Hitler’s Foreign Policy and the Origins of WWII Why did Chamberlain’s policy of appeasement fail to prevent the outbreak of war in 1939?

Appeasement What is appeasement? –Refers to British foreign policy 1919 to 1939, but particularly associated with Neville Chamberlain from –It relied upon Hitler telling the truth and him having reasonable aims. After 1937, France supported appeasement as it was defended by the Maginot Line. Chamberlain’s first test was Anschluss.

Why appeasement? Sympathy with Germany – it was felt that they had genuine grievances. British public opinion was pacifist, especially after the Spanish Civil War. Financial cost after the Great Depression. Collapse of the League – personal negotiation was the way forward. Fear of Communism. Lack of strong allies – USA isolationist, France weak, Empire support in doubt.

Arguments against Appeasement Hitler had already broken a number of promises since Hitler claimed in 1936 that the Rhineland was his last territorial ambition. Appeasement made Hitler increasingly confident that he would not be opposed. Appeasement betrayed land and people who the allies had sworn to protect at Versailles. It allowed Hitler to increase strength and power.

The Sudeten Crisis and the Munich Agreement, 1938

The Sudeten Crisis Sudetenland contained 3m German speakers. It had belonged to Austria- Hungary before WWI. Czechoslovakia was one of the strongest states created by Versailles, with well- fortified borders in the West.

What happened? Hitler encouraged Henlein, leader of the Sudeten Nazis, to campaign for independence. Rioting followed. Hitler promised Henlein that he could rely on German support. Chamberlain was determined to prevent conflict. 15 th September 1938 – Chamberlain met Hitler at Berchtesgaden. Hitler told Chamberlain that he wanted the German-speaking area of the Sudetenland to join Germany after a plebiscite. Chamberlain gained French and Czech support for this. Why did the Czechs agree?

What happened? Chamberlain flew back to meet Hitler. He was surprised at the support for his proposal and asked for more: immediate occupation of the Sudetenland, without plebiscites. Chamberlain would not agree to this. Preparations were made for war. Hitler invited Chamberlain to a conference of four powers at Munich.

Munich Conference ‘The height of appeasement’. Chamberlain, Hitler, Mussolini and Daladier attended. 30 th September 1938, it was agreed that the Sudetenland would become part of Germany. Britain and France would guarantee the rest of Czechoslovakia. The Czechs were forced to accept this. An agreement was signed saying that Britain and Germany would never go to war again.

Why was the Munich Agreement significant? Hitler had gained the Sudetenland without fighting. Peace had been maintained by Chamberlain (a success of appeasement?). Czechoslovakia had been betrayed. Czechoslovakia had also lost its important defensive frontier. It now lay vulnerable to invasion. Germany had gained the armaments and mineral resources of the Sudetenland. Britain speeded up rearmament. The USSR felt left out and betrayed.

The Collapse of Czechoslovakia, March 1939 The Munich Agreement had severely damaged the Czechs – 70% of heavy industry lost, as well as defensive frontier. In 1939, Slovaks pressed for independence, encouraged by Hitler. March 1939, President Hacha was forced to hand control over to Hitler to ‘restore order’. Most of Czechoslovakia lay under German rule. Britain and France did not oppose the occupation directly, but it changed British foreign policy.

Why was the collapse of Czechoslovakia significant? It marked the end of appeasement. Why was Czechoslovakia different? Hitler had proved to Chamberlain that he could not be trusted. Lithuania was forced to surrender the province of Memel, which had a mostly German population, to Hitler. Hitler also made it clear that he sought the restoration of Danzig. Britain did not help Czechoslovakia. However, with French support, an agreement with Poland was signed which promised to defend them against German aggression. Mussolini, Hitler’s ally, conquered Albania. Britain guaranteed the independence of Romania and Greece. Peacetime conscription was introduced in Britain. Hitler strengthened his relationship with Mussolini, by signing the Pact of Steel. Hitler withdrew the non-aggression pact of 1934 with Poland, and the Anglo-German Naval Agreement of 1935.

Nazi-Soviet Pact 1939

The Nazi-Soviet Pact In April 1939, Britain and France guaranteed Polish frontiers, but they knew they would need Russian support to act on this promise. Britain and France opened talks, but the Poles were suspicious of Russian help. Many in the USSR felt that Britain had tried to direct German aggression East. USSR had tried to gain allies through joining the League in 1934, but had been shunned in the Stresa Front and at Munich. By 1939, an agreement with Britain and France was not forthcoming so Stalin signed the Nazi Soviet Pact.

What was the Pact? USSR and Germany would not attack each other if war broke out. Agreement to split Poland.

Why was the Pact significant? It made the invasion of Poland inevitable. Hitler also avoided the possibility of war on two fronts. Hitler thought that the Pact would mean Britain would back down over Poland, especially as there was a good case for Germany seizing this land. However, if Britain kept its promise, war was now inevitable. Britain and France had lost the USSR as a potential ally.

Poland and the outbreak of war Danzig was 90% German. From April 1939 Hitler began to demand its return, hoping for another Munich. He thought that Britain and France still wanted peace at any cost. There were far better arguments for taking Danzig than for his seizure of Czechoslovkia, and they had not opposed that. Poland would not give in, confident in British and French support.

Poland and the outbreak of war Britain warned Hitler they would go to war over the invasion of Poland – since Czechoslovakia, public opinion had changed. 1 st September 1939, German troops invaded Poland. 3 rd September, Britain declared war on Germany after they failed to respond to an ultimatum. Poland was overrun in four weeks. Hitler still hoped that Britain would back down, but war had begun.

Responsibility for WWII The Treaty of Versailles had been far too harsh. The British government agreed to Hitler’s demands to alter some provisions of it, but this only convinced Hitler that the British were weak. Hitler’s Foreign Policy was bound to lead to war. He demonstrated with the occupation of Czechoslovakia and his attack on all fronts against Poland that he was not just interested in regaining the land lost at Versailles. His desire for lebensraum was always going to lead to further territorial conquest. If this theory is correct then appeasement was not a cause of war, it simply made Hitler’s initial gains easier. Some historians have argued that Chamberlain’s Policy of Appeasement was equally to blame. Britain and France could have taken a stand over the re-militarisation of the Rhineland in By allowing Hitler these victories, he became ever more popular within Germany. Hitler was also encouraged to take bigger risks. After Munich, he became so convinced that Britain and France would never oppose him that he gambled on the invasion of Poland.

Responsibility for WWII The USSR has been blamed for the outbreak of war, for the signing of the Nazi-Soviet Pact. This did make the invasion of Poland inevitable, though, as argued above, it was impossible to know whether the British would really fight over this. Britain’s failure to support the League of Nations has also been blamed for the outbreak of war. The lack of willingness to seriously challenge other big powers over aggression, as with Japan and Italy, served to encourage Hitler. However, it must be questioned whether, without an army and the membership of some major powers, the League could have succeeded anyway.