Germany 1918-1945 Flashcards

1
Q

why did hitler come to power? 1914 vs 1918

A
  1. 1914 Germans are proud people with one of the finest German army in the world but then the proud German army is defeated
  2. 1914 is a golden era, prospering economy, well educated and well fed people vs 1918 much of old Germany is destroyed
  3. in 1914 people are optimistic about Germany’s power and strength vs 1918 people are starving on turnips and break and there is a flu epidemic killing thousands
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2
Q

impact of ww1 on germany

A

Defeat of the German Army:

  • People are no longer as they become very poor
  • Thousands of soldiers are dead and the army is defeated, 1.7 million dead and 4.2 million injured.
  • The German army was one of the most important aspects for German people.
  • No British or French soldier ever entered Germany so some people thought that Germany had never actually been invaded and so could not accept defeat.
  • Treaty of Versailles meant that Germany had to reduce their army to only 100,000 men which was 10% of what it previously had been. Furthermore, they had to give up weapons such aeroplanes and ships.
  • Britain and France demanded that the Kaiser abdicate in return for no invasion. This angered the nationalists within Germany.

Bankrupt Government:

  • Industrial production was only ⅔ of what it had been before the war in 1913.
  • National Income was a ⅓ due to a lack of trade
  • In 1925, the government was spending ⅓ of its budget on war pensions.

Social Divisions in German society:

  • The social divisions between the rich and the poor had deepened during the war as factory owners had amassed huge fortunes but restrictions had been placed on ordinary workers’ wages.
  • Women had been encouraged into the workplace and people saw this as a damage to traditional values.

Flu epidemic and Food shortages:

  • The German people were undernourished due to a failure in the potato harvest and so had to live off turnips and bread. 1917-1918
  • This was also due to the lack of farmers and the British blockade of naval ports.
  • Flu epidemic killed 750000 people.

mutiny and unrest
-German revolution

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3
Q

strengths of the weimar constitution

A
  • All people over the age of 20 have the right to vote including women.
  • Both the Reichstag and the President had to be elected
  • A Bill of Rights guaranteed the right to freedom of speech, equality under the law.
  • This meant that laws were passed fairly by an elected government not a monarch, who could veto laws.
  • 17 local governments had more limited power in order to make sure laws were the same across the country.
  • The Chancellor needed the support of half the Reichstag. Proportional representation prevented any single one becoming dominant.
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4
Q

weaknesses of the weimar constitution

A
  • Proportional Representation: Weimar Germans voted for a party and this got a respective number of seats. However, this meant that the government could rarely pass laws as no party was ever strong enough to reach a majority. This made the Government seem inefficient and indecisive.
  • Article 48: stated that in crisis the President could pass laws without the Reichstage. This was how Hitler took power legally.
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5
Q

the German revolution and formation of the weimar republic

A

October 1918: Sailor’s mutiny at Kiel and refuse to attack the British Navy blockading the northern German ports. No army was sent to crush the rebellion as it was feared that they would join the sailors. This leads to strikes and demonstrations all over Germany.

9th November 1918: Friedrich Ebert leader of the SPD pleads with the Kaiser to abdicate in order to be allowed to negotiate an armistice with the British and French. Germany becomes a republic however, this angers the Right-Wing nationalists who liked a strong government and leader. Ebert suspends the old Reichstag and formed the Council of People’s Representatives as a temporary measure.

A new constitution is drawn up and Germany holds elections. On November 11th 1918 the Armistice is signed. However, neither the socialists nor the nationalists favour this and so the Weimar Republic is very unstable.

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6
Q

why did the germans hate the t o v so much?

A

The Treaty of Versailles became the permanent symbol of the humiliation and defeat of Germany and became associated with the Weimar Government.

  • No more Kaiser meant that the many nationalistic and often wealthy sections of German society were very critical. Also the leadership of armed forces were supposedly weakened.
  • Diktat: Germany had been forced to sign the treaty and had had no choice on the terms.
  • Military Restrictions made Germany vulnerable to attack from now more powerful neighbour France. Also caused a huge unemployment.
  • Loss of Land this plants in many Germans minds the idea that all German land people need to be reunited. Land to the East given to Poland and the West became a demilitarised zone.
  • War Guilt: Germany had to accept that it solely caused the war which it thought was very unfair. Psychologically damaging and made Germans feel mistreated and frustrated.
  • Reparations:6600 million at a time when Germany was already struggling financially and the country needed as much money to be able to rebuild itself was crippling.
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7
Q

Paris peace conference aims of the big three

A
  • woodrow wilson -wanted Europe to be a democracy, didn’t want to punish Germany too harshly to avoid another war, wanted an end to secret diplomacy and a league of nations was created
  • George Clemenceau- wanted to weaken Germany to prevent further aggression, wanted the land they had lost ; Alsace-lorraine back, wanted to obtain heavy reparations form germany to repay their war debt, wanted to weaken Germany’s military
  • David Lloyd George - wanted to weaken Germany’s navy, wanted German to recover fairly quickly so it could continue trading, felt Britain wanted to make Germany pay
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8
Q

what were right wing reactions to the t o v and weimar republic?

A

The Kapp Putsch:
There was opposition from the political Right because:
-Hated the democratic government and liked the Kaiser and his dictatorial style of government.
-Blamed the Socialists for defeat of Germany as they had agreed to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. Believed that Germany had not been defeated on the battlefield but was betrayed by politicians.
-Felt vulnerable due to the huge diminishing of the Army and again blamed the Socialists for this mistake.
-Wanted large industry but this was weakened by Treaty of Versailles.

Kapp Putsch Summary:

March 1920, The Freikorps, Wolfgang Kapp and the foremost minister in the Army Ludendorff entered Berlin and declared a right of centre government. This would be ruled by Luttwitz, leader of the Freikorps.
Ebert called for a general strike which meant that for two days there was no water, electricity or transport in Berlin. This also meant that those who supported Kapp were unable to move around dooming the putsch.

Impacts:

  1. The government could not enforce its authority even on its own capital. The government could not put down a challenge to its authority- only a mass power of a general strike could reestablish control. Ebert seemed weak and to have little control over the country.
  2. Another impact was that it indicated that the people of Berlin were willing to support Ebert’s government rather than a right-wing take over lead by Kapp. It also showed that the people of Germany wanted more peace and stability.
  3. It led to extreme bitterness of the right wing and those who were part of the Freikorps would eventually become part of the Nazi party.
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9
Q

left wing. opposition to the t o v / weimar republic?

