1. German Expansion,

2. Effects of WWI November 1918- Germans still believed victory possible
Power handed over to a civilian government
Wilson demanded Kaiser’s removal before an armistice
Domestic strikes, political unrest, food shortages
Armistice came as shock to Germans
Dolchstosslegende- “stab in the back” theory
Blamed socialists in new government for surrendering before German victory

3. Reaction to Versailles
“[the Treaty of Versailles] failed to solve the problem of both punishing and conciliating a country that remained a great power despite the four years of fighting and its military defeat…it was a bundle of compromises that fully satisfied none of the three peacemakers.”
- Zara Steiner, historian
What evidence do you think Steiner bases her argument that Germany “remained a great power?” What factors may mitigate her argument?

4. WWI and Adolf Hitler Served in German army
Believer in the diktat of Germany; anti-communist and anti-socialist
Proponent of Social Darwinism
Became member of the German Workers’ Party
Renamed it the National Socialist German Workers’ Party

5. National Socialist Workers’ Party
Attempting to win working class support
Extreme nationalist party
Used the Sturmabteilung (stormtroopers) as a paramilitary group
Based on similar ideals to the Fascist Party
Also dominated by Hitler’s personal ideals

6. Sturmabteilung- “protection squadron”
Schutzstaffel- “protection squadron”

7. Mein Kampf Written while imprisoned after the Beer Hall Putsch (1923)
Wide range of issues:
German unity
Nationalism
Anti-Semitism
Mostly focused on foreign policy
Clearer than Mussolini’s

8. Hitler’s Foreign Policy
Pan-Germanism
Race and Living Space
Natural Enemies and Allies
German unification with Austria and territories with German-speaking minorities (Czechoslovakia and Poland)
New country of “pure” Aryan Germans
New space comes from East
Dispossessing “inferior” nations
Foundations for the 3rd Reich
Enemies- Russia, France
Ally- Britain, Italy
Why these countries?

9. Increased Support for Nazism

10. The Weimar Republic Crises
Spartacists rebellion (1919)
Suppressed it and other left-wing uprisings
Failed putsch of the Freikorps (1920)
Failed after pro-government workers strike
Wolfgang Kapp

11. The Weimar Republic Crises
Right-wing political assassinations ( : 376 total)
Conservatives looked to army to replace democracy
Ruhr Crisis (1923)
“Passive Resistance” by German workers
Hyperinflation especially affected the middle-class

12. Mary Fullbrook. The Fontana History of Germany: 1918-1990, page 34 (1991)
“The savings, hopes, plans and assumptions and aspirations of huge numbers of people were swept away in a chaotic whirlwind…even when the worst material impact was over, the psychological shock of the experience was to have longer lasting effects, confirming a deep-seated dislike of democracy, which was thereafter equated with economic distress, and a heightened fear of the possibility of economic instability.”

13. Munich Putsch (1923) Inspired by Mussolini’s March on Rome
Backed by Ludendorff and the Bavarian government
Bavaria backed down
Still attempted the putsch with 600 SA
Arrested and tried for treason; became a national figure

14. Economy in the Weimar Republic

15. Economic Recovery Gustav Stresemann
Chancellor, then foreign minister ( )
Ended Ruhr Crisis in 1924
Improved economic and diplomatic relations in Germany

16. Economic Recovery
Hyperinflation halts with the Rentenmark (new currency backed by real estate)
Dawes Plan
Froze reparation payments
Reduced total reparation amount
Set up U.S. loans (furthered with the Young Plan in 1929)
Hans Luther

17. International Situation
Joined LoN in 1926
Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928)
Lorcano Treaties; led to “Locarno Spring”
Overall goals not dissimilar to Hitler’s
More pragmatic approach; cooperation best option
How might these improvements in Germany have effected extremist politics?

18. The Great Depression
Germany linked to U.S. economy; financial support pulled after the Stock Market Crash
Unemployment: 2.8 million (1929) to 6 million (1932)
Deflationary Policies
Government expenditure cuts
Wage cuts/increased unemployment

19. Effect on Politics Germans turned to extreme parties
Communists (left)
Nationalists/Nazis (right)
Nazi party used depression to garner support
Criticism of Stresemann’s policies
Hitler’s aims did not change; looked more appealing to Germans

20. In your group, discuss the links between:
Economic prosperity/political stability
Economic crisis/political radicalization
Find examples from either Japan, Italy, or Germany (depending on what was assigned) to support your conclusions

21. Steps to Dictatorship
With a partner, provide a rating (1 unimportant- 4 extremely important) for each of the following events that led to Hitler’s dictatorship
Burning of the Reichstag building (Feb. 1933)
Enabling Act (March 1933)
Night of the Long Knives (June-July 1934)
Death of President Paul von Hindenburg (Aug. 1934)
Provide a brief description of the event and justify your rating