Hitler\'s \"Drive to the East\"

Hitler's "Drive to the East" from 1938 to 1941. Given his plans for a The Second World War is and has always been a much discussed topic, as it is very difficult for humankind to ignore a battle that has reached global proportions mainly because of one man. In 1939 it had been certain that Hitler would bring along a great deal of trouble to the rest of the world, regardless if certain important actors would or would not interfere with the actions performed by the Axis powers. From the beginning of his campaign related to seizing parts of Eastern Europe intended to serve as living spaces for the so-called superior German race, Hitler did not display a threatening character towards any of the countries in the west. However, given the fact that he perceived them as impediments in his way towards making the word a better place for his countrymen, he chose to use his Blitzkrieg fighting tactics against countries such as France, the Netherlands, and Belgium.

The Germans knew that they would encounter little resistance in Eastern Europe, especially given the fact that the Soviets had been on their side. However, the Nazis had also been aware that they would have little chances of succeeding as long as the western countries would not be put down.

Both France and Britain had displayed their weakness before Germany at the time when they witnessed Italy and the Nazis expanding across Europe and Africa without restraint. The western powers did not intervene in behalf of Czechoslovakia at the time when the Germans had decided to invade it, being aware that such an occurrence would nothing but the beginning of a war of great proportions. Even would that, matters changed significantly at the time when Germany invaded Poland and it became certain that the Nazi war machine had become a hazard for the whole world.

Concomitantly with the invasion of Poland and with the Allies declaring war on Germany, Hitler had raised his awareness relating to how his expansion had been pressured by the Allies. The military power owned by the Nazis proved its strength as the German troops had rendered the Maginot Line (then believed to be the strongest fortification in the world) ineffective, as the flanking technique that they employed had made the French defense appear to be extremely vulnerable. The military owned by the Allies had been no match for Hitler's military technology and the strategies that he used in 1940.

It would appear that Hitler decision to attack the countries in the west had not been purely strategic, nor had it solely had military purposes. Part of his decision had been strongly influenced by the fact that Germany had been virtually humiliated by several western powers consequent to the end of the First World War. Even though it had been clear that the armed forces possessed by French would have no chance of stopping the Germans, Hitler knew that the conquering of France would have a strong impact on Germany, and, on the whole world. While the Nazis did not necessarily express their desire to go to war against Britain, it had been obvious that the overall plans that Hitler had could not function without this occurrence.