Hitler's Aims and Policy to 1938
Hitlers aims and policies; Aryan supremacy and lebensraum; the Saar; Austria 1938.
Make sure that you know about: 1. Hitler's aims and policies, with examples.
It is unlikely that you will be asked to describe events of the Saar or Austria on their own - it is much more likely that you will be asked to describe Hitler's actions over a spread pf years.
Nevertheless, you must know: 2. the STORIES of Hitler's actions to Apr 1938 and their results/importance.
Hitler's Aims and PoliciesHitler declared most of what he did up-front in Mein Kampf in 1924:
1. Abolish the Treaty of Versailles
his explained everything Hitler did before 1939.
H hated the ToB because of The tiny armed forces (so he re-armed German after 1935). Rhineland demilitarised (so he marched in in March 1936). Anschluss forbidden (so he annexed Austria in March 1938) Germans under Czech and Polish rule (so he took over the Sudetenland in Sept 1938, and attacked Poland in Sept 1939).
2. Lebensraum and Aryan supremacy
The Nazi-Soviet Pact Aug 1939
gave him half of Poland, which he attacked in 1939.
The Nazis used Jews and
Gypsies and slave labourers in workcamps.
3.
Destroy Communism
In June 1941, he attacked
Russia.
Steps to War1. Saar The ToV had put the Saar under League control for 15 years; in 1935 a plebiscite was held to decide what the Saarlanders wanted to do. The Nazis beat up their opponents. In the plebiscite, 90.3% voted to return to Germany. It was a massive boost to Hitler and encouraged him to try rearming. Fact: 17,000 Nazi Saarlanders (who had joined the SA in Germany to) threatened to invade. This was stopped Dec 1935 when Britain offered to send soldiers to keep the peace.
2. Rearmament Hitler built up the army and Luftwaffe; in 1935 he held a huge rally to show off. Thsi broke the treaty of Versailles, but Britain and France did nothing - instead, in 1935, Britain made a naval agreement with Hitler. Hitler was encouraged to try to take back the Rhineland. Fact: By 1939, Germany had 95 warships, 8250 airplanes and an army of almost 1 million.
3. Rhineland In Mar 1936, Hitler ordered his army into the Rhineland. It had orders to retreat if the French opposed it, but they did not - even though Hitler had broken the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler's popularity soared, and he was encouraged to try Anschluss with Austria.
4. Austria In 1938 - encouraged by Hitler - Austrian Nazis rioted, calling for Anschluss. Br & Fr refused to help Austria, so the Austrian Chancellor suggested a plebsicite to see what the people wanted. Fearing that he would lose, Hitler invaded. A plebiscite was held with the German Army there, and the Austrians voted for Anschluss. Although this openly broke the Treaty of Versailles, nobody did anything Facts: the Austrian Chancellor was called Schuschnigg. Hilter threw 20,000 Austrians in prison In the plebscite, 99.75% voted for Anschluss.
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Revision Focus This is a Paper 1 topic, so concentrate on learning: 1. WHAT happened 2. EFFECTS/ Importance LinksMini book on Hitler's Aims and Actions to 1938
Historians views of Hitler's aims - VITAL
Play the BBC Bitesize dates game
Essays on how Hitler broke the
Treaty of Versailles and
threatened the peace |