A

-Spartacist Uprising: (Threat from the left-wing) Did not want Germany to be democratic and to be ruled by communist government.
Led by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxembourg, the Spartacists began to set up worker’s unions and soviets in many towns across Germany in early 1919. They were crushed by a group of anti-communist soldiers, who had made an agreement with the government. Street fighting ensued; many killed and leaders were brutally killed.
-In February 1919, Bavaria was taken over and declared communist but again removed via Freikorps. 600 dead.
-In the Ruhr Industrial Area, 6000 were killed in communist and Freikorps clashes.

Impacts:

  1. This made Ebert seem weak as he was unable to crush the revolutions by himself and had to use the Freikorps, who was radical.
  2. Ebert’s ruthless measures against the Communists created lasting bitterness between them and his Socialist party. It made them a powerful anti-government force.
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10
Q

causes and impacts of the invasion of the Ruhr were…

A

The first instalment of the £50 million was paid in 1921 but in 1922 nothing was paid because Ebert wanted to negotiate concessions from the Allies.
So France, who owed huge amounts to America, invaded the Ruhr and took what was owed to them in kind, in raw materials and goods. This was legal under the Treaty of Versailles. The Ruhr was the economic heartland of Germany and so this led to the collapse of the German economy.

Impacts:

  1. Economic stagnation of Germany: as not able gain tax income or export goods so unable to pay reparations or support the already poor population. The strikes of 100,000 workers meant there was little consumer demand from unemployment.
  2. Hyperinflation: To support the workers of the passive strike and keep the economy running, the government decided to simply print money. This money was worthless as it was not backed by output from industry. This made foreign exchange and trade impossible. In January 1923, 1 dollar as worth 48,000 mark whereas in November one dollar ws worth 4 trillion mark. No foreign trade meant no economic stimulation.
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11
Q

impacts of hyperinflation

A
  1. The most significant effect of hyperinflation was the devaluation of the Mark because it had such a destructive effect on the German economy, as well as it led to a growing distrust in the German government to handle the economy.

The Mittelstand and those who had savings found that these were now worthless. The prices of everything rocketed yet wages could scarcely keep up. As well as people’s savings could could barely keep up. Created greater social division as the rich who had property and goods were protected.

  1. Second impact of hyperinflation on Germany was that the new chancellor, Stresemann, introduced a new currency to Germany. He called off the Resistance in the Ruhr to get industry going again as well as resuming reparation payments to get France out of the Ruhr. He collected in and destroyed the old Mark and issued the new Rentenmark in their place. He also managed to negotiate lawns for the Dawes Plan and recommending production in the Ruhr got the German economy back on its feet again relatively quickly. Quickly solved the crisis.
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12
Q

who was gustav stresemann and what were his policies?

A

Gustav Stresemann: Both Chancellor and Foreign Minister of Germany. He helped negotiate and brought in many measures to help the dire economic, political and foreign policy problems.
In particular, Stresemann’s Policy of Fulfilment - the attempt to fulfil all the terms of the Treaty of Versailles in the hope that Britain and France would make significant compromises, leading eventually to the destruction of the Treaty.

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13
Q

economic recovery in the 1920s

A

Economic Recovery:

Dawes Plan-
Spread the reparations payments over a longer period making them easier to repay and so less strain on Germany’s economy
USA loaned Germany 800 million marks which was invested into German industry, creating more jobs and more trade. This would lead to more profit and matched its pre-war levels of production by 1928.

Hyperinflation-
New currency was introduced and this built a stable platform from which Germany could further recover.

Failure to Recover:
Loans could be recalled causing the ruin of Germany
Middle Class and farmers had high mortgages but little business as well as overproducing.
Unemployment on the rise due to a population boom.
Large department stores owned by majoratively Jews caused a peak in Anti-Semitism.
Reduction in pay

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14
Q

political recovery in the 1920s

A

Political Recovery:

Politics became more strong and stable in this period as more people were backing the government and placing their trust in the system.
A)The Grand Coalition of 1923:
This was a coalition between moderate pro-democracy parties and the SPD and meant that the government could finally pass laws and govern the country. It also showed that they had the support of the middle classes and that proportional representation could be effective.
B) No more attempted coups and voting for radical parties such as the NSDAP, which gained <3% meant Government could focus on problems at hand.

Failure to Recover:
Four different chancellors from 1924-29 suggested a lack of stability. In 1926, Hindenburg a former army general and very right-wing opponent was elected.

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15
Q

foreign policy recovery during the 1920s

A

Foreign Policy:

In 1925, Stresemann signed the Locarno Treaties with Britain, France and Italy. They guaranteed Germany’s Frontiers with France and Belgium. As a result Germany was accepted into the League of Nations, which gave it a status of great power.
From there it could also reverse the Treaty of Versailles, particularly considering reparations and the eastern frontiers.
In 1929, Stresemann had negotiated the Young Plan, which lightened the reparations burden and led to the final removal of troops from the Rhine area.

Failure to Recover:

Nationalists attacked Stresemann for joining the League of Nations and for signing the Locarno Pact, seeing it as an acceptance of the TofV.
Communists saw it as a plot against the USSR.

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16
Q

two effects of Germany’s cultural recovery

A

The cultural developments during the Weimar period on the people of Germany

  1. German provincial people felt that the city and its new progressive attitudes showed a moral decline. They were especially sceptical of American immigrants, Jewish artists and musicians. Many organisations such as the wandervogel wanted to return to traditional values as they felt this new art was undermining traditional German values and focus more on the countryside rather than the city. These feeling were later harnessed by the nazis who used them to gain support.
  2. It also however lead to a greater acceptance of different kinds of people such as people with different sexual identities especially in the cities. Women were also freer to wear and do what they wanted as they were not restricted by traditional German beliefs and stereotypes. For example in Berlin transvestite nightclubs opened and many women felt free to wear mini skirts and other more revealing clothes.
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17
Q

what were hitlers main values in 1919 ( main values of the German workers party)

A

The party developed a 25- point program which Hitler explained further in his book ‘Mein Kampf’.
The Nazi ideology:
1. Lebensraum- the need for living space for the German nation to expand in size and influence
2. A strong Germany- the Treaty of Versailles should be abolished and all German speaking people united under one country
3. Fuhrer- the idea that there should be a single leader with complete power rather than a democracy
4. Social Darwinism- the idea that the Aryan Race was superior and that Jews, Poles, Homosexuals etc were ‘sub-humans’
5. Autarky- the idea that Germany should be economically self-sufficient
6. Germany was in danger- from Communists and Jews, who had to be destroyed.

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18
Q

how did hitler appeal to many groups?

