Diverting Germans’ Attention from Domestic Problems: Foreign Policy

1. Diverting Germans’ Attention from Domestic Problems: Foreign Policy

2. Hitler’s Foreign Policy Aims • Re-arm Germany • So that Germany can defend itself • Tear up the Treaty of Versailles • Restore Germany to its old borders • Create a Greater Germany! • Fit for the Master Race

4. Revising the Treaty of Versailles?What areas did Hitler want to return to Germany?

5. Timeline of building a Greater Germany • 1935 • Saar Plebiscite • Great success for Hitler as 90% of Saar voluntarily elect to rejoin booming Germany • 1936 • Remilitarisation of Rhineland • German Army is ordered back into the Rhineland (against the Treaty of Versailles) • They are ordered to withdraw if Allies oppose them • What was the effect on Hitler’s Popularity in Germany after these 2 events?

6. Timeline of building a Greater Germany • 1936 • Spanish Civil War • Germany helps Franco win power in Spain. He uses the war as an excuse to test Blitzkrieg out. • 1938 • Austrian Anschluss • Hitler creates an excuse to invade Austria. Most Austrians are delighted to be reunited with a Greater, booming Germany. • What was the effect on Hitler’s Popularity in Germany after these 2 events?

7. Timeline of building a Greater Germany • 1938 • Sudetenland (Czechoslovakia) • Hitler uses Sudeten Germans as an excuse to take the border regions of Czechoslovakia. He promises to Britain and France that this is his final demand. • 1938 • Invades Czechoslovakia • He takes the rest of undefendable and very wealthy Czechoslovakia. They are NOT German • What was the effect on Hitler’s Popularity in Germany after these 2 events?

9. Timeline of building a Greater Germany • 1939 • Nazi-Soviet Pact • Hitler and Stalin stun the world by agreeing an alliance with each other. • 1939 • Invasion of Poland • Hitler confidently expects that Britain and France can do little especially after the deal with the USSR. He is surprised that World War 2 breaks out. • What was the effect on Hitler’s Popularity in Germany after these 2 events???

10. World War 2 • 1940 • Fall of France, Denmark, Holland, Belgium and mighty Luxembourg • Battle of Britain • 1941 • Fall of Yugoslavia, Greece and Albania • Advances in Desert • Invasion of Russia • To outskirts of Moscow • What was the effect on Hitler’s Popularity in Germany after these events???

12. The Tide Turns • 1942 • Stalingrad • El Alamein • American Forces start to arrive • 1943 • Sustained bombings of German cities • Italy knocked out of war • 1944 • D-Day • Russians enter Poland • German Army tries to assassinate Hitler at the Wolf’s Lair • 1945 • Fall of Berlin • Germans are forced to see the Concentration Camps by Allies • What was the effect on Hitler’s Popularity in Germany after these events?

14. Questions • Explain why opponents of Hitler had a hard time in the 1930s convincing Germans that Hitler was a loser. • How come there does not seem to be a lot of criticism of Hitler and the Nazis when things start to go wrong in 1942? • What was Total War? Why didn’t Hitler force Total war onto the Germans. • Why did some German officers try to assassinate Hitler in 1944? • How do you think a regular German soldier would feel about serving in the Wehrmacht between 1935 and 1941. • Write a yearly diary explaining your feelings building a Greater Germany and then a new German Empire (Third Reich)

15. Opposition Groups

16. 1918 – 1933 (A) How did the Weimar Republic Fail How did the Nazis take advantage 1919 – 1923 – The Putsch 1929 – 1933 – The Legal Assault 1933 – 1945 (B) How did the Nazis stay in power Night of the long knives Propaganda Education Persecution Groups (C) How did they live with the Nazis Political Opponents Trade Unionists Women The Armed Forces Youth Groups Jews Germany Overview

17. Grade F • Simplistic answer that identifies one key point • Grade C • Shows a variety of valid factors in a logical order • Grade A • Shows complicated interrelationship of a multitude of factors

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