1. K.I. 1.3 Why had international peace collapsed by 1939?
The harsh terms of the Treaty of Versailles
The weakness of the League of Nations
The effects of the Depression
The Polish Guarantee and the Nazi-Soviet Pact were the short-term causes
The aggressive foreign policies of Italy and Japan
Hitler’s aggressive foreign policies in Germany
The policy of appeasement followed by Britain and France

2. How was the Treaty of Versailles viewed by the Germans?
Almost all Germans resented it.
This includes politicians like Gustav Stresemann, Foreign Minister in
He wanted the Treaty of Versailles to be altered, but peacefully.
Look at source A. What changes did he want? Which of these changes had been achieved by the time he died in 1929?

3. What were Hitler’s aims for his foreign policy?
He wanted to destroy the Treaty of Versailles
He wanted to unite all German-speaking people. He called this Grossdeutschland (Greater Germany).
He wanted to conquer Lebensraum (living space) for the “superior” Aryan race, by taking over “inferior” races’ territory.

4. The places Hitler wanted

5. What actions would be needed to destroy the Treaty of Versailles?
Leave the League of Nations
Rearm the army, navy and air force
Remilitarise the Rhineland
Defy the ban on the Anschluss and unite with Austria
Take back German territory given to other countries against the principle of self-determination e.g the Sudetenland

6. In what month and year did Hitler achieve each of these?
Leave the League of Nations
Admit to having an airforce
Increase his naval strength
Introduce conscription and a bigger army
Remilitarise the Rhineland
October 1933
March 1935
June 1935
March 1936

7. Let’s go over a couple of points
Why is it wrong say that he wanted to reunite with Austria?
The Saar became a part of Germany again in Why isn’t this an example of Hitler breaking the Treaty?
Because Austria had been part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, not Germany.
Because the T of V had ordered a plebiscite after 15 years and this had taken place. Most people in the Saar chose German rule.

8. What actions would achieve GrossDeutschland?
Unite with Austria
Take over the Sudetenland area of Czechoslovakia
Take back the the area of Poland called West Prussia
Take back Danzig from League of Nations control

9. The places Hitler wanted

10. In what month and year did Hitler take these actions?
Unite with Austria
Take over the Sudetenland area of Czechoslovakia
Take back West Prussia
Take back Danzig
March 1938
October 1938
September 1939

11. What actions would give Germany Lebensraum?
Take over the rest of Czechoslovakia
Take over the rest of Poland
Take over the USSR (this would be a double gain for Hitler as he would also be destroying the Communist government there).
Whether Hitler really planned to take over the rest of Europe is a matter of debate!

12. In what month and year did Hitler take these actions?
Take over most of Czechoslovakia
Take over Poland
Take over the USSR
March 1939
September 1939
Invaded June 1941, but was unable to conquer the USSR and was eventually driven out.

13. The limit of Hitler’s expansion

14. Test yourself! What: ..is Grossdeutschland? ..is Lebensraum?
..took place in March 1936?
..propaganda success happened in 1935?
.. were the two aims Hitler could achieve if he took over the USSR?

15. Test yourself ! When .. ..was the Anschluss?
..was conscription introduced?
.. was the Sudetenland taken over?
..did Hitler invade Poland?
..did Germany leave the LON?

16. Why did Britain and France allow all this to happen?
Britain (especially under P.M. Neville Chamberlain) and France followed a policy called appeasement. This means finding out what the dictators wanted and giving into their demands peacefully.
The objective was to avoid a repeat of the death and destruction that had happened in the First World War.

17. Did David Low think that appeasement would succeed?

18. Hitler and Chamberlain