A

In the 1920s, the Nazis tried to appeal to many areas of society by making broad and vague statements. They appealed to:

  1. socialists who liked the pensions, the land distribution and the government owning of industries.
  2. Nationalists who hated the TofV, wanted a united Germany and liked the idea of different laws for foreigners
  3. Those who wanted a strong central government and leader. Those who liked the idea that ‘pure’ Germans were a superior race.
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19
Q

causes of the munch putsch

A

Causes:

  • By 1923, the Nazi party had 55,000 members and was stronger than ever before.
  • The Weimar Republic was in crisis due to hyperinflation
  • In September 1923, the Weimar government had called off the general strike, and the German nationalists were furious with the government.
  • Hitler thought he had the support of important officials in Bavaria.
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20
Q

what made hitler a good leader?

A
  1. powerful and dominant personality
  2. inteligent and decisive
  3. he had a great physical presence
  4. he was an amazing public speaker and would start his speeches softly building up to a furious finish
  5. he had piercing blue eyes which he could fix on his listeners
  6. he was a charismatic speaker
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21
Q

what were the Long term and short term effects of the Munich putsch?

A

The Munich Putsch was a failure in the short term but it was also an important event in the Nazis’ rise to power.

Short Term Failure:

  • The Nazi Party was banned, and Hitler was prevented from speaking in public until 1927. This would have been a huge set back for the Nazi Party as now they could not grow with the public and openly gain more support.
  • Hitler was tried for high treason and sentenced to 5 years in prison.

Long Term Success:

  • Hitler himself gained huge publicity as during the court case he was able to preach his ideas. Hitler, while imprisoned, was able to write his book, Mein Kampf, in which his main principles and ideals were able to become known to all. It was a bestseller.
  • The Nazi party gained great publicity from the event and boosting their popularity perhaps without they would never have been a true great threat.
  • Most importantly, Hitler realised that he had to attempt to gain power legally i.e through winning the democratic elections not through power. This led to Hitler reorganising the party to enable it to take part in elections.
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22
Q

reorganisation of the nazi party 1924-1929

A

Improved Organisation of the Nazi Party:
This meant that the Nazis set up branches and offices in each ‘Gaue’ or region of Germany ; each had its own Gauleiters, who were answerable only to him. This meant that Nazi ideology and the party itself could more rapidly spread and gain more popularity. He also appointed two efficient administrators to run the Headquarters: Philipp Bouhler and Frank Schwarz. The Nazi Party began to contest in municipal, state and federal elections with increasing frequency however, had very few successes in gaining seats in the Reichstag because Germany was at the time relatively stable.

Gained Funding from Business:
Hitler, as he and the Nazi now had been taking a legal approach, could seek funding from big industries in order to fund campaigns and the party. He especially gained backing from powerful business who hoped Hitler would limit the power of the trade unions and detested the socialists. By the early 1930s, the Nazis were receiving donations from giants of German industry such as Krupp and Bosch.

Growth of the SA and the Founding of the SS:
As well as protecting Nazi meetings and intimidating opponents, the uniformed men also gave the Nazis the appearance of strength and order. By 1930, Hitler expanded the SA to 400,000 members. However, Hitler became anxious about the SA’s growing allegiance to its leader, Ernst Roehm, so began to set up the Schutzstaffel, or SS. The SS were Hitler’s personal bodyguards and led by Heinrich Himmler, one of Hitler’s most loyal supporters. They were widely feared and respected.

also development of hitler youth and department for propaganda

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23
Q

what was the Wall Street crash and what were its effects?

A

In October 1929 the Wall Street Crash on the US stock exchange brought about a global economic depression. In Europe, Germany was worst affected because American banks called in all of their foreign loans at very short notice. These loans, agreed under the Dawes Plan in 1924, had been the basis for Germany’s economic recovery from the disaster of hyperinflation. The loans funded German industry and helped to pay reparations. Without these loans German industry collapsed and a depression began:

This lead to huge unemployment- over the winter of 1929-30 the number of unemployed rose from 1.4 million to over 2 million. By January 1933, there were about 6.1 million unemployed. This led to mass homelessness and people turning to more radical parties in search of solutions which the current government simply could not employ. Furthermore, the rise in unemployment significantly raised government expenditure on unemployment insurance and other benefits.

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24
Q

political failure in 1929 after the Wall Street crash and how it helped the nazis

A

In March 1930 the German Chancellor, Hermann Müller, resigned when his government could not agree on how to tackle the rise in government spending caused by the rise in unemployment. He was replaced by Heinrich Brüning. His policies were ineffective in dealing with the unemployment crisis and further undermined Germans’ faith in democracy:

In July 1930 Chancellor Brüning cut government expenditure, wages and unemployment pay. This added to the spiral of decline and unemployment continued to rise, as well as making those who had lost their jobs even poorer.
However, Brüning could not get the Reichstag to agree to his actions, so President Hindenburg used Article 48 of the Weimar constitution, which gave the President the power to pass laws by decree, to govern. This undermined democracy and weakened the power of the Reichstag – arguably opening the way for Hitler’s later dictatorship.
By 1932 parties committed to the destruction of the Weimar Republic held 319 seats out of a total of 608 in the Reichstag, with many workers turning to communism. The communists had their own version of the SA, the Communist Red Fighting League, which broke up opposition party meetings. They confronted the police in street battles, and clashed with the Nazis’ SA as well. However, ultimately, the party that did better out of all this unrest were the Nazis.

In 1928, the Nazis had only 12 seats in the Reichstag; by July 1932 they had 230 seats and were the largest party.

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25
Q

how did the nazis appeal to so many groups after the Wall Street crash?

A

Because the Nazis’ 25 Point Programme appealed to people all over the country from all walks of life, they became popular. Other extremist groups like the communists only really appealed to the industrial workers in Germany’s cities and couldn’t keep up.

  • Wealthy businessmen: were frightened communists would take their wealth away and did not want to see any more increase in support for them. To combat this, they began to give money to Hitler and the Nazis, hoping they would gain more seats – not the communists.
  • The middle-class: were generally quite traditional and were not convinced by the Weimar democracy. Hitler promised them a strong government and won their votes.
  • Nationalists: they blamed the legacy of the Treaty of Versailles and reparations for causing the depression and so lent their support to the Nazis who had promised to make Germany strong again.
  • Rural areas: The Nazis appealed to people in the countryside - especially middle class shopkeepers and craftsmen, farmers and agricultural labourers.
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26
Q

the effects of propaganda

A

The effects of propaganda

Impacts:

  • The Nazi Party gained the support due to falling confidence in the Weimar Government.
  • They were able to show their strengths in dealing with the Communist Threat
  • They benefited from increased support from the right-wing
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27
Q

what were the roles and themes of nazi propaganda ?

