18 Jun Anglo-German Naval 11—14 Apr Stresa Conference of … · 2018-11-06 · 14 Oct Germany leaves League of Nations and Disarmament Conference a U-1934 26 Jan Non-AggressionPact

a German foreign policy 1933—45: a chronologyCAUTION 1933-5

193314 Oct Germany leaves League of Nations and Disarmament Conference a

U-

193426 Jan Non-Aggression Pact with Poland 1 t

u14—15 Jun Hitler visits fellow Fascist leader Mussolini in Venice25 Jul Austrian Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss assassinated in attempted coup byAustrian Nazis

o1935

13 Jan In League of Nations’ plebiscite (held under terms of Treaty of Versailles), the Saarvotes to return to Germany9 Mar Hitler announces expansion of the German air force16 lIar Hitler announces conscription 511—14 Apr Stresa Conference of Britain, France, Italy to unite opposition to German

oinfringement of Versailles

18 Jun Anglo-German Naval Agreement on an enlarged German navy g

Z2 Oct Italy invades Abyssinia; League of Nations votes for (ineffective) sanctions;Mussolini begins to move away from Britain and France towards Germany

SOURCE 4 From an NSDAP illustrated“ postcard produced shortly after Hitlerintroduced compulsory military service in19350

The one-sided disarmament ofGermany seriously endangers hersecurity as long as her neighbours doo not also disarm. The German peopleunanimously demand the same rightsand the same security as other nationsand claim an absolute equality of

(‘status with regard to this vital question.

I _•,

,, SOURCE 5 Nazi marching song

If all the world lies in ruins,What the devil do we care?O We still go marching on,For today Germany belongs to usAnd tomorrow the whole workL

SOURCE 6German tanks

on parade

372SOURCE 3 This cartoon was publishedin The Nation in 1933

I

Mussolini ends Italian guarantee of Austrian independenceGerman troops reoccupy the demilitarised Rhineland qGermany starts to send military help to right-wing rebel natlonallin Spanish Civil WarGoering In charge of economic Four.Year PlanRome-Berlin Axis with Fascist Italy announced *1Germany forms Anti-Comintern Pact with Japan It

I•1

Luftwaffe destroys Guernica in SpainJapan—China WarMussolini visits Germany and is impressedHossbach memorandum records Hitler’s plans for malor expansionItaly loins Antl-Comintern Pact

Rlbbentrop becomes Foreign Minister. Generals Blomberg, FritachreplacedHItler bullies Austrian Chancellor Schuschnigg to include Nazis in hI. 1government jrAustrian plebiscite on Anschluss announcedGermans invade AustriaAnschlass (German union with Austria)German Sudetens In Czechoslovakia demand autonomyGeneral Beck resignsGreat danger of war over Czechoslovakia

S.

Munich conference of Germany, Italy, France, Britain grants Germany the

Sudetenland rnGermans take Sudeteniand

Czechs cede Teschen to Poland

Slovakia, Ruthenla granted autonomy within Czechoslovakia

Hitler orders plans to invade the remaining part of Czechoslovakia

Slovakia declares Independence

Germany occupies Czechoslovakia

Germany occupies Memel

Britain, France guarantee Poland

Germany and Italy form the Pact of Steel, a military alliance I

Nazi Soviet Non-Aggression Pact * I

SOURCE 8 The percentage of Germans

voting yes in plebiscites on Hitler’s foreign policy

Date Plebiscite

November Leaving the Leaguel 95

1933 Disarmament Conference

March 1936 After reoccupying 98.8

Rhlneland

[!1I938 Anschluss with Austria 99

Z9—3050p

.R..O OmfrlOct

• 63Qct

939:

Key

Bold type In chronology represents

Hitler’s orders and actions

Hitler’s methods 1933—9

I Acting unIlateral1r

*1 MakIng bilateral agreements

I Diplomacy with threats

Using troops without fighting

Troops fighting

Germany invades Poland

France. Britain declare war on Germany

USSR invades Poland. Poland defeated and partitioned between Germany and the

USSR

Germany occupies Denmark. Germany conquers Norway in two weeks

Germany invades Holland (falls in five days), Belgium (eighteen days),

France (four weeks)France capitulates. Germany occupies the north and west of France

Germany plans to invade Britain but is defeated in Battle of Britain.

