Hitler's Foreign Policy

Before Hitler could become such an influential dictator, he needed to find his opportunity to infiltrate the political minds of Germany. Hitler’s first opportunity was in the Presidential Election of 1932 against Paul von Hindenburg. Unfortunately Hitler did not win the presidency, but this was not a total lost for him. The election revealed to Hitler that he was in fact very well received and liked by the majority of Germans, it also revealed the popularity and growth of the Nazi party. Hitler’s break through opportunity came when he was appointed as Reich Chancellor. Franz von Papen hoped by making Hitler chancellor it would “Box him in with his aristocratic conservative ministerial crew” (41). Contrary to what Papen believed, Hitler took …show more content…
Germany as a whole was going through trying times, and Hitler became the person who reinstated nationalism to the country during that time. In 1933, when Hitler became Reich Chancellor, Germany was going through an economic depression and six million people were unemployed. By 1936, Hitler created full employment for Germans with stable wages/prices and without inflation. In times of economic depression, people begin to lose their trust in their country and they look to someone who would help bring a change. For example, in the American Depression of 1929, Franklin Roosevelt helped renew the spirit of the country. As a result the nation began to trust in Roosevelt ideas for a better America. The same example applies to Hitler. Although these were two separate men with different ideologies, Hitler idea to create employment made the nation grow more supportive. Germany went from being helplessness and hopelessness to confident and self-assured (19). Under Hitler, “there was a great deal of vertical movement upwards and downwards, an intermingling of classes and a breakup of class barriers (26). Adolf Hitler also made a positive movement to emancipate women, a progressive leveling of sexual discrimination in the legal system and the employment world (26). On a military aspect, Hitler successfully re-militarized and rearmed Germany during the first six years of his rule. When Hitler was Reich Chancellor, Germany had an army of 100,000 men with no modern weapons and no air force (20). By 1938, Germany would have the strongest military and air power which would radically change the balance of power in Europe. The successful victories where due to Hitler’s innovated ideas to create new army formations. Although many military experts where opposed, Hitler continued to impose his ideas. In the end, his formation became a success in battle and “they were subsequently