Outbreak of WW2 in Europe: Nazi Aggressive Foreign Policy and Responses

By Daryl Tan

  • 1925: Hitler wrote Mein Kampf

    In his book Mein Kampf, Hitler listed out his main aims for Germany's foreign policy:
    1) Abolish TOV
    2) Unite the German speaking peoples of Europe
    3) Create living space for GErmany
    4) Destroy Communism
    5) Enforce militarism
    6) Pursue Nazi racial agenda

  • Great Depression Starts

    Great Depression starts Hitler's rise to power.

  • Hitler withdrew Germany from LON

    Response to the World Disarmament Conference. Provided Hitler with justification to start to rearm.

  • Reverse TOV - 1933: German Rearmament

    Rearmament started secretly but was done openly by 1935.

  • 1935: Saar Plebiscite

    Saar Region, which was given to France but placed under LON administration under the terms of TOV, voted to return to Germany. This gave Hitler confidence to pursue an aggressive foreign policy.

  • Reverse TOV: Remilitarisation of the Rhineland

    Hitler sent German troops into the Rhineland which was demilitarised under the TOV to protect France from invasion. Britain and France did not take action.

  • Reverse TOV, Fight Communism 1936: Spanish Civil War

    Germany took part in the Spanish Civil War between the Nationalists and Republicans. Germany wanted to aid the Nationalists. Chance to test German weapons and also to fight the Communists who were supporting the Republicans.
    Britain and France stayed out of the Civil War. Convinced Hitler that the British and French were not going to stop any act of German aggression.

  • Chamberlain became PM of Britain

  • Reverse the TOV and Greater Germany: Anschluss with Austria

    Hitler wanted to unite Germans of Austria with Germany. Hitler encouraged the Austrian Nazi Party to create disorder and pressured Austrian Chancellor Kurt Schusnigg to allow German troops to enter Austria to restore order. German troops entered Austria in March. This was followed by the plebiscite on Anschluss in Austria. Through voter intimidation and fraud 99.75% voted for Anschluss. Britain and France did nothing to stop Hitler. Britain expressed sympathy for Germany, allowed Anschluss.

  • Greater Germany: Sudetenland Crisis

    Hitler interested in Czechoslovakia because the Sudetenland region contained large numbers of Germans and most of the Czech's defences against Germany were located in Czechoslovakia. Hitler got the Nazi Party in Sudetenland to make trouble to give him the pretext to intervene in Sudetenland and pressure the Czechs to give in. Czechoslovakia did not give in and both sides did not backdown. War seemed likely.
  • Period: to

    Road to Munich Agreement

    15 Sep - First Meeting - Hitler reduced his claims to parts of Sudetenland.
    19 Sep - Britain and France convinced Czechoslovakia to accept Hitler's claims.
    22 Sep - Hitler rejected and made more territorial claims. War seemed likely.
    29 Sep - Start of Munich Conference - Britain and France gave in to Hitler's demands provided it was his last territorial demand. Czechoslovakia and USSR were not represented at the meeting.

  • Living Space: Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia

    Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia in a breach of the Munich Agreement. Britain and France abandoned appeasement and threatened to declare war in Germany if Hitler invaded Poland.

  • Reverse TOV, Living Space: Hitler demanded the return of the Polish Corridor

    Germany demanded for the Polish Corridor and Danzig as these were territories conceded due to the TOV. Had large German population and Nazis wanted a transportation line across the Polish corridor.

  • Nazi Soviet Pact

    Hitler was concerned that Britain and France might try to stop his invasion of Poland and was further concerned that the USSR might intervene if Germany invaded Poland.
    He wanted to avoid a possible 2 front war and decided to seek a deal with the USSR in which both countries agreed not to attack each other and allowed both sides to seize parts of Poland.
    Stalin, the leader of the USSR did not trust the west and felt he needed to buy time to rearm to prepare for a German invasion also signed.

  • Invasion of Poland

    With no fear of a 2 front war, Hitler ordered the invasion of Poland.

  • WW2 began: Britain and France declared war in Germany.