World War 2

AIMS OF HITLER'S FOREIGN POLICY

1920s -1930s

1. Abolish the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler had openly declared his hatred of the
treaty & his desire for revenge.
2. Wanted to make Germany strong again through rearmament and building up
of the army.
3. He wanted to establish Greater Germany by uniting all the German speaking
people in Europe.
 by regaining territories lost at Versailles [Saar, Polish
Corridor, union with Austria]
 by capturing other countries to achieve Lebensraum
[living space especially in Eastern Europe like Czechoslovakia and Soviet
Union] (note: he did not openly state that he wanted to attack Soviet Union but
his action later showed that it was his intention to attack Soviet Union.)

WHAT WAS HITLER’S FOREIGN POLICY LIKE?

1. Rearmament
(a) Geneva Disarmament Conference in 1932

• The League of Nations held an international conference on disarmament

(reduction of arms ) in the world.
• At the conference, Hitler assured Europe that he would disarm if other
countries would do likewise
• He suggested two ways of doing it. First way was to achieve parity:
Germany be allowed to rearm up to the level of France. The second way was
for France to disarm so that it reached Germany’s level.
• As his proposal for armament was not accepted, he walked out of the
conference.
• He also withdrew from the League of Nations
• Clear signal that Germany no longer intended to be bound by
international agreements.
• Clear sign that Germany was exerting its sovereignty.
•
(a)Disarmament Conference in 1932
• Soon after he became Chancellor, secretly increased size of Germany’s
army & navy in 1933.
• Luftwaffe secretly built Dornier twin-engined bomber, even before pulling
out of Disarmament Conference.
• 1934 spending on army & navy doubled & production of arms sharply
increased

(b) Building up of the Army

• Conscription [compulsory military service] was introduced in 1935.
• This was to have a large army of loyal citizens who could be mobilized
quickly in times of need.
• Hitler aimed at recruiting 600 000 men
• Conscription would also help Hitler to solve the unemployment problem that
was plaguing Germany.
 • Indeed, conscription helped reduce unemployment from 6 million in 1932 to
4 million in early 1934.

(b) Building up of the Army/Navy/Airforce

• In 1934, Hitler started an air force Luftwaffe secretly though this was
forbidden by the TOV.
• He built the Dornier twin-engine bomber, even before pulling out of
Disarmament Conference
• Pilots were trained at the gliding and flying clubs and they flew passenger
airline, Lufthansa planes.
• These passenger aircraft were specially designed such that they could be
easily converted for use in future war.
• The Nazis came up with new techniques of waging war. An example was
Blitzkrieg or lightning war.
• [Blitzkrieg referred to great masses of fast moving tanks and armored
vehicles smashing through on opponent’s defenses and enabling them to
win quick victories.]
• Another example was dive bombing from air.

• He started the subsequent build up of the army and navy.

• He signed the Anglo-German Naval Agreement in 1935 with the
British. By this treaty, Germany was allowed to increase its navy to
35% of the strength of the British navy.
• Hitler was hence able to have more sophisticated and destructive
battleships and submarines

Significance
– Raised support for Hitler – people saw Hitler as a leader who could defend
their rights and also improve their condition as unemployment was reduced.
– Allowed Germany to recover economically – increased in weapon production
and conscription meant that there was a reduction in unemployment; people
thus were better off.
– Allowed Germany to become stronger as it had a stronger army.
–
Raised confidence of Hitler that Britain and France would give in to his demands
easily as they did nothing to stop him

2) Regaining of the Saar coalfield in 1935

The Saar coalfield was a piece of industrialized land on

the French border.
• The following was agreed regarding the Saar coalfield in Germany during
the Treaty of Versailles in 1919.
• It was to be run by the League of Nation/France for 15 years
• Profits from the coalfield to be given to France during these 15 years
• Thereafter, a plebiscite [vote] would be held to determine which country
[France/Germany] would control Saar after 15 years
• In 1935 a plebiscite was held and more than 90% of the people in Saar
voted to return to Germany

Significance
First territory to be regained after it was lost during the TOV after WW1.
This made Hitler popular as it showed that he was serious about upholding the
national pride of Germany via the regaining of the loss territories.
Moreover, economically, this also provided Hitler with the resources [coal, iron,
steel] he badly needed for Germany’s rearmament.
Hence, this illustrated that he did have the support of the people [plebiscite]