Hitler prepares plans to invade the USSR

Germany invades Yugoslavia and Greece

Germany invades the USSR but is stopped at Moscow and Leningrad

Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. USA declares war on Japan and Germany

Major German offensive at Stailngrad, USSR

Germany and Italy attack Egypt

Germans surrender at Stalingrad; Hitler’s first major defeat

Germans, Italians, surrender in North Africa. Germans lose tank battle

of Kursk in the USSR; general Soviet advance 1943—S

Anglo-American Invasion of Italy; Mussolini overthrown, Germans take over

north Italy

Allies invade west France; general Allied advance 1944—5

57N,,

Germany is invaded from east and west

Hitler commits suicide

Germany surrenders

SOURCE 7Hitler returning to Germany

after the conquest of France, 1940

20E Austria and its neighbours

Key‘... German troop movements

B Berchtesgaden

H The Berghof (Hitler’s villa)Brenner frontier

SouthTyrol

Anschluss: the union of Austria with GermanyAfter his success in the Rhineland Hitler next turned his eyes to Austria. With hisopponents far from united, Hitler saw opportunities to increase Germaninfluence in Austria. Versailles had banned Anschluss, although at the time themajority of Austrians probably favoured it. When the Nazis came to power,Anschluss seemed more possible but Less attractive to many Austrians. AnAustrian Nazi coup was suppressed in 1934 and Kurt von Schuschniggestablished a right-wing government. In July 1936 an Austro-German Agreementsaw Germany promising to respect Austrian independence, while Austria agreedto have a policy ‘based always on the principle that Austria acknowledges hersejIto be a German state’, and the National Opposition (Austrian pro-Nazis) wouldbe given a role in government By 1938 problems in the Austrian economy, stillbadly hit by the Depression, encouraged support for joining the more prosperousGermany. In 1937 Germany had sounded out opinion in Italy, Britain and Franceover closer German-Austrian links and had received indications that thesecountries would not resist German control of Austria.

ItalyIn 1934 italy had mobilised along the Brenner frontier to resist a possible Germantake-over of Austria. By November 1937 Mussolini, moving increasingly into[jtler’s orbit, said he would not move against Germany over Austria

lianceOn 10 March 1938 Camille Chautemps government fell, so there was no effectivejernment during the crisis(‘_ [ainThe Foreign Minister Anthony Eden supported a strong line, but others thought

—.the Issue less Important. The government gave no serious warning throughout thewInter-spring 1937-8

1 +‘ -Key charactersKurt von Schuschnigg — right-wing Austrian ChancellorArtur Seyss-lnquart — adviser to Schuschnigg but pro-Nazi: passed information tGHitler became Austrian Chancellor and invited Nazis inWilhelm Miklas — Austrian PresidentFranz von Papen — German Ambassador in ViennaHermann Goering — eager to gain Austria’s economic resources: conveyed Hididemands to Austria via the telephone

Explain how and why Hitler was able toeveAnschIuSs in March 1938.

386

I CZECHOSLOVAKIA

GERMANY

190km

HUNGARY

-2OF- Anschluss: the key events- ...

.

387

Hitter favoured an evolutionary extension of German Influence but encouraged Austrian

Nazis to stir up trouble. This would provoke a reaction from the Austrian government to

restore order, which could be used as an excuse for German Intervention.

I2February-I•938. .

..

Papen arranged for Schuschnlgg to meet Hitler to discuss growing tension. Hitter

bombarded him with a two-hour speech, insisting on German domination of Austria and

demanding he immediately sign a document agreeing to this. Surrounded by German

generals, the Intimidated Schuschnlgg signed a document appointing Seyss-lnquart as

Interior Minister and agreeing to co-ordinate economic and military policy with Germany.

Hitter was content with what he had achieved for the time being.

9 March 1938Schuschnigg. alarmed at growing Nazi power, called a plebiscite on Austrian independence, U

hoping for popular support against Ansthluss and to undermine Hitter’s position. The

plebiscite asked for approval of the statement With Schuschnigg for Austria, we want a free

and a German Austria, an independent and a social Austria, a Christian and a united Austria.’ z

I I March 1938Hitter was furious but hesitant over what action to take. Goering argued for a tough tine,

and Hitler demanded the plebiscite be cancelled: otherwise, Germany would invade.

Schuschnigg backed down. Goering pressed home the climb-down and demanded

Schuschnlgg’s resignation as Chancellor. He agreed. President Mikias refused at first to

appoint Seyss-lnquart to replace him, but eventually gave in. Goering then dictated by

telephone the composition of a new Austrian government headed by Seyss-Iriquart.

Despite this, Hitler, wary of how much control he would have, decided to invade. X

Goering told Seyss-Inquart to request the entry of German troops. In a radio broadcast

Schuschnlgg told the Austrians not to resist.

12 March 938 .

Ar dawn, German troops entered Austria. There was no resistance, In the afternoon,

Hitter was welt received by the Austrian crowds. Hitler decided to go further than just

securing a SATELLITE GOVERNMENT and to absorb Austria into Germany. The new Austrian

government issued a law on the Reunion of Austria with the German Reich, making

Austria a province of Germany (Ostmark). Thousands were arrested. Jews were attacked.

