Revision of Versailles and Diplomatic Gains (1933–1936)
Hitler’s foreign policy aimed to overturn the Treaty of Versailles, unite all ethnic Germans in a Greater Germany, and secure Lebensraum in Eastern Europe.
Early moves were cautious to avoid provoking Britain and France, while secretly beginning rearmament in 1933.
The Saarland returned to Germany in January 1935 via a League-supervised plebiscite, with over 90% voting in favour.
In March 1935, Germany openly reintroduced conscription and expanded the army beyond the 100,000 limit, winning mass domestic approval.
The remilitarisation of the Rhineland in March 1936, conducted with only 22,000 troops, met no military resistance from France or Britain and boosted Hitler’s prestige.
Propaganda presented these moves as peaceful national justice, reinforcing Hitler’s image as a skilful statesman.
Case study
Remilitarisation of the Rhineland (1936)
Conducted with only 22,000 German troops in violation of Versailles.
France had 100,000 troops nearby but did not act, partly due to political divisions and reliance on Britain.
Hitler later admitted he would have ordered a retreat if France had opposed the move.
Propaganda celebrated it as a bold stand for sovereignty, increasing Hitler’s popularity at home.
Marked a turning point, as it emboldened further revisionist steps without fear of Allied intervention.
Expansion and Alliance Building (1936–1939)
The Rome–Berlin Axis was signed in October 1936, aligning Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany.
The Anti-Comintern Pact (1936) with Japan, later joined by Italy, signalled ideological unity against communism.
The Anschluss with Austria in March 1938 incorporated 7 million people and key resources into the Reich; it was celebrated with massive public rallies.
The Munich Agreement (September 1938) handed Germany the Sudetenland without war, furthering Hitler’s claims of “self-determination” for ethnic Germans.
Public opinion in Germany reached record levels of support for Hitler after these territorial gains.
Pact-Making and Road to War (1939)
Hitler’s invasion of Czechoslovakia in March 1939 convinced Britain and France that appeasement had failed, leading them to guarantee Polish independence.
The Nazi–Soviet Pact (August 1939) secretly divided Eastern Europe into German and Soviet spheres of influence, ensuring the USSR would not oppose Germany’s invasion of Poland.
This non-aggression pact shocked the world, as Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union were ideological enemies.
On 1 September 1939, Germany invaded Poland, triggering Britain and France’s declarations of war two days later.
The pact allowed Hitler to avoid a two-front war in the early stages of the conflict.