History revision:

1.
What part did Germany’s armed forces play in the Spanish Civil War?
‘They helped General Franco.’
‘They helped the Nationalists against the Republicans.’
‘The German air force moved Franco’s troops from Africa to Spain.’
‘German forces helped to train Franco’s forces.’
‘The Condor Legion destroyed many Republican planes and warships.’
‘The German air force supported the Nationalist advance on Madrid.’
‘Germany used the war to test out its new military technology/ tactics/ forces/
training.’
‘German planes used carpet bombing and blitzkrieg tactics.’
‘German planes bombed Guernica in April 1937.’
‘At Guernica they bombed the civilian population.’
‘They worked alongside Mussolini’s forces.’

Why did Britain and France do little when Germany remilitarised the Rhineland?
‘Britain and France did little because many people thought that the Rhineland
properly belonged to Germany, and it had the right to do what it wanted in its
own country. Many people in Britain thought that German had been too
harshly treated in the Treaty of Versailles and that the Rhineland should never
have been demilitarised.’

Are you surprised that Chamberlain signed the Munich Agreement of September
1938? Explain your answer.
Yes, I am very surprised. He was signing over a part of another country,
Czechoslovakia, to Hitler. Czechoslovakia was not even at the meeting where
the agreement was made. He should have realised that if you give in to
dictators like this, then they will only want more.’
‘No, I am not surprised he signed it because he thought he had achieved
‘peace for our time’. There was a great danger of a war and Chamberlain
thought that by signing he had made Hitler happy and there would be no more
demands from the German leader. Hitler had got the Sudetenland and he and
Chamberlain had agreed to do all they could to support the peace of Europe.’

2.
Describe what happened in the Saar in 1935.
A plebiscite took place in January.’
‘People in the Saar voted whether to stay under the League of Nations, join
Germany, or become part of France.’
‘Goebbels went to the Saar to whip up enthusiasm.’
‘During the period of the referendum, the Nazis stopped their violence and
intimidation.’
‘The people of the Saar voted for being part of Germany.’
‘Over 90% voted for joining Germany.’
‘The Saar became part of Germany in March 1935.’
Why was Anschluss important to Hitler?
This was because one of Hitler’s main aims was to incorporate into Germany
as many Germans living outside Germany as possible. Hitler believed that the
Aryan race (which included Germans) was superior to all others and so he
wanted to collect all proper Germans into Germany. The people living in
Austria were German speakers and so Hitler regarded them as German.
Anschluss was the union between Germany and Austria and allowed Hitler to
achieve his aim of uniting all Germans.’

Are you surprised that Britain and France declared war on Germany in
September 1939? Explain your answer.
‘I am very surprised because up until then Britain and France had been
following a policy of appeasement and letting Hitler do what he wanted. They
had let Hitler break the Treaty of Versailles by rearming Germany and
remilitarising the Rhineland, and then agreeing for part of Czechoslovakia to
be taken over by Germany. When Hitler took the rest, they did nothing. It is
difficult to see how Hitler’s invasion of Poland was any different, and so it is a
surprise that they should have declared war on Germany.’
‘No, I am not surprised. They could not let Hitler keep on invading countries.
They had followed a policy of appeasement for long enough. After each step in
his foreign policy Hitler had said he had no more ambitions, but this was
always false. This was clear when he broke the Munich Agreement over
Czechoslovakia. It was clear he would not stop until he had power over all
Europe. When he invaded Poland, it was clear that Hitler’s plan to dominate all
Europe had to be stopped.’

3.
Describe the main aims of Hitler’s foreign policy.
‘He wanted Anschluss with Austria.’
‘He wanted to incorporate all German speakers into Germany like those in the
Sudetenland.’
‘He wanted to revise the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.’
‘He wanted to expand eastwards to achieve Lebensraum.’
‘He wanted to destroy communism.’

Why was the remilitarisation of the Rhineland important to Hitler?

The remilitarisation of the Rhineland was important because it was
demilitarised by the Treaty of Versailles. This had humiliated Germany and
Hitler hated it. The Rhineland was part of Germany and had been occupied by
Allied troops. Hitler believed that Germany had the right to put troops on its
own territory.

