wrong about
Hitler. He declares that if Poland is invaded,
Britain will defend Polish sovereignty.
Scenes of Austria and Sudetenland were not
repeated.
5- Nazi Soviet Non Aggression Pact
Hitler and Stalin both signed an agreement together. Peaceful 10 yrs cooperation
Stalin
Stalin wanted to buy time to rearm LON and Britain has been proven to be useless
Supporting Britain is likely to lead to Russia fighting the war alone. Germany offered peace instead
Stalin believed that Chamberlain is directing German aggression eastwards.
Stalin was ambitious- wanted Poland. They agree to split POland
Hitler
Hitler already lost the possibility of allying with Britain
against Communism.
Hitler wanted to avoid a two front war. Splitting up of forces
would render the German forces weak on both fronts
Finally on 1 September 1939, Germany invaded Poland 6