Overview of Appeasement and Hitler's Foreign Policy (Causes of World War II)

Authors Avatar

Overview of Appeasement and Hitler’s Foreign Policy (Causes of World War II)

        On the whole, Hitler’s aggressive foreign policy coupled with Britain and France’s appeasement tactics resulted in the Second World War.  However, it should be noted that Britain and France cannot be blamed for truly causing the war, both powers just did not stop the true cause for war – Hitler.  Hitler’s ambitions were always to dominate the globe, and he was always preparing Germany for war, whenever that would be.  Hitler was successful in inciting war, through aggressive foreign policy that also exploited Britain and France’s appeasement.  Britain and France can be blamed in part for causing the war, since they caused Hitler to gain much needed confidence time and time again, but the direct cause would be Hitler’s actions.  

Historian P. M. H. Bell defends such an argument, claiming that World War II was “Hitler’s War,” yet the causation of the war can still be attributed (to an extent) to appeasement.  Orthodox views, such as Bell's, are also held by Keegan, Gilbert, and Wint/Calvoressi.  On the other hand lies the revisionist school of thought, where it is believed that Hitler did not cause the war by design.  A. J. P. Taylor argues that Hitler “stumbled” into the war by miscalculation, not premeditation.  A more extreme revisionist historian would be David Irving, who argues that Hitler was a “conventional, national leader who pursued conventional war aims by conventional means.”  In any case, herein lies the beauty in an otherwise ugly event – debate.  But let us examine the facts:

Join now!

        The first sign of retaliation following the Treaty of Versailles would be Germany’s withdrawal from the League of Nations, and the Disarmament Conference, in October 1933.  Hitler felt that Germany was being discriminated against, and consequently formed a Non-Aggression Pact with Poland, to avoid any possible war with her.  The Non-Aggression Pact, which was signed in January 1934, also weakened French security.  Evidently, Hitler has already been preparing for war, first in removing limitations on arms, and then in further securing Germany’s safety.

        In the weeks of March 1935, Hitler first announced that Germany’s air force, and then ...

This is a preview of the whole essay