3) Reoccupation and Remilitarization of the Rhineland

Terms of the TOV
• The TOV had turned the Rhineland into a demilitarized zone. Germany was
not to station any troops there. This was to ensure that Germany did not
attack France from Rhineland which was at the border of France and
Germany. This was to ensure that Germany did not attack France from
Rhineland which was at the border of France and Germany.
• Germany was bitter about this inability to station troops on its own area.
• This demilitarization made Germany vulnerable to attacks from France,
Holland and Belgium.
• In Mar 1936, Hitler instructed his troops to march into Rhineland
• He, however, told his troops to withdrew without any retaliation if they
faced any French opposition. This was because, German army was not as
strong as the French army
• Both Britain and France did nothing regarding this German action
• In fact, Britain was sympathetic to Hitler’s cause.
• The French army larger & better-armed, but unwilling to act without
Britain.
• Both, members of LON, pre-occupied with invasion of Abyssinia by Italy

 Hitler was able to start building a defensive force to protect Germany

from attack by France, in the event that there was a war.
 He had made the Western border of Germany safe.
 Gave Hitler the confidence that Britain and France would give in to his
demands
 The success of the remilitarization of the Rhineland made Hitler’s
popularity with the people soar.

4) Involvement in Spanish Civil War 1936

Description of Spanish Civil War
• In July 1936, the Spanish Civil War broke out.
• Spain was a economically backward country with internal strife
[discontent]
• Two groups contending for power
- Republicans
- Nationalists
Consisted of left wing socialists, communists, trade unionists and
democrats.
- Consisted of rightwing fascists who had the support of the wealthy land
owners, church and the army.
- Fascist governments [conservative, nationalist and militarist who believed
in unquestioned loyalty to the State]
• The right wing group led by General Francisco Franco led a rebellion of
Spanish soldiers against the Spanish republican government [leftist]
• Outbreak of a bitter civil [internal] war
 • Italy, particularly Germany took advantage of the situation in order to
demonstrate their military prowess and their anti communist stance.
• Italy and Germany both sent large numbers of military supplies and aid .
• Germany sent numerous German planes and tanks while Italy sent a force
of 60 000 Italian troops and a large Italian air force.
• Bombing of Guernica in northern Spain in 1937 by German airforce
[Luftwaffe]
• Showed the destructive capabilities of German air force
• Attitude of Britain and France was non-intervention
• 1939, the Spanish civil war ended in victory for General Franco.

Significance
• Gave Germany to opportunity to try out its military tactics and its
weapons.
• Showed the destructive capabilities of aerial warfare.
• Illustrated that Germany was powerful and a force to be reckoned with
• This highlighted that Germany would use its destructive weapons if
needed.

5) Austria and achievement of Anschluss

• Treaty of Versailles: there was to be no union of Germany and Austria
• Hitler, however, wanted Austria to be part of Germany as there were many
German speaking Austrians in Austria
• This was in line with Hitler’s vision of a Greater Germany.
• Wanted to take over Austria in 1934 but was stopped by Mussolini
• Took over Austria in 1938 without any protest
• In 1938, the Austrian Nazis [Artur Seyss Inquart] tried to overthrow the
government.
• They failed.Hitler met up with Austrian Chancellor and asked him to
appoint Inquart as the Minister for the Interior
• Kurt Schuschnigg held a referendum.
• Hitler was paranoid that the people would vote against him.
• Hence, he sent his troops to the Austrian border and forced Schuschnigg
to resign.
• On 12 March, Inquart invited the German troops into Austria to put down a
seires of communist led riots.
• Two days later, Austria became a province of Greater Germany.
• A Referendum was held and 99% voted in favor of the union.
• Britain and France took no action against Germany and in fact refused to
help the Austrian leader as they did not want to risk war.
• Hitler became increasingly confident that Britain and France would be
giving in to his
demands
• This was because they failed to stop him once again as he broke the
terms of the TOV.
• This was because Britain and France felt that the union on grounds of a
common language and culture was justified.
• Hence, Hitler was able to further extend his control, making it more likely
to attack the rest of Europe due to the non- intervention of both Britain
and France.
6) Sudetenland Crisis/Czechoslovakian Crisis
 • Hitler hated the idea of Czechoslovakia as it had been created by the TOV
and hence, an artificial state.
• Hence, he had an intense hatred of its existence and wanted to see it
destroyed.
• Czechoslovakia was made of Slavs whom Hitler considered to be inferior to
the Germans.
• It was also democratic, hence Hitler was violently opposed to its being as
it contradicted his political beliefs.
• Hitler wanted to take over Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia as it as many
Germans [3 million] reside there.
• Under Hitler’s orders, the Germans in Sudetenland started demonstrations
and riots, claiming to have been ill treated by the Czech government. They
even went on to demand for self rule.
• Britain was concerned and worked out a compromise plan with France and
Hitler.
• Britain offered Germany places in Sudetenland which had more than 50%
Germans .
• They persuaded the Czechoslovakian President, Eduard Benes to agree.
• Initially Hitler agreed to it
• Hitler then changed his mind and asked for the whole of Sudetenland.
• The Czechs disagreed and war seemed unavoidable. Preparations for war
started.