How surprising was the signing of the Nazi-Soviet Pact? Explain your answer.
‘I do not think it was surprising because it made sense at the time for both
countries. The two countries agreed not to attack each other and divided
Poland up between themselves. Hitler wanted Poland and needed to be sure
that when he invaded it, he was not attacked by Russia. On the other hand,
Stalin knew that Germany might invade Russia at some point, but the Pact
 gave him time to prepare and build up his armed forces. He hoped that a war
between Germany and France and Britain would keep Germany busy for years.

‘It was very surprising. This is because Hitler hated communism. He

had banned them as a political party in Germany. The destruction of
communism was a foreign policy aim and yet here he was making an
agreement with the leading communist country. Also, Stalin hated fascism.
Enemies of the state were called fascists and yet he was making an
agreement with Hitler who was a fascist.’

4.

4.
Describe the events in February and March of 1938 that led to Anschluss.
‘Hitler and Schuschnigg met in February to discuss claims that the Austrian
government was persecuting Austrian Nazis.’
‘In February, Hitler forced Schuschnigg to appoint Seyss-Inquart, an Austrian
Nazi, as a minister in the government.’
‘There were riots by Austrian Nazis in Austria.’
‘Schuschnigg decided to hold a plebiscite on Austrian independence in
March.’
‘Hitler demanded that Seyss-Inquart replace Schuschnigg as Chancellor.’
‘Seyss-Inquart invited the German army into Austria to restore order.’
‘Hitler ordered the German army into Austria on 12th March.’

Why was involvement in the Spanish Civil War of benefit to Hitler?

German involvement in the Spanish Civil War helped Hitler because it helped
him draw Italy closer to him. Italy was also involved in the Civil War and so
they could act together. This helped Hitler because he was keen to draw Italy
away from Britain and France. Hitler was successful because in 1937 the Rome-
Berlin Axis was formed.’

‘Hitler agreed the Nazi-Soviet Pact in order to avoid war against the Soviet
Union.’ How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer.
‘I do not agree with that at all. Hitler always planned to invade the USSR
because of Lebensraum – eastward expansion. All that Hitler was doing was
postponing a war with Russia until later when Germany would be more ready
for it.’

‘Yes, he did this to avoid war with Russia. Hitler was keen to invade and
conquer Poland, but he was worried about Russia intervening and Germany
having to fight on two fronts – the First World War had shown how difficult
this was. The Pact allowed him to invade Poland without having to worry about
Russia.’
5.
Describe the reactions of Britain and France to the remilitarisation of the
Rhineland in 1936.
‘Many in Britain thought that Germany had a right to do what it wanted in the
Rhineland.’
‘Britain and France did not want to risk a war over territory that already
belonged to Germany.’
‘Hitler promised a non-aggression pact and so Britain and France did nothing.’
‘France had great economic problems at the time and could not afford to do
anything.’
‘Public opinion in France was strongly against the French government doing
anything.’
‘At first, France hinted at taking military action but then did nothing.’
‘Britain did not have the military resources to do anything and so did nothing.’

Why were the failures of the League of Nations in the 1930s important to Hitler?
‘They were important to Hitler because they showed him that the League
would not stand up to countries who had aggressive foreign policies. This was
clear when Japan got away with invading Manchuria. This became even clearer
with Italy’s invasion of Abyssinia which was much closer to Europe. The League
showed it was incapable of taking effective action with each country more
concerned about its own national interests than what was best internationally.
Hitler decided that if he went on to destroy the Treaty of Versailles, the League
would not take any action against him.’

