Treaty of Versailles and Hitler's Foreign Policy

Treaty of Versailles

• Germany was compelled to sign the Treaty of Versailles following World War I, resulting in harsh penalties for the nation.
• The treaty's terms were met with resentment by Germans due to their detrimental impact.
• Germany had to bear complete accountability for World War I through a war guilt clause.
• Reparations of 6.6 billion pounds were mandated for Germany.
• Entranc e into the Rhineland was forbidden for Germany.
• The Polish Corridor was lost by Germany.
• The German army faced reduction to 100,000 personnel.
• Union with Austria was prohibited.

Hitler's Foreign Policy Aims

• Hitler's objective was to restore Germany's greatness, which inevitably disrupted European peace.
• This involved the takeover of non-German territories.
• His foreign policy centered around three goals.
• Uniting all German-speaking individuals to create a greater Germany was a primary aim.
• Abolishing the Treaty of Versailles was another key objective.
• Acquiring "lebenstraum," or living space, in Eastern Europe for his greater Germany was crucial.

Hitler's Actions

• Hitler initiated the dismantling of the Treaty of Versailles upon assuming power.
• Rearmament commenced in 1935.
• In 1936, Hitler remilitarized the Rhineland.
• The union of Germany and Austria, known as the "Angelus," occurred in 1938.

Munich Conference

• Hitler asserted his claim to the Sedatin Land, the German-speaking region of Czechoslovakia.
• Czechoslovakia refused to cede the Sedate and Land.
• Britain, France, and Italy convened with Hitler at the Munich Conference in 1938 to address the crisis, excluding Czechoslovakia.
• The Czechs were compelled to relinquish the Sedating Land at the conference's conclusion.
• Chamberlain proclaimed to have secured "peace in our time" upon his return.
• Hitler seized the remainder of Czechoslovakia six months afterward.
• Hitler could no longer claim to be uniting all German-speaking people, as his reception in the rest of Czechoslovakia differed from that in the Sedation Land, Austria, and Rhineland.

Weakness of the League of Nations

• The League of Nations was established after World War I with the purpose of fostering international cooperation and peace.
• The League of Nations failed to prevent Hitler, Japan, or Mussolini from expanding.
• The League of Nations was undermined by numerous weaknesses.
• Absence of the United States from the League.
• Unanimity was required for all decisions.
• The League lacked an army to safeguard weaker nations.

Policy of Appeasement

• Britain and France practiced appeasement by conceding to Hitler's demands.
• The intention behind appeasement was to avert war.

Nazi-Soviet Pact

• Despite being adversaries, Hitler and Stalin entered into the Nazi-Soviet Pact in 1939.
• A 10-year non-aggression pact was agreed upon, later violated by Hitler
• Poland was to be divided between the two.
• This pact enabled Hitler to launch an invasion of Poland without concerns about a war on his eastern border.
• The Nazi-Soviet Pact afforded Stalin time to fortify his army, significantly weakened by purges and show trials.

Polish Corridor

• The Polish Corridor served as a divider between Germany and East Prussia.
• Hitler's demand for the return of the Polish Corridor was rejected by Poland.
• Britain and France pledged support to Poland.
• Hitler dismissed their capacity for genuine support due to distance and anticipated inaction rooted in appeasement.
• Hitler initiated the invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939.
• On September 3, 1939, Britain and France declared war on Germany.

Japanese Aggression

• Japan extended its reach into China during the 1930s.
• The League of Nations was unsuccessful in halting this expansion.
• Japan's invasion of Indochina led to U.S. economic sanctions in response.

American Isolation

• Despite its global power, America refrained from joining the League of Nations post-World War I.
• The aim was to remain detached from future conflicts.
• Japanese expansion in Asia compelled America to intervene.
• Japan opted to target the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
• This assault in December 1941 drew the United States into the war.

The Treaty of Versailles punished Germany after World War I, fostering resentment. Hitler aimed to restore Germany by uniting German speakers, abolishing the treaty, and gaining living space.