IMG_6441.jpeg

# M1. Hitler's Foreign Policy until 1939 **Foreign Policy Events Under Hitler (1933-1939)** The period of Nazi Germany's foreign policy (1933-1939) was marked by apparent contradictions. While public pronouncements often emphasized peaceful intentions, the regime concurrently exhibited aggressive...

# M1. Hitler's Foreign Policy until 1939 **Foreign Policy Events Under Hitler (1933-1939)** The period of Nazi Germany's foreign policy (1933-1939) was marked by apparent contradictions. While public pronouncements often emphasized peaceful intentions, the regime concurrently exhibited aggressive tendencies. * **Early Actions and Contradictions (1933-1936):** * Withdrawal from the League of Nations (1933). * Secretly rearming Germany. * Non-aggression pact with Poland (despite previous tensions). * Saarland plebiscite (1935) and the reintroduction of conscription. * Naval agreement with Britain (1935). * Participation in the 1936 Berlin Olympics presented a facade of peace. * **Military Violation of Versailles Treaty (1936):** The reoccupation of the Rhineland, a significant violation of the Treaty of Versailles, demonstrated Germany's disregard for international agreements and showcased an assertive foreign policy stance. * **Austrian Annexation (1938):** The annexation of Austria occurred militarily and violated international agreements. It was perceived positively by many Austrians. * **Sudetenland Crisis and Munich Agreement (1938):** Germany's claim to the Sudetenland, a predominantly German-speaking region of Czechoslovakia, and the resulting Munich Agreement, appeasement focused on avoiding war. The German military occupied the rest of Czechoslovakia in March 1939. * **Czechoslovakia (1939):** The German military took control of Czechoslovakia, disregarding the Munich Agreement and international law. The creation of a Slovak state under German influence was a part of the plan. **Key Takeaways:** This period witnessed a gradual erosion of international agreements and norms, characterized by German aggression and a lack of substantial resistance from other European powers until the invasion of Poland in 1939 initiated World War II.