Core: Nazi Flashcards
Outline 3 features of the Treaty of Versailles.
Article 231: all blame on Germany
Article 232: Germany to pay reparations of 6,600 million pounds
Article 159: Germany army forbidden to have submarine or an air force, and the Rhineland was required to be demilitarised
How did the peace treaties that ended World War I create conditions that enabled dictators to rise to power in the interwar period?
Treaties prioritised the interests of the Big Four (America, Britain, France and England) at the expense of other nations
Japan: exclusion of a racial equality clause –> anger and nationalistic foreign policy
Italy: land promised in the 1915 Treaty of London was not granted –> anger
Germany: blame (article 231), 6,600 million pounds reparations (article 232), air and submarine and demilitarized (article 159)
Redrew Eastern Europe leading to the separation of minority populations in several countries, such as Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland –> instability
ULTIMATELY: anger and tensions exploited by opportunistic politicians which led to the rise of dictatorships
Outline the conditions that enabled dictators to rise to power in the interwar period.
Economic: economic distress after WWI, Great Depression in the 1930s –>support for nationalistic leaders who proposed simple solutions to complex problems
Political: undermined democracy as apparent political dysfunction made extreme solutions attractive (lack of trust) –> desire for strong leaders
Peace treaties: upset everyone
Evaluate the nature of dictatorships that emerged in Russia, Italy and Germany after WWI.
Nationalistic promotion of power within a single leader (nationalist ideology, cult of personality, all power within one leader)
Coercion
Indoctrination (propaganda, censorship, youth groups)
Outline how Russia’s dictatorship emerged.
1917 Russian Revolution –> Lenin –> Lenin’s death –> Stalin
Outline the features of Russia’s dictatorship.
Marxism
One dictator - party composed of individually chosen members
- cult of personality
INDOCTRINATION:
- propaganda: posters, movies, speeches, magazines
- statues and portraits of him erected everywhere
- Youth group Komsomol, textbooks
- censorship of the media
Strict government control over all areas of life
TERROR: used extreme political violence to eliminate political opposition, resulting in the deaths and forced labour in Gulags (labour camps) of millions of perceived dissidents
- NKVD (secret police force) that had over 400,000 members in 1940
Outline how Italy’s dictatorship emerged.
Post-WWI: economic chaos, distrust in government, inflation, declining living standards
Fear of socialism
Resentment of the peace treaties –> turning to nationalist leaders
Outline the features of Italy’s dictatorship.
Fascism (extreme right-wing political ideology)
Anti-individualistic, anti-socialism, anti-internationalist
- revive traditional values
Need for a powerful state and strong leader (Il Duce - cult of personality created by propaganda)
OVRA (secret police force)
- surveillance
Blackshirts (militia group)
Youth groups: Balilla (boys) and Piccole Italiane
Relied on propaganda, the threat of terror and genuine popularity rather than brute force
Outline how Japan’s dictatorship emerged.
Military dictatorship emerged as a result of the traditional reverence of the military and instability/upheaval following WWI
Outline the features of Japan’s dictatorship (proper).
No individual dictator, instead led by military generals under Emperor Hirito’s monarchical system
No coherent or radical ideology, instead promoting traditional values and beliefs of nationalism and militarism
Limited methods of coercion due to widespread compliance and support for the government and emperor –> did not rely on mass killings, labour camps, widespread fear –> instead imposing strict censorship
Kempeitai (secret police) had a reputation for brutality and violence
Compare and contrast features of the dictatorships that emerged.
Nationalistic concentration of power within a single leader or party
- upheaval –> strong leader
- cult of personality
Indoctrination
- propoganda
- censorship
- youth groups
Coercion
- terror
- secret forces
What are the four groups of reasons for the collapse of the Weimar Republic?
Political, social, economic, rise of Hitler
Outline political reasons for the collapse of the Weimar Republic.
Constitutional weaknesses
Article 48: gave the president potentially dictatorial powers (later would be abused by Hitler)
Proportional representation: spreading of seats across parties –> unable to form a majority government –> political instability
Weakness of political parties to cooperate
- e.g. SPD and KPD unable to form a coalition to keep Nazis out of office
Outline social reasons for the collapse of the Weimar Republic.
Emerged from WWI a bitter and defeated nation
- resentment over peace treaties –> saw Weimar Republic as responsible for them
Civilian frustration
- millions of casualties and wounded
Constant presence of violence
Outline economic reasons for the collapse of the Weimar Republic.
The economic impact of the war itself
War debt (6,600 million pounds of reparations) and economic crisis
Germany had lost some of its most productive regions (losing 13% of its territory, accounting for 48% of their iron production)
Cost of living rose 12 times between 1914 and 1922
- loaf of bread rose from 250 marks to 200,000 million marks in 1923
Great Depression –> high inflation, high unemployment, falling wages
Outline how the rise of Hitler contributed to the collapse of the Weimar Republic.
Intense nationalism proved attractive to Germans wishing to restore Germany to greatness
Presentation of a strong leader with simple solutions to complex problems
Garnered support from all classes of German society through speeches, banners, radio and rallies
- drew fringe nationalist parties into his Nazi Party to gain a sufficient number of seats in the Reichstag
The SA: established a sense of brotherhood, aggressive marches, silenced opponents, advertise Nazism
Once in Parliament, used article 48 to assume power
What were the 3 ways Nazis initially consolidated power?
Using and abusing consitutional means
Using force to eliminate and silence opponents
Forming new alliances
How did the Nazis use and abuse constitutional means to consolidate power?
Article 48: grant the president dictatorial powers
Enabling Act 1933: allowed Hitler to govern as Chancellor without reference to the Reichstag (eliminated constitutional restrictions on his power)
Gleichschaltung (process of coordination)
- used the enabling act to outlaw all other political parties, destroy trade unions, destroy the legal system, begin exerting control over jews
Explain the significance of the Reichstag Fire in the Nazis initial consolidation of power.
Reichstag Fire, 1933: Dutch communists set fire to the Reichstag building
- used as proof of a large-scale communist plot Hitler must save Germany from
- SA terrorized other parties into silence and the KPD were targeted
- eliminated political opposition
- Reichstag Fire Decree: suspended civil liberties and freedoms
How did the Nazis form alliances to consolidate power?
Reichstag Election in March 1933
- required a 2/3 majority to pass the Enabling Act –> formed coalitions with the National People’s Party
Adopted a conciliatory approach to the terror –> appeal to moderates
- pragmatically delineated from the 25 Point Programme e.g. article 13 advocated for the nationalisation of big businesses –> later supported private businesses as they gave him support
Assured Catholic interests would be protected in Nazi Germany