A

Nazi propaganda was controlled by Joseph Goebbels and had three main themes:
The Führer cult. Hitler was always portrayed as Germany’s saviour – the man who would rescue the country from the grip of depression.
Volksgemeinschaft (people’s community). This was the idea that the Nazis would create one German community that would make religion or social class less relevant to people.
Scapegoating the Jews (and others) for Germany’s ills. Jews were often portrayed as sub-human, or as a threat to both the racial purity and economic future of the country.
Hitler was a great speaker with an extraordinary power to win people over. Goebbels’ propaganda campaign was very effective (he used aeroplanes to bring Hitler to speak across the country, radios to broadcast important speeches and rallies to make supporters excited) and brought huge support for the Nazis by targeting specific groups of society with different slogans and policies to win their support.
Nuremberg Rallies: Here people felt as though they were part of a great movement however, also the power and control of the Nazi Party was demonstrated.

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28
Q

the work and role of the sa

A

The work of the SA:
The SA played a part in the Nazis’ increasing popularity by:
-intimidating the Nazis’ political opponents – especially the communists – by turning up at their meetings and attacking them
-providing opportunities for young, unemployed men to become involved in the party
-protecting Hitler and other key Nazis when they organised meetings and made speeches
-The SA also was used during elections to intimidate those coming to vote.

29
Q

why did hitler become chancellor?

A
  1. The impact of the depression - both economic and political -
  2. Nazi Strengths:
    Propaganda: (Joseph Goebbels):
    -Organised modern and effective campaigns
    -Used generalised slogans than detailed policies because they were flexible and had wide appeal
    Good at adapting to their audience
    -Negative cohesion: for example that communists and Jews were behind Germany’s problems
    -Vague Policies: And adaptable meant that they were able to gain vote from industrialists by dropping the nationalism policy and focusing instead on anti-communist areas
    -Organisation: A strict hierarchy of Gaues, Gauleiters and military to easily order and spread key messages.
    -Violent Treatment of Opponents: The SA were prepared to fight the communists and the strength of the SA impressed Germans.
    -Hitler’s speaking skills: arguably the Nazi’s campaigning asset even though the presidential campaign in 1932 failed it raised his public profile hugely. Travelled around Germany with a plane doing rallies. He appeared as a dynamic man of the moment, the modern leader of a modern party.
  3. Negative Cohesion: this is the idea of people supporting the Nazi Party because of shared fears and dislikes rather than interests and likes.
    -Disillusionment of Democracy:
    The Weimar Government seemed incapable of solving Germany’s economic problems especially the Depression.
    The government seemed increasingly reliant on Article 48 to pass laws so showing that democracy was not functioning anyway. Because in 1930 the SPD left the coalition government in protest at the measures being proposed to deal with the Depression. It seemed that an alternative stronger solution was necessary.
    -Communism:
    The middle class were particularly concerned about communism. They did not want Germany to become like Russia where businesses had been taken over by the workers and profits shared. Furthermore, farmers and large industries wanted to prevent sharing out of industry and land. The Nazis seemed to be strong in dealing with the communist threat with violence and their propaganda supported their view.
    -1920s decadence in culture:
    Nazis focus on a return to traditional values which appealed to those Germans who were appalled by the cultural change of the 1920s.
  4. political rivalry - scheming f Hindenburg and von paper
30
Q

the events leading up the the 1932 election and ultimately hitler becoming chancellor

A

NOVEMBER 6, 1932
NAZIS LOSE SUPPORT IN PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS
In the Reichstag (German parliament) elections of November 1932, the Nazis lose almost two million votes from the previous elections of July. They win only 33 percent of the vote. It seems clear that the Nazis will not gain a majority in democratic elections, and Adolf Hitler agrees to a coalition with conservatives.

Events of 1932-33:
The chain of events that led to Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor on 30 January 1933 is a complicated one.

Chancellors in this period were normally weak because proportional representation made it hard for political parties to gain a majority of seats meaning the Chancellor found it difficult to control the Reichstag. By 1932 President Hindenburg had to use Article 48 to pass almost every law.

It was against this backdrop that the events of 1932 ad 1933 unfolded.

Major events leading to Hitler becoming Chancellor

1932

April – Presidential election. Hitler came second to Hindenburg, who won 53 per cent of the vote to Hitler’s 36.8 per cent.

May – Brüning resigned as Chancellor. Hindenburg appointed Franz Von Papen, a conservative, as his replacement.

July – Reichstag elections. The Nazis became the largest party with 230 seats. Hitler demanded to be made Chancellor but Papen remained.

November – Reichstag elections called by Von Papen to try to win a majority in parliament. Nazis lost 34 seats but remained the largest party with 196 seats.

December – Von Papen resigned. Hindenburg appointed Kurt Von Schleicher, an army general, as Chancellor. Von Schleicher tried to split the Nazis by asking a leading Nazi called Gregor Strasser to be his Vice Chancellor. Hitler forced Strasser to decline.

1933

January – Von Papen and Hindenburg turned to Hitler, appointing him as Chancellor with Von Papen as Vice Chancellor. They believed they could control Hitler and get him to do what they wanted.

31
Q

how did the march 5 election help hitler consolidate power?

A

1- Called an election for 5th March so that Hitler could try to get a majority in the Reichstag:
During February- speeches and rallies held. However, also an attempt to remove the opposition through street violence, papers censorship and meetings being disrupted.

-27th February 1933 - Reichstag Fire: Hitler was able to pass the ‘Law for Protection of people and state’ i.e emergency powers were given to Hitler to arrest Coms, break up meetings, search houses, imprison without trial.
March 5th election: Polling Stations were policed by SA volunteers. Nazis got 288 seats with a smaller Nationalist party, with 52% of the vote.

The Reichstag fire meant that Hitler used this as evidence that communists were plotting against the Government.

  • One effect of the Reichstag Fire on Germany was that Hitler was given emergency powers under ‘the law for protection of people and state’. This happened because the communist blame led to the fear of communist terrorism. It dismantled civil rights so the Nazis were able to arrest and hold without trial any person they considered an obstacle to power. This included any opposition party members, communists etc. Freedom of speech and association removed and rounding up and shooting of many communists.
  • Second effect was that the Nazis gained a majority in the Reichstag election of 1933: (52%). Due to no communist parties and fear of communism (the Nazis were seen to be dealing strongly with it). People were afraid of the consequences if they didn’t.
32
Q

how did the enabling act help hitler consolidate power?

