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CAUSES OF WW II IN EUROPE: HITLER’S WAR A Nazi election poster from the 1930s. “Break free now! Vote Hitler” - Winston Churchill asserted that Hitler had a master plan for the domination of Europe (Mein Kampf 1925-26). - He suggested that Hitler wanted to reunite Germans in a Great German Empire and conquer Eastern Europe by force which would lead to war. - In Churchill’s analysis, the turning point was 1935 when Germany rearmed. - Hitler had been temporarily blinded in a gas attack during WWI and, while in the hospital, he Heard of Germany’s surrender and was upset about it. - At that point he decided to go into politics. - German's commitment to make the reparation payments was limited. - In 1919 Hitler became the 55th member of the Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (DAP; German Worker’s Party.) In 1920 it was renamed the NSDAP (National Socialist German Worker’s Party) - By 1921 Hitler had become the leader of the party (Nazi Party) and set down a 25-point program. - The aims of the program were: 1. The union of all Germans. 2. Put an end to the Treaty of Versailles. 3. Creating a strong nation. 4. Creating a national army. 5. The exclusion of Jews from German society. http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/riseofhitler/25p oints.htm http://www.ushmm.org/propaganda/exhibit.html#/recor ds/data/records/25-point-program.xml - November 1923, Hitler and his Nazis attempted a coup d’état in Munich. - It failed and Hitler was in prison for 9 months. - Mein Kampf (My Struggle) is a mix of autobiography and political philosophy with racist and authoritarian theories. - There Hitler asserted the need for German racial purity and the absolute need to acquire “lebensraum”. - Andreas Hillgruber suggested the book was a “stage-by-stage plan”. - The first stage would be the termination of the Treaty of Versailles and the formation of an Alliance with Britain and Italy. - The second stage would be a war against France and her Eastern European allies. - The last stage would be a war with the USSR. - The Nazi party didn’t do well in the elections of 1928. - Hitler retreated to Berlin where he dictated the book known as the “Secret Book”, which historians see as further evidence of Hitler’s long-term ambitions. - In the book he suggests that in the 1930s a final struggle would take place for world hegemony between the USA and the combined forces of a Greater Germany and the British Empire. - He also wrote about his admiration for Mussolini and his anger towards the German Chancellor Gustav Stresemann. - Lebensraum, Hitler thought, was to be taken from the USSR. - The 1920s was a period of optimism in international relations. - Yet, the stability was fragile, and the weakness of the LoN had been tested and found wanting before Hitler came to power in Germany. - The mass unemployment and despair caused by the depression assisted Hitler’s rise to power. - Higher unemployment = higher popularity of the Nazi Party = Hitler came to power legally. - Even the president, General Von Hindenburg thought Hitler would be useful and that he could control him. - Criticism to Versailles made the public think Hitler would restore Germany’s international prestige. - 1933-1934: Hitler gained cooperation of the army and the industrialists. - His regime was totalitarian – the Nazis could gear domestic policy to meet the needs for its expansionist foreign policy. - Military conscription and rearmament would relieve mass unemployment. SHORT-TERM CAUSES OF WWII (1933-1938) - Hitler wanted to control “race and space” and his writing and speeches were consisting with this. - To achieve his goals, he took several actions: 1. Revising the Treaty of Versailles. 2. Militarizing the Rhineland. 3. Spanish Civil War 4. Anti-Comintern Pact 5. Hossbach Memorandum 6. Anschluss 7. Takeover of Czechoslovakia - In 1933, Hitler announced the Nazis wouldn’t resume the payments which was good propaganda and it didn’t cause major international frictions. - Hitler announced Germany was rearming. - Between 1934-35 Germany’s military expenditure increased 5 times compared to 1933-34. - Germany was preparing its economy for war while the other countries were still fighting the Great Depression. - In 1934, Germany and Poland signed the 10 Year Non-aggression Pact to secure the Eastern border. - Hitler was now seen as ultimately peaceful. - Germany-Austria’s unification (Anschluss) was forbidden. - Pro-Nazis in Austria (1934) murdered Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss and attempted a coup. Austria crushed it and Mussolini sent troops to warn Germany off. - In 1935, there was a plebiscite in Saar. 90% of the Saar people voted to be annexed again to Germany. - Hitler announced compulsory military service in Germany and the increase of his armament program. - Germany had an army of more tan 500,000 men and an air force. - The rest of the powers hoped that a revision of Versailles would satisfy the more moderate elements of German society. IMMEDIATE CAUSES OF WWII - Poland was Hitler’s next target. - Britain and France warned Germany that an attack on Poland would mean war. - The Nazi-Soviet Pact was signed.