Lebensraum as Policy Investigating Geopolitics in Nazi Germany Ashley Allen 4 November 2014 Technology-Enhanced Learning

Introducing the Main Points: Video

Main Point #1:

Main Point #2

What is Lebensraum?

Why did Nazi Germany implement Lebensraum policies? 1. Impact of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (1918)

Why did Nazi Germany implement Lebensraum policies? 2. A new enemy in the interwar period: Communism in the Soviet Union

1. The seizure of territory through militaristic and “diplomatic” means 2. The prevention of the spread of Communism through land seizure 3. The elimination of peoples living natively in newly-acquired lands 4. A strong nostalgia for the past

1. Seizure of territory through militaristic and “diplomatic” means Important terms to remember: Anschluss, Sudetenland, annexation, seizure by force, German- Soviet Non-Aggression Pact

2. Preventing the spread of Communism through land seizure Important terms to remember: Communism, territorial expansion, settlement

3. Eliminating peoples living natively in Newly-Acquired lands Important terms to remember: Displacement, slave labor, extermination, “final solution”

4. A strong nostalgia for the past Important terms to remember: Nostalgia, romanticize, agrarianism

What was Hitler’s End Game? Hitler = okay with war as cost to achieve lebensraum Important questions to consider: ▫Did Hitler and lebensraum cause World War II? ▫What scale of war was Hitler expecting?

Assessment Questions: Can be answered in traditional or UDL formats! What are the literal and contextual definitions of lebensraum? Why did Hitler use lebensraum as a geopolitical policy? Do you think Hitler’s lebensraum-based policies were a primary cause of WWII? Can you think of any modern- day geopolitical policies that are similar to lebensraum?