Hitler's Expansionist Agenda

Hitler's foreign policy was guided by the principles outlined in his book "Mein Kampf" (My Struggle), published in 1924. His primary goals were to make Germany a great power again and to unite all German-speaking people under his rule.

In 1935, Hitler began openly defying the Treaty of Versailles by reintroducing conscription and rearming Germany. He announced the creation of a peacetime army of 550,000 soldiers and initiated the construction of military aircraft.

Quote: "Mein Kampf" (My Struggle) served as a blueprint for Hitler's expansionist and racist ideology.

Highlight: Hitler's rearmament program was a clear violation of the Treaty of Versailles, yet it faced limited opposition from other European powers.

Early International Reactions

The Stresa Front of 1935 represented an attempt by Britain, France, and Italy to form a united front against German rearmament. However, this alliance proved short-lived and ineffective in curbing Hitler's ambitions.

The Anglo-German Naval Agreement of 1935 allowed Germany to build a navy up to 35% of the size of Britain's fleet. This agreement was a significant breach of the Treaty of Versailles and an early example of appeasement by the British government.

Definition: Appeasement refers to the policy of making concessions to an aggressive power in order to avoid conflict.

Example: The Anglo-German Naval Agreement is a clear instance of appeasement, as it legitimized Germany's violation of the Versailles Treaty.

The Spanish Civil War and Its Impact

The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) provided Hitler with an opportunity to test his military capabilities and forge closer ties with Mussolini's Italy. This collaboration eventually led to the formation of the Rome-Berlin Axis.

Hitler's involvement in the Spanish conflict allowed him to:

1. Test and improve his air force and military strategies
2. Strengthen his alliance with Mussolini
3. Indirectly facilitate the future Anschluss with Austria due to improved relations with Italy

Highlight: The Spanish Civil War served as a crucial testing ground for German military technology and tactics, foreshadowing the larger conflict to come.

The Remilitarization of the Rhineland

In 1936, Hitler took a bold step by sending German troops into the Rhineland, a demilitarized zone established by the Treaty of Versailles. This move directly challenged the post-war order and tested the resolve of other European powers.

Key points about the Rhineland remilitarization:

1. It was a clear violation of the Treaty of Versailles
2. Hitler justified the action as necessary for Germany's future protection from France
3. The League of Nations failed to respond effectively
4. The German army had orders to retreat if France intervened, but no opposition materialized

Highlight: The lack of response to the Rhineland remilitarization significantly boosted Hitler's confidence and emboldened him to pursue further aggressive actions.

The Anti-Comintern Pact

The Anti-Comintern Pact, signed in 1936-1937, was a key element of Hitler's foreign policy. This agreement united Germany with Italy and Japan in opposition to international communism, particularly the Soviet Union.

Key aspects of the Anti-Comintern Pact:

1. It strengthened Germany's alliances with other expansionist powers
2. The pact was viewed positively by some Western governments due to widespread fear of communism
3. It presented the League of Nations as ineffective, as both Italy and Japan had left the organization

Highlight: The Anti-Comintern Pact not only strengthened Germany's international position but also exploited Western fears of communism to gain tacit approval for fascist expansion.

Example: The pact's anti-communist stance made it more palatable to some Western observers, despite the clear threat posed by fascist expansionism.

Key Features of Hitler's Foreign Policy

Hitler's foreign policy was characterized by several distinct features that shaped Germany's actions in the lead-up to World War II:

1. Dismantling the Treaty of Versailles through rearmament and territorial expansion
2. Pursuing Anschluss with Austria and reclaiming territories with German-speaking populations
3. Expansionism, particularly aimed at gaining Lebensraum (living space) in Eastern Europe
4. Aggressive tactics, including the willingness to use force to achieve goals
5. Racist ideology, centered on the concept of Aryan supremacy and the subjugation of "inferior" races
6. Staunch anti-communism, with the goal of destroying the Soviet Union

Vocabulary: Lebensraum refers to the Nazi policy of territorial expansion to provide "living space" for the German people.

Highlight: Hitler's foreign policy combined revisionist aims (overturning Versailles) with expansionist and racist ideologies, creating a volatile mix that led to war.

The Anschluss with Austria

The Anschluss, or union between Germany and Austria, was a long-standing goal of Hitler's foreign policy. The process that led to the Anschluss in 1938 involved several key events:

1. The 1934 assassination of Austrian Chancellor Dollfuss, who had banned the Nazi Party
2. The 1936 German-Austrian agreement, which aligned Austria's foreign policy with Germany's
3. The formation of the Rome-Berlin Axis in 1936, which left Austria vulnerable
4. The appointment of Nazi sympathizer Seyss-Inquart as Austrian Minister of the Interior in 1938

Definition: Anschluss literally means "joining" or "union" in German, referring to the political unification of Austria and Germany.

Highlight: The Anschluss was a significant victory for Hitler, adding 6.7 million people to the German Reich and providing valuable resources and strategic depth.

The Anschluss: Events and Consequences

The final stages of the Anschluss unfolded rapidly in March 1938:

1. Austrian Chancellor Schuschnigg announced a referendum on independence, which Hitler forced him to cancel
2. Schuschnigg resigned, realizing Austria would receive no support from Italy, Britain, or France
3. German troops marched into Austria on March 12, 1938
4. A heavily biased referendum was held, resulting in 99.7% approval for German control

Consequences of the Anschluss:

1. Germany's population increased by 6.7 million
2. Austria's iron ore and steel industries bolstered German military production
3. Czechoslovakia became surrounded on three sides by German territory

Example: The Anschluss referendum exemplified Nazi manipulation of democratic processes, with soldiers overseeing voting and Jews and Roma excluded from participation.

Highlight: The international community's failure to respond to the Anschluss emboldened Hitler and set the stage for further aggression.

The Sudetenland Crisis

The Sudetenland crisis of 1938 was a pivotal moment in Hitler's foreign policy and a key step towards World War II. The crisis centered on the German-speaking population in the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia.

Key events of the Sudetenland crisis:

1. Hitler supported the Sudeten German Party, which claimed mistreatment of ethnic Germans
2. In September, Hitler ordered plans to destroy Czechoslovakia by October
3. British Prime Minister Chamberlain attempted to negotiate a compromise
4. Hitler escalated his demands, insisting on full control of the Sudetenland

Vocabulary: The Sudetenland refers to the predominantly German-speaking areas of Czechoslovakia bordering Germany and Austria.

Highlight: The Sudetenland crisis demonstrated Hitler's strategy of using ethnic German populations as a pretext for territorial expansion.

The Munich Agreement and Its Aftermath

The Munich Agreement of September 1938 was a failed attempt to appease Hitler and prevent war. Key aspects of the agreement include:

1. Representatives from Britain, France, Italy, and Germany met to decide the fate of the Sudetenland
2. The agreement allowed German occupation of the Sudetenland in October 1938
3. Czechoslovakia was not invited to participate in the negotiations about its own territory

Consequences of the Munich Agreement:

1. Hitler gained control of the Sudetenland, further encircling what remained of Czechoslovakia
2. British Prime Minister Chamberlain famously declared "peace for our time"
3. Britain and France increased their rearmament plans, recognizing the growing threat

Quote: Chamberlain's declaration of "peace for our time" became a symbol of the futility of appeasement in the face of Nazi aggression.

Highlight: The Munich Agreement is often seen as the pinnacle of the appeasement policy, which ultimately failed to prevent war and instead emboldened Hitler.