Question :
Evaluate the successes and failures of one single-party state.
Adolf Hitler led his country for about thirteen to fifteen years. During his rule he made his aims very clear and specific. Though some historians may argue that Hitler's aims were unspecific and unsuccessful, there are many reasons to support that Hitler's rule was in fact mostly successful.
Hitler wanted the world to think he only wanted peace. He knew the other countries looked down upon his country, and in order to gain a place in the world he knew he had to make them believe his intentions to be good. One of the ways he did this was through making alliances with other countries, including Poland, Russia, and Italy.
In 1934 Hitler signed a Ten Year Non Aggression Pact with Poland. He did this because he knew the Poles and her allies were afraid that Germany would soon start to try and take back the German parts of the country. In order to make the Eastern world calm down, Hitler knew what he had to do. He agreed to not go to war with Poland or to have any sort of quarrel for ten years. This was definitely one of Hitler's greatest successes at the time. Britain took this pact as further evidence of his peaceful intentions, it ruined the French's Little Entente, which was mostly dependent on Poland, and it guaranteed Poland neutrality when Germany made actions against Austria and Czechoslovakia. Though this pact would end up broken in five years due to Germany's invasion, it can still be considered a success when it was first made. This pact made it possible in those five years for Hitler to continue building his military, navy, and country.
The Saar was returned to Germany (January 1935) after a plebiscite resulting in a 90% vote in favour. Though the plebiscite had been provided for at Versailles, Nazi propaganda made the most of the success, and Hitler announced that now all causes of grievance between France and Germany had been removed.
After World War One, Hitler and the rest of Germany believed they were mistreated in the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler took advantages of these negative feelings towards the treaty and made it a public aim to abolish the treaty.
Hitler’s first successful breach of Versailles came in March 1935 when he announced the reintroduction of a draft. His excuse was that Britain had just announced air force increases and France had extended their draft from 12 to 18 months (their justification was German rearmament). Much to their dismay, Hitler told his startled generals and the rest of the world that he would build up his peacetime army to 36 divisions (about 600,000 men). The generals need not have worried: although the Stresa Front (a planned alliance between France, Britain and Italy) condemned this violation of Versailles, no action was taken, the League was helpless, and the Front collapsed anyway as a result of Hitler’s next success, the militarising of the Rhineland.
The treaty of Versailles called for the demilitarization of the Rhineland. This was dangerous for Germans to not have a defense in place if France chose to invade through the Rhine. Hitler aimed to remilitiraize as soon as he could.
He took the opportunity in March of 1936. He sent a small army, small enough that if Britain or France reacted to the illegal action, Germany would have to retreat and suffer the consequences. Britain was completely unprepared to take any action. France would not do anything without British support, and Germany was backed up by Mussolini. Germany was able to militarize the Rhineland due to his decision to gamble. Historians argue that it was the conditions in the other countries that made this successful. But the fact of the matter is, the world knew it was going to happen. It was anticipated for years, the only question was when Germany would act. Hitler took the chance when he saw the opening.
Hitler allied himself with Mussolini when Italy invaded Ethiopia. This alliance would make German militarization of the Rhine more possible. If France had in fact acted, Germany would have had the support from Mussolini to succeed anyway. Hitler's choice to ally with Italy during the invasion of Ethiopia was looked down upon in the world, but it was a success of Hitler in the end.
Hitler and Mussolini made the alliance more concrete with the Rome - Berlin Axis. Japan and Germany also made an alliance at the same time, known as the Anti-Comintern pact that Italy would later join. Hitler's aim to ally himself with other countries succeeded.
Germany had many foreign policy aims. These aims were almost all successful at first, but due to poor planning the successes became failures. It is argued that because they became failures they were not at all successful. But when looked at with the time they were made and the immediate effect the aims had, they were successful. Germany also had many domestic policies that lasted throughout Hitler's rule.
The aims included Hitler Youth, the Law for the Enforcement of Marriage, the Hitler schools, improved work situations, and more. These all lasted throughout his rule and were supported by the country. The only reason why these aims would eventually fail was because of Germany's surrender in World War II.
Whatever the truth about his long-term intentions, Hitler began his foreign policy with a series of brilliant successes (one of the main reasons for his popularity in Germany). By the end of 1938 almost every one of Hitler’s aims had been achieved, without war and with the approval of Britain. Only the Germans of Poland remained to be brought within the Reich. Unfortunately, it was when he failed to achieve this by peaceful means that Hitler took his fateful decision to invade Poland. His domestic policies were also succeeding, but it would be Hitler's fatal mistake of invading Poland that would bring about his failure.