Are you surprised that Germany invaded Poland in September 1939? Explain
your answer ?
‘I am very surprised. By this time both Britain and France realised that Hitler
wanted to conquer the whole of eastern Europe and was not going to stop at
Czechoslovakia. In March, they gave Poland a guarantee that if it was attacked,
they would come to its aid. Hitler should have realised from this that Britain
and France were not going to let him get away with any more aggression. Hitler
did not want a war with Britain and so I am surprised he took the risk of
invading Poland.’
‘I am not surprised at all because of the Nazi-Soviet Pact. Germany and Russia
agreed to divide Poland between them. This meant that Hitler knew that if he
invaded Poland he would not be attacked by Russia. If Britain went to war
against him, he would not have to fight a war on two fronts. Anyway, the
actions of Britain and France so far taught Hitler that they were unlikely to do
anything if he invaded Poland.’
6.
Describe the takeover of Czechoslovakia in 1938–39.
‘Nazis in the Sudetenland stirred up trouble among Sudetenland Germans.’
‘The Sudetenland Nazi Party began to demand autonomy from Czechoslovakia.’
‘German troops moved to the border with Czechoslovakia.’
‘In May 1938 Hitler said he would fight Czechoslovakia if necessary.’
‘At a meeting with Chamberlain in September, Hitler demanded only parts of the
Sudetenland.’
‘The Munich Pact was signed on 30 September 1938, giving Hitler all of the Sudetenland.’
‘At a second meeting Hitler increased his demands to all of the Sudetenland.’
‘In March 1939 German troops invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia.’

Why did Britain react differently to Germany’s aggression towards

Czechoslovakia and towards Poland?
‘Chamberlain and other British politicians felt that Germany had a right to the Sudetenland as
there were many Germans living there. He also thought that many of them wanted to be part
of Germany. After agreeing to Hitler having the Sudetenland, there was little that could be
done when Germany invaded the rest of the country. This was a completely different situation
to Poland which did not have such a large German population.

‘The Nazi-Soviet Pact was the reason why Hitler invaded Poland.’ How far do
you agree with this statement? Explain your answer.
‘The Nazi-Soviet Pact was the main reason. Hitler wanted to take over Poland and he felt that
Britain and France would do little about it. But he was worried about Russia. He felt that he
could not move against Poland until he knew that Russia would not intervene. The Pact with
Russia meant that Russia would not attack and in a secret part of the agreement even divided
Poland up between the two powers. This made it safe for Hitler to invade Poland. This is
shown the by the fact that the Pact was signed on 24 August and Hitler invaded Poland just a
week later.’

‘Hitler decided to invade Poland long before the Nazi-Soviet Pact. It was one of his main aims
in his foreign policy from the beginning and was stated in Mein Kampf. He wanted to give
Germany living space in the east and Poland was one of the areas he targeted. He believed
that Germany needed living space for its survival and planned to deport the Poles to places like
Siberia. This means that he would have invaded Poland anyway.’

7.
What was the Nazi-Soviet Pact?
‘Germany and the Soviet Union would not go to war with each other.’
‘It was a non-aggression pact.’
‘Neither country would ally itself to an enemy of the other party.’
‘The Pact had a secret protocol to divide Eastern Europe into Nazi and Soviet spheres of
influence.’
‘Germany and the Soviet Union agreed to divide Poland up between the two of them.’
‘It was signed in August 1939.’
‘It meant that Germany would not have to fight a war on two fronts.’
Why was Mussolini’s support over Anschluss important to Hitler?
‘Mussolini’s support was crucial because he had a big interest in what was happening in
Austria. In 1934 Hitler had tried to take over Austria but it was Mussolini who had stopped
him. Mussolini was worried that Hitler would demand the return of Italian territories that had
once been ruled by Austria. If anyone could stop Anschluss it was Mussolini, so his support was
important. If he did not object then the way was open for Hitler with no one to stop him.’

‘The Munich Agreement made war more, not less, likely.’ How far do you agree
with this statement? Explain your answer.
‘It made war more likely. The agreement showed Hitler that the European countries were not
going to stand up to him. He could continue to demand more and powers like Britain and
France would give in every time. This encouraged him to invade the rest of Czechoslovakia and
then in September 1939 he invaded Poland. Britain and France had said they would declare
war on Germany if Poland was invaded. Hitler did not believe them because of the way they
gave in over the Munich Agreement. When they did declare war Hitler was shocked. As a result
of the Munich Agreement, Hitler thought he would get away with anything.’
‘I think it made war less likely. Hitler was ready to invade Czechoslovakia and take the
Sudetenland. War seemed imminent. Trenches were even being dug in Hyde Park in London in
preparation for a war. The agreement meant that war was averted at this point since Hitler
had got what he wanted. Chamberlain said the agreement had brought ‘peace in our time’,
and others agreed with him. It is clear that the agreement made war less likely.’

