Chapter 3 - Hitler's Germany Flashcards
1
Q
Explain the political weaknesses of the Weimar Government and how it contributed to Hitler’s rise to power.
A
- Blamed for signing the armistice and the TOV
- The leader of the Weimar Government signed the armistice and TOV and accepted all of its terms in 1919
- Germans (esp. Freikorps and nationalists) were unhappy and blamed the Weimar Government
- Nazis promised to take back all the territories lost through TOV, revive Germany’s former glory and abolish the TOV (gain support) - System of Proportional Representation
- % of votes gained = % of seats gained in the Reichstag
- 50% votes then can form govt, but too difficult, so several parties come tgt to form coalition govt
- In a coalition govt, there will be differing opinions and views, inefficient decision making processes, division in the govt and disunity
- Nazis promised strong govt with strong leadership (gain support) - Had little support –> Many groups wanted to oppose and overthrow the govt
- Jan 1919 Spartacist Rebellion - Germans went around putting up red flags as signs of Communism
- Mar 1920 Kapp Putsch - Led by a nationalist named Kapp and gathered ex-Freikorps to overthrow the govt (did not have support and was crushed)
- Nov 1923 Hitler’s Failed Munich Putsch - used street gang violence to try and overthrow the govt but was eventually arrested - let hitler realise that he needed to win supp thru legal means and not violence
- Nazis promised anti-communism, strong govt with good leadership
2
Q
Explain the economic weaknesses of the Weimar Government and how it contributed to Hitler’s rise to power.
A
- Failure to rebuild the economy
- As a result of the reparations due to TOV
- had to pay 169 billion Reichsmarks
- destroyed Germany’s industries and economy
- led to inflation
- Nazis promised more jobs and more employment - Failure to manage economic problems
- 1923, Ruhr Crisis
- Germany missed a payment to the French –> French occupied Ruhr and its resources
- Weimar govt encouraged workers to go on strike –> worsened economy
- led to hyperinflation
- Nazis addressed concerns without eliminating weimar govt, promised strong govt with good leadership, more jobs and employment, promised to implement policies to strengthen germany’s economy - Failure to manage Impact of Great Depression
- Resulted from Wall Street Stock Exchange Crash
- -> USA economy booming, many went to buy shares and stocks
- -> Rumours said that the boom was over, so everyone went to sell shares
- -> Rush turned into panic and share prices fell dramatically
- USA hence recalled all financial loans to Germany and Germany fell into a state of economic depression
- Businesses forced to shut down, savings and pensions of workers wiped out, poverty, starvation, homelessness, nationalists angry and blamed TOV
- Nazi Party promised more jobs, employment, strong govt with good leadership and economic self-sufficiency
3
Q
Explain how Hitler’s abilities helped him rise to power.
A
- Charisma and Oratorical Skills
- Hitler was a good public speaker and had great emotional force
- managed to change Nazi Party’s plans and policies to address and cater to every person’s needs
- Nazis promised strong economy, more jobs, revive Germany’s former glory, anti-Communism, expand into Russia and poland for greater level space // appealed to diff concerns of everyone - Exploited fears of Communism
- Fears that Communism would take over Germany and take away private land, assets and properties from them
- Nazis gave vague promises and took advantage of these fears - Established Stormtroopers (SA) and Schutzstaffel (SS)
- SA and SS portrayed as militaristic
- broke up Communist Party meetings, broke up workers’ strikes (gain support as eliminated fears and threats)
- Nazis promised the creation of a sense of order in the country - Nazi Propaganda
- Goebbels appointed as Minister of Propaganda and praised Hitler in all his works
- Portrayed Hitler as saviour of Germany - Cult of Personality
- Nazis made Hitler seem like saviour of Germany (gain support)
4
Q
Explain the political impacts of Hitler’s rule / how Hitler consolidated power.
A
- Reichstag Fire and the Emergency Decree
- Reichstag building set on fire –> A young Dutch communist confessed to this crime, though nobody knew if it was a true or false confession
- Hitler used this as evidence as communists were plotting to overthrow the government
- He hence asked Hindenburg to give him Emergency Powers through Article 48 (claimed Germany was in grave danger)
- With EP, he could detain anyone w/o trial and suspend civil liberties (400 communists arrested)
+ve o/c: eliminated Communism (there were fears of this in germany) - German people saw Hitler as intelligent and quick-thinking // eliminated political oppo (Communist Party) - March 1933 Elections and the Enabling Act
- Hitler made promises to various groups to gain support for the elections (eg promised to protect Catholic Church to win supp of Centre Party, promised to revive Germany’s former glory to win supp of nationalists)
- Banned the communists from taking their seats in the elections using EP (eliminated political oppo)
- Used intimidation (heavily armed SA, SS) to only allow Nazis and their supporters to enter the Opera House to vote
- Hitler hence gained the 2/3 majority of votes he needed to pass laws and the Enabling Act (444 for, 92 against). Enabling Act allowed him to pass laws w/o approval of the Reichstag for the next 4 years
- He used this to make Nazi Party the only legal party in Germany and all other parties were illegal. Germany ceased to be a democracy and became a one-party state (eliminate political oppo) - Night of the Long Knives
- Ernst Rohm, leader of SA, was a threat to Hitler as he wanted to replace German Army with his SA. Hitler distrusted Rohm and feared he would rise over him in power and status in the Nazi Party
- SA was a threat as they outnumbered German army by > 1 million due to TOV restrictions. they got increasingly restless due to the lack of respect and recognition they got for their role in hitler’s rise to power –> Hitler was embarrassed by their continued violence and established Schutzstaffel (SS)
+ve o/c: Hitler was encouraged by Himmler and Goerring to remove Rohm as they were jealous of his power. Hitler followed their words and got SS to arrest Rohm and other leaders. This gave Hitler control over SA, SS and German Army (eliminate political oppo)
- Gained support from German Army and Public, as German Army saw SA as a menace and undisciplined and German public saw SA as a gang of thugs who caused trouble. By eliminating SA, German Army swore an oath of unconditional obedience to Hitler and public saw him as strong and fearsome and trusted him to be the leader of Germany (gain supp)
5
Q
Explain the military impacts of Hitler’s rule.
