Do Now What do you know about Germany?

What you should know by the end of this lesson. 1. Know the basic facts about Germany and the German language. 2. Know key points in German history which relate to Hitler’s rule. 3. Understand that mainstream political views in Germany were traditionally anti-democratic. 4. Properly identify key figures in Germany prior to Hitler, and how they relate or contribute to Nazi Germany.

Germany Germany is a country in central Europe that since the 1800’s has played a major role in world affairs. The country has produced one of the worlds best militaries and is today the 4 th richest nation on earth. – Who are the 3 richest? This workbook will help you understand how Germany, a highly civilized and cultured nation, brought Adolf Hitler to power and let him carry out the extermination of millions. Our story begins. During WWII only 1 of the 9 countries bordering Germany was not attacked by Hitler. Do you know which one?

Basic Facts What similarities does Germany have with the United States?

History in Brief Hitler called his nation “The Third Reich”, ever wonder what that meant? The word “Reich” means nation. Hitler envisioned a nation where all Germans would live in the same Reich, as it had in previous times in history. If you think there must have been a First and Second Reich, your right! We will talk about them briefly here. What’s the capital of Germany? Your Choices: A.Berlin B.Munich C.Frankfurt D.Nuremberg

The First Reich ( ) The First Reich was also called The Holy Roman Empire and was composed of 300 different German states, weakly united under an Emperor. Before Napoleon abolished it in 1806 this was a nation were almost all ethnic Germans lived. Fact: Hitler wanted to have all ethnic Germans live in Germany, just as they had been during the First Reich.

The Second Reich The Second Reich was also called the German Empire and lasted from A man named Otto Von Bismarck had united the different German states through a combination of 3 successful wars against Denmark, Austria, and France. How did Hitler copy Bismarck?

The head of the Second Reich was the Emperor, or “Kaiser”. Although there was democracy in Germany, it only went to a certain extent. Most of the power was still in the hands of the Emperor and his advisors. The German people were always taught to respect authority and to obey orders from the government. This was the Germany that America fought against in World War One. After Germanys defeat in 1918 the Second Reich collapsed. Can you name this German Emperor? He was the “Bad Guy” in WWI

Size of Major World Armies  In 1914 Germany had almost 4 million men in its military. Although Russia had more men, Germany had a much stronger industrial base for supplies and much better leadership. In 1914 the US Army was in 67 th place! What factors in our country made it this way? Think back to US II.

The German Economy The German economy in the late 1800’s expanded rapidly. By 1914 Germany was the second richest nation in the world with an economy worth over 50 Billion US dollars. What nation had the worlds biggest economy in 1914?