Hitler and the Nazi Party In this lesson, students will be able to define the following terms: Adolf Hitler Nazi Party Human Rights Violations The Third Reich

In Germany, the leaders of the Weimar Republic were blamed for signing the Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War I.

Under the treaty, Germany was forced to pay huge reparations to Britain and France. The reparation payments led to a soaring inflation rate in Germany in the early 1920s. In 1930, the Great Depression spread to Germany.

More than one-third of Germans lost their jobs. The Weimar government could not cope with this catastrophe. People turned to more radical solutions.

on the leaders of the Weimar Republic. He Adolf Hitler was the leader of the Nazi Party. He published his main ideas in his book, Mein Kampf. In his book, Hitler blamed Germany’s problems on the leaders of the Weimar Republic. He urged Germans to abandon democracy.

Hitler believed that Germans were a superior “Aryan” race. He planned to wipe out Slavic peoples like the Poles to make room for Germans in Eastern Europe.

Hitler called the Jews an “evil race” that should be destroyed for causing Germany’s defeat in the war. He saw Communism as a Jewish plot to control the world.

Unable to cope with the Great Depression, Germany’s President appointed Hitler as chief minister in 1933. Hitler acted quickly to secure complete control of Germany by setting the Parliament on fire and blaming the Communists.

The German Parliament then agreed to Hitler’s request for emergency laws giving him absolute power. Almost immediately, Hitler used his new powers to crush all opposition.

Hitler called his government the Third Reich or Third Empire. He turned Germany into a totalitarian state. Hitler used his power to destroy all opposition.

Jews were persecuted. They lost their citizenship, were forced to wear yellow stars on their clothing, and were barred from marrying other Germans. They were also forced into concentration camps.

executed without trial. Rival political parties were closed. Human rights were suppressed. People were arrested and executed without trial. Rival political parties were closed. People were sent to concentration camps.

The Gestapo or Nazi secret police arrested opponents, who were thrown into concentration camps where they were mistreated, tortured, and killed.

Questions for Reflection: Who was Adolf Hitler and what did he believe? Why did many Germans blame the leaders of the Weimar Republic? How did the Nazis gain power? How did the Nazis violate people’s human rights? How did the Third Reich differ from the Weimar Republic?