A
- Hitler transformed Germany into a powerful and militaristic state after disarmament by TOV
- Germany underwent a secret conscription and rearmament programme led by Hitler
- increase in industries producing war materials
- industries and businesses which produced materials impt to Germany’s economy were given valuable contracts
- Formation of a modern air force and Schutzstaffel renamed to Waffen-SS
- Youths forced to join Hitler Youth and indoctrinated with Nazi ideologies to groom them into future Nazi leaders
+ve o/c: stronger defence, prepared to fight a long war later in terms of manpower (1.4m men in army) and equipment (for eg. Wehr Macht - Nazi armed force - played an impt part in the fighting in WWII)
6
Q
Explain the economic impacts of Hitler’s rule.
A
- German economy was strengthened and under control by Nazi rule
- More jobs through the Reich Labour Service
- More industries producing materials essential for Germany’s economy, subsidies and valuable contracts given
- Big companies made compulsory donations to Nazi Party
- New Year Plan 1934: banned imports
- Workers forced to join German Work Front
- Abolishment of trade unions - X strike, X demands for better working conditions and higher wages
- Workers leisure activities controlled through Strength Through Joy, working conditions attempted to be improved through Beauty of Labour
- Women encouraged to leave the workforce
+ve o/c to Germany: Germany’s economy recovered under Nazi rule, revive Germany’s former glory, Nazis received funding from big businesses = more power
-ve o/c to workers: no improvement in lives, low wages with long working hours, high degree of control in workplaces - More jobs for the people of Germany
- Nazi Party held more large public work projects and jobs so German people could get jobs through these
- Leisure activities controlled through Strength through Joy and attempt to improve working conditions through Beauty of Labour
+ve o/c to workers: more jobs and employment, access to cheap leisure activities, better working conditions - Higher income and earnings by businesses and companies
- Valuable contracts and subsidies were given to big businesses and industries who produced materials essential to Germany’s economy
- Workers forced to join German Work Front with harsh and restrictive working laws
- Abolishment of trade unions = X strikes, X demand for better working conditions
+ve o/c to industrialists: higher profit and revenue, no fear of strikes or any revolts by the workers against them
7
Q
Explain the social impacts of Hitler’s rule.
A
- Hitler and Nazi Party seen as saviours to Germany
- Goebbels appointed as Minister of Propaganda - praised Hitler and portrayed him as saviours of Germany after TOV
- Films must carry pro-Nazi messages and glorify the achievements and successes of the Nazi Party
- Censorship of media and disallowed religions that opposed Nazi ideologies
+ve o/c to Hitler and Nazis: Cult of Personality - an ideal and heroic image of a leader, increase in Nazism and nationalism and gained support from German people as Hitler was seen as responsible for restoring Germany
-ve o/c to Germans: no freedom of expression/speech, oppression, constant indoctrination of youths, women’s role became domesticated - Germans lived in fear
- Gestapo (secret police force) was used to remove opposition - had unlimited power of arrest
- ve o/c: use of force = atmosphere of fear, feared to offend them or oppose Nazis as they knew that if they did, they would be put in conc. camps and subject to torture and suffering - Discrimination against Jews and minorities
- Gestapo
- SS Death Head Units and Special Purpose Troops responsible for managing conc camps (meant for those who opposed Nazis)
- Jews had to wear the Star of David and were subject to boycott, destruction, ghettos, Nuremburg Laws, Night of the Broken Glass, Holocaust
- Nuremburg Laws authorised and controlled arrests of Jews, and sterilised them
- Gassed in conc camps
- ve o/c: seen as inferior race in Germany, loss of homes, properties, jobs, businesses etc. subject to torture, suffering, cruel medical experiments and labour in conc camps, or even death - Shortage of manpower in industries during war
- Persecution of Jews
- Women’s role reduced to domesticated roles - discouraged to pursue education and join women’s associations
- ve o/c: wealthy jews left for the USA, decrease in manpower during war
