Hitler's policies 1933-35

since 1932, the six major nations had met regularly under LoN to conside progress toward world disarmament, not what Hitler wanted

• Germany wanted all countries to reduce army to the same size
• Hitler supported Britain's plans to reduce armament as they knew France would disagree
• Oct 1933, France refused, Hitler used this to withdraw from the conference
• EXTREMELY clever of Hitler, he said it was unfair towards Germany as they'd already disarmed so everyone else should aswell
• 17 October Hitler withdrew from LoN, with NO sanctions

One of Hitlers great gambles in terms of foreign policy

JANUARY 1934

• Hitler had to tread carefully and prove good intentions
• Main Aim, isloate france and improve relations with Britain and Italy
• attempted to outsmart France by signing a non aggresion pact with poland, the main features were:

                - accept Polish boarders                 - encourage trade between the two                 - pact would last 10yrs This created tension between France and Britain as France's agreement with poland had been undermined

• Britain think this showed Germany's peaceful intentions
• It drove France and Russia closer together and resulted in them having a non-agression pact

January 1935

German district on the left of the River Rhine, under control of LoN (1919) and coal output went to France

• On the 13 Jan 1935, over 90% of the people of Saar voted to rejoin Germany
• March 1 the Saar was offcially a part of Germqany again

This gave hitler confidence to carry on his foreign policy goals. This lead to 16 March, when Hilter refused the TofV       - he promised to rearm and introduced conscription

Previous parts of foreign policy had been about recovery, but by 1935 Hitler was prepared to move onto rearmament "the next phase"

• he renounced the terms of the TofV that dealt with this
• Conscription was reintroduced and the army,navy and airforce were all built up openly
•                  Wanted to inrease army to 550,000 men
• He was able to do this by claiming it was self defence as France and the Soviet Union were building up there foreces aswell
• Rearmament was extremely popular as it was a clear demonstration that Germany was regaining strength

July 1925

• One of Hitlers ambitions was to enforce Anschluss, i.e political union of Germany and Austria
• The austrian chancellor, Engelburt Dollfus, was opposed and banned the Austrian Nazi Party
• Austrian Nazi's started a campaign of terror: vandalism, broadcasts, attacks etc. Eventually they murdered Dollfuss in July 1934.
• Unsuccesfull however as Shcushnigg regained control
• Italy sent 100,000 troops to the Austrian boarder and Britain and France garunteed Austrian independence
• Hitler denied any involvement
• Immediate plans for the Anschluss were scrapped