How successfully did Hitler achieve his stated aim of uniting all German-speaking peoples into one state by 1939? Explain your answer. [40]

This question asks you to evaluate how far Hitler succeeded in his stated aim of bringing all German-speaking peoples under one state. "How successfully" requires you to assess both achievements and limitations.

Successes in uniting German-speaking peoples:

• The Saar plebiscite (January 1935): Over 90 per cent of voters chose reunion with Germany, restoring this region to full German sovereignty after fifteen years of League of Nations administration.
• The remilitarisation of the Rhineland (March 1936) restored full German military control over a region that had been demilitarised under the Treaty of Versailles and Locarno Treaties. While this was about sovereignty rather than incorporating new populations, it reinforced German territorial integrity.
• The Anschluss with Austria (March 1938) brought approximately 6.5 million German-speaking Austrians into the Reich. This fulfilled a demand that dated back to 1919, when the Treaty of Versailles had prohibited Austro-German union. Although the Anschluss was achieved through military pressure and political intimidation, there was substantial popular support for union among Austrians.
• The annexation of the Sudetenland (October 1938), following the Munich Agreement, incorporated about 3 million ethnic Germans from Czechoslovakia into the Reich. This was justified on the grounds of self-determination for the Sudeten German population.
• The recovery of Memel from Lithuania (March 1939) restored a German-speaking territory to the Reich.
• These acquisitions significantly expanded Germany's territory, population, industrial capacity and strategic position.

Limitations and contradictions:

• The occupation of the rest of Czechoslovakia (March 1939) directly contradicted the claim that Hitler's aim was limited to uniting German-speakers. The incorporation of millions of Czechs under German rule could not be justified by national self-determination.
• Significant German-speaking populations remained outside the Reich, including communities in Poland, Romania, Hungary and the Baltic states. Full unification was never achieved.
• The invasion of Poland (September 1939), while partly justified by the situation of ethnic Germans in the Polish Corridor and Danzig, brought millions of non-German Poles under occupation. This further undermined the self-determination justification.
• The methods used were overwhelmingly based on military threats, diplomatic pressure and eventual invasion rather than genuine popular consent. Even where popular support existed (as in Austria), the process involved intimidation, rigged votes and suppression of opposition.
• The principle of self-determination was applied selectively and cynically. It was invoked to justify incorporating German-speakers but ignored when non-German populations were absorbed.
• Historians debate whether pan-German unification was a genuine aim or a pretext for broader territorial expansion. Hitler's long-term goals, as outlined in Mein Kampf, included Lebensraum (living space) in eastern Europe, which went far beyond uniting German-speakers.

How this question is marked (Paper 4, 40 marks):

• Level 5 (33-40): Balanced argument assessing both successes and limitations with specific evidence; evaluates whether the aim was genuinely achieved or was a cover for broader ambitions; sustained judgement.
• Level 4 (25-32): Both achievements and limitations discussed with detail; some evaluation.
• Level 3 (17-24): Detailed on successes or limitations, but not effectively balanced.
• Level 2 (9-16): Some relevant knowledge but limited analysis.
• Level 1 (1-8): Vague or general statements.

Examination approach: A strong answer goes beyond listing territorial gains to evaluate whether these gains genuinely represented the unification of German-speaking peoples or whether unification was a convenient justification for aggressive expansion. The occupation of Czech territories in March 1939 is the key turning point that reveals the true nature of Hitler's ambitions. A sophisticated conclusion might argue that Hitler achieved significant success in incorporating major German-speaking populations, but that his methods and the inclusion of non-German territories revealed that pan-German unification was partly a pretext for the broader goal of German domination of Europe.