8.
What was agreed at Munich in 1938?
‘The Sudetenland was given to Germany.’
‘The transfer would take 10 days.’
‘Czechoslovakia’s new frontiers were guaranteed by the four powers.’
‘Britain and Germany would settle disputes between them by consultation.’
‘Britain and Germany would promote peace in Europe.’
‘An international commission would agree the future of other disputed areas.’

Why was German and Italian involvement in the Spanish Civil War important?
‘This was important because it gave both countries a chance to train soldiers and test new
equipment and tactics. New troops got experience so that they were ready for a future war,
this was especially important for Italy. New planes such as the Messerschmidts and tanks were
tried out by the Germans, as well as tactics for aircraft and tanks such as carpet bombing by
aircraft.’

‘The only thing wrong with the policy of appeasement was that Britain and
France persisted with it for too long.’ How far do you agree with this statement?
Explain your answer.
‘I agree with the statement, because even if the policy of appeasement had been useful early
on. Britain and France should have stopped it long before they did. At the time of the re-
militarisation of the Rhineland the German army was still weak and Hitler would have backed
down if Britain and France had taken firm action. Munich was a disaster as it made clear to
Hitler that if he went on and took the rest of Czechoslovakia then Britain and France would do
nothing. This actually brought war closer because it encouraged Hitler. When Britain and
France told him they would go to war if he attacked Poland, he simply did not believe them
because of their persistence with appeasement.’
‘I disagree with this. I do not think they stayed with the policy for too long. This is because
Germany had been rearming and had much more powerful armed forces than Britain or
France. In 1938, Britain was not ready for war. Chamberlain was desperately trying to increase
the strength of British armed forces. The programme of rearmament was not completed until
1940. If appeasement had been ended earlier, then it would have been a disaster and Britain
would have been defeated.’

9.
Describe what happened in the Rhineland in 1936.
‘The Rhineland was remilitarised by Germany.’
‘German troops marched into the Rhineland.’
‘Germany broke the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.’
‘They broke the Treaty by sending troops into the Rhineland.’
‘Hitler took a gamble.’
‘The German generals begged Hitler to withdraw the German forces.’
‘Hitler refused to withdraw his forces.’
‘Large crowds stood in the streets and welcomed the German soldiers.’
‘France and Britain failed to do anything apart from protesting.’
‘A referendum in Germany overwhelmingly supported German actions in the Rhineland.’

Why was the Nazi-Soviet Pact important to Hitler?

‘The Pact was important to Hitler because it meant that he could now go ahead and attack
Poland. Hitler’s greatest worry in invading Poland was that Russia would attack. The Pact was a
non-aggression Pact between the Soviet Union and Germany in which the two countries
agreed not to attack each other. It also divided up Poland and other parts of eastern Europe
between the two countries. This all meant that Germany could invade Poland knowing that
Russia would not attack. This is why it was important to Hitler. His plan to move eastwards was
not possible.’

‘How far were Britain and France responsible for the outbreak of war in 1939?
Explain your answer.
‘Britain and France were to blame. They declared war in September because Germany invaded
Poland. However, Hitler only did this because he thought he would get away with it. Britain
and France had been following a policy of appeasement. This meant that every time Germany
took aggressive actions such as the Anschluss with Austria, taking over the Sudetenland and
invading Czechoslovakia, they did nothing. This meant that Hitler thought they would do
nothing if he invaded Poland. Although Britain and France promised to help Poland if it was
attacked, Hitler thought, based on their policy of appeasement, that they would do nothing. So
they could be blamed for Germany invading Poland and the start of the Second World War.’ ‘I
do not think they were responsible. Hitler was determined to achieve domination of Europe
and this meant that sooner or later there would be a war. He had broken the terms of the
Treaty of Versailles in many ways, had built up German armed forces and had taken over
Czechoslovakia by force. He aimed at winning ‘living space’ in eastern Europe so Germans
could replace the inferior races such as the Slavs and settle there and increase the German
population. The invasion of Poland in 1939 was part of this plan and led to war breaking out in
that year. So it was Hitler who was to blame.’

