I'm writing a research paper on WW2, and my topic question is "How did Hitler rise to power, and what did he do with his power?". I planned to talk about Blitzkrieg and propaganda, but I was also considered why he attacked so many neutral countries in the process of his Final Solution. I already know Hitler planned to attack Britain, but I can't find a source that tells me what neutral countries provided him and what his ultimate goal was (besides attacking Britain).
Please let me know if this is unclear.
It would be well worth your time to explore the value of labor, resources, and industry in occupied territories.
I would recommend checking out The Wages of Destruction by Adam Tooze and War and Economy in the Third Reich by Overy. The former deals with the entire history of economy of Nazi Germany, so some of it is irrelevant, but if I recall correctly it did address output in occupied territories. As always, for projects like this you don’t need to read the entirety of the books (though they are both worth reading! I loved Wages of Destruction).
It would be well worth your time to explore the value of labor, resources, and industry in occupied territories.
As well as seconding the recommendation echoed here by u/RunFar87, and their reading recommendations as well, allow me to point you in the direction of two more source which contains vital (yet concise) information on Hitler's decision to invade such neutral territories. That source is none other than Robert Alexander Clarke Parker's The Second World War: A Short History, whilst giving in the span of a few very short chapters the origins of the war ideologically, as well as touching on the seemingly sudden desire to invade neutral countries.
Another wonderful resource if you can get a hold of it is Stephen Fritz's The First Soldier: Hitler as Military Leader. This is a more in-depth look at the actual influence of the Fuhrer on his war aims and how they evolved before 1939 and even as the war continued onwards. He gives particular attention to Denmark, Norway, and Vichy France, which might be helpful in your research paper.
Let me know if you have any further questions or just pm me directly for an overview of the role of occupied neutral countries as well.
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