Early Events of Foreign Policy

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  • Early Events of Foreign Policy
    • Saar In 1935
      • T of V had separated the Saar from Germany, under commission from the L of N.
      • Formed own administrative entity.
      • It was industrially rich and this gave it a strong economic influence.
      • The plebiscite of January 13th 1935.
      • over 90% of the population of the Saar wanted to reunite with Germany.
      • First of the injustices of the Treaty of Versailles to be reversed.
      • Impact
        • Showed German support for the Nazi Regime
        • Moral boost for Hitler, future authority for the anschluss and other destructions of the T of V
        • Showed the Leagues weaknesses.
    • Rearmament
      • Secretly building up forces since 1919
      • Hitler created jobs and opportunities in which he made funding the military possible.
      • There was therefore zero unemployment
      • Expanding the military's size to over 600,000 soldiers through heavy recruiting
    • Remiliterisation of the Rhineland
      • Rhineland demiliterised meant G was vulnerable of attack from the west.
      • Hitler took a risk of marchinghis troops in.
      • French would not act by themselves
      • Risk?
        • Strictly against the T of V
        • France and Britain could get involved
        • Hitler had a very weak army, if French intervened he would draw back
        • He wasnt protecting his frontiers
      • Why?
        • The Rhineland was, and always had been a part of Germany.
        • Versailles had been a harsh agreement, he wanted to destroy it.
        • France and Belgium had invaded Germany in 1923 when they had occupied the Ruhr.
        • The French had fortified their frontier by building the Maginot Line, yet Germany was defenceless along her frontier with France.
        • The Franco-Soviet Mutual Assistance Pact had violated the ‘spirit’ of Locarno and had threatened Germany with encirclement.
      • Why did Britain and France allow it?
        • France had itself a political crisis
        • They didnt want to risk their troops
        • Britain in a way understood their actions
    • Anschluss
      • Why?
        • HItler was Austrian
        • he wanted to unite all germanic people
        • 98% of all austrians spoke german
        • many poeple in austra seemed to like the idea
        • it would give more lebensraum (living space) for the germans
        • it would create a more powerful greater germany
      • How?
        • Hitler demanded concessions for the Austrian Nazi Party. Schuschnigg refused and resigned
        • Replaced by Arthur Seyss-Inquart, the leader of the Austrian Nazi Party. On 13th March, Seyss-Inquart invited the German Army to occupy Austria and proclaimed union with Germany.

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