Explain how Hitler's foreign policy aims and his steps of expansion in the 1930s increased the risk of another European war

What this dot point is asking

This dot point asks you to explain how Hitler's foreign policy and his step-by-step expansion in the 1930s pushed Europe toward another war. You should be able to describe Hitler's main aims and then follow the steps he took to grow German power, explaining how each one increased the risk of war. The key idea is that Hitler did not start a war all at once. He took a series of bold steps, each time gaining more and getting away with it, until his aggression finally became impossible to ignore.

What this means in practice

Your task is both to describe Hitler's aims and actions and to explain why they were dangerous, especially the way each unopposed success encouraged the next.

The answer

Hitler's aims

Hitler had clear aims in foreign policy, all flowing from his extreme nationalism and his anger at the Treaty of Versailles. First, he wanted to destroy the treaty, which he saw as a humiliation. Second, he wanted to unite all German-speaking peoples into one greater Germany, even those living in other countries. Third, he wanted to gain "living space" for Germany, mainly by expanding eastward into other lands. These aims could not be achieved peacefully, because they meant breaking treaties and taking other countries' territory.

Rearmament: rebuilding the army

Hitler's first major step was to rebuild Germany's armed forces, known as rearmament, even though the Treaty of Versailles strictly forbade this. He built up the army, created an air force, and expanded the navy. Rearmament was popular in Germany because it brought jobs and restored national pride. But it was also dangerous, because it gave Germany the military strength it would need to fight a war and showed that Hitler was willing to break the treaty openly.

Taking back the Rhineland

Hitler's next step was to send German troops into the Rhineland, the part of Germany next to France that the treaty had ordered to be kept free of soldiers. This was a gamble, because the German army was still small and could have been forced to retreat if France and Britain had acted. But they did nothing. The success of this move made Hitler more confident, taught him that the other powers would not stand up to him, and encouraged him to take bigger risks.

Union with Austria and the takeover of Czechoslovakia

Hitler then turned to uniting German-speakers. He achieved a union with Austria, bringing that German-speaking country into Germany, again without being stopped. Next he demanded the part of Czechoslovakia where many German-speakers lived. At a famous meeting, Britain and France agreed to let him take it, hoping this would satisfy him. It did not. Soon afterward Hitler broke his word and seized the rest of Czechoslovakia, which was not German-speaking at all. This finally showed Britain and France that Hitler could not be trusted and that his aims had no limit.

Why this led to war

Each of Hitler's steps did two things: it made Germany stronger and more confident, and it taught Hitler that the other powers would not stop him. This is why his expansion was so dangerous. Because he was never seriously opposed, he kept demanding more, and his ambitions grew. When he finally turned his attention to Poland, Britain and France at last decided they had to stand firm. By then, years of unopposed expansion had made Hitler so bold that war became almost certain.

Examples in context

Example 1. Rearmament and German pride. When Hitler rebuilt the armed forces, he did so openly, holding huge military parades that thrilled many Germans and restored a sense of national strength after the humiliation of Versailles. This popularity at home made it easier for Hitler to take risks abroad, because the public supported a strong and assertive Germany.

Example 2. The broken promise over Czechoslovakia. When Britain and France allowed Hitler to take the German-speaking part of Czechoslovakia, he promised it was his last territorial demand. Within months he seized the rest of the country, which was not German at all. This broken promise destroyed any belief that Hitler could be satisfied, and it convinced Britain and France that his ambitions were unlimited.

Try this

• Cue. List Hitler's three main foreign-policy aims and explain why they could not be achieved peacefully.

• Cue. Put Hitler's main steps of expansion in order and explain how each unopposed success encouraged the next.

• Cue. Explain why Hitler's seizure of the rest of Czechoslovakia was a turning point that destroyed trust in his promises.