Hitler's Foreign Policy AICE International History

Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) Hitler's Foreign Policy

Austrian-born Hitler moved to Munich in 1913 and won medals for bravery in the First World War. He later adopted an extreme right-wing nationalist outlook and joined the German Worker's Party (a.k.a Nazi Party). Rising through the ranks, Hitler became chancellor of Germany in 1933 and established his dictatorship. His policies contributed to the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939. Towards the end of the war, facing Germany's certain defeat, Hitler committed suicide.

Conscription (1935) Hitler's Foreign Policy

Compulsory military service for certain groups of society, such as men between particular ages. In March 1935, he reintroduced conscription, claiming that this was in response to increases in the British air force and the announcement that France was to extend its conscription from 12 to 18 months. Hitler also declared his intention to increase the German army to 600,000 men. That makes it six times higher than that permitted by the Treaty of Versailles. Concerned about the possible problems of German rearmament, Britain, France, and Italy met at Stresa in northern Italy to discuss the issue.

Stresa Front (1935) Hitler's Foreign Policy

In 1934, Hitler attempted to annex Austria to Germany (Grossdeutsch) but was stopped by Mussolini (the Italians had not yet allied with the Germans). Great Britain, France, and Italy formed an alliance of convenience to prevent Austria from falling to German aggression. It was also to oppose Adolf Hitler's announced intention to rearm Germany, which violated the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. When Italy invaded Ethiopia later that year, France and Britain tried to reconcile the action with the need to remain united against Germany. But, it ended with the coalition soon being dissolved.

Engelbert Dollfuss (1892-1934) Hitler's Foreign Policy

In 1993 this Christian socialist had become the chancellor of Austria. He tried to direct a course between the Austrian Social democrats and the German Nazis, who had come to rise in Austria. In 1934 he banned all political parties except for the Christian socialists, the agrarians, and the paramilitary groups. From 1932 to 1934, he destroyed the Austrian Republic and established an authoritarian regime based on conservative Roman Catholic and Italian Fascist principles. Dollfuss was assassinated by the Nazis in a raid on the chancellery.

Locarno Treaties (1925) Hitler's Foreign Policy

The Locarno Pact was an agreement between Britain, France, Belgium, Italy, and Germany. Stresemann believed that by signing the Pact, it would boost confidence in Germany, but also other European powers. The Locarno Pact had three main aims. To secure borders of the nations of Europe after the First World War. To ensure the permanent demilitarisation of the Rhineland. To begin negotiations to allow Germany into the League of Nations.

National Socialists German Workers Party (1933-1945) Hitler's Foreign Policy

Nazi Party, a political party of the mass movement known as National Socialism. Under the leadership of Adolf Hitler, this party came to power in Germany in 1933 and ruled by totalitarian methods until 1945. It was founded as the German Workers Party by Anton Drexler in 1919. Under Hitler, the Nazi Party grew steadily in its home base of Bavaria. It organized strong-arm groups to protect their rallies and meetings. The Nazi Party's membership grew from 25,000 in 1925 to about 180,000 in 1929.

Anglo-German Naval Agreement (1935) Hitler's Foreign Policy

Realizing the weaknesses of the Stresa Front, Hitler set about exploiting them. In June 1935, he signed the Anglo-German naval Agreement, agreeing to limit the German navy to 35% of the strength of the British navy. While this guaranteed British naval supremacy, Britain was effectively condoning this transgression of the Treaty of Versailles, which limited the size of the German naval fleet. The fact that Britain signed the treaty without consulting either France or Italy, clearly demonstrated the fragility of the Stresa Front alliance. With Britain's opposition to German rearmament effectively removed, Hitler continued to increase the size of his army, ordered the building of new battleships and began the process of developing a large and efficient air force.

Stormtroopers (1923) Hitler's Foreign Policy

Stormtroopers were specialist soldiers of the German Army in World War I. In the last years of the war, they were trained to use invasion tactics. This would then be a part of the Germans' developed method om the attack of enemy trenches. Men trained in these methods were known in Germany as Sturmmann. Which they would later form into companies of Sturmtruppen.

Third Reich (Deutsches Reich) (1919-1933) Hitler's Foreign Policy

The constitution of Hitler's new totalitarian state became known as the Third Reich. Literally translated the word Reich means "realm" or "empire". Between the years 1919 and 1933, Germany's official name was the Deutsches Reich. Hitler used this term because it was meant to link the present with Germany's past glories. The First Reich was the Holy Roman Empire. The Second Reich followed the unification of Germany in 1871 and lasted until 1918.

Anschluss (1938) Hitler's Foreign Policy

The union of Austria with Germany, which resulted from the occupation of Austria by the German army in 1938. There was rising support in Austria for the Nazis from 1933. In 1934, the Nazis had assassinated the Austrian chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss, in hopes of establishing a Nazi regime. The coup failed and Kurt von Schuschnigg replaced Dollfuss as chancellor. From 1938, as Italy grew closer to Nazi Germany, Austria became increasingly isolated and vulnerable to German takeover. The German Army marched into Austria on 12 March 1938, with little opposition from the population or any foreign powers, resulting in the union.

World Disarmament Conference (1932-1934) Hitler's Foreign Policy

This was held in Geneva from 1932 to 1933. All of Europe's leading power had committed themselves to arms reduction both in the Treaty of Versailles and by the covenant of the league of nations. With the exception of Germany, no country had honored its commitment. The disarmament conference was intended to address this issue. It was in the hopes of avoiding the type of arms race that had characterized the build-up to the First World War. For most countries, national interests and security had remained a priority.

Weimer Republic (1919-1933) Hitler's Foreign Policy

the Weimar Republic in Germany was a new democratic government that was set up in 1919. It was named after the city where the national assembly had met. It was a very weak republic from the start. Germany had lacked a powerful democratic tradition, so peacetime Germany had many major political parties and many minor ones. The country's defeat and postwar humiliation were blamed on the Weimar government, not their wartime leaders.