Rise of Hitler & The Nazis Germany Rise of Hitler & The Nazis

Struggles in Germany After World War I, a new republic was created in Germany known as the Weimar Republic Had a parliamentary government Headed by a prime minister called the chancellor

The Weimar Republic Was made of many small and weak parties Some parties wanted reforms Pave the way for communism Others wanted to remain conservative Return to having a king

In need of a Strong Leader Most people felt that Germany had become weak Needed a strong leader in order to become a dominant world power again

Debt and Inflation Germany fell behind on paying their war reparations They printed huge quantities of paper money to pay off their debts This caused massive inflation and the Deutsche Mark became utterly worthless

***Dawes Act*** 1924–U.S. helped Germany recover from this inflation Implemented the Dawes Act Called upon France to withdraw their troops from Germany Allowed the U.S. to give Germany loans to aid in their recovery Germany began to recover

Great Depression But when the Great Depression hit the people wanted to avoid another crisis So they put their faith in Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler Born in Austria Moved to Germany and fought in the German army in World War I After the war he created the National Socialist German Worker’s Party, or NAZI party The party was organized into fighting squads called Brown Shirts or Storm Troopers

Mein Kampf Hitler attempted to take over Germany in 1923 but failed and was sent to prison While in prison he wrote Mein Kampf, or “My Struggle” Became the “bible” of the Nazi party Spoke of extreme nationalism, racism and anti-Semitism Also stated that the German people belonged to a master race of Aryans Had light skin Blonde hair and blue eyes

Anti-Semitism Hitler believed that the Jews were responsible for: Germany’s loss of World War I The economic problems of the time

Lebensraum To make Germany strong again it must expand to unite all German speaking people To do this “inferior people” like Slavs and Jews would need to give them more living space or Lebensraum

Hitler’s Promise Hitler promised the people an end to the Great Depression by: Putting an end to paying war reparations Giving people jobs Rearming Germany

Coming to Power The Nazis won more seats in the German congress, or Reichstag Hitler became the Chancellor of Germany through peaceful, legal means, just as Mussolini had done in Italy

Reforms Hitler: He also killed many of his own followers Ended civil rights Got rid of communists Outlawed all political parties except the Nazis He also killed many of his own followers To prevent any threat to his power, just as Stalin did in Russia

Hitler and the Third Reich Hitler followed in the footsteps of Mussolini by reminding the people of their past glories The First Reich – Holy Roman Empire Second Reich – United Germany in 1871 under Bismarck Third Reich – Hitler’s Germany that would dominated Europe for 1,000 years

Terror and Violence Hitler used totalitarian rule to achieve his goals, just as Mussolini had Used terror and repression to control all aspects of life The SS enforced Hitler’s will The Gestapo, or secret police, destroyed any opposition

Public Works & Rearmament To solve the Great Depression he put people to work: Building highways & housing Replanting forests He violated the Treaty of Versailles by: Producing arms Building up Germany’s military

Hitler Youth The Hitler Youth was created to indoctrinate children with racist ideology and to make them physically fit for war

Women Women were discouraged from working because they had to raise “pure Aryan children” Received rewards for having more children

Purging German Culture Schools and books were restructured to reflect Nazi ideology Nazi’s burned books they disapproved of at public bonfires

***Ridding Germany of its Jews*** 1935–the Nuremberg Laws were passed to place restrictions on Jews Couldn’t: Marry non-Jews Go to German schools Hold government office Practice law or medicine Publish books

Kristallnacht 1938–a German diplomat was shot by a Jew so Hitler used this as an excuse to attack all German Jews For two nights in November Nazi led mobs attacked Jews all over Germany Smashing windows Looting stores Burning synagogues

Kristallnacht (cont.) Jews were forced into the street to watch their homes be destroyed Those who resisted were beaten, arrested or killed Hitler made the Jews pay for the damage he created

“The Final Solution” He then sent Jews to concentration camps as enemies of the state Later the Nazis would plan the “Final Solution” to exterminate all Jews