Interpretation 1 — Hitler was an opportunist, not a master planner (A.J.P. Taylor): A.J.P. Taylor caused enormous controversy in 1961 by arguing that Hitler had no fixed programme for European domination. In Taylor's view, each step in Hitler's foreign policy was a response to opportunities created by others' failures — the Rhineland happened because France was in political crisis; Anschluss happened because the Austrian Chancellor miscalculated; Munich happened because Britain and France were desperate to avoid war. Hitler was "a politician in search of a programme," reacting rather than planning. Taylor argued the real responsibility for war lay with the appeasers who gave Hitler the opportunities.
Interpretation 2 — Hitler had a deliberate master plan (Hugh Trevor-Roper): Hugh Trevor-Roper insisted that Hitler had a consistent ideological programme laid out in Mein Kampf (1925) and confirmed by the Hossbach Memorandum (1937). The steps to war — Rhineland, Anschluss, Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia, Poland — were not opportunistic reactions but the deliberate execution of aims Hitler had stated publicly years before. Trevor-Roper argued that to treat Hitler as a conventional politician responding to circumstances was to fundamentally misunderstand the nature of Nazi ideology and the Holocaust that resulted from it.
Why do they disagree? Taylor and Trevor-Roper differ on whether Hitler's actions were driven by ideology or circumstance. This debate matters for AQA exam answers: Taylor's interpretation shifts blame towards the appeasers, making Chamberlain and the democratic powers more responsible; Trevor-Roper's interpretation makes Hitler the primary cause. The Hossbach Memorandum (1937) is the key piece of evidence — Taylor dismissed it as informal speculation; Trevor-Roper used it as proof of deliberate plans. The mainstream historical consensus today leans towards Trevor-Roper, but Taylor's emphasis on appeasement's enabling role remains significant for balanced essays.
This interpretations covers What Do Historians Think? within Steps to War for GCSE History. Revise Steps to War in Conflict and Tension 1918-1939 for GCSE History with 8 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This topic appears regularly enough that it should still be part of a steady revision cycle. It is section 6 of 13 in this topic. Use this interpretations to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Practice questions for Steps to War
In which year did Hitler remilitarise the Rhineland?
What was the result of the rigged plebiscite held after the Anschluss in March 1938?