10.
Describe how Hitler’s policies between 1935 and 1938 broke the terms of the
Treaty of Versailles
‘Germany re-armed.’
‘Hitler created the Luftwaffe in 1935.’
‘Hitler introduced conscription in 1935.’
‘Hitler sent troops into the Rhineland in 1936.’
‘Anschluss with Austria in 1938 .’
‘The signing of the Anglo-German Naval Treaty in 1935.’

Why did Germany become involved in the Spanish Civil War?

‘Germany became involved because Hitler’s real plans were to do with expansion in central
and eastern Europe such as in Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland and even Russia. However, he
wanted to distract countries such as Britain from these plans and the Spanish Civil War was a
good distraction. Hitler was not yet ready for a European war and so did not want to draw
attention to what he planned in Europe.’

‘The Nazi-Soviet Pact was responsible for war breaking out in Europe in 1939.’
How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer.
‘The Nazi-Soviet Pact was mainly responsible. After Czechoslovakia, Hitler wanted to invade
Poland, but he was worried that Russia would intervene. This was why he signed the Pact with
Stalin in August 1939. In it, the two countries agreed not to attack each other. They also
secretly agreed to carve up Poland between them. This led to the Second World War because
Hitler was now confident enough to invade Poland on 1 September 1939. However, Britain and
France had agreed to defend Poland if attacked and so a few days later they declared war on
Germany and the war started. Without the Pact, this might not have happened.’
‘I do not think the Pact caused the war because I think it would have happened anyway,
although it might have started on a different date and in a different way. Hitler was
determined to win Lebensraum in eastern Europe and Russia, defeat communism and
eventually to dominate the whole of Europe. He had been rearming massively and his
intentions had been clear since he stated them in Mein Kampf. Every move he had made
including Anschluss and Czechoslovakia was aimed at these goals. Without the Nazi-Soviet Pact
it might have taken Hitler a little longer to act but a war was inevitable because of his aims.’

11.
What was meant by the ‘lebensraum’ proposed by Hitler in his foreign policy?
‘Lebensraum meant ‘living space’ for Germans.’
‘It meant expansion eastwards.’
‘It meant Germany’s growing population would have a place to settle.’
‘It meant Germany would take over Poland and Soviet Russia.’
‘It meant more land for Germans to cultivate.’
‘Lebensraum meant there would be more food and resources for Germans.’
‘It was a way of helping to expand the German empire.’

Why was Hitler able to ignore the League of Nations?

‘Hitler was able to ignore the League because he, and many other countries, viewed the
League as being weak when faced with great powers. The League had failed to stop the
aggression of Japan’s invasion of Manchuria and Italy’s invasion of Abyssinia. In Hitler’s view,
the League members would not join forces to stop him in his actions. This view proved correct
in the Rhineland.’

‘Hitler’s aggression was more responsible for war in 1939 than was the British
policy of appeasement.’ How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your
answer.
‘Hitler’s aggression was more responsible. He occupied Czechoslovakia and then moved on to
invade Poland; neither of these actions could be justified. Britain had guaranteed to preserve
the independence of Poland, so when Hitler invaded Britain had to act. Hitler’s aggression had
pushed them into declaring war.’
‘Appeasement was more responsible. The appeasers believed that Hitler could be trusted, and
they totally misjudged his ruthlessness. Had resistance been shown to Hitler in the Rhineland
he may well have withdrawn his troops. Britain and France lost the opportunity to be firm with
Hitler while they still had the military advantage. Their lack of action meant Hitler thought he
could do what he liked.’