Hitler dissolved the Austrian Relchstag and held a plebiscite on 10Apr11, when 48.8

million (99 per cent of Germans and Austrians) voted ‘yes’ for union. In April, Britain

recognised the enlarged Germany.

SOURCE 20.11 Austria welcomes the Anschluss in March 1938

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Czechoslovakia: September I 938—March 1939

I t.Iibi{.1’ h

Explain how Hitler gned control of Czechoslovakia withoutwar

Hitler’s attention turned to Czechoslovakia after his Anschluss triumph. This

democratic state created by Versailles was to be dismembered by whatever

means necessary. Czechoslovakia was a member of the League of Nations and

had been allied to France since 1924 and to the Soviet Union since 1935.

However, these two countries had no borders with Czechoslovakia, and Poland

and Romania would not allow Soviet troops through their territory to assist

Czechoslovakia. Czechoslovakia’s other weakness lay in the large minorities

within its population. There were 2 million Slovaks, Poles and Hungarians who

wanted autonomy and 3 million Germans in the area known as the Sudetenland.

• lOG The destruction of Czechoslovakia

Key charactersEduard Benes, Czech Prime MinisterEmil Hacha, Czech PresidentKonrad Henleln, leader of the Sudeten Ge,-rnan Party

Bela Tub, leader of the Slovaks

(fGerman frontierMarch. 1939

Annexed by Germany

Annexed by Hungary

Annexed by Poland

:.

— _, Chamberlain’sflights, 1938

® LIgnite © Coal

GERMANY

Bad

Frontierfortificationsessential for

Czech defence22Sept

I 200

km

POLAND

Skoda

-ç

4-

SS

S— S

S S

S

Hitler’s strategy• Use the argument of the Sudeten Germans’ right to SELP-DETERMINA11ON ifl

order to undermine the Czech state, then conquer it• Threaten war to persuade the weak West to let him dismember

Czechoslovakia

European context — -

__________________________

• France: generally llowed lead taken by Britain• Britain: Prime MInister Chamberlain determined to avoid war and viewed

Czechosiovaida as unlmportant he considered the transferring of dieSudetenlasid to Gerniany reasonable, and that It was Hitler’s last territorialdemand

I 20H__The destruction of Czechoslovakia in two moves

________________

MOVE ONE: 19381938Early in 1938, Henleln complains at mistreatment of the Germanminority by Czechs. On 28 March Hitler tells Henlein to makedemands that the Czech government cannot accept20—fl May 1938War scare. Czechs mobillse against feared German Invasion. Hitlerdenies he Is planning to invade. The lack of a German attack lookslike a victory for Czechoslovakia over Hitler30 May 1938Hitler orders plans to smash Czechoslovakia by I October.Throughout summer, German propaganda campaign againstCzechoslovakia

12 September 1938Hitler attacks Czechoslovakia in a speech at Nuremberg. He hopesfor a Sudeten German rising, but it does not occurThe French government urges Chamberlain to try to negotiate asettlement. Hitler agrees to the idea of a meeting35 September 1938Chamberlain files to see Hitler at the Berghof, his house on theObersalzberg, near Berchtesgaden. He agrees that Czechoslovakiashould cede all areas over 50 per cent German. The British andFrench pressurise the Czechs to agree. Hitler hopes the Czechs willrefuse, so they will be isolated22 September 1938.Chamberlain succeeds in pressurlsing Benes to accept Hitler’sdemands. Confident that the crisis Is over, Chamberlain meetsHitler at Bad Godesberg. Hitler now raises his demands; he wantsthe Sudetenland by 1 October. Talks break down. Major fear of warIn EuropeChamberlain persuades Mussolini to arrange conference at Munich.The views of the German generals and Goering, the lack of Germanpublic enthusiasm for war and Mussolini’s views all help persuadeHitler to agree to attend the proposed conference29—3 0 September 1938Four Power Conference at Munich: Britain, France, Germany, Italy.(Czechoslovakia and the USSR are not invited.) Agree to theGerman occupation of the Sudetenland between I and 10 October,followed by plebiscites in mixed areas, and international guaranteesof CzechoslovakiaGerman troops occupy the Sudetenland. Benes resigns and goesinto exile. On 10 October Poles take Teschen district. Theplebiscites agreement Is Ignored

EffectsCzechoslovakia loses 41.000 sq km. including its richest industrialsites and its strongly fortified border, its communications systemis disrupted. Czechoslovakia is no longer able to take onGermany militarily

• Germany gains major economic and military resources• Hitler’s domestic popularity increases and the plans of somegenerals to replace Hitler if he has a diplomatic setback areruined. It boosts Hider’s confidence as the West appears feeble• Generally, the USSR sees appeasement as evidence that the Westwill not stand up to Hitler, so it reinforces the Soviet idea ofdoing a separate deal with Germany. The French alliance systemIs broken and this classic example of appeasement, byencouraging further German expansion, contributes greatly tothe Second World War

