Rise of Hitler Flashcards
1
Q
Origins of Nazi Party
A
- Germany Worker’s party formed by Anton Drexler in Janurary 1919
- Only 6 members
- Party believed: Democracy was weak, Jews were to blame, Communist and Socialists brought about the Kaiser’s fault
- Socialist Weimar politicians had betrayed Germany
2
Q
Changes to the German Worker’s Party
A
- Hitler put in charge of propaganda - Feburary 1920
- Hitler and Dreler re-wrote the party aims as its “25 point programme”
- Party was renamed NSDAP
- Hitler was a talented orator
- Hitler became leader of the party - 1921
3
Q
25 Point Programme
A
- Aims were vague to appeal to many
- Nationalists were keen on destruction of treaty
- People who wanted to blame for Germany’s problem were attracted by anti-semitism
- Middle classes and big businesses liked Hitler’s anti communist ideas
- Points included: End of peace treaties, only german blood may be memebrs of the nation, land and territory to feed peopel and settle extra population, union of all Germans in a greater Germany
4
Q
Hitler’s Role 1920-1922
A
- Attracted amny members
- Membership to 1100
- Started selling Nazi newspaper
- Hitler decided it was time for a military wing - the SA
5
Q
Origins of the SA
A
- Nazis got a lot of support from ex-soldiers
- SA set up under Ernst Rohm
- Known as the Brownshirts
- Role was to disrupt opposition meetings and crowd control
6
Q
Munich Putsch 1923 - Causes
A
- People still hated Weimar
- Baveria is rural and many are conservative that support Hitler
- Ruhr invasion had many Germans frustrated at Weimar
- Got soldiers to support Hitler
- Bavarian Prime Minister supported Hitler
- Germany’s economy was in shambles/peopel blamed the Weimar Government
- Mussolini was influenctial
- Nazi party had many members
7
Q
People in the Munich Putsch 1923
Otto von Lassow
A
- Head of German army in Bavaria
- Fled during the putsch to join the opposition to Hitler
8
Q
People in the Munich Putsch 1923
Gustav von Kahr
A
- Bavarian prime minister
- Supported Hitler’s aims
9
Q
People in the Munich Putsch 1923
Erich Ludendorff
A
- Sought Kahr’s support in the Putsch
- Led to Putsch along with Hitler and was arrested
10
Q
Munich Putsch 1923
November 8 - Right wing meeting held in Munich beer hall
A
- Hitler and his SA supporters stormed the hall
- Hitler forced Kahr and Lossow to support his plan to march to Berlin and install Ludendorff as Germany’s new leader
- Members of the SA used violence and intimidation against members of the Bavarian state government
- Lossow and Kahr swore loyalty to the Putsch and left the hall
11
Q
Munich Putsch
November 9
A
- President Ebert declared state of emergency and Lossow told to crush uprising
- Lossow and Kahr announced their opposition to the putsch
- Ludendorff beleived the soldiers would give him their support and persuaded Hitler to continue
- 2000 Nazis and their supporters marched into Munich aiming to take over buildings
- Armed police and soliders confronted the Nazis (pointless supporting a minor party)
- Fire was exchanged and 14 Nazisk killed
12
Q
Munich Putsch
November 11
A
Hitler arrested and awaited trial
13
Q
Why did the Munich Putsch fail
A
- Poorly planned by hitler
- Army did not support the SA
- People didn’t want revolutions
14
Q
Munich Putsch - Consequences: trial
A
- Hitler and other leaders went on trial in Feburary1924
- Hitler used trial to make speeches
- Seen as nationalist and patriot
- Hitler sentenced to 5 years dspite being found guilty of treason
- Won early release and only served 9 months
- Ludendorff found not guilty
- Nazi Party banned
15
Q
Outcome of the trial
A
- Gave HItler a platform to speak
- Light sentenes were proof that influenctial figures were anti-Weimar
- During his imprisonment he wrote his manifesto
- Failure of the Putsch made Hitler reflect on the best way to take power
16
Q
Mein Kampf - Manifesto
A
- German race will rule the world because they are superior
- Jews are lading to a conspiracy to undermine Aryans
- Jews want to weaken the Aryan race by intermarriage
- Jews are taking over German businesses and moderate political groups
- The Treaty of Versailles must be undone
- Lebensraum is needed so that the Aryan population can expand
- Germany must invade RUssian land to the east of Germany to drive out the communist threat
- Germany’s wealth must benefit German working people, not the rich
- Democracy is weak: Germany eneds one leader who can roganise everything for the benefit of the people
17
Q
Hitlers change to a legal approach
A
- Created a national headquarters for the Nazi Party in Munich
- Divided Germany into districts and appointed a leading Nazi to increase support
- First rally held in Weimar
- Encouraged more young people to join the SA and also set up the Hitler Youth
- Hitler established a new private bodyguard SS
