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Did Hitler's Foreign Policy mark a break in German Foreign Policy? -…
Did Hitler's Foreign Policy mark a break in German Foreign Policy?
Disagree (continuity)
Flotten Politik
Pre war policy of building a large German navy
Hitler 'Z' plan of 1939 was for a massive expansion of the navy
To challenge the British navy
'Naval politics'
Defeat of WW1
In WW1 there was a plan for a German colony in Crimea and Hitler wanted this same area
Many felt this anger
Racist ideas
Unimportant to Hitler's foreign policy
Can also be traced back
Lebensraum
The treaty of Brest-Litovsk (1918) which involved Germany controlling the Baltic states, Ukraine and parts of Belarus for resources
Can be traced back to many theorists
Volskich pressure groups like Pan German league had these ideas
Weltpolitik
World policy
In Kaiser Germany
Policy of Chancellor von Bullow 1900-1909
To become an imperial power
Aquire territory in Africa like Togo, Cameroon and Tanzania
Chancellor von Bethmann Hollweg
Wanted to turn Russia, France and Belgium into vessel states
Wanted to ethnically cleanse Poland for living space
Showed clear and aggressive expansionist agenda
'September Programme' 1914
Annexation of Belgium
Domination of East Europe
Teriitorial expansion in France
Creation of a Mittel-Europea
Argued by Fritz Fischer and AJP Taylor
Agree (change)
Hitler Foreign Policy
New methods of violence and fear (eg arial bombing of Spain)
Downgraded the old diplomatic corps (foreign minister of 1939)
Subversive efforts (Austria in 1938 and Czechoslovakia)
Chancellor Bismark (1871-1890)
Tried to form alliances to stop Germany being isolated
Aim to make Germany a great power
Aim was also to maintain peace
Dual alliance with Austria-Hungary in 1979 which turned into a triple alliance with Italy
Argued by Gerald Weinburg and PMH Bell
Criticism of AJP Taylor
Downplays Hitlers radical and extreme ideology
Hitlers initial aims were overtaken
Reversing the Treaty of Versallies
Much more aggressive than before
The Kaiser
Also focused on making Germany a great power
Competed with Britain in a naval arms race which asserted naval power
Visited Britain in 1908 which helped make more personal relations
Weimar Republic
Joined League of Nations in 1926
Emphasised cooperation over confrontation (Treaty of Versailles)
Wanted peaceful methods to rescue status
Locarno Pact 1925 involved Germany, France, Italy, Britain and Belgium agreeing over their borders (major achievement)
Racial theories
Aryans entitled to a larger living space 'lebensraum' which led to the invasion of Austria, Czechoslovakia and Poland
Older German leaders were much more focussed on territory and power rather than race (seen in WW1)
Hitler was focused on racial policy in occupied territories over foreign policy so it was clearly part of his war plan
Chamberlain wrongly judged the extremity of this
Driven by Hitler thinking that the Aryan race is superior (wanted total elimination unlike other Germans who were just antisemetic)