Adolf Hitler Führer of Germany

Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler Dictator of Germany (1933-1945) World War I Veteran and Domestic Spy Creator of “Nazism” Master of spirit control through nationalism Elimination of racial/ethnic minorities Development of national pride

Childhood Born in Austria (4/20/1889) Baptized Catholic Abusive father – who is said to be half Jewish. High school dropout Denied admission to the Imperial Art Academy twice Lived off inheritance from his dead father Listened to anti-Semitic lectures Semitic = relating to or denoting a family of languages that includes Hebrews, Arabic and Aramaic and certain ancient languages such as Phoenician and Akkadian, constituting the main subgroup of the Afro-Asiatic family. https://www.google.com/search?q=what+is+a+semite&oq=what+is+a+semite&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l5.1507j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#q=what+is+a+semitic

Youth Angry Veteran: Moved to Munich, Germany Joined the Army for WWI Ran notes and got gassed Earned rank of corporal Awarded two “Iron Cross” medals for bravery Blamed Jews and the Weimar Republic (which called for the ceasefire and surrender) for Germany’s loss

Rise to Power Hired by the army to spy on “domestic threats” Spied on then joined and led the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (“Nazi” for short) Copied Mussolini’s Fascists “Brown Shirts” Gang Adopts the swastika to tie his ideas to pre-history

Rise to Power Wrote Mein Kampf (My Struggle) while in prison for the Beer Hall Putsch. He argued that: “Aryans” (blonde hair, blue eyes) were genetically superior and should rule the world. Here’s how! Need to gain living space for population growth “Lebensraum” Need to eliminate Communism and Judaism Need to eliminate or enslave “inferior or subhuman races” Need to get revenge for the Treaty of Versailles

Rise to Power Inflation, Depression, Desperation: Weimar Republic Seen as a Failure… …because it agreed to T. of V. and printed money to pay bills (1920s) Great Depression Stops Recovery… …and made more people sad, angry, and unemployed (1929) Nazi Party Offers an Alternative… …that spoke to the people’s desperate desire for action (1932) Nazi Party Gains Popularity

Appeal of Hitler Germany was in the midst of an economic depression with hyper-inflation Hitler was a WW I hero who talked about bringing glory back to the “Fatherland” He promised the rich industrialists that he would end any communist threat in Germany Constantly blamed Jews for Germany’s problems, not the German people. Hitler was an excellent public speaker. POWER

Use of Power Paranoid: Used Multiple Organizations to Maintain Control German Names Translations (Nicknames) Purpose (Focus) Sturm Abteilung (SA) Storm Troopers (Brown Shirts) Attack opponents of the Nazi Party with violence Schutzstaffel (SS) Protection Squad Protect Hitler from political rivals and violence Gestapo Secret Police Enforce immediate obedience to the laws with violence

National > Individual Maintenance of Power Totalitarian: Body Mind Spirit Control of the government and enforcement of laws and punishments Propaganda (Posters and films, ex: “Triumph of the Will”) Eliminate religious, ethnic and political minorities (Holocaust) Control of the economy and decisions about natural resources and work Censorship (Book Burnings) (Gov. Controlled Media) New flag, logo and symbols to represent Germany Beating and killing opponents through SS, SA, Gestapo Indoctrination Hitler Youth (Boys) League of German Girls National > Individual identity

The word swastika comes from the Sanskrit svastika, which means “good fortune” or “well-being." In the beginning of the twentieth century the swastika was widely used in Europe. It had numerous meanings, the most common being a symbol of good luck and auspiciousness (promise of something good). However, the work of Schliemann soon was taken up by völkisch movements, for whom the swastika was a symbol of “Aryan identity” and German nationalist pride To this day it is a sacred symbol in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. It is a common sight on temples or houses in India or Indonesia.

http://www.simplypsychology.org/Sigmund-Freud.html

Fascism in Europe Rises reading packet What are some characteristics of Fascism (there are more than 5)? What type of people would support fascism? How are Mussolini and Hitler similar? Why did Germans at first support Hitler? What is Kristallnacht? Why did, “many Europeans saw dictatorship as the only way to prevent instability?”