- Goebbels - edited the Nazi newspaper and was in charge of propaganda, emphasises the Nazi’s opposition to Jews - Very popular
- Nazis held public meetings across Germany and trained members to be effective public speakers
- Nazi party establsihed various organisation to take its message to particular groups of people
- Party concentrated on winning the support of farmers Germany’s agriculture was suffering badly
18
Q
Reorganisation of the Nazi Party 1924-1929
A
- Nazi Party ban lifted
- Hitler held a 4000 strong rally at the same Beer Hall
- Mein Kampf became a bestseller
19
Q
Wall Street Crash 1929
A
- To keep people happy theyu increased unemployment benefits
- INitially raised taxes to pay unemployment benefits
- As problem worsened, amount of benefits were reduced
20
Q
Effects of wall street crash
A
- Many unemlpoyed
- Price of goods for farmers falling
- Many lost their businesses
- High food prices
21
Q
Effect of WSC on Weimar
A
- Heinrich Bruning (centre party leader) became chancellor
- Tried to use article 48 to pass measures but ht Reichstag pushed back and he did not have majority
- Bruning asked Hindenburg to use article 48 and Germany 1930 was basically ran by Hindenburg
- Bruning introduced measures including tax rises and cuts to unemployment benefits
- Many germans turned to extreme political parties
- Nazis went freom 12 seats to 107 seats
22
Q
Nazis gaining seats
Appeal of Hitler
A
- Anti communist
- Business leaders worried about communism
- Krupps, Siemens gave Nazis money
- Decline of National Party - Hitler was an alternative
23
Q
Nazis gaining seats
The SA
A
- 400,000 strong by 1930
- Mass rallies showing order
- Disrupted meeting of political opponents
- Used violence and intimidation to threaten voters
24
Q
Nazis gaining seats
Propaganda
A
- Focused on popular messages not concrete ideas
- Policy changed depending on popularity
- Rallies with entertainment
- 8 Newspapers all aimed at different audiences
- Rallies to show order, unity, and strength
- Targeted posters
- Negative cohesion
25
1932 Election and the Fall of Bruning
- Nazis are biggest party by 1932 July
- Hitler runs for president
- Bruning tries to ban the SA and the SS
- Kurt Von Schleicher - army general - persuades Hindenberg to fire Bruning
26
Franz Von Papen
- Hindenburg chooses Papen to head a coalition
- Schleicher gives Hitler a place in the coalition to control him
- Coalition is weak
- Hitler demands to be chancellor - Nazis are biggest party
- Hindenburg rejects
- Papen resigns
27
Von Schleicher and Hindenburg
- Powerful businessmen write to Hindenburg and ask him to make Hitler Chancellor
- Communists gained 11 seats
- Hindenburg said no and appointed Von Schleicher as chancellor
- Von Schleicher asks Hindenburg to suspend coalition and make him leader of a military dictatorship - accuses Hitler and Von Papen of planning coup
- Von Papen is now determined to take power
- Thinks he can appoint hitler as chancellor and control him
- Hindenburg says yes
28
Reichstag fire
- Marinus van der Lubbe (Dutch Communist) found on the site
- Confessed, put to trial, and executed
- Debate about who was responsible
29
Consequences of the Reichstag Fire
- Hermann Goering, Nazi chief of polcie, claimed Van der Lubbe was part of a communist plot
- Used opportunity to destroy the communist party
- 4000 communist leaders arrested
- Hitler persuaded Hindenburg toi use article 48 to pass the "Decree for the protection of the people and state"
- Gave police to search homes, imprison without trial, ban meetings, close newspapers
- Goering took over radio stations
30
March 1933 Election
- Used Reichstag Fire as a reason to vote for Nazis
- Goering began to replace police officers with Nazis
- Thousands of KPD and SPD memebrs arrested and sent to camps
- SA broke up election meetings
- Newspapers that didn't support the Nazis were closed
- Hitler secured money from industrialists he promised to destroy communism
- Nazi propaganda was everywhere
- Peopel were 'encoraged' at polling stations
31
1933 Election Results
- Nazis won 92 more seats
- Largest party but not majority
- Hitler could not guarantee his policies would be passed
- Wanted 2/3 majority to change constitution
32
Enabling act
- Hitler needed more deputies
- Hitler had all 81 KPD deputies arrested and imprisoned
- 26 out of 120 SPD deputies were arrested or went into hiding
- National party(52) agreed to support Hitler because their views are similar
- Centre party (73) were persuaded to vote for Hitler
- SA and SS swarmed arroudn the meeting
- 444 votes to 94
33
Effects of the Enabling Act
- End of Weimar constitution
- Gave Hitler power to apss any laws
- Reichstag only met 12 times
- Local government reorganised to have Nazis as majority in each and then abolished in 1934
- Trade union offices broke into and arrested leaders
