Hitler's Foreign Policy and Appeasement, 1933-1939

Hitler's Foreign Policy and Appeasement, 1933-1939

When Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in January 1933, he had clear foreign policy aims that he had outlined in Mein Kampf (1925). His aggressive pursuit of these aims, combined with the policy of appeasement adopted by Britain and France, led directly to the outbreak of World War Two in September 1939.

Hitler's Foreign Policy Aims

1. Overturn the Treaty of Versailles — Hitler called it a "shameful diktat" and wanted to reverse every restriction it imposed on Germany.

2. Rearmament — Rebuild Germany's military strength.

3. Unite all German-speaking peoples — Bring Austria, the Sudetenland (in Czechoslovakia), and other German-speaking areas into a Greater Germany (Grossdeutschland).

4. Lebensraum ("living space") — Expand eastwards into Poland and the USSR to provide land and resources for the German people.

5. Destroy communism — Hitler saw the Soviet Union as Germany's ultimate enemy.

Key Steps of Aggression

Date	Event	Detail
October 1933	Left the League of Nations	And walked out of the Disarmament Conference
January 1935	Saar plebiscite	90% voted to return to Germany (legally, under Versailles terms)
March 1935	Rearmament announced	Hitler openly announced conscription and an air force (Luftwaffe), violating Versailles
March 1936	Remilitarisation of the Rhineland	German troops marched into the demilitarised zone. Hitler gambled — his generals were ordered to retreat if France responded. France did nothing
March 1938	Anschluss with Austria	German troops marched into Austria; a rigged plebiscite showed 99.75% support for union. Violated the Treaty of Versailles and Treaty of Saint-Germain
September 1938	Sudetenland Crisis	Hitler demanded the Sudetenland (German-speaking border region of Czechoslovakia). Led to the Munich Conference
March 1939	Invasion of Czechoslovakia	Hitler seized the rest of Czechoslovakia (Bohemia and Moravia). This was NOT a German-speaking area — it proved Hitler's ambitions went beyond uniting Germans
September 1939	Invasion of Poland	Triggered the outbreak of World War Two

Appeasement

Appeasement was the policy of making concessions to aggressive powers to avoid war. It was primarily associated with British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain (1937-1940).

Why Did Britain and France Appease Hitler?

• Fear of war — The memory of WWI (which killed over 16 million people) was still vivid. Public opinion strongly opposed another war.
• Military weakness — Britain's armed forces were not ready for war in the mid-1930s. Rearmament took time. France relied on the defensive Maginot Line and was reluctant to act alone.
• Sympathy for Germany — Many British politicians believed the Treaty of Versailles had been too harsh and that Germany had legitimate grievances.
• Anti-communism — Some saw Hitler as a barrier against the spread of Soviet communism. A strong Germany might be useful against the USSR.
• Economic concerns — Another war would be ruinous. The Depression was still affecting the economy.
• Distrust of the USSR — Britain and France did not want to ally with Stalin's communist regime.

The Munich Agreement (September 1938)

The Munich Conference is the most famous (and controversial) act of appeasement:

• Hitler demanded the Sudetenland (3 million German speakers) from Czechoslovakia.
• Chamberlain flew to meet Hitler three times in September 1938.
• At the Munich Conference (29-30 September 1938), Chamberlain, French PM Daladier, Mussolini, and Hitler agreed to give the Sudetenland to Germany.
• Czechoslovakia was not invited to the conference and was told to accept the decision.
• Chamberlain returned to Britain waving the agreement and declaring "peace for our time."
• Winston Churchill condemned Munich: "We have sustained a total and unmitigated defeat."

The End of Appeasement

• In March 1939, Hitler broke the Munich Agreement by seizing the rest of Czechoslovakia. This proved that his ambitions went beyond uniting German speakers.
• Britain and France now realised that appeasement had failed and gave guarantees to Poland that they would defend it if Germany attacked.
• Appeasement was formally over — but by this point, Hitler had gained enormous territory and military strength without firing a shot.

Key Exam Points

• Be prepared to evaluate appeasement: was it a reasonable policy given the circumstances, or did it encourage Hitler and make war more likely?
• Know the chronology of Hitler's actions — each step was bolder than the last.
• The Munich Agreement is a key turning point — understand both why it happened and why it is criticised.