Hitler’s Foreign Policy 1933 - 36
Summary
Between 1933 and 1936, Adolf Hitler began putting his foreign policy aims into action. Upon becoming Chancellor in 1933, he made clear his intention to overturn the Treaty of Versailles, which he viewed as a national humiliation. That same year, Germany withdrew from the League of Nations, signalling its refusal to be bound by international constraints.
Hitler’s early policies were cautious but calculated. In 1934, he attempted the Anschluss with Austria, but the plan failed after Italy, under Mussolini, mobilised troops to the Austrian border. This setback demonstrated that Germany was not yet strong enough to defy other powers openly.
By 1935, Hitler became bolder. He announced the reintroduction of conscription, directly violating the Treaty of Versailles. That same year, the Saar region voted in a plebiscite to rejoin Germany, a major propaganda victory that boosted Hitler’s confidence. He also signed the Anglo-German Naval Agreement, which allowed Germany to expand its navy to 35% of the size of Britain’s. This gave the impression that Britain was willing to tolerate some treaty violations.
In 1936, Hitler took his biggest risk yet: the remilitarisation of the Rhineland, a demilitarised zone under the Treaty. German troops marched in, and although France could have stopped them, neither France nor Britain acted. Hitler saw this as proof that the Western powers would not stand up to him.
Later in 1936, Hitler formed the Rome-Berlin Axis with Mussolini, marking the beginning of a formal alliance between Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. This strengthened Hitler’s position in Europe.
Between 1933 and 1936, Adolf Hitler began putting his foreign policy aims into action. Upon becoming Chancellor in 1933, he made clear his intention to overturn the Treaty of Versailles, which he viewed as a national humiliation. That same year, Germany withdrew from the League of Nations, signalling its refusal to be bound by international constraints.
Hitler’s early policies were cautious but calculated. In 1934, he attempted the Anschluss with Austria, but the plan failed after Italy, under Mussolini, mobilised troops to the Austrian border. This setback demonstrated that Germany was not yet strong enough to defy other powers openly.
By 1935, Hitler became bolder. He announced the reintroduction of conscription, directly violating the Treaty of Versailles. That same year, the Saar region voted in a plebiscite to rejoin Germany, a major propaganda victory that boosted Hitler’s confidence. He also signed the Anglo-German Naval Agreement, which allowed Germany to expand its navy to 35% of the size of Britain’s. This gave the impression that Britain was willing to tolerate some treaty violations.
In 1936, Hitler took his biggest risk yet: the remilitarisation of the Rhineland, a demilitarised zone under the Treaty. German troops marched in, and although France could have stopped them, neither France nor Britain acted. Hitler saw this as proof that the Western powers would not stand up to him.
Later in 1936, Hitler formed the Rome-Berlin Axis with Mussolini, marking the beginning of a formal alliance between Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. This strengthened Hitler’s position in Europe.
