Appeasement and the Road to War

1933-1939

Hitler’s Foreign Policy Aims

Outcomes

By the end of this lesson you will: Be able to describe four main aims of

Hitler’s foreign policy. Understand the debate among historians

about Hitler’s intentions in the 1930’s.

Hitler’s Foreign Policy AimsNearly all of Hitler’s actions can be linked to four key aims

which he had outlined in his autobiography Mein Kampf, written during his time in prison, 1924-25.

Gross Deutschland

Lebensraum

Revision of the Treaty of

Versailles

Supremacy of Aryan

Race

War?

“We must make Germany strong by bringing together all German-speaking people in

one large country”

The Nazi’s demanded the union of all German speaking people in a Greater Germany; a Gross Deutschland.

This would include the Anschluss with Austria, the German minority in the Sudetenland (Czechoslovakia), and the German minority in Poland.

Gross Deutschland

Anschluss

Revision of Versailles

“We, the National Socialists, demand a revision of the Treaty of Versailles”

Hitler wanted nothing less than the complete revision of the Treaty of Versailles.

Including an end to reparations payments, and the rearmament of German forces. The Nazi’s rejected Article 231, the War Guilt Clause, as hypocritical.

Lebensraum“As Germany grows more powerful, we must have land and resources so that Germans can have space to live

in and grow strong”

Hitler demanded Lebensraum or living space for the surplus German population to settle in. This land was to come from the East. In Mein Kampf he wrote:

“ If we speak of soil in Europe today, we can primarily have in mind only

Russia and her vassal border states”

Racial Supremacy

Hitler’s racial theories stated that the pure ‘Herrenvolk’ would be the master race using the inferior ‘untermensch’ and the resources of their land for the benefit of the Reich.

Especially the Slavs and Poles in the East.

War?

In his books Hitler claimed that war was necessary and healthy for a nation so it should be welcomed and not avoided. Also military success in foreign affairs could be used to justify the totalitarian regime at home.

However Historians have continued to debate over Hitler’s intention to go to war.

Yes – Hitler WAS a warmonger

Historians such as Hillgruber and Hildebrand argue that Hitler’s books can be taken literally as proof of his intention create a ‘programme’ for war, which he believed was the only way to achieve his foreign policy aims.

No – Hitler was an opportunist

AJP Taylor argues that Hitler’s plans were no more radical than previous German foreign policy aims and that he was simply taking advantages of the opportunities that presented themselves to him.

Both – Hitler was a warmonger and an opportunist?

Alan Bullock suggests that Hitler’s consistent aims show he was intent on war. However he also suggests that he had no ‘programme’ of how this would happen, and simply took the opportunities that arose in the 1930’s.