The Treaty of Versailles forced Germany to reduce its armies, lose land, and pay crippling reparations. Germany was deeply humiliated. Hitler knew the German people were depressed by their losses in World War I, and he blamed “outsiders,” the Jews and communists.
Using their disillusionment for his own aims, Hitler united the Germans against a common enemy: the Jews. The Nazis played on the fears of ordinary Germans by depicting Jews as controlling, greedy, and cruel (as shown in posters in 1924).
In the 1928 elections, less than 3% of Germans voted for the Nazi party.
In 1923, Hitler led a revolt to overthrow the government. He and 3,000 Nazi supporters marched through Munich before police stopped them. He was arrested and charged with high treason. He received five years in prison. This is when he began writing his ideas about the evils of Jews and communists and what could be done about them.
But then… They used Uniforms Symbols Rallies And salutes to raise support.
In 1938, Hitler was Time magazine’s man of the year.
Since Hitler could not be certain that he would win an election, he manipulated and used other means to achieve his goals. He became chancellor because of the support of the people and immediately made Germany a dictatorship. In 1934 when the president died, he became president AND chancellor—he had gained total control.
By the time of the Third Reich, there were more pictures of Hitler than of anyone else in history. The idea was to fill people’s minds with his image.
Relationships between Jews & non-Jews were mocked in public. In 1935, marriage between Jews and non- Jews was made illegal to protect German “racial purity.” Another law stated that only “pure” Germans were Reich citizens.
Among them: Jews Africans Asians Arabs Romanies Gypsies
Posters also aimed to persuade people that “God cannot want the sick and ailing to reproduce.” It advocated that sterilization was necessary to prevent the birth of babies with illnesses or disabilities.
Hitler looking at a Christmas tree. The facing page has these words from Goebbels’s 1941 Christmas Eve speech: “On this evening we will think of the Führer, who is also everywhere present this evening wherever Germans gather, and place ourselves in the service of the fatherland. At the end of the war, it shall be greater, lovelier, and more impressive. It should be the proud and free homeland for us all. We promise the Führer that in this hour he can rely on his people at the front, at home, and in the world. He leads us. We follow him. Without the shadow of a doubt, we follow him, bearing the flag and the Reich. The flag and the Reich shall remain pure and unscathed when the great hour of victory comes.”
German children were show anti-Semitic ideas and images from an early age.
Forward! Forward! The fanfares sound. Forward! Forward! Youth knows not danger! Germany, you will stand shining, Even if we perish. No matter how high the goal may be, Youth will achieve it! We march man by man into the future. We march for Hitler through night and poverty With the banner of the youth for freedom and prosperity. Our banners wave before us...
Swastika = Indian sign of goodness Hooked cross = ancient German symbol for the god of thunder