Diverting Germans’ Attention from Domestic Problems: Foreign Policy

Hitler’s Foreign Policy Aims Re-arm Germany –So that Germany can defend itself Tear up the Treaty of Versailles –Restore Germany to its old borders Create a Greater Germany! –Fit for the Master Race

Revising the Treaty of Versailles? What areas did Hitler want to return to Germany?

Timeline of building a Greater Germany 1935 –Saar Plebiscite Great success for Hitler as 90% of Saar voluntarily elect to rejoin booming Germany 1936 –Remilitarisation of Rhineland German Army is ordered back into the Rhineland (against the Treaty of Versailles) They are ordered to withdraw if Allies oppose them What was the effect on Hitler’s Popularity in Germany after these 2 events?

Timeline of building a Greater Germany 1936 –Spanish Civil War Germany helps Franco win power in Spain. He uses the war as an excuse to test Blitzkrieg out –Austrian Anschluss Hitler creates an excuse to invade Austria. Most Austrians are delighted to be reunited with a Greater, booming Germany. What was the effect on Hitler’s Popularity in Germany after these 2 events?

Timeline of building a Greater Germany 1938 –Sudetenland (Czechoslovakia) Hitler uses Sudeten Germans as an excuse to take the border regions of Czechoslovakia. He promises to Britain and France that this is his final demand –Invades Czechoslovakia He takes the rest of undefendable and very wealthy Czechoslovakia. They are NOT German What was the effect on Hitler’s Popularity in Germany after these 2 events?

Timeline of building a Greater Germany 1939 –Nazi-Soviet Pact Hitler and Stalin stun the world by agreeing an alliance with each other –Invasion of Poland Hitler confidently expects that Britain and France can do little especially after the deal with the USSR. He is surprised that World War 2 breaks out. What was the effect on Hitler’s Popularity in Germany after these 2 events???

World War –Fall of France, Denmark, Holland, Belgium and mighty Luxembourg –Battle of Britain 1941 –Fall of Yugoslavia, Greece and Albania –Advances in Desert –Invasion of Russia To outskirts of Moscow What was the effect on Hitler’s Popularity in Germany after these events???

The Tide Turns 1942 –Stalingrad –El Alamein –American Forces start to arrive 1943 –Sustained bombings of German cities –Italy knocked out of war 1944 –D-Day –Russians enter Poland –German Army tries to assassinate Hitler at the Wolf’s Lair 1945 –Fall of Berlin –Germans are forced to see the Concentration Camps by Allies What was the effect on Hitler’s Popularity in Germany after these events?

Questions Explain why opponents of Hitler had a hard time in the 1930s convincing Germans that Hitler was a loser. How come there does not seem to be a lot of criticism of Hitler and the Nazis when things start to go wrong in 1942? What was Total War? Why didn’t Hitler force Total war onto the Germans. Why did some German officers try to assassinate Hitler in 1944? How do you think a regular German soldier would feel about serving in the Wehrmacht between 1935 and –Write a yearly diary explaining your feelings building a Greater Germany and then a new German Empire (Third Reich)

GroupGrievancesOpposition group names Evidence or examples of Anti- Nazi Resistance Punishments received Youth Groups The Wehrmacht The Left The Churches Jews Opposition Groups

Germany Overview 1918 – 1933 (A) –How did the Weimar Republic Fail –How did the Nazis take advantage 1919 – 1923 – The Putsch 1929 – 1933 – The Legal Assault 1933 – 1945 (B) –How did the Nazis stay in power Night of the long knives Propaganda Education Persecution Groups (C) –How did they live with the Nazis Political Opponents Trade Unionists Women The Armed Forces Youth Groups Jews

Grade F –Simplistic answer that identifies one key point Grade C –Shows a variety of valid factors in a logical order Grade A – Shows complicated interrelationship of a multitude of factors

Make sure you read the instructions!!! –You only get marks for the answering the correct questions Choose your questions wisely –Read all parts of the question – not just that you can answer part a worth 5 marks but have no clue for parts b and c? worth 15 Give yourself appropriate time for each question –If a question is worth 8 marks your answer should be longer than one worth 5 marks! –You should have NO free time left at the end. If you have any spare time left then you have not used your time properly! –Leave some space at the end of each question so that you can come back to it later Make sure you answer the question asked –Do not waste time writing an answer that will not get you any marks Make sure you have revised fully –You can not bluff your way through. –Make sure you understand your own notes!