Hitler's ideal of Volk and Lebensraum linked into the treaty. By invading countries ( and breaking the treaty, ) he was uniting his fellow Aryans and creating more living space at the same time. These polices also linked into his racial views and also his beliefs the inferior races in the East did not deserve land.
Hugh Trevor-Roper claimed that Hitler’s Foreign Policy were outlined in ‘Mein Kampf’ and Hitler’s ‘Zweite Buch’. He claims that Mein Kampf was a “complete blueprint” of Hitler’s intentions, and that the second book had outlined a 5 stage plan: Undoing the Treaty of Versailles, gaining control of Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Poland, defeating France, invading Russia and defeating Great Britain or America for world domination.
“ Hitler's war aims are written large and clear in the documents of this reign”. Trevor-Roper also claimed Hilter’s objective was Lebensraum, particularly in Russia.
“ The creation of a revolutionary nationalist force able to conquer permanently ‘the great continental space ‘ of Russia”
He also insisted that Hitler consistently achieved the gaols he has set out. Another historian, Hauner, supports this:
“between 1919 and 1928 Hitler had already developed a certain set of ideas about Germanys future role in the world- the ‘Programme’ “
Again this Historian says that Hitler stuck to his goals.
On the other side of the argument, Taylor insists that Hitler was an opportunist:
“Hitler didn't make any plans- for world conquest or for anything else. He assumed that others would provide opportunities and that he would seize them”. An example of this is the Austrian Anschluss in 1938. Hitler benefited from Chamberlains belief in appeasement and Mussolini’s poor relations with Great Britain and France after the invasion of the Italians in Abysinna.
The main consensus however, is that Hitler didn't have a master plan but did have goals he set out to achieve, and manipulated situations around him to his advantage. This is of course a mixture of both theories. Both of these ideas can be found in the Hossbach Memorandum- a record of a meeting between Hitler, the foreign minister and military leaders in November 1937. The article shows us his long term Foreign policy goals but also of an admittance that he manipulated events, and was ready to be flexible with events changing in Europe. Masterplan evidence the memo shows a definite time for the war, the mention of force, the planning to overthrow Austria; “the annexation of...Austria would mean an acquisition of foodstuff...”, an identification of enemies Great Britain and France,and the general secretiveness of the meeting suggests planning. Opportunist evidence is clearly seen in the three contingency plans which looks at certain situations happening. Hitler was also aware in this meeting that problems could possibly happen in Britain and France, and he was hoping to expiate them. “ If internal strife in France should develop ..and render it incapable of use of war against Germany, then the time for action against the Czechs would have come”.
In conclusion, it was obvious that Hitler was aiming towards an undoing of the treaty of Versailles but it wasn’t the only thing he was interested in, and not his main priority . He was aiming towards a German power throughout Europe, and creating more living space for his Aryan nation. Historians agree that he had to plan these actions carefully but, not without space for tactical change to help him achieve his goals.
