1 / 14

Nazi Foreign Policy

Nazi Foreign Policy. Redressing Versailles and beyond. 1933 / 1934 Initial Foreign Policy Aims. Priority 1) Avoid war until Germany is fully prepared Priority 2) Stress continuity Von Neurath - Nationalist Foreign Minister Priority 3) Avoid Multilateral Pacts or Agreements

shika
Télécharger la présentation

Nazi Foreign Policy

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Nazi Foreign Policy Redressing Versailles and beyond

  2. 1933 / 1934Initial Foreign Policy Aims • Priority 1) Avoid war until Germany is fully prepared • Priority 2) Stress continuity • Von Neurath - Nationalist Foreign Minister • Priority 3) Avoid Multilateral Pacts or Agreements • Lessons from outbreak of World War One • Priority 4) Avoid being isolated • Unilateral pacts • Cultivate relations with Britain and Italy • Priority 5) Seek to redress Treaty of Versailles injustices • France, Russia and new buffer countries

  3. 1933 / 1934 Which direction is Nazi Germany Travelling? • Withdraws from League of Nations and Disarmament Conference • Fulfilling election pledges • Manchuria lessons - ineffectiveness towards non-members • Dislikes Multilateral nature of League • Blames France for leaving (not Britain or Italy) • Sign a ten year non-aggression pact with Poland • Suggested reasonable Nazi Foreign Policy aims • Placated Poles • Secures Eastern Border • Breached French Eastern Alliance System (Locarno) • Unilateral - no complicating ties if pact is revoked

  4. 1934 A Step too Far • Foiled Anschluss • Austrian Nazis assassinate Chancellor Dolfuss • Invite Nazi Germany to ‘liberate’ Austria • Mussolini sends troops to Brenner Pass • Italian claims on Tyrol region • Hitler backs down and disclaims any responsibility

  5. 1935 Challenging VersaillesUnilaterally • Saar Plebiscite • 90% vote to join Germany • Domestic and International Triumph for Hitler • Luftwaffe announced • Conscription announced for 750,000 army • Britain, France and Italy denounce Germany and threaten action the next time Germany threatens Status Quo (Stresa Front) • Germany claims rearmament is necessary to protect Europe from the threat of Bolshevism • Rejects war in speech to Reichstag

  6. 1935 Challenging VersaillesBilaterally • Naval Agreement with Britain • German High Fleet will only be 35% of British High Fleet • 45% Submarine ration (becomes 100% in 1938) • Eases British strategic concerns • Cultivating relations with Britain • France Furious • Strains Stresa Front

  7. 1935 Breaking the Stresa FrontMussolini’s Abyssinian Adventure • Italian Colonial Ambitions • Britain’s demand for Sanctions against Mussolini • Infuriates Mussolini • Ineffectively applied • Destroys credibility of League of nations • Lack of Collective responsibility for their application • Deflects attention from German actions in Europe • Mussolini driven to Hitler

  8. 1936 Pushing at an Open Door • Rhineland Remilitarisation • Over rules German High Command • 14,000 troops • Orders • No French challenge • Emboldens Hitler • Page 384 • Plebiscite result • 99%

  9. 1936 The Anti-Bolshevik CrusadeThe Spanish Civil War • Luftwaffe’s Role • Franco • Condor Legion • Experimental bombing • Cements relationship with Mussolini • Britain and France Neutral • World War spark?

  10. 1936/37Speeding up Preparations for War • Four Year Plan • Axis and Anti-Comintern Pact • Italy, Germany and Japan • Ribbentrop to London • To secure alliance with Britain • Hossbach Conference • Prepare for war in 1940s

  11. 1938Anschluss • Economic arguments of Anschluss • Role of Austrian Nazis • Intimidation of Chancellor Schuschnig • Plebiscite called • Forced resignation of Schusching • Goering chooses new government • Hitler invades anyway • Combined Plebiscite (Germany and Austria) • 99% • British recognition of enlarged Germany • P 386

  12. 1938 Czechoslovakia - The Hors D’oeuvres • Emboldened by Austrian Triumph • “It is my unalterable decision to smash Czechoslovakia by military action in the near future” Hitler • Intense dislike for Slavic ‘Versailles’ nation • Nazi Sudeten Party • Munich conferences • Italy, France and Britain (No USSR or Cz) • Negotiated Settlement? • Hitler had to be content with just Sudeten areas • Rich in coal and copper, strong manufacturing base • Frontier Defences • German Generals cancel arrest plans • USSR cannot rely on West for security • (Nazi Soviet Pact)

  13. 1939 Czechoslovakia - The Main Course • Offers slices of Czechoslovakia to Poles, Hungarians and Romanians • Slovaks offered autonomy • Czech forces enter Slovakia to crush Nazi inspired unrest • Slovakia told to declare independence or be invaded by Hungary • Czechs agree to split with Slovakia • Bohemia/Moravia annexed by Germans - Slovakian nominal independence ended next day • Hungarians take Ruthenia (Poles - take a slice too) • Huge Skoda plant under German control • Non-Germans conquered for the first time • The West’s patience is exhausted • Anglo-French guarantee for Poland’s Independence two weeks later. • p390

More Related