Germanys foreign policy

19331939
Main foreign policy aims

Dr. Clas Weber

Gilmore College

Date

Outline

1 Introduction

2 Background

3 Main foreign policy aims

Introduction
I

Nazi Germanys main foreign policy aims:

1. Reverse Treaty of Versailles.
2. Unite all ethnic Germans in one country
(Grossdeutschland/Volksgemeinschaft).
3. Expand German territories to the east (Lebensraum).
4. Become dominant power in Europe/world.

Introduction

Dominant causal determining Nazi Germanys foreign policy

from 33-39: Adolf Hitler.

Main foreign policy events 1933-39.

Foreign policy
I

Foreign policy: a countrys relationship with other nations.

Two directions:
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How Germany is acting towards other nations.

How other nations act towards Germany.

Foreign policy

Other major nations most affected by Germanys policies?

Foreign policy
I

Other major nations most affected by Germanys policies?

1. France
2. Great Britain
3. Soviet Union
4. Italy

The period

Why 1933 1939?

What happened in 1933?

What happend in 1939?

The period

Hitlers foreign policy responsible for major historical event of

the 20th century: WW2.

1939 marks beginning of WW2.

The historical perspective

As historians we ask two main questions:

1. What events happened in a time period?
2. Why did these events occur? How can we explain them?

The historical perspective

Germanys foreign policy:

1. What important event happened in 1939?
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German troops invaded Poland; start of WW2

2. Why did this happen? How can we explain why Germany

invaded Poland and started WW2?

The historical perspective

1. What important event happened in 1939?

I

German troops invaded Poland; start of WW2

2. Why did this happen? How can we explain why Germany

invaded Poland and started WW2?
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Response: Hitler had planned and then ordered the invasion

of Poland.

The historical perspective

I

Major causal factor in Germanys foreign policy in 19331939:

Adolf Hitler.

Hermann Goring:
Foreign policy was the F
uhrers very own realm
(The Trial of Major War Criminals before the
International Military Tribunal: Proceedings: Vol.
IX).

The historical perspective

I

Major causal factor in Germanys foreign policy in 19331939:

Adolf Hitler.

Historian Gerhard Weinberg:

The fact remains that the broad lines of policy
were determined in all cases by Hitler himself... on
major issues of policy the F
uhrer went his own way.
(G. Weinberg: The Foreign Policy of Hitlers
Germany, 1980).

Two historical perspectives

Many historians ascribe main responsibility to Hitlers plans,

orders and intentions.
I

Intentionalist school.

Other historians disagree: too much emphasis on single

person.

Focus on power structure of the Nazi state; other institutional

structures.
I

Structuralist school.

Before 1933

Germany before 1933?

I

WW1 (19141918).

Weimar republic (1919).

Treaty of Versailles (1919).

Economic crisis; hyperinflation (1923).

Golden Twenties (19241929).

Great depression (1929).

Rise of the Nazi Party (19291933).

Weimar republics foreign policy

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Stresemann (National Liberal Party):

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Meeting Treaty of Versailles conditions;

Interested in good relationships with other nations:

multi-lateral agreements; joining League of Nations in 1926.

Br
uning (Centre Party):
I

More aggressive: bi-lateral agreements.

1933 Nazis in power

1933: Nazi Party and Hitler in

power.
I

President Hindenburg appoints

Hitler as Chancellor.

NSDAP largest party in the

Reichstag (parliament).

Joint government with National

Party.

1933 Rise to power of Nazis

First, Hitler has only limited powers.

In March 1933, the Enabling Law is passed.

Enabling Law gives Hitler the power to pass laws without

parliament.

1934 Rise to power of Nazis

I

1934: President Hindenburg dies.

Hitler appoints himself as both Chancellor and President.

New title: F
uhrer and Reich Chancellor.

Leader of the armed forces.

1934 Rise to power of Nazis

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Every soldier and military officials has to swear allegiance to

Hitler himself; not to nation/constitution.

I will give unconditional obedience to Adolf Hitler, the

F
uhrer of the German nation and people....

For Germans at the time, oath very significant.

1933 1935

Until 1935, Hitler concentrated on domestic affairs.

