German Foreign Policy 1933-1939: The Road
to World War II
Polish-German Non-Aggression Pact
● Germany withdrew from LoN, October 1933
● January 1934: Germany signed non-aggression pact w/ Poland
○ Good for 10 years; increased trade, diplomacy
● France is outraged
○ Building Maginot Line since 129, which is a series of fortifications
primary focused on the France-Germany border
● USSR mad also, became less isolated
○ Draws Stalin out of Soviet isolation and out of industrialization (5 year
plan, collectivization of agriculture)
○ Joined LoN, Comintern switched to Pop. Front strategy, coop.
w/Germany ended, Franco-Soviet Mutual Assistance pact, 1935
■ Not a military alliance, but stating that France and USSR both see
Germany as a threat
■ Pop Front - working with non-communists to avoid the threat of
fascism, which is worse
● Hitler signed this pact because he + German military wasn’t ready to attack
poland, and this pact temporarily secures that easter border
○ Weakened French-supported Little Entente
○ Looked like statesmanship, and that Hitler was a peacemaker
● Hitler considered it temporary
Austria 1934
● June 1934, unsuccessful meeting w/ Mussolini and Hitler
● Hitler wanted support for Anschluss; Mussolini decline as he wanted Austria as
a buffer against Germany
● Hitler supported Austrian Nazi Party, who led campaign of terror and
eventually assassinated Austrian Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss
○ Italy blocked this potential Anschluss by putting troops there, signaling
that Italy didn’t want Anschluss
● Hitler decided to back off and not alienate Mussolini because he didn’t want a
military conflict against Italy
, ● Austrian Nazi party banned
Saar Plebiscite
● Saar, a coal and iron rich region under French control (per Treaty of Versailles)
since 1919
● Hitler held a plebiscite in January 1935
○ Plebiscite - a vote on a question, often yes or no
■ Should the Saar be returned to Germany?
● Should it stay the same, go to France, or the Germany
■ Germany legally did this plebiscite through LoN
■ 90.9% voted they wanted to be a part of german, so Saar was
returned to Germany
● Propaganda win for hitler
■ Hitler felt confident enough to begin conscription, March 1935
● Germany is supposed to be demilitarized, so this is a treaty
violation
○ Prompted the Stresa Front, but no action
Anglo-German Naval Treaty
● June 1935: Anglo-German Naval Treaty signed
○ Treaty violation
○ German Navy limited to 35% of the size of British Navy
■ Ensures Britain security, and allows Germany to somewhat legally
build up their navy
● Neville chamberlain - associated with appeasement
● Britain: saw a diplomatic victory acknowledged germany’s legit grievance but
limited it to a permanent advantage
● France and italy: seen as betrayal of the new Stress Front. Treaty was violated
and bypassed; Britain has allowed Germany to rearm
Rearmament and Remilitarization of the Rhineland
● Germany never really obeyed disarmament articles of TofV
○ Rapallo Treaty
● 1935: army went from 7 divisions to 21, then 36 with conscription (½ million
men)
to World War II
Polish-German Non-Aggression Pact
● Germany withdrew from LoN, October 1933
● January 1934: Germany signed non-aggression pact w/ Poland
○ Good for 10 years; increased trade, diplomacy
● France is outraged
○ Building Maginot Line since 129, which is a series of fortifications
primary focused on the France-Germany border
● USSR mad also, became less isolated
○ Draws Stalin out of Soviet isolation and out of industrialization (5 year
plan, collectivization of agriculture)
○ Joined LoN, Comintern switched to Pop. Front strategy, coop.
w/Germany ended, Franco-Soviet Mutual Assistance pact, 1935
■ Not a military alliance, but stating that France and USSR both see
Germany as a threat
■ Pop Front - working with non-communists to avoid the threat of
fascism, which is worse
● Hitler signed this pact because he + German military wasn’t ready to attack
poland, and this pact temporarily secures that easter border
○ Weakened French-supported Little Entente
○ Looked like statesmanship, and that Hitler was a peacemaker
● Hitler considered it temporary
Austria 1934
● June 1934, unsuccessful meeting w/ Mussolini and Hitler
● Hitler wanted support for Anschluss; Mussolini decline as he wanted Austria as
a buffer against Germany
● Hitler supported Austrian Nazi Party, who led campaign of terror and
eventually assassinated Austrian Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss
○ Italy blocked this potential Anschluss by putting troops there, signaling
that Italy didn’t want Anschluss
● Hitler decided to back off and not alienate Mussolini because he didn’t want a
military conflict against Italy
, ● Austrian Nazi party banned
Saar Plebiscite
● Saar, a coal and iron rich region under French control (per Treaty of Versailles)
since 1919
● Hitler held a plebiscite in January 1935
○ Plebiscite - a vote on a question, often yes or no
■ Should the Saar be returned to Germany?
● Should it stay the same, go to France, or the Germany
■ Germany legally did this plebiscite through LoN
■ 90.9% voted they wanted to be a part of german, so Saar was
returned to Germany
● Propaganda win for hitler
■ Hitler felt confident enough to begin conscription, March 1935
● Germany is supposed to be demilitarized, so this is a treaty
violation
○ Prompted the Stresa Front, but no action
Anglo-German Naval Treaty
● June 1935: Anglo-German Naval Treaty signed
○ Treaty violation
○ German Navy limited to 35% of the size of British Navy
■ Ensures Britain security, and allows Germany to somewhat legally
build up their navy
● Neville chamberlain - associated with appeasement
● Britain: saw a diplomatic victory acknowledged germany’s legit grievance but
limited it to a permanent advantage
● France and italy: seen as betrayal of the new Stress Front. Treaty was violated
and bypassed; Britain has allowed Germany to rearm
Rearmament and Remilitarization of the Rhineland
● Germany never really obeyed disarmament articles of TofV
○ Rapallo Treaty
● 1935: army went from 7 divisions to 21, then 36 with conscription (½ million
men)
