Hitler and Nazi Germany: Origins and Ideology IB History: Authoritarian and Single-Party States

About the Unit Authoritarian/Single-Party State = A government controlled by a single political party and/or regimes that defend their political or economical control by keeping all of society passive. Authoritarian/Single-Party States developed and operated throughout the 20th Century (1900-2000) and we will study three examples. Hitler and Nazi Germany (Fascism) Mao Zedong and China (Communism) Stalin and the Soviet Union (Communism) We will study these examples through four areas: Origins (how did they begin) Ideology and Nature (what beliefs did they promote) Establishment (how did they get power) Policies and their impact (what they did and the effects)

Origins of Hitler and Nazi Germany Germany’s position at the end of WWI gave Hitler and his Nazi Party the opportunity to gain power The Treaty of Versailles, which ended WWI, punished Germany heavily and the ruling government of Germany, called the Weimar Republic, became politically weak because of it. Germany also suffered from an economic depression after France and Belgium annexed some of its territory and the US withdrew loans during its “Great Depression.” Hitler’s Nazi Party thrived on these conditions promoting the restoration of jobs and prosperity, and to end the conditions of the Treaty of Versailles. By 1930 the coalition of political parties that made up the German government, the Weimar Republic, had collapsed, and by 1932 Hitler’s Nazi Party was the largest in Germany. In 1933 President Von Hindenburg appointed Hitler as the Chancellor of Germany, which is the head of the government (Similar to the President of the United States) When the German Parliament building (Reichstag) was burned, legal clauses in Germany’s constitution allowed Hitler gain even more executive powers

Adolf Hitler Nazi Party Flag Reichstag Fire Nazi Party Logo Treaty of Versailles Weimar Republic Flag

Ideology and Nature of Hilter’s Nazi Germany Hitler’s Nazi ideology was a combination of existing social beliefs combined with German nationalism (pride for the German nation) Hitler and the Nazi’s promoted a range of policies such as racialism (white racial superiority), anti-semitism (anti-jewish), anti-communism, anti-feminism, social- Darwinism (survival of the fittest), preparedness for war, need to expand territory, and a cult surrounding leaders--all of which were ideas that existed in the 19th century (1800- 1900) well before Hitler’s leadership Hitler and the Nazi’s also promoted German Nationalism (pride in the German nation) and were able to gain popularity because of the discontent of German people following WWI. Starting in 1920 and continuing into the 1930’s Hitler and the Nazi’s outlined a 25-point program for Germany based on the combination of these beliefs and German nationalism, and was adapted to justify the government’s actions in any circumstance, including policies that made little sense like the elimination of the Jewish Race.

Hitler’s Book on Political Theory Nazi Party Propaganda Hitler Youth Movement Hitler’s Salute

Summary The Origins of Hitler’s Nazi Party comes from the poor political and economic conditions of Germany following WWI, which allowed he and his party to become popular Hitler’s Nazi Party used a range of discriminatory ideologies combined with German Nationalism to persuade discontent Germans to follow.