Cautious foreign policy; speeches focussing on peace and

reconciliation.

In 1933, Nazi partys/Hitlers position weak.

In 1935, Nazi partys/Hitlers position strong.

From 1935, Hitler focuses more on foreign policy.

Main aims of Germanys foreign policy 3339

1. Reverse Treaty of Versailles.
2. Unite all ethnic Germans in one country
(Grossdeutschland/Volksgemeinschaft).
3. Expand German territories to the east (Lebensraum).
4. Become dominant power in Europe/world.

Main aims of Germanys foreign policy 3339

Hitler developed aims long before he came to power.

Many formulated in Mein Kampf.

Foreign policy goals laid out in Mein Kampf, actually carried

out when in power.

Document study.

Reverse Treaty of Versailles

I

Treaty of Versailles signed between the Allied Powers

(excluding Soviet Union) and Germany at the end of WW1.

Germans hated the Treaty.

Why?

Treaty of Versailles
1. Germans had to sign without
negotiations.
I

Diktat.

2. Germany had to pay huge amounts of

reparations.
3. The treaty hurt Germans pride had to
declare solely responsibility for WW1.
4. Germany lost its overseas colonies.
5. Germany lost core territories to other
European nations; ethnic Germans were
cut off from Germany.
6. Germany was forbidden from re-uniting
with Austria.

Treaty of Versailles

Treaty of Versailles
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Severe restrictions on military:

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No conscription.

Army restricted to 100 00 men.

No submarines.

No aircraft.

6 battleships; fleet of 36 ships.

No tanks.

Treaty of Versailles

How did the Treaty of Versailles spark Hitlers attempt to take

over the government by force?

Treaty of Versailles

Germany couldnt meet reparations payment to France in

1923.

Treaty of Versailles: France can occupy the Ruhr as

compensation for its loss of income if Germany missed a
payment.

Hitler: invasion = extreme humiliation of Germany.

One of the major reasons for Munich Putsch in 1923.

Reversal of the Treaty

Hitlers plan: re-arm Germany; rebuild the army.

Necessary to carry out aggressive foreign policy plans.

Reversal of the Treaty

Other nation(s) most affected by reversal of Treaty?

Lebensraum
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Lebensraum literally: living space, habitat.

85 million ethnic Germans.

Hitlers belief: not enough resources on existing German land.

Plan: expand to East Europe.

Lebensraum
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Hitler wanted Germany to be self-sufficient.

Not rely on imports from other nations: autarky.

Important to protect against blockade during wartime.

Lebensraum
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Racial background: Germans as master race.

Justification to take land from inferior races.

Greater Reich would dominate Europe for a thousand years.

Lebensraum

Other nation(s) most affected by Lebensraum policy?

Grossdeutschland

Hitlers ideal of uniting all ethnic German in a

Volkgemeinschaft.

Volk = people.

Gemeinschaft = union; community.

United Germany: Grossdeutschland.

Grossdeutschland

Germans outside of German territories:

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Austria.

Czecheslovakia (Sudetendeutsche).

Poland (Silesia, Polish Corridor).

Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania).

Grossdeutschland

Other nation(s) most affected by Volksgemeinschaft policy?

Foreign policy goals

1. Reverse restriction imposed by Treaty of Versailles.

2. Unite all ethnic Germans in one country (Volksgemeinschaft).
3. Expand to the east (Lebensraum).
4. Become dominant power in Europe/world.

From goals to plan

From goals to concrete plan.

Hitlers program on how to implement the goals:

1. Re-arm military & remilitarization of the Rhineland.
2. Break-down of alliance system between France and Eastern
Europe & turning Poland, Czecheslowakia, and Austria into
German satellites.
3. Neutralizing France by forming an alliance with Britain or
confrontation; securing Germanys western boarders.
4. Establishing Germany as dominant nation; Germans as
dominant racial group in Europe dominant world power.

From plan to reality

Next time: what actually happened:

1. 1935 - Rearmament
2. 1936 - Remilitarisation of the Rhineland
3. 1938 - Anschluss with Austria
4. 1938 - The annexation of the Sudetenland
5. 1939 - The invasion of Czechoslovakia
6. 1939 - The invasion of Poland

thanks.