c questions

A guide to answering C questions

Development Answers – Hitler and the origins of the Second World War.

Hilter’s Foreign Policy You will need to be able to describe the major factors that led to the outbreak of War in 1939. Ensure that you can answer the following;

Question; Which of the following were the greater danger to world peace?

The occupation of the Rhineland – 1936

Dangerous “The most nerve wracking 48 hours of my life” (Adolf Hitler) Hitler didn’t have the resources to fight back. It was a massive gamble – If he could win here….

German support for Hitler increased. Removed the possibility of German officers removing Hitler. A stand here would have removed Hitler and war would have been avoided.

Encouraged Hitler to make more gambles.

Britain and France allowed Hitler to break the Versailles Treaty – Why not break it elsewhere?

Not Dangerous German territory anyway. A ridiculous element of the treaty (Locarno 1925)

There was no support In Britain or France for a military confrontation over the Rhineland.

The Anschluss 1938

Dangerous Not Dangerous Germany yet again Germans and Austrians allowed to ignore are the same. Treaty Versailles. More forbidding union was encouragement to Hitler. ridiculous.

Strengthened Germany in There was no support In central Europe – Britain or France for a resources and men. After military confrontation two years of rearmament, over Austria Hitler is now getting stronger.

Hitler was able to bully another nation into submission. Encouraged him.

Showed that Hitler was manipulative and untrusting (plebiscite)

Hitler’s occupation of Czechoslovakia – 1939 Dangerous Hitler now taking non German territory – Clear act of provocation

Hitler is now heading Eastwards. Stalin is worried and needs to come up with a plan to either attack or make peace with Hitler.

This was the result of appeasement. It encouraged Hitler- This occupation proves that Hitler is now bold enough to invade eastern territories.

Not Dangerous Ends the policy of appeasement. Britain will now make a stand against any further action in order to stop German aggression – They make a promise to Poland, They have been made to look daft.

Makes the British people realise that Hitler cannot be trusted. They will support a War. This makes a war likely.

The Nazi Soviet Pact – 1939 Dangerous Makes invasion of Poland and war inevitable. Hitler now no longer fears a war on two fronts. Secures his eastern border.

Secures for Germany resources from Russia to fight a European War. Will allow time for Germans to prepare for an all -out War on the Soviet Union. They have the time to prepare and practise for the inevitable assault.

Not Dangerous None.

Summary

All of the events were dangerous and contributed to War. You can argue that all contributed.

Certainly appeasement encouraged Hitler but it can be argued that it allowed Britain the time to rearm. The British public were not willing to fight a War over territory issues. They were willing to fight a War once Hitler had deceived them.

However, according to Churchill, appeasement made an attack on Czechoslovakia inevitable. This would put Britain in a corner and lead to them guaranteeing Poland’s border. If the invasion of Czechoslovakia made War very likely, the last piece of the puzzle was the Nazi Soviet pact in August 1939. It made War inevitable.