Hitler's Aims & Allied Reactions (AQA GCSE History)

How did Europe react to the rise of Hitler? - Summary

In 1933, when Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany, many other European powers did not react to the news. Many leaders hoped that the Nazi Party would become more moderate once in power. They did not take Hitler's extreme ideology seriously at first. 

In Britain, the establishment of Hitler's dictatorship did not concern the government. The British were more focused on recovering the economy during the Great Depression.

France, sharing a border with Germany, was more scared of the rise of Hitler and his aggressive nationalism. However, the French were still recovering from the massive losses of the First World War and were not prepared to confront the new German regime directly. Some people wanted the government to be tougher on Hitler. However, more people were calling for caution and appeasement.

The USSR, under Joseph Stalin, immediately identified Hitler and Nazism as a threat. From 1933 onward, the USSR’s propaganda repeatedly warned about the dangers of Hitler's anti-communist beliefs. However, the USSR’s warnings were largely ignored or dismissed by Britain, France and other European powers. These nations saw the Soviet view as an overreaction.

 The rise of Hitler

• The Treaty of Versailles had a devastating impact on Germany

  • Reparations caused two economic depressions in a decade

    • One of these was the Great Depression

  • The German government continued to follow the treaty’s terms

    • This caused public resentment

  • Extremist parties like the KPD and the NSDAP gained support

• Hitler believed that, when he gained power, it was right to break the Treaty of Versailles because:

  • Some of the terms had already been reversed

    • For example, the Allies changed Germany’s reparations in the Dawes and Young plans

  • Other countries had not kept promises made in the Treaty of Versailles

    • The ‘Big Three’ agreed to the creation of the League of Nations

      • The League aimed to encourage worldwide disarmament

      • Countries like France refused to disarm

  • Hitler feared the power of the countries bordering Germany

    • France had already invaded the Ruhr in 1923

    • Germany had no air force and 100,000 soldiers. It could not defend itself

  • Hitler had public support

    • In July 1932, the Nazi Party received 38% of the vote

    • It became the biggest party in the Reichstag

    • By January 1933, Hitler became the Chancellor of Germany

Hitler's beliefs

• The German government arrested Hitler after he attempted the Munich Putsch in 1923

• While in prison, Hitler wrote Mein Kampf (‘My Struggle’)

  • Mein Kampf listed all of Hitler’s beliefs and aims for Germany

Hitler’s key beliefs for Germany

How did Hitler’s belief impact how he acted with the League of Nations?

• Hitler believed that the League was weak

  • The Manchuria Crisis showed Hitler that the League of Nations was slow to react

  • Japan left the League, showing that countries could ignore the League without consequences

• Hitler also had an aggressive foreign policy

  • No amount of punishment from the League would stop Hitler from reversing the Treaty of Versailles

  • If the League were to stand up to Hitler, he would ignore their sanctions

Reaction of Britain & France to Hitler

• People in Britain and France had a mixed reaction to Hitler

• Regardless of their opinion, many British and French citizens wanted their governments to focus on rearmament

  • The Great Depression meant that both governments could not afford to rearm in the early 1930s

  • These governments followed a policy of appeasement when dealing with Hitler

Reaction of the USA & the USSR to Hitler

• The USA and the USSR had two opposing attitudes towards Hitler:

• These opinions led to two different approaches to dealing with Hitler:

  • The USA did nothing to stop Hitler

    • They wanted no part in a war in Europe

  • The USSR focused on rapid industrialisation

    • He made the USSR stronger and more prepared for war

    • Stalin hoped that the Allies would reach out to form a new alliance. This did not happen