Introduction to Der Fuhrer

April 20, 1889 in Austria Older abusive father, younger affectionate mother Smart but not a good student Very religious, considered becoming a monk Pretended to run off to art school No real relationships with women—one imaginary? Avoided military service but liked to play war as a kid Moved to Germany, very nationalistic Fought in WWI and was deeply humiliated by Germany’s loss and post-war treatment by Europe

State Secret Police (Geheime Staatspolizei) Had carte blanche to imprison people without any judicial proceedings People had to sign their own request for imprisonment (out of fear?) Before the Gestapo was the SA, or Storm Troopers, or the Brownshirts… the official military of the Nazi party Then Hitler had the Night of the Long Knives in 1934 and purged…

Founded the Gestapo WWI ace fighter pilot, stayed as head of the Luftwaffe (air force) through WWII Guided the German economy pre-WWII Hitler actually liked him for a successor one day At the Nuremburg trials it was determined that besides Hitler, he was 2 nd in command of all atrocities and “was the leading war aggressor” and sentenced to death, but…

Military commander, leading Nazi party member In charge of setting up and running the concentration camps under Hitler’s orders At the end of the war he tried to go into hiding, but was captured by the British and…

Reich Minister of Propaganda Very anti-semitic, joined the Nazi party during the big reaction to the French occupation of the Ruhr Highly educated, slightly disabled, refused from WWI military service

1923, failure of the Weimar Republic to pay reparations to France, so the French invaded that Ruhr Valley, full of coal… resulted in strikes and a rise in German nationalism

“My Struggle” Written while Hitler was in prison for the failed 1923 Beer Hall Putsch Full of antisemitic statements and his process of concluding why all Jewish people should be eliminated Speaks of “lebensraum”, or “living space” for the German people —territorial expansion

Hitler and the small group of Nazi followers attempted to overtake the German government at a bar Ultimately, no one followed them and he was arrested. Hermann Goring was there, and got shot Germany was not ready for the revolution Hitler proposed

Listen to Goebbels and Hitler’s first speeches as official rulers in What is your impression of Goebbels? What are Hitler’s messages, especially in regards to WWI/post-war treatment?