MOVE TWO: THE FINAL DESTRUCTION OFCZECHOSLOVAKIA; 1939I October 1938The German army draws up fresh plans for attackingCzechoslovakia. Hitler encourages Poles, Romanians andHungarians to demand pieces of Czechoslovakia, and Slovaks todemand autonomyFebruary 1939Hitler meets Bela Tuka, the Slovak leader, and tells hIm to demandSlovakia’s complete separation from Czechoslovakia. PresidentHacha declares MARTIAL LAW to try to stop the break-up ofCzechoslovakia. He dismisses the Slovak government, and sendstroops into Slovalda to crush unrest stirred up by the Nazis33 March 3939Hitler demands Slovakia declare its independence or it will be takenover by Hungary. Next day, the Slovak government complies14 March 3939President Hacha, in desperation, goes to Berlin to see Hitler. Hitlerkeeps him waiting till 1.15 a.m. whilst he finishes watching a film.Hider demands Hacha agree to split Czechoslovakia otherwiseGerman troops will enter Czechoslovakia within a few hours. At4 a.m. Hacha gives In. Bohemia—Moravia to become a Germanprotectorate, while Slovakia to remain nominally independent

5 March 1939German troops march into Prague; Bohemia—Moravia isIncorporated into the Reich16 March 1939Slovakla asks for German protection; German troops are sent toestablish the satellite state of Slovakia. The Hungarians take overRuthenia

Effects• Germany makes major economic gains, especially Skodaarmaments works• Hitler has for the first time conquered non-German territory• The West’s belief In Hitler’s moderation is weakened. Britainresolves to resist further German moves

591

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The German-Soviet Pact, alsoknown as the Ribbentrop-MolotovPact after the two foreign ministerswho negotiated the agreement, hadtwo parts. An economic agreement,signed on August 19, 1939,provided that Germany wouldexchange manufactured goods forSoviet raw materials. NaziGermany and the Soviet Union alsosigned a ten-year nonaggressionpact on August 23, 1939, in whicheach signatory promised not toattack the other.

,

-

___________

—

The German-Soviet Pact enabledGermany to attack Poland onSeptember 1, 1939, without fear of Soviet intervention. On September 3, 1939, Britainand France, having guaranteed to protect Poland’s borders five months earlier, declaredwar on Germany. These events marked the beginning of World War II.The nonaggression pact of August 23 contained a secret protocol that provided for thepartition of Poland and the rest of eastern Europe into Soviet and German spheres ofinterest. In accordance with this plan, the Soviet army occupied and annexed easternPoland in the autumn of 1939. On November 30, 1939, the Soviet Union attackedFinland, precipitating a four-month winter war after which the Soviet Union annexedFinnish territory borderlands, particularly near Leningrad. With German indulgence, theSoviet Union also moved to secure its sphere of interest in eastern Europe in thesummer of 1940. The Soviets occupied and incorporated the Baltic states and seizedthe Romanian provinces of northern Bukovina and Bessarabia.After the Germans defeated France in June 1940, German diplomats worked to secureGermany’s ties in southeastern Europe. Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia all joined theAxis alliance in November 1940. During the spring of 1941, Hitler initiated his easternEuropean allies into plans to invade the Soviet Union.

NAZi-SOVIET NON AGGRESSION PACT

L_! L.i”k

—-__

Impact of Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression C• Germany hoped that this would dissuade the British and French from

coming to Poland’s aid.

• Guaranteed that Hitler would not have to fight a two front war.

• Germany had a new source of supplies.

• Soviet Union achieved a buffer zone with Germany (Stalin still did

not trust Hitler — and rightfully so!) — bought Stalin time to re-arm.

• Allies were surprised at the un-natural alliance between fascists andcommunists — but not deterred.

• On Sept. 1 1939 Hitler decided to invade Poland (even though Britainand France had pledged to come to Poland’s aid). Russia invadedfrom the east three weeks later.

• To Hitler’s surprise, Britain and France declare war on Germany —

WW2 begins

• Poland crushed in two weeks — Germany re-organizes conqueredparts of Poland — two areas are directly annexed (West Prussia andWartheland) and others become protectorates.

• The Einsatzgruppen, following the army, begin the process ofgermanizing these territories by removing Poles and Jews and resettling Germans from other parts of Europe there.

• Some of the worst concentration camps were located in Poland• Atrocities were committed against Poles who did not comply —

millions were killed by Nazis over the next six years.

• Hitler now turns his eyes westward to France and Britain.

• In 1939, almost nothing happens on the western front as both sidesmake preparations (In Germany — it is called “Sitskrieg”...in Britain,the “Phoney War”.

C