What motivated the Third Reich to annex new territory?

Answer 1

Otto the Great united a number of German speaking, Germanic kingdoms and formed the "First Reich" ( Most of what is present day Germany, Czech, Slovakia, most of Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.) After the fall of the second Reich at the end of the First World War under the conditions of the Treaty Versailles most Germans had the impression that these territories were taken from them and wanted them back. Why they wanted them back?

There was the prevailing impression that the severity and effect of the Great Depression upon the German people was partially caused by the break up of the former Imperial Germany.

Answer 2

Hitler claimed that the Third Reich needed 'Lebensraum' or 'Living Space'. But Hitler used nationalism to reunite those parts of Germany that the Treay of Versailles had stripped away from Germany.

Hitler also used territorial expansion to further expand his racial theories - to rid Europe of 'untermenshen' or sub-humans - the jews. Hitler's invasion of the rest of Czechoslovakia and then Poland - where there were no Germans marks the beginning of a expansion to put into place Nazi racist ideology.

The extent to which Hitler wanted to rebuild a greater Germany - which included all territories that were under German control either during the Second Reich or under the Holy Roman Empire can be debated. Poland and Russia were never 'German' - unless it was part of some bizarre fantasy to relive the empire of the Knights Templar - but Hitler was too smart for that.

Personally - i think Hitler was a meglomaniac that needed to continually push the boundaries with bigger and better triumphs for fear that the German people would just simply get bored of him and he would be just another statesman.

Success at Munich just pushed Hitler to greater extremes and he didnt know how to stop. But depends on how much credence you give to the 'Lebensraum' and racial theories as the reasons behind German expansion.

Maybe he was just insane.

Answer 3

Define "new." 'Anschluss' was the reasoning behind much of the pre-fighting annexation, and it consisted of reuiniting the German-speaking peoples into one state. This meant clipping off portions of the nations created by the Versailles Treaty after World War I. This problem was tackled by the Russians after WWII when they moved Poland's borders significantly westward, and gave the boot to German speakers who lived in Prussia (now Poland) and Poland.

Answer 4

Marxism/Socialism/Communisn destroys wealth, not creates it, so in order to feed a ravenous economy and building war machine you need constantly increasing resources and wealth, oh and coastal ports for your imperial navy. This is why China swallowed Hong Kong and is now gazing hungrily at Taiwan, which one of their generals has referred to as "a stepping stone across the Pacific". It's also why every country between them and the Middle East oilfields is in turmoil.

Answer 5

did no longer europe, germany specially, ignite WW2 and the 0.33 reich? Or have we become so pc we won't be able to hold socialist europe in charge for something anymore? it rather is often united statesa.'s fault

Answer 6

Greed

Answer 7

Imperialism. Hitler dreamt of an empire like the USA or the Soviet Union incorporating all the adjoining states.

Answer 8

POWER

What motivates anyone to do anything, the result of the effort equals more than the effort.

Answer 9

Most of it was originally 'German' or was part of the 'Hapsburg' Empire.('Austria'-german speaking).WWI ended that.
One thing that is inarguable:history is written by the winners.