Hitler’s Path to War: German Expansion and Appeasement
Hitler’s Foreign Policy Aims
- 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 through the Treaty of Versailles.
Early Violations and Rearmament Actions
- Hitler walked out of the Disarmament Conference (1933).
- Hitler withdrew Germany from the League of Nations (1933).
- Hitler began to re-arm Germany (1933).
- Hitler attempted union with Austria (1934, although the text incorrectly states 1933 for the attempt).
- He stopped paying reparations (1933).
- Hitler announced that conscription would be reintroduced (1935).
- He created a military air force, the Luftwaffe (1935).
- A massive rearmament rally was held in Germany (1935).
- Germany signed the Anglo-German Naval Agreement with Britain, allowing Germany to have a navy up to 35% of the size of the British navy (1935).
- Germany re-militarised the Rhineland (1936).
- Anschluss (union) with Austria was achieved (1938).
The Saar Plebiscite Success (1935)
In 1935, the League of Nations held the promised plebiscite in the Saar region. 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.
Spanish Civil War as a Distraction
Germany became involved in the Spanish Civil War primarily because Hitler’s real plans involved expansion in Central and Eastern Europe, targeting countries such as Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, and even Russia. However, he wanted to distract countries like Britain from these plans, and the Spanish Civil War served as a useful diversion. Hitler was not yet ready for a major European war and therefore did not want to draw premature attention to his ambitions in Europe.
Reasons for British and French Appeasement
- Many people thought the Treaty of Versailles had been unfair to Germany.
- They believed Hitler should be allowed to regain what was rightfully Germany’s.
- The British hoped that a strong Germany would act as a buffer against the spread of communism from Soviet Russia.
- Britain and France were militarily weak and not prepared for war, still recovering from the impact of the Great Depression.
- Appeasement would provide time for adequate rearmament.
- Vivid memories of the horrors of the First World War persisted.
- Britain doubted whether Commonwealth countries would offer support for war.
- It was thought that support from the USA would not be forthcoming.
- Appeasement was seen as a way to delay or prevent another major war.
Arguments Surrounding Appeasement Policy
Arguments For: Britain and France were not ready to fight, as they were militarily weak and still coping with the economic impact of the Great Depression. Appeasement afforded them crucial time for rearmament.
Arguments Against: Appeasement was morally wrong. Hitler was a bully, and appeasing him meant giving in to aggression. They allowed Hitler to proceed unchallenged, ultimately leaving Czechoslovakia to its fate. Appeasement was seen by critics as cowardly.
The Failure of Appeasement
Munich Agreement Consequences (1938)
- Hitler threatened war if he did not gain control of the entire Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia.
- The four powers (Germany, Italy, Britain, France) effectively abandoned Czechoslovakia to its fate by agreeing to Hitler’s demands.
- The agreement demonstrated that appeasement had failed to stop Hitler’s aggression.
- It allowed Hitler to gain confidence and believe the Western powers would not oppose him.
- It allowed Germany to increase its military strength and strategic position by absorbing Czechoslovakian resources and fortifications.
- It allowed Hitler to take new territory without conflict.
The Nazi-Soviet Pact and Poland Invasion (1939)
After occupying the rest of Czechoslovakia in March 1939, Hitler turned his attention to Poland. He demanded the return of the city of Danzig (Gdańsk) and access across the Polish Corridor. Britain and France, finally realizing appeasement had failed, promised Poland they would guarantee its independence. Hitler, however, did not believe Britain and France would actually go to war over Poland.
Hitler’s confidence was bolstered by the signing of the Nazi-Soviet Pact with Stalin in August 1939. Publicly, the two countries agreed not to attack each other. Secretly, they agreed to divide Poland between them. This pact neutralized the threat of Soviet intervention against a German invasion of Poland. Consequently, Hitler felt confident enough to invade Poland on September 1, 1939. Honoring their guarantee, Britain and France declared war on Germany a few days later, marking the beginning of the Second World War. Without the Nazi-Soviet Pact, Hitler might have hesitated to invade Poland, potentially delaying or altering the outbreak of the war.