A

2- Hitler needed to get rid of the Reichstag and Democracy all together by changing the constitution. 52% was not enough for him to do this.
-441 members of the Reichstag voted for the Enabling Act at the Kroll Opera House
The Enabling Act gave Hitler power to rule by decree for 4 years to put the state of affairs right. The Reichstag voted itself out of power.
-The members voted because they had been both intimidated and persuaded that fast and rapid decisions had to be made to get rid of communism and the unemployment crisis without the impediment of the Reichstag.

33
Q

how did hitler consolidate power ?

A
  1. march 5 election and reichstag fire
  2. the enabling act
    3.gleichschaltung
    4.
    5.
34
Q

how did hitler consolidate power through gleichschaltung?

A

3- The establishment of dictatorship through forcible coordination: Gleichschaltung

  • Trade Unions were banned and all workers had to join the German Labour Front
  • Police came under Nazi control
  • Political parties were banned in July 1933 and opponents either fled abroad or went underground, or were rounded up and imprisoned. Germany became a one party state.
  • Concordat with the Church
35
Q

how did hitler consolidate power through controlling the army and the night of long knives?

A

4- Controlling the Army and the Night of Long Knives
Hitler decided that he wanted the full control and backing of the army as it was: well disciplined, had the support of Big Business (which could be useful for war) and it was the only organisation with the power to remove Hitler. The army was not Nazi but had right-wing sympathies such as rearming, nationalism and lebensraum. However, it was significantly smaller than the SA; it had only 100,000 men.

The Night of Long Knives: 30th June 1934
Hitler called a meeting of leading SA members in Bavaria, where 400 of the leaders were arrested and shot by the SS on the basis they were ‘plotting to seize power’. Rohm and Von Schleicher were executed.
This crippled the SA and so the army were convinced that the SA was no longer a threat.
Sent a message that if you rebel you will be shot

36
Q

how did hitler consolidate power through the death of Hindenburg?

A

5-Death of Hindenburg in August 1934
After his death, Hitler merged the two roles allowing him at last to become the Fuhrer. The army now swore an oath of unconditional obedience to Hitler.

37
Q

what methods of repression did hitler use?

A

Police State: Implemented the aspect of fear and intimidation in the life of every German.
A police state is when a government uses the police to control everyone’s lives. The Nazis used the SS, SD and the Gestapo to do this.

SS: (Protection Squad)
Lead by Himmler it was a huge organisation with many roles and responsibilities. They were all Aryans and loyal to Hitler. Their main focus was to destroy opposition to the Nazis and carry out their racial policies. They were responsible for running concentration camps.

The Gestapo:
Set up by Goering in 1933 and led by Heydrich. They were able to arrest citizens without trial and on suspicion bring them straight to concentration camps. They were the secret state police and spied on the people.

The legal system:
Hitler controlled the judges: All judges had to belong to the National Socialist League for Maintenance of the Law. All judges had to favour the Nazi Party in any decision.
Hitler controlled the law courts. He abolished trial by jury- only judges were able to decide whether someone was innocent or guilty. He set up a People’s Court to hear all treason cases. Trials were held in secret and judges were hand picked.

Concentration Camps:
They were set up in 1933 in order to house political prisoners and ‘undesirables’ such as Jews, homosexuals etc. They had gas showers and factories. Prisoners had to suffer through harsh discipline, beatings and executions. Beneficial for the German Economy as huge projects could be undertaken.

38
Q

how did hitler use censorship and propaganda?

A

Propaganda is the spread of an ideology or agenda in order to create a generation of people loyal to the Nazi regime and its values.

  • Goebbels was the Nazi minister of Enlightenment and Propaganda.
  • Book burnings in order to send a message to the public of their supreme authority. Displayed Nazi strength.
  • Art - only Nazi approved painters were allowed. The work was usually of heroic looking Aryans, military figures or images of the ideal Aryan family.
  • Newspapers: no anti-Nazi ideas allowed. Unacceptable newspapers were closed down and editors and journalists sacked. Only news from the official State News Agency could be reported
  • Huge rallies and military parades were held, projecting power and strength to evoke pride as well as fear and terror. Highlighted the control of the Nazis.
  • Cinema showed propaganda films, but mainly entertainment films that had subtle messages
  • Radio - cheap radios meant that every family could afford one. All stations were closely controlled and listening to foreign radio was illegal. Also popular because could provide entertainment.
  • Olympics- to show off their propaganda to Germans and the international community. To showcase their doctrine that Aryans were superior to all the others.
39
Q

nazi policies towards church (Protestant and catholic)

A

Nazis need to control the Church as they had great influence over the public opinion and could potentially pose a threat to the Nazi Regime. Attendance at Christian Churches remained high throughout the period nevertheless.

-Catholic Church:
At the beginning of the Nazi’s time in power, there was some cooperation between the churches and the Nazis. In 1933, Hitler signed a Concordat with the Catholic Church saying that they were free to run their own schools and free to worship.
However, opposition priests were sent to concentration camps.
Catholic schools had to remove Christian symbols and were later closed.
Catholic youth organisations were later banned.
-Protestant Church:
Hitler wanted to bring all the Protestant Churches together under one Reich Church led by Bishop Ludwig Mueller. The German Faith Movement: Hitler even encouraged an alternative religion, which worshipped the sun and the Nazis.
-The Confessional Church was founded by Niemoller and was made up of about 6000 Protestant Churches.
-The Reich Church: was made up of 2000 churches and supported the Nazis. It had some members that wore Nazi uniform and called themselves German Christians.

40
Q

how successful were the nazis at controlling religion?

A

How successful were the Nazis at controlling religion:
Many churchgoers either supported the Nazis or did little to oppose them, even though many retained loyalty to their local church.
-However: The pastor Niemoller formed the Confessional Church which protested against Nazi Policy. 6000 Protestant pastors joined it. Niemoller was in a concentration camp from 1938-45
-Bonhoeffer: openly preached against the Nazis until the Gestapo stopped him in 1937. During the war he helped the Allies and helped Jews escape from Germany. In 1942, he was arrested for plotting to help Jews escape Germany. He was hanged just before the end of the war.

41
Q

nazi policies and views towards women

A

Nazi Policies:
Hitler thought that women should not work but should stay home and care for their children and husbands. His ideas about women were ‘kinder, Kuche, Kirche’.
Hitler wanted women’s to become mothers and to have as many children as possible in order to expand the Aryan race and fill the newly conquered ‘lebensraum’.

