Assess the aims and nature of Nazi Foreign policy to September 1939

The aims and nature of Nazi Foreign policy up to September 1939 were ambitious yet hostile to others in nature, ultimately derived from Hitler’s worldview in creating a perfect German society. The ultimate aim of the policy centered on the destruction of the Treaty of Versailles, strategically set to be achieved through long and short-term goals. Territorial expansion and the desire for a racially pure Germany were encompassed in the long-term view of Nazi Foreign policy, however to achieve this, Hitler realised that he would first have to take smaller steps. This is observed through his establishment of the short-term goals of undoing the Treaty of Versailles and the creation of a GrossDeutschland. It is therefore conveyed that the aims and nature of Nazi Foreign policy were desirous in the nations ability to grow internationally, and unsympathetic in its nature and determination in an attempt to achieve this.

The long-term goal of territorial expansion was highly linked to the Nazi aim of Lebensraum, which had a possibility of success before war broke out through the peace seeking façade of Germany. This idea is stated in the 3rd point of the Nazi program, ‘We demand land and territory to feed our people and to settle our surplus population’. The nature in which this was to be achieved by Hitler was through deceit and manipulation of other nations, in order to present a ‘changed’ Germany, thus allowing the nation to gain more freedom and be rightly looked upon by countries such as Britain and France. For example, this is observed through Hitler giving numerous speeches calling for peace and international cooperation, which subsequently evoked a positive response from Britain, looking upon the Nazi Regime admirably. Additionally, this is observed through forming alliances and pacts with