12.
What were the terms of the Anglo-German Naval Agreement signed in 1935?
‘The Agreement allowed Germany to increase its fleet.’
‘It allowed Germany to build submarines.’
‘It allowed Germany to have a fleet that was 35% the size of Britain’s.’
‘It allowed Germany to have submarines up to 45% of Britain’s numbers.’
‘It allowed the Germans to break the Treaty of Versailles.’
‘This Agreement was allowed despite French and Italian protests.’

‘Chamberlain was wrong to sign the Munich Agreement of 1938.’ How far do
you agree with this statement? Explain your answer.
‘It was morally wrong to sign the Agreement. Hitler was a bully and by appeasing him
Chamberlain was giving in to a bully. They allowed Hitler to go unchallenged and abandoned
Czechoslovakia to its fate. If Britain and France had resisted Hitler’s demands and war broke
out in October 1938, they would have had the support of 36 divisions of the Czech army
behind well prepared defences. It was a cowardly decision.’
‘Chamberlain and western politicians feared communism more than Nazism. One way to
reduce the potential threat of Soviet Russia was to ensure that there was a strong anti-
communist state in central Europe committed to its destruction. Germany fitted the bill
perfectly. This was worth sacrificing Czechoslovakia for.’

Why was the Treaty of Versailles important for Hitler’s foreign policy?
‘The Treaty of Versailles was very important for Hitler. The Treaty had weakened Germany and
Hitler wanted to make Germany great again. He had promised to undo the Treaty. Under
Versailles, Anschluss with Austria was banned. One key part of Hitler’s foreign policy was to
undo this. He believed that Austrians and Germans were the same people. They were all
German speakers and should be united. It was part of his policy to create a Greater Germany.
He tried to unify them in 1934 but Mussolini stopped him. However, in 1938 Hitler sent the
German army into Austria and achieved Anschluss.’

13.
In what ways did Hitler undermine the Treaty of Versailles between 1933 and
1936?
‘Hitler walked out of the Disarmament Conference.’ (1933)
‘Hitler withdrew from the League of Nations.’ (1933)
‘Hitler began to re-arm.’ (1933)
‘Hitler attempted union with Austria.’ (1933) ‘He stopped paying reparations.’ (1933)
‘Hitler announced that conscription would be re-introduced.’ (1935)
‘He created a military air force.’ (1935)
‘A massive rearmament rally was held in Germany in 1935.’
‘Germany signed a naval agreement with Britain allowing Germany to have a navy up to 35%
of the size of the British navy.’ (1935)
‘In 1936, Germany re-militarised the Rhineland.’

Why did some people argue that the policy of appeasement was a good idea?
‘Some people feared communism more than Nazism. One way to reduce the potential threat
of Soviet Russia was to ensure that there was a strong, anti-communist state in central Europe
committed to its destruction. Germany fitted the bill perfectly. Anti-communists found it
convenient to support appeasement.’
‘Decisions taken at Munich in 1938 were more important in bringing about war than Hitler’s
aggression against Poland.’ How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer.
‘The decisions at Munich meant Britain and France had abandoned Czechoslovakia. In October
1938, German troops marched into the Sudetenland. In March 1939, Hitler took the rest of
Czechoslovakia. There was no resistance from the Czechs, Britain or France. Hitler now thought
he could take part of Poland without going to war.’
‘Hitler ignored Britain’s warning that, if he invaded Poland, Britain would declare war. Britain
had signed a formal alliance with Poland in August 1939. Hitler assumed that Britain’s and
France’s opposition would be similar to that shown over Czechoslovakia.’

