Outline
Examine the impact of the foreign policy of two authoritarian states on the maintenance of
power in those states.
Introduction:
Used both in Nazi Germany and PRC
In Germany – Hitler pursued an expansionist and aggressive foreign policy which was
populist as it aimed to revise the treaty of Versailles and to acquire living space, lebensraum,
for Germans in the east
Mao also used it to consolidate power – his approach essentially nationalist – insisted that
Communism in China must take its character from the Chinese situation, Mao had clashes
with the USSR because of his Sino-centric views of Marxism , also clashes with the US –
USA was fighting against the Domino theory – harsh feelings from the Vietnam war, and
especially the ideological divide between the capitalist and Marxist system they each
represented, Mao presented it in such a way that the Chinese people though that the fact that
the US is “afraid” of them, makes them a powerful country
Both states used foreign policy as an effective tool of propaganda and a justification for
internal purges of opposition
Paragraph 1
Hitler – pursued populist foreign policy objectives to foster and maintain control the
use of apparent “diplomatic” means garnered support for the regime
from his inception in power in January 1933, Hitler used the “notion” of an unjust peace
to challenge the Treaty of Versailles – he and his entourage left the Geneva disarmament
conference in 1933 claiming the conference was pointless as France had rejected Nazi
calls for it to reduce its armed forces in line with post- settlement German limitations
EXTREMELY POPULAR move in Germany, citizens particularly haunted by the
French aggression in 1923 in the Ruhr and desirous of revenge on the victors
1935 Hitler announced conscription and existence of Luftwaffe – directly flouting the
treaty AGAIN EXTREMELY POPULAR MOVE as it challenged the victors that had
tried to crush Germany
“diplomatic policies” – signed a non-aggression pact with Poland in 1935, and with Italy
in 1936 , September 1938 – the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia (Hitler negotiated it)
This again was an incredibly popular step as Germany was against another armed
conflict and the Munich Agreement was hailed as a triumph for the “peacemakers”
The use of apparent diplomacy undermined opposition to Hitler at home and rendered
the planned coup against his regime – should there have been a move to war over the
Czech crisis – redundant
His final act of diplomatic audacity was the Nazi-Soviet pact in August 1939 which
secured Germany from the threat of a two front war in the case of a conflict over Poland
EACH DIPLOMATIC VICTORY STRENGHTENED HIS POSITION
DOMESTICALLY AND SECURED THE MAINTENANCE OF NAZI CONTROL
Paragraph 2 – hitler
HITLER ALSO PRESENTED HIS AIMS AND ACTIONS IN FOREIGN POLICY AS
IDEOLOGICALLY MOTIVATED WHICH STRENGHTENED SUPPORT FOR HIS
REGIME AND UNDERPINNED THE MAINTENACE OF CONTROL
1936 – anti- comintern pact with Japan and Hitler raged against the threat posed by
Soviet communism in his speeches
Examine the impact of the foreign policy of two authoritarian states on the maintenance of
power in those states.
Introduction:
Used both in Nazi Germany and PRC
In Germany – Hitler pursued an expansionist and aggressive foreign policy which was
populist as it aimed to revise the treaty of Versailles and to acquire living space, lebensraum,
for Germans in the east
Mao also used it to consolidate power – his approach essentially nationalist – insisted that
Communism in China must take its character from the Chinese situation, Mao had clashes
with the USSR because of his Sino-centric views of Marxism , also clashes with the US –
USA was fighting against the Domino theory – harsh feelings from the Vietnam war, and
especially the ideological divide between the capitalist and Marxist system they each
represented, Mao presented it in such a way that the Chinese people though that the fact that
the US is “afraid” of them, makes them a powerful country
Both states used foreign policy as an effective tool of propaganda and a justification for
internal purges of opposition
Paragraph 1
Hitler – pursued populist foreign policy objectives to foster and maintain control the
use of apparent “diplomatic” means garnered support for the regime
from his inception in power in January 1933, Hitler used the “notion” of an unjust peace
to challenge the Treaty of Versailles – he and his entourage left the Geneva disarmament
conference in 1933 claiming the conference was pointless as France had rejected Nazi
calls for it to reduce its armed forces in line with post- settlement German limitations
EXTREMELY POPULAR move in Germany, citizens particularly haunted by the
French aggression in 1923 in the Ruhr and desirous of revenge on the victors
1935 Hitler announced conscription and existence of Luftwaffe – directly flouting the
treaty AGAIN EXTREMELY POPULAR MOVE as it challenged the victors that had
tried to crush Germany
“diplomatic policies” – signed a non-aggression pact with Poland in 1935, and with Italy
in 1936 , September 1938 – the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia (Hitler negotiated it)
This again was an incredibly popular step as Germany was against another armed
conflict and the Munich Agreement was hailed as a triumph for the “peacemakers”
The use of apparent diplomacy undermined opposition to Hitler at home and rendered
the planned coup against his regime – should there have been a move to war over the
Czech crisis – redundant
His final act of diplomatic audacity was the Nazi-Soviet pact in August 1939 which
secured Germany from the threat of a two front war in the case of a conflict over Poland
EACH DIPLOMATIC VICTORY STRENGHTENED HIS POSITION
DOMESTICALLY AND SECURED THE MAINTENANCE OF NAZI CONTROL
Paragraph 2 – hitler
HITLER ALSO PRESENTED HIS AIMS AND ACTIONS IN FOREIGN POLICY AS
IDEOLOGICALLY MOTIVATED WHICH STRENGHTENED SUPPORT FOR HIS
REGIME AND UNDERPINNED THE MAINTENACE OF CONTROL
1936 – anti- comintern pact with Japan and Hitler raged against the threat posed by
Soviet communism in his speeches