The ideal mother:

  • To have large physically fit child bearing hips and physique
  • Not interested in academia, fashion, makeup or having a career
  • Teach her children how to be Nazis and must be an ardent Nazi follower
42
Q

effects of nazi policies on women

A

Women felt valued in their role as wives and mothers:

  • Law for Encouragement of Marriage gave a financial incentive for having many children. On marriage a couple received 1000 marks, roughly 9 months wages and if you had 4 children you were allowed to keep this money.
  • The Motherhood Cross- meant that the Hitler Youth had to salute you in the street and there was a reserved seat for you at rallies.
  • Lebensborn Project- homes for single mothers were they could get pregnant with SS men.
  • Nazi Art and Propaganda glorified the women’s job of having children and being a mother.

They were discouraged from working:

  • Hitler did not want women to work as it would impede her duty to be a mother and he wanted to increase the birth rate which had fallen due to women wanting paid work.
  • Hitler tried to achieve this by banning women from professions of responsibility and general professions: 100,000 teachers, 13,000 musicians and 3000 doctors were sacked as a result.
  • The Unemployment Relief Act: stated that if a woman left her job and her husband earned under 125 marks she would receive 1000 marks.
  • Lead to a drop in higher professions but not in the general workforce especially not after 1939.

Limited women’s freedoms:

  • Responsibilities to have children
  • All women’s societies were banned and merged under the German Women’s Enterprise. This taught women how to be parents.
  • Lifestyle
  • Professions
43
Q

success of policies on women

A

Successful

  • 880,000 women accepted the loan from the Law of Encouragement of Marriage.
  • Women were unable to work as doctors or civil servants. The conception that women should stay home was supported across Europe. Those women working generally lost their employment and due to the -Hitlerjugend girls would not even consider anything but becoming a mother.
  • The number of marriages and births did increase. For births they increased from 15/2000 to 20/2000.
44
Q

failure of policies on women

A

Unsuccessful

  • However, this was only a fractional proportion of the population.
  • However, the employment of women actually increased because they were cheaper to employ. Their wages increased more than the prices so the employment actually increased drastically from 1933-38.
  • This however did by far not reach Nazi expectations.
45
Q

what were the aims of Nazi policies on the youth?

A
  • To cultivate a loyal following for Hitler and the Nazis
  • To create an athletic militaristic body of people to be prepared for war and just to show general strength
  • To ensure that the policies would be continued and enforced for the years to come.
  • To prepare girls to be good wives and mothers
  • To turn boys into strong soldiers
46
Q

impact of Nazi polices on the youth

A

Impacts:
Youths were prepared for specific ideals:
-Increased emphasis of Nazi ideology in education
-Boys were taught the skills needed to be Nazi soldiers and to gain the Nazi ‘mindset’
-Girls were encouraged to become wives and mothers but also not follow careers in the workplace.
Hitler Youth Training
-Therefore the youth became indoctrinated through subconscious indoctrination such as math questions or picking Jewish People out of paintings.

Education suffered and grades dropped:

  • The lessons and subjects were imbued with Nazi ideology e.g Biology became a lesson about Eugenic and breeding. This led to children having closed minds
  • Standards dropped because core subjects were valued less such as maths and German and therefore given less time than ideology.

Freedom of German Youth was restricted:

  • Membership of the Hitler Youth was compulsory
  • Limitations on music, drinking and clothing

Many youth became supporter of the Nazi Party:

  • Organisations offered teenagers and children to be part of a group and take part in activities they could not have before.
  • It gave everyone the chance to take part in ‘fun’ activities.
  • if your friends were members might feel obliged to and not going could be seen as disliking the Nazi regime which would be dangerous
  • made compulsory in 1936
47
Q

what activities did boys and girls do at the Hitler youth, bund deustcher maedels?

A

boys

  • hard physical training such as long marches, labor camps and athletics
  • fighting skills e.g. war games with live ammunition and fights
  • training camps e.g. camping, reading maps
  • lessons in Nazi ideology

girls

  • running homes e.g. making beds, washing clothes
  • encouraged to have children e.g. taught how to care for them
  • wore traditional hairstyles of plats and plain clothes - no make up or nail polish
  • also physical training
48
Q

how did Nazi policies shape education?

A

Education:
New curriculum.
Maths questions promoted messages of war and getting rid of minorities,
History focused on the Nazi Party and how Germany was stabbed in the back by its political leaders
-glorification of Germany’s military past
-concentration of the evil of Jews and communists
Geography focused on the “Greater Germany “ and the need for lebensraum
Biology focused on recognizing the Aryan race and explained the idea of the ubermensch
Eugenics was introduced which was race studies.
religion was greatly reduced and could be dropped in 1937

New resources:
History books were rewritten without German defeats,
Story books were written warning children of the dangers of the Jews.

Boys were educated to be soldiers, girls educated to be mothers. They had separate timetables.
Lots of PE lessons for everyone to keep everyone fit and healthy for
their new roles.

Teachers had to join the Nazi Teachers’ Association or lose their jobs. 97% of teachers joined and teachers who did not agree with Nazi policies were sacked.

Jewish pupils were persecuted in lessons, by students and teachers.
They had to leave German schools in 1938.

49
Q

how did Hitler try to reduce unemployment?

A

When Hitler became chancellor in 1933 unemployment stood at 6 million in Germany, therefore creating jobs and employment was a great priority for the Nazis. Hjalmar Schacht, Nazi minister of the Economy 1934-37 managed to reduce unemployment to 218,000 in 1938.

Schacht organised Germany’s Finances to fund a huge programme of public works.

National Labour Service:

From July 1935, it was compulsory for all men aged 18-25 to serve for six months on this scheme. They worked on job creation scheme and many or public works such as building the German Autobahn or draining marshes.
The men of the RAD wore military style uniforms but were paid very little. Therefore, the government gained support of the people as unlike the Weimar Government they had fulfilled one of their fundamental promises.

Conscription/Rearmament:

Due to Germany rearming, even though the TofV had stipulated limits on this, many young men became trained as soldiers. This was introduced through Goering’s Four Year Plano’s 1936 which aimed to prepare Germany for was in four years.
The need for factory workers, engineers, and miners etc created many jobs further reducing the unemployment figures to 218,000.

These measure boosted economic recovery and national pride - further increasing support for Hitler, who seemed to be working an economic miracle.

50
Q

how successful/what was the cost of Hjalmar schacht’s economic miracle?

A

However:

  • Unemployment fell from 6 million to 300,000 however, these figures did not include, Jews or other members of society who were disliked, women, unmarried men under 25 in the RAD and opponents of the regime.
  • Real earnings in 1938 were all but the same as the 1928 figure.
  • By 1939, Germany was still importing 33% of required materials
  • Government spending increased by 15 billion and so was in constant debt - over 40 billion marks.
  • Workers rights suffered
51
Q

what schemes were introduced to supposedly better worker’s lives?

