Nazi Germany 1. How were the Nazis able to come to power? 2. How were the Nazis able to achieve total control?
Review: How Were the Nazis Able to Come to Power? Use of terror – S.A. 2. Jews as scapegoats for problems in Germany 3. Fear of Communism – burning of the Reichstag 4. Appeal to Nationalism – Lebensraum
5. Propaganda – to control the masses, create mass hysteria 6. Hitler – Orator: strong/passionate leadership figure 7. Offered simple plan to restore economy
8. Great Depression: Created unemployment = rise of extreme parties Frightened people who did not want 1923 repeat 9. Treaty of Versailles – Nazis promised to restore German prestige and get rid of T of V
2. How were the Nazis able to achieve total control?
Nazis - Final Steps to Total Control February 1933: After passing the Enabling Act, Hitler eliminates freedom of speech and freedom of the press. May 1933: Trade unions abolished. Replaced by the German Labour Front, a Nazi dominated group. July 1933: All political parties outlawed (Communists had been outlawed in February).
1933: Joseph Goebbels appointed Minister for Propaganda: Controlled and censored art, literature, theatre, films, radio, and the press. 1933 onwards: Hitler Youth, League of German Maidens established Youth “groups” > children were subjected to a steady diet of Nazi propaganda
June 1934: Night of the Long Knives: Hilter murders internal challengers/threats to his control > Ernst Roehm, leader of the Brownshirts (S.A.) Results: > Hitler won support of the regular army who were worried that Rohm and the S.A. were going to take over the regular army. > Rid himself of the Nazi party“socialists”. > S.S. under Himmler replaced S.A. under Roehm.
August 1934: Hindenburg dies August 1934: Hindenburg dies. Hitler abolishes titles of Chancellor and President. Pronounces himself Fuhrer or leader of Germany.
Hitler’s Ministers: Herman Goering: Minister of the Air and organizer of the first Gestapo Dr. Josef Goebbels: Minister of Propaganda Heinrich Himmler: Chief of the S.S. * S.S. (short for Shutzstaffel) formed in 1929, was an elite protective squadron. Membership based on height, looks, complexion, facial structure and racial background.
Hitler and the Nazi Economy at Work: - Firms only allowed to produce what the gov't wanted (raw materials for production came only from the gov't) - focus on heavy industry production > arms production
-After 1933: Hitler and the Nazi party stimulate economy and bring prosperity to Germany. How? Spend on military 1934:Germany begins rearming 1935: Conscription Developed an airforce: Luftwaffe By 1939: 16x more $ spent on military than in 1933
Military Expenditure 1933-39 (from DeMarco p.101) Figures in millions of marks 1933 1 900 1934 1 900 1935 4 000 1936 5 800 1937 8 200 1938 18 400 1939 32 300 - Men employed producing weapons and on large public works schemes (building cheap housing for workers & autobahns) mean that unemployment is solved.
1936 Berlin Olympics
- Brief period leading up to games, Hitler eased attacks on Jews - Anti-Semitic posters removed; anti-Jewish papers disappeared - A couple Jews allowed to compete for Germany - Succeeded in boosting Hitler's image abroad - Germany won most medals - Foreign visitors saw only evidence of Germany's miraculous recovery - Once visitors left, persecution began again