Evaluate the successes and failures of one single-party state.
Adolf Hitler led his country for about thirteen to fifteen years. During his rule he made his aims very clear and specific. Though some historians may argue that Hitler's aims were unspecific and unsuccessful, there are many reasons to support that Hitler's rule was in fact mostly successful.
Hitler wanted the world to think he only wanted peace. He knew the other countries looked down upon his country, and in order to gain a place in the world he knew he had to make them believe his intentions to be good. One of the ways he did this was through making alliances with other countries, including Poland, Russia, and Italy.
In 1934 Hitler signed a Ten Year Non Aggression Pact with Poland. He did this because he knew the Poles and her allies were afraid that Germany would soon start to try and take back the German parts of the country. In order to make the Eastern world calm down, Hitler knew what he had to do. He agreed to not go to war with Poland or to have any sort of quarrel for ten years. This was definitely one of Hitler's greatest successes at the time. Britain took this pact as further evidence of his peaceful intentions, it ruined the French's Little Entente, which was mostly dependent on Poland, and it guaranteed Poland neutrality when Germany made actions against Austria and Czechoslovakia. Though this pact would end up broken in five years due to Germany's invasion, it can still be considered a success when it was first made. This pact made it possible in those five years for Hitler to continue building his military, navy, and country.
The Saar was returned to Germany (January 1935) after a plebiscite resulting in a 90% vote in favour. Though the plebiscite had been provided for at Versailles, Nazi propaganda made the most of the success, and Hitler announced that now all causes of grievance between France and Germany had been removed.
After World War One, Hitler and the rest of Germany believed they were mistreated in the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler took advantages of these negative feelings towards the treaty and made it a public aim to abolish the treaty.
Hitler’s first successful breach of Versailles came in March 1935 when he announced the reintroduction of a draft. His excuse was that Britain had just announced air force increases and France had extended their draft from 12 to 18 months (their justification was German rearmament). Much to their dismay, Hitler told his startled generals and the rest of the world that he would build up his peacetime army to 36 divisions (about 600,000 men). The generals need not have worried: although the Stresa Front (a planned alliance between France, Britain and Italy) condemned this violation of Versailles, no action was taken, the League was helpless, and the Front collapsed anyway as a result of Hitler’s next success, the militarising of the Rhineland.
The treaty of Versailles called for the demilitarization of the Rhineland. This was dangerous for Germans to not have a defense in place if France chose to invade through the Rhine. Hitler aimed to remilitiraize as soon as he could.
He took the opportunity in March of 1936. He sent a small army, small enough that if Britain or France reacted to the illegal action, Germany would have to retreat and suffer the consequences. Britain was completely unprepared to take any action. France would not do anything without British support, and Germany was backed up by Mussolini. Germany was able to militarize the Rhineland due to his decision to gamble. Historians argue that it was the conditions in the other countries that made this successful. But the fact of the matter is, the world knew it was going to happen. It was anticipated for years, the only question was when Germany would act. Hitler took the chance when he saw the opening.
Hitler allied himself with Mussolini when Italy invaded Ethiopia. This alliance would make German militarization of the Rhine more possible. If France had in fact acted, Germany would have had the support from Mussolini to succeed anyway. Hitler's choice to ally with Italy during the invasion of Ethiopia was looked down upon in the world, but it was a success of Hitler in the end.
Hitler and Mussolini made the alliance more concrete with the Rome - Berlin Axis. Japan and Germany also made an alliance at the same time, known as the Anti-Comintern pact that Italy would later join. Hitler's aim to ally himself with other countries succeeded.
Germany had many foreign policy aims. These aims were almost all successful at first, but due to poor planning the successes became failures. It is argued that because they became failures they were not at all successful. But when looked at with the time they were made and the immediate effect the aims had, they were successful. Germany also had many domestic policies that lasted throughout Hitler's rule.
The aims included Hitler Youth, the Law for the Enforcement of Marriage, the Hitler schools, improved work situations, and more. These all lasted throughout his rule and were supported by the country. The only reason why these aims would eventually fail was because of Germany's surrender in World War II.
Whatever the truth about his long-term intentions, Hitler began his foreign policy with a series of brilliant successes (one of the main reasons for his popularity in Germany). By the end of 1938 almost every one of Hitler’s aims had been achieved, without war and with the approval of Britain. Only the Germans of Poland remained to be brought within the Reich. Unfortunately, it was when he failed to achieve this by peaceful means that Hitler took his fateful decision to invade Poland. His domestic policies were also succeeding, but it would be Hitler's fatal mistake of invading Poland that would bring about his failure.
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