A

German Labour Front (DAF): this replaced trade unions and workers had to be members.

  • Workers could not be sacked on the spot
  • Prices were strictly controlled meaning there was little inflation
  • Workers resented the impeachment of their rights and had to work from 60-72 hours a week.
  • Strikes were outlawed and kept under strict observation

Strength through Joy (KDF):

  • This was a scheme which organised trips cheap theatre and cinema tickets, courses and tickets to sports events for workers in order to keep the workers satisfied.
  • Happy workers meant support for Hitler.

Beauty of Labour:

-This aimed to improve conditions in the workplace for example by installing washing facilities. However, workers had to construct these in their spare time so this wasn’t very popular.

The Volkswagen:
This promoted car ownership and workers would pay 5 marks a week towards buying a car. However, by 1939, no-one had paid in enough money so the money went towards rearmament.

52
Q

why were jews persecuted?

A
  • used as scapegoats
  • associated with communism (Karl Marx was Jewish)
  • suspicious of a different religion
  • jealous of their success as many profitable business men were Jewish- stereotyped as rich and greedy
  • blamed for t o v and defeat of ww1 as some politicians involved had been Jewish
  • ideas about Aryan superiority and the purification of the German race
53
Q

what were nazi racial policies?

A

Hitler and the Nazis had firm views on race. They believed that certain groups were inferior and were a threat to the purity of the Aryan race. There were many groups who were targeted for persecution, including Slavs (Eastern Europeans), gypsies, homosexuals and the disabled - but none more so than the Jews.

The Nazis’ racial philosophy taught that Aryans were the master race and that some races were ‘untermensch’ (subhuman). Many Nazi scientists at this time believed in eugenics, the idea that people with disabilities or social problems were degenerates whose genes needed to be eliminated from the human bloodline. The Nazis pursued eugenics policies vigorously.

54
Q

what were the Nazi’s policies of persecution?

A
  1. Sterilisation - In order to keep the Aryan race pure, many groups were prevented from reproducing. The mentally and physically disabled, including the deaf, were sterilised, as were people with hereditary diseases.
  2. Euthanasia - Between 1939 and 1941 over 100,000 physically and mentally disabled Germans were killed in secret, without the consent of their families. Victims were often gassed - a technique that was later used in the death camps of the Holocaust.
  3. Concentration camps - Homosexuals, prostitutes, Jehovah’s Witnesses, gypsies, alcoholics, pacifists, beggars, hooligans and criminals were often rounded up and sent away to camps. During World War Two 85 per cent of Germany’s gypsies died in these camps.
55
Q

increasing persecution of the jews 1933-1938 (nuremberg laws)

A

April 1933: Official one-day boycott of Jewish shops, lawyers and doctors all over Germany.
1934: Anti-Jewish propaganda increased
May 1935: Jews forbidden to join the army

September 1935: The Nuremberg Laws:

Law for Protection of German Blood and Honour- banned marriages between Jews and Germans, and forbade sexual relations outside marriage.

Reich Citizenship Law - this made Jews ‘subjects; rather than citizens i.e they lost certain rights. Such as: voting, passport ownership, being a civil servant. Had to wear identification in terms of a yellow star.

September 1937: More Jewish businesses were confiscated
April 1938: Jews had to register their property, making it easier to confiscate
June-July 1938: Jewish doctors, dentists and lawyers were forbidden to treat Germans.

56
Q

increased persecution of jews 1938 -1939 (kristallnacht)

A

9-10 November 1938: Kristallnacht- Nazis destroyed synagogues, Jewish homes and shops. Goebbels and Hitler ordered SA and SS men to dress as civilians and commit violence as ordinary German people.
-1000s taken to concentration camps
-100 Jews killed
12 November 1938: Much of the property damaged on Kristallnacht was only rented by Jews from German owners. The Nazis fines the Jews one billion Reichsmark for the damage.

15 November 1938: Jewish students only allowed to attend Jewish schools.
12 March 1939: First mass arrests of Jews took place and nearly 30,000 Jewish men and boys were taken to concentration camps.
September 1939: the Invasion of Poland-

57
Q

Nazi policies toward Jews - how were Jewish lives made difficult?

A

Ghettos:
3 million Jews living in Poland and even more in the USSR. They were put into ghettos- sealed areas where they were segregated in order to make more space for the new German settlers. They suffered starvation rations, miserable sanitation and were used for slave labour. By 1942, 50,000 Jews had died of hunger, cold and disease in the Warsaw ghetto.

Death Squads:
Prior to the German Invasion of the USSR Einsatzgruppen were set up. These troops were to follow the invading troops and kill any Jews and ‘undesirables’.
Examples include the massacre at Babi Yar (33,771 killed in 2 days) and the Rumbula massacre (25,000 killed in 2 days).
Almost all of the people they killed were civilians, beginning with the Polish intelligentsia and swiftly progressing to Soviet political commissars, Jews, and Gypsies throughout Eastern Europe.
Operated in territories occupied by the German armed forces following the invasion of Poland (September of 1939) and Operation Barbarossa (the invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941)
It is estimated that the Einsatzgruppen and related auxiliary troops killed a total of more than 2 million people, approximately 1.3 million of them Jews.

The Final Solution:
After their invasion of the Soviet Union in June of 1941 the Nazi leaders were concerned with the vast number of Jews they were about to come across- there were approximately 4 million Jews in the western Soviet Union.
Some Nazi leaders such as Hermann Goring, argued against systematically killing the Jews. Their argument was that Jews provided cheap labour vital to the war effort.
However others, such as Himmler (head of the SS) said that ghettos, camps and death squads were too expensive to run and used up precious men who were needed more in the army.
Eventually, Himmler’s view prevailed, and so it was decided that all Jews under German control would be exterminated in death camps. This policy was called the Final Solution.

58
Q

the wannsee conference

A

On 20 January 1942, a conference was held in Wannsee- this ensured the coordination of plans to exterminate Jews.
Death camps were established at Auschwitz-Birkenau, Belzec, Chelmno, Majdanek, Treblinka and Sobibor. The sole purpose of these camps was to kill Jews, gypsies and other ‘undesirables’ in as speedy, cost-effective and secretive manner as possible. The majority were sent to chambers where they were gassed with CO or Zyklon B.
It is estimated that 5.7 million Jews had been murdered during the Holocaust.

59
Q

what kind of opposition to the nazis was common?

A

The Growth of Opposition to Hitler: This only grew when the regime was collapsing due to the war effort.