14.
What happened in the Saar in 1935?
‘In January 1935, a plebiscite was held. This was in accordance with the terms of the Treaty of
Versailles.’
‘Voters were asked whether they wanted the Saar to remain under the League of Nations. The
alternatives were to return to Germany or become part of France.’
‘The League provided an international force of over 3000 troops to maintain the peace. The
troops came from Britain, Sweden, the Netherlands and Italy.’
‘There were accusations of intimidation on the part of Germany.’
‘People voted to return to Germany. Over 90% were in favour.’
‘Just under 9% wanted to stay under the League of Nations.’
‘Less than half of one per cent wanted to join France.’
‘Germany had regained its first piece of lost territory by legal and peaceful means.’
‘It was a tremendous propaganda success for Hitler.’
‘It gave Hitler confidence to continue with his plans.’
Why was the remilitarisation of the Rhineland a risk for Hitler?
‘Hitler realised that marching into the Rhineland was a huge risk because he lacked military
force. He had only two divisions, but the French alone could easily outnumber this force and
with better equipment and air support. Hitler admitted that if the French had marched into the
Rhineland ‘we would have to withdraw with our tail between our legs’. This would have been
humiliating for Hitler.’
‘Germany was more responsible for war in 1939 than any other country.’ How
far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer.
‘Hitler went too far with his aggressive foreign policy. He could not justify the occupation of
Czechoslovakia or Poland. Britain had guaranteed to preserve the independence of Poland.
Hitler had pushed them to war.’
‘The British felt that Germany had been harshly treated at Versailles and began to make
concessions. Desperate to avoid war, Britain and France responded to Hitler’s demands with a
policy of appeasement, which led to Hitler taking advantage of the policy.’
15.
What was the ‘Greater Germany’ that Hitler aimed to establish?
‘All German speaking peoples to be brought into the Reich.’
‘The frontiers of Germany would be extended to cover those areas where the population was
predominantly German.’
‘The increase in living space – lebensraum.’
‘Countries involved would include Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland and Soviet Russia.’
‘To regain German land lost during the Treaty of Versailles.’

Why were Hitler’s foreign policy actions in 1935–36 successful?

‘In 1935 the League of Nations held the promised plebiscite in the Saar. The vote was an
overwhelming success for Hitler with around 90% voting to return to German rule. This was a
real morale booster for Hitler and was achieved by peaceful means.’

‘The policy of appeasement made sense at the time.’ How far do you agree with
this statement? Explain your answer.
‘Britain and France were not ready to fight as they were militarily weak and were still coping
with the impact of the Great Depression. Appeasement afforded them time for rearmament.’
OR ‘Appeasement was morally wrong. Hitler was a bully and by appeasing him they were
giving in to a bully. They allowed Hitler to go unchallenged leaving Czechoslovakia to its fate.
Appeasement was cowardly.’
16.
What benefits did unite with Austria offer Hitler?
‘Hitler gained Austria’s army.’
‘He gained Austria’s weapons.’
‘He gained Austria’s mineral deposits.’
‘These included gold, iron ore, coal, magnesite, copper, zinc, oil, silver and tungsten.’
‘Hitler gained Austria’s salt mines.’ ‘He gained Austria’s productive timber industry.’
‘Hitler showed Germans he was keeping his promise by breaking the Treaty of Versailles.’
‘Hitler thought Britain and France might be willing to give him more land where there were
German-speaking people.’
‘It helped Hitler form part of his Greater Germany.’
‘It helped Hitler encircle northern Czechoslovakia.’
‘Hitler gained the country of his birth.’
‘Hitler’s confidence in his plans increased, especially as he had the support of Mussolini.’

Why was Hitler able to unite with Austria?

‘Since the First World War, Italy had regarded Austria as within its sphere of influence. When
Hitler attempted a union between Germany and Austria in 1934, Mussolini authorised military
manoeuvres to prevent the union. Hitler’s relationship with Mussolini had improved since
1934 and in 1938 he had Mussolini’s support for the Anschluss.’
‘The Munich Agreement of 1938 ensured that war would happen.’ How far do
you agree with this statement? Explain your answer.
‘Chamberlain may have genuinely believed that he had secured peace for the foreseeable
future. It was thought by many that Germany had been harshly treated by the Treaty of
Versailles and that all of Hitler’s acquisitions had been justified, but with Munich this would be
his last request. So, war was not inevitable.’
‘If Britain and France had worked with the Czechs and Russians, Hitler could have been halted
and war avoided. By giving away the Sudetenland, it made it easy for Hitler to take the rest of
Czechoslovakia and leave Poland vulnerable. Churchill warned ‘this is only the beginning’. So,
war was likely.’