6) Sudetenland Crisis/Czechoslovakian Crisis

• During Munich Conference, it was agreed that Sudetenland would be
transferred to German control; in return, Hitler was not to attack the rest
of Czechoslovakia
• Other parts of Czechoslovakia which contained Polish minorities were to
be given to Poland and Hungary.
• Only Britain, France, Italy and Germany were involved in the Munich
conference
• Soviet Union which had an agreement with Britain and France to defend
Czechoslovakia was not consulted
• Czechoslovakia was not consulted
• It gave Hitler the confidence that he could do things at will – he thus went
on to capture and conquer the rest of Czechoslovakia.
• It alarmed Soviet Union and made Soviet Union feel that it could not trust
the British and French. Soviet Union thus went on to sign the Nazi-Soviet
Pact with Germany.
• The invasion of Czechoslovakia convinced Britain and France that
Germany could not be trusted. They thus decided to prepare themselves
for possible war with Germany, if Poland was attacked.
7) Invasion of Poland
• Another artificial country created by the TOV from German and Russian
territory.
• Polish corridor which comprised of the port Danzig and West Posen, was
given to Poland for it to have access to the sea.
• This split Germany into two and hence was an obvious target when Hitler
went about undoing the terms of the TOV.
• Britain and France, wary after the Sudetenland crisis signed an agreement
that if Poland was attacked, Britain and France would come to its rescue.
• In response to Britain and France’s action, Hitler signed agreement with,
 • Italy [Mussolini] which was known as the Pact of Steel whereby both
countries agreed to support each other,
• Soviet Union (Nazi-Soviet Pact).
• The following was agreed
– USSR to stay neutral in any war between Germany and
Poland
– Secret clause : Both agreed to divide Poland between them
– Germany took the west; USSR eastern Poland that it lost at
the end of WWI
1 Sep 1939: Hitler invaded Poland

THE NAZI-SOVIET PACT 1939

• Good for Hitler – avoid a 2 front attack
• Good for Stalin – buy time before German invasion of the USSR
• Not Good for Britain and France – lose an ally in the USSR; made
both the USSR and Germany stronger
• This led to Britain and France abolishing the policy of appeasement and
declaring war on Germany
• Hence this led to the beginning of Second World War.

Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov

signs the Nazi-Soviet Non-
aggression Pact while German
Foreign Minister Von Ribbentrop
and Soviet leader Stalin look on
under a portrait of Lenin, August
23, 1939.
News of the Pact stunned the
world and paved the way for the
beginning of World War Two with
Hitler assured the Germans
would not have to fight a war on
two fronts.
 This drawing appeared on
February 2, 1939.
Instead of a firm
denouncement,
Chamberlain, as usual, did
nothing but making
reconciliatory and soothing
speeches.
Hitler and Mussolini seem to
be amused.
July 8, 1939 Hitler, Goebbels and Goering
are fabricating a time bomb.
"Back to the Fatherland".
This refers to Hitler's policy to assimilate all
Germans from neighboring countries to his
Reich. Of course he had no intention of
making these people move from their
homes, but his objective was to conquer and
occupy the land.

Even before the war had actually started,

the supply of raw materials in Germany left
much to be desired.