Hitler and the Rise of Nazi Germany Chapter 13 Section 5

Hitler and the Rise of Nazi Germany I. The Weimar Republic’s Rise and Fall At the end of WWI, Germany was on the brink of chaos Kaiser (German name for king) Wilhelm abdicated or stepped down (unpopular) Germany was then forced to face the Treaty of Versailles head on and accept the blame for WWI A new German govt. was created it was called the Weimar Republic and it was lead by a…. CHANCELLOR- prime minister The republic faced severe problems from the start

Hitler and the Rise of Nazi Germany Weimar Republic weak from the start Lots of in-fighting in the new govt.; the new govt. was blamed for the signing of the Treaty of Versailles German Jews blamed for both economic and political problems in Germany In 1923, Germany fell behind in war reparation payments As a result, France occupied the coal-rich RUHR VALLEY German workers refused to work under the French occupation To solve the problem, the Weimar Republic printed money to continue to pay the workers Soon inflation hit (so much money it no longer had value) The German Mark became almost worthless 84,000 fifty-million mark notes = $1 US

Hitler and the Rise of Nazi Germany With help from the Western powers (Britain, France and the U.S.) inflation brought back under control War reparations were reduced to help Germany get back on their feet France withdrew from the Ruhr Valley Germany slowly recovers then…. The Great Depression will hit Germany; reviving Germany’s memories of misery

Hitler and the Rise of Nazi Germany II. Nazi Party Rise to Power Adolf Hitler born in Austria in 1889 Age 18 he moved to Vienna There he learned many of his racial views towards Jews, Serbs, Poles, and other groups (Non-Germans) Fought in WWI (Germany) Like most Germans, he blamed the Weimar Republic for the countries problems post WWI After the war, he joined a political party and became involved in politics Within a year, he became leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party

Hitler and the Rise of Nazi Germany Hitler organized like Mussolini did, a combat squad called “storm troopers” Later called the Gestapo, then the “SS” Wrote a book, “Mein Kampf” (My struggle) In it, Hitler talks of extreme nationalism, racism, and anti-Semitism (hatred of Jews) Describes Germans as the “Master Race” Blames the Jews for the horrible condition of Germany Calls for all Germans to unite into one great nation Also calls for “Lebensraum” or living space (Germany must expand and become bigger)

Hitler and the Rise of Nazi Germany Hitler’s first attempt to take power fails Called the Beer Hall Putsch of 1923 Poorly planned and led; Hitler arrested and sent to jail; treason A year later he was released from prison Got back into politics The Great Depression then hit Germany (poor and chaotic times) That gave Hitler his chance

Hitler and the Rise of Nazi Germany His National Socialist German Workers Party (NAZIS) became more and more popular Promised to end war reparations, create jobs and defy the Treaty of Versailles by rearming Germany Hitler was an excellent speaker and was a symbol of power and strength in a time of German weakness People flocked to him….by 1933 Hitler was voted Chancellor of Germany through legal means

Hitler and the Rise of Nazi Germany III. The Third Reich Controls Germany Once in office, Hitler and the Nazi’s sought to consolidate all power inside and outside of govt. Hitler called for a renewed sense of nationalism Under Hitler, Germany formed what was called the…. THIRD REICH- German master race that would dominate Europe for 1,000 years Like Mussolini and Stalin, Hitler took complete control of his citizens everyday life

Hitler and the Rise of Nazi Germany He created jobs by building houses, highways, and replanting forests Rebuilt German military; stopped war reparation payments (Defying the Treaty of Versailles) Used his GESTAPO- secret police, to root out opposition and to maintain control Enemies and critics soon arrested and or killed Hitler then created the NUREMBURG LAWS- deprived Jews of German citizenship and place severe restrictions on them Had to wear the “Star of David” on their clothing, Jews could not marry non-Jews, could not attend German schools, and could not hold govt. jobs

Hitler and the Rise of Nazi Germany Kristallnacht or “nigh of the broken glass” came next (1938) Nazi-led mobs attacked Jewish communities all over Germany Goal was to eliminate Jews from German society….(Final Solution will come later) Hitler also created the “Hitler Youth” Indoctrinated young people with Nazi ideology; taught prejudice against the Jews, discipline, order and military techniques Women’s roles were limited like in Mussolini’s Italy

Hitler and the Rise of Nazi Germany Hitler also sought to replace religion with Nazi culture IV. Authoritarian Rule in Eastern Europe The rest of Eastern Europe (the countries carved out of old Russian, Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman and German Empires) also struggled after WWI Most of the countries were small and had very little in terms of natural resources or knowledge of the democratic process Inequality was rampant The Great Depression also affected them Strong ethnic rivalries Seen as easy / tempting targets for Hitler, Mussolini and Stalin to expand their countries….leads to WWII

Ingredients for a Totalitarian State Cake!! Single-party DICTATORSHIP with blind obedience to a SINGLE LEADER STATE CONTROL OF ECONOMY Use of POLICE SPIES AND TERROR to enforce the will of the state Government control of the media to indoctrinate and control citizens through PROPAGANDA Use of schools and youth organizations to spread ideologies to children **INDOCRINATE THE YOUTH Strict CENSORSHIP of artists, writers, and intellectuals with dissenting opinions

Mix well and bake at 350* for a scrumptious TOTALITARIAN STATE CAKE!!