Learning objective
Evaluate the extent to which Hitler's foreign policy contributed to the start of the war in Europe in 1939, considering key aspects such as the long-term effects of the Treaty of Versailles, the failures of the League of Nations during the 1930s, the justification of appeasement, the significance of the Nazi-Soviet Pact, and the reasons behind Britain and France's declaration of war on Germany in September 1939. Key topics include Hitler's foreign policy goals, rearmament, the Saar, the remilitarization of the Rhineland, the Rome-Berlin Axis and the Anti-Comintern Pact, German and Italian roles in the Spanish Civil War, the Anschluss with Austria, the crisis in Czechoslovakia and the Munich Agreement, and the Polish crisis leading to war.
Read the explanation, check the common trap, then practise with flashcards and questions.
Exam focus
- Read the explanation.
- Check key terms.
- Practise with linked questions.
Cambridge IGCSE HistoryCore content: Option B