On September 1st 1939, Adolf Hitler invaded Poland and two days later, Britain and France declared war on Germany. This outbreak of war can be traced back to Hitler’s foreign policy, which was greatly responsible World War II. Hitler had always been very popular in Germany due to the economic success and the sense of pride Nazis instilled among the Germans. In 1923, Hitler wrote a book called Mein Kampf in which the basic principles of his foreign policy were formulated. Hitler aimed to destroy the Treaty of Versailles and make Germany great again, saying, “German misery must be broken by German steel.” His idea of Anschluss wanted to unite all Germans in a single country and Lebensraum aimed to acquire land for his Germans and create a German Empire in Eastern Europe. One of his main tactics was to use the threat of war to achieve his aims. In the words of Niall Ferguson, “Hitler wanted not merely a Greater Germany: he wanted the greatest possible Germany.” These aims were responsible for Hitler’s actions which led to WWII.
In his early years in power Hitler had to proceed with caution as his regime was viewed with great suspicion. In 1933 he protested at the fact that the Allies had not disarmed after WWI and Germany left the disarmament conference and the League of Nations, while subsequently Hitler intensified the programme of secret rearmament, therefore preparing for war and his later invasions. Hitler further began to dismantle the Treaty in 1935. After WWI, the Saarland had been placed under the control of the League of Nations for 15 years. In January of 1935, over 90% of the population voted to return to German control. This was a major propaganda boost for Hitler and in March he announced that Germany was to reintroduce conscription and create an army over half a million strong. He also planned to build up the Luftwaffe (air force) and expand the navy, all of which went against the treaty but was nevertheless popular in Germany. This would provide...