Underground resistance and open opposition:

  • There was sabotage of factories, railways and army depots.
  • Military and industrial secrets were passed on the Allies by spies.

However, there was very little open resistance as the Nazis were simply so brutal and efficient in wiping out any of their opposition. Furthermore, normal people were simply not willing to risk their lives in order to overthrow the Nazis.

  • Passive resistance and non-cooperation was relatively common:
  • Refused to join the Party
  • Refused to salute
  • Refused to contribute to funds
  • Met in secret; this was mainly banned political parties.

Private grumbling was very widespread:
Ordinary Germans greatly resented many aspects of the regime. The show of support became increasingly elaborate pretence.

60
Q

why was there not more opposition to the Nazis?

A

Why:

  • Germans were afraid
  • The opposition was divided
  • People did not realise what was happening e.g the Final Solution and Death camps
  • People liked Nazi policy
  • Only minor quibbles
  • Unpopular policies (though only a few) were dropped
  • No organised opposition
61
Q

the edelweiss pirates - who were they?

A

Edelweiss Pirates:

  • This was a group of working class teenagers who wanted to be free of Nazi control but this was not an organised political movement.
  • They went camping on weekends but also taunted and attacked Hitler Youth groups.
  • In 1944, they sheltered army deserters and escaped prisoners. They stole armaments and took part in an attack on the Gestapo.

The Nazis handled them differently from other minority groups as they needed workers for industry and soldiers so they could not kill all of them.
However, in 1944, the Nazis rounded up the ring leaders and publicly hanged 12 of them.

62
Q

the white rose movement - what was it?

A

The White Rose Movement:

  • Sophie and Hans Scholl wrote leaflets opposing Nazism and the war which they sent to all universities in southern Germany in 1943.
  • The students during a lecture, by the Gauleiter of Bavaria, howled him down, ejected the SA from the hall and marched in demonstration through Munich.

The Nazis reacted brutally: Hans and Sophie Scholl were arrested, beaten up and hauled before the ‘People’s Court’. There they were condemned to death by guillotine.

63
Q

the July bomb plotters - who were they?

A

The July Bomb Plot:

  • In July 1944, several generals of the army thought that the war was lost and that Hitler was leading Germany to ruin. Therefore, they wanted to remove him.
  • Count Von Stauffenberg left a bomb in Hitler’s conference room and they planned to close down the radio stations and round-up the remaining Nazi leaders in order to take over Germany.
  • It failed due to poor planning.
  • Hitler survived and took revenge by killing 5,000 in reprisal.
64
Q

the changing role of women and labour shortages during the war

A

Changing Role of Women and labour shortages:

Due to Germany rearming men were needed in the army. Hence women were encouraged to work all of a sudden.

  • They abolished marriage loans
  • Introduced a ‘duty year’ for all women joining the labour market
  • A duty year meant that they would work and receive full board but no pay. However, the pressure to have children was still in place which meant many women felt frustrated with the Nazi Regime.
  • Political prisoners and Jewish concentration camp inmates were worked to death through penal labour.
  • They worked to supply food, clothes and weapons for the army.
  • Prisoners of war were also subject to forced labour.
  • The domestic labour market meant there were increased working hours up to 60 hours a week.
  • Shortage of doctors and skilled professionals as they were occupied with the war.
  • This was worsened with the loss of Jewish and Communist doctors.
65
Q

rationing during the war

A

Rationing:

  • In September 1939, rationing was introduced for food stuffs and other items such as meat, bread, fats and sugar and clothes.
  • Extra rations were introduced for workers of heavy industry, expectant of nursing mothers, the sick etc
  • At first 2 out 5 Germans ate better than before the war.
  • However, the diet became increasingly monotonous and ration amounts were cut as the war progressed.

A black market developed to exchange goods. Tobacco became so valuable that it became a kind of currency.

  • People also had to make do without hot water or soap- using instead pine needles.
  • `It diminished the populations’ resources, led to a weaker workforce, the more rapid spread of diseases, and disenchantment with the regime.
66
Q

total war during the war

A

Total War: 1943-45

  • In June 1941, the German army invaded the USSR however, this was a crucial turning point as now the army became bogged down in a four year battle that would end with the end of the Third Reich.
  • Total War meant that every aspect of the German society was geared towards the war effort, producing arms, growing food, caring for the sick or fighting.
  • Anything that did not contribute to the war effort was eliminated: civilian clothes production, sport, magazines and non-essential business was closed.
  • However, Propaganda was the only non-essential aspect that increased. This shows perhaps that the Nazi government was concerned that people were losing disenchantment with the regime and wanted to continue to portray their wins.
  • The film ‘Kolberg’ which cost 8.5 million marks to produce, showed the heroic German resistance to Napoleon.
67
Q

allied bombing during the war

A

Allied Bombing:

  • There was an increased number of nightly air raids on industrial cities and towns across Germany by the Allied Forces. The Allies had made a bombing programmed to cripple German industry, lower civilians’ morale and force the end of the war.
  • This meant large numbers of people were evacuated to the countryside causing the rapid growth of small villages.
  • Many people became homeless or were killed for example: during the bombing of Dresden in 1945 35,000- 150,000 people were killed.
  • Number of doctors also was now 1-10,000 people instead of 15-10,000.
  • People became ever more aware that Germany was not winning the war as had been promised- lowering moral and heightening fear.
68
Q

Hitler’s death

A

Hitler’s death:
Hitler committed suicide shortly before Germany surrendered to the Allies.
-He committed suicide by taking cyanide capsules and shooting himself in the head in his apartment.
-His long-term mistress Eva Braun, with whom he had married on the 28th, was found dead with him.
Admiral Doenitz briefly took control after Hitler’s death, but Germany eventually surrendered to the Allies on May 7th, 1945. This marked the end of the infamous Nazi regime.

69
Q

why was the nazi regime defeated?

A

Why was the Nazi regime defeated?
*Germany failed to defeat Britain in air and sea war.

*Hitler decided to invade the Soviet Union.
However the invasion of the USSR was a huge mistake.
It turned the war into a long drawn-out struggle which Germany eventually lost.

The USA joined the Allies in December of 1941.

By 1944, German was losing the war of production.

Hitler made many mistakes:
He did not see the importance of the war in North Africa until it was too late.
He backed the wrong scientific projects- the Allies had developed radar, cipher machines and the atomic bomb so their war effort benefited. On the other hand, Hitler invested in V1 and V2 rockets. Although these did cause a public stir, they had little effect on the war.
He allowed the SS and the German Army too much control of the economy.
He was slow to use women in the labor force.
He was only considered about his political support at home.