406. The Nazis in Power: Hitler’s Road to War (Part 3)

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The episode argues that Hitler’s foreign policy from 1933 to 1937 was driven by an ideology of perpetual struggle, but also by economic desperation and opportunistic timing. Through calculated gambles—rearmament, treaty defiance, the Saar plebiscite, and especially the remilitarization of the Rhineland—he exploited Allied caution, German resentment, and domestic propaganda to strengthen his regime and make war increasingly likely.

Main Topics: Hitler’s ideology of struggle and war (Priority: 5/5): The hosts frame Hitler’s worldview as rooted in Mein Kampf’s social-Darwinist belief that nations and races must fight for survival, making war central rather than incidental to Nazi policy. Rearmament as political strategy and economic policy (Priority: 5/5): Hitler uses rearmament to restore German pride, create jobs, and prepare for conquest, while the regime’s economic model depends on future plunder to solve shortages of money, food, and raw materials. Allied weakness and appeasement (Priority: 5/5): Britain, France, and Italy repeatedly fail to coordinate a firm response, allowing Hitler to test limits and win major gains without military resistance. Domestic support and propaganda victories (Priority: 4/5): Each foreign-policy success is sold to Germans as national restoration, producing mass enthusiasm even among non-Nazis and some critics of the regime. The Rhineland as the decisive turning point (Priority: 5/5): The remilitarization of the Rhineland in March 1936 is presented as Hitler’s most dangerous gamble and his greatest early triumph, transforming Europe’s strategic balance. Toward the next phase: Austria and total war (Priority: 4/5): By late 1937 Hitler is convinced of his mission and turns toward Austria, while the regime’s four-year plan and Axis alignment signal a broader path to continental war.

Key Arguments: Hitler’s core belief was that life is perpetual struggle; war was not a tool but the essence of his politics. The Nazi regime deliberately linked economic recovery to rearmament, making conquest necessary to sustain the economy. German elites and many ordinary Germans supported revision of Versailles because it promised pride, security, and expansion. The Allies’ reluctance to risk another war repeatedly enabled Hitler’s incremental advances. The remilitarization of the Rhineland was militarily vulnerable but politically decisive because the French and British failed to act. Hitler’s successes convinced him of providence and emboldened him to pursue ever larger goals, including Austria and eventually wider war.

Data Points: German army size under Versailles: 100,000 men - The Treaty of Versailles limited Germany’s army to this size before Hitler’s rearmament push. Desired army size in 1935 memo: 23 divisions / about 300,000 men - General Ludwig Beck’s memo described the army’s preferred expansion target. Hitler’s announced army expansion: 36 divisions / more than half a million men - Hitler announced this rearmament plan on 16 March 1935. Saar plebiscite result: 91% - In January 1935, Saarland voters chose to rejoin Germany rather than remain under League/French control. British-German naval agreement: 35% - Britain allowed Germany a navy 35% the size of the Royal Navy. US vehicle ownership (1935): 20.5% - Used to contrast American motorization with Germany’s weak civilian car base. British vehicle ownership (1935): 4.5% - Part of the comparison showing Germany’s low car ownership. Irish vehicle ownership (1935): 1.8% - Part of the comparison showing Germany’s low car ownership. German vehicle ownership (1935): 1.6% - Illustrates how underdeveloped Germany’s civilian motor economy was. French response threshold: 1 division - The hosts argue even a single French division into the Rhineland would likely have forced Hitler to back down.

Pivotal Quotes: "Nature knows no political frontiers." — Adolf Hitler (quoted from Mein Kampf): Opening passage used to show Hitler’s worldview of struggle, survival, and racial competition. "the German Reich government has therefore from today restored the full and unrestricted sovereignty of the Reich in the demilitarized zone of the Rhineland." — Adolf Hitler: Hitler’s March 7, 1936 announcement of the Rhineland remilitarization. "for the German people, Hitler seemed to be achieving the unimaginable." — Ian Kershaw (quoted by the hosts): Describes the political impact of Hitler’s early foreign-policy successes.

Implications: The episode shows how appeasement, domestic propaganda, and economic militarization can let an aggressive leader convert limited gains into strategic momentum. It warns that early, low-cost resistance might have altered the course of events.