Annexation of the Germanic countries Administrative divisions of Nazi Germany

the nazi racial categorization of ethnic groups of europe classified northern europeans, closely related germans (itself considered single nationality of swiss , austrians nothing sub-regional identities @ best) such dutch, flemings, danish, norwegians, swedish, , english part of superior aryan-nordic master race (herrenrasse). following integration of austria greater germany (großdeutschland), hitler decided follow same policy in future other countries regarded virtue of perceived racial qualifications belonging reich. meant low countries, @ least german-speaking parts of switzerland, liechtenstein , scandinavian states annexed larger greater germanic reich (großgermanisches reich) being broken smaller state , party administrative units, such denmark gau nordmark, , netherlands gau westland.

afterwards notion of these countries ever having been independent or separate rest of reich suppressed indefinitely. objective called inauguration of new period of rapidly enforced gleichschaltung, end result of aside local language dialects these countries become perfect duplicates of national socialist germany in political , social respects.

in addition intended revert western borders of germany france of late-medieval holy roman empire. strip of eastern france mouth of somme lake geneva (the so-called closed or forbidden zone of german occupied france) prepared annexed german reich reichsgau burgund, nancy (nanzig) capital.