- German Workers' Front created and workers forced to join
- SDP and KPD suspended
- All political parties banned in 1933
34
Reasons for reducing SS
- Rohm rivals Hitler's power
- Himmler + SS are jealous of the SA
- Rohm = alcoholic, homosexual, a bad influence = corrupt Hitler youth
- Rohm wants to push through social policies
- SA = drunken thugs
- SA affects Nazi/army relationship
- Rohm vs Generals
- SA started stealing army supplies
- Could lead to coup by army
35
Night of the long knives 1934
- 200 SA officers arrested
- 90+ of those arrested are killed
- Revenge: Von Kahr, Schieicher, Gregor Strasser killed
- Von Papen arrested and sent to Austria
- Hitler claimed Rohm was leading a coup
36
Nazi rule
- Hitler was totalitarian
- One party state
- Nazi controlled police, courts, radio, newspapers, education, films, arts, trade unions, churches, etc
- Indoctrination
- Censorship
- Propaganda
- Germany was a police state
- Concentration camp opened in 1933 and there was a network
37
Terror and police state
- Germans could be arrested and imprisoned without trial
- New central court "People's Court" - No juries - Judges expected to support Nazi policies - No right of appeal - Many political opponents sentenced to death by these courts and executed
- SS and Gestapo brought together under Himmler
- SS responsible for identifying and arresting political prisoners and for running camps
- Gestapo responsible for state security
- People suspected of opposition sent to prison or camps
38
Censorship
- Newspapers controlled
- Radio programmes controlled
- Ministry of propaganda made a list of unacceptable literature and the Gestapo had power to search bookshops and libraries to sieze such publications
- Writers, actors, and musicians had to join the Reich Chamber of Commerce
39
Propaganda messages
* Supremacy of the Aryan race and the inferiority of the Jews and other races
* Tremendous work being done by the Nazis to deal with communism
* Different roles of men and women in society and the importance of family
* All citizens had a duty to suffer for the good of the nation
40
Policy towards education and young people
- Made sure Children grew as Nazis
- Children are more vulnerable to influence and control
- Children would spread the message to their families
- Well educated populus
- Teacers had to join Nazi teachers Association
- Curriculum and textbooks changed
41
Policy on school curriculum
- Race studies taught Aryans were superior
- More time in PE for health and prepare boys to become soldiers
- Examples in math problems used military problems
- History taught children about tht rise of the Nazis
- Biolobgy emphasised supremacy of Aryans
- Geography taught children about the need for living space
- Domesti cscience taught to female students to prepare them for their futures as wives and mothers
42
Youth movements
- Pre 1933: Wandering bird; scouts; and more ran by churches or political parties
- 1933: Youth groups banned except Catholic church one
- 1936 Hitler Youth Law - Mandatory for 10-18 year olds to join
- Spent evening and weekends away from parents
- Activities were fun
- Members encouraged to report non-Nazis
- By 1939, 8m were members
43
Women in the 1920s
- Increasingly important
- Teachers, doctors, civil servants
- 10% of the Reichstag
- Express themselves through fashion
- Falling birthrate
44
Women under the Nazis - Babies and Marrriage
- Propaganda campaign to encourage fertility
- Contraception and abortion banned
- 1933 law of encouragement of marriage provided loans but only if the women left work
- Medals awarded for child birth
- German women's enterprise organisaiton trained women in household skills
45
Women under the Nazis - Traditional Attitudes
- Nazi belief in 'traditional' women as wives and mothers
- KKK - Children cooking, church
- Encouraged to not use makeup
- Encouraged to wear hoemmade clothes and no heels
- Smoking and drinking discouraged as unhealthy and 'unlady' like
- Slimming discouraged as it was beleived larger women gave birth easier
46
Women under Nazis - problems
- Nazi ideas created economic problems
- As more men joined the army, there was a need for more workers
- Nazis had to relax limits on women working
- 1939, 50% women were working than 1933
47
Catholic Church
- Loyal to pope
- Ran youth groups
- Cooperated with Nazis at first
- 1933, signed the concordat - agreement that church would not get involved in political affairs and Nazis would allow the church to have freedom of worhip and to run its own groups and schools
- Hitler broke the agreement
- Catholic newspapers censored
- Nazi propaganda hinted at financial corruption
- 1937 - Pope Pius XI pushed back with a statement attackign Nazis
- Statement read in all churches
48
Catholic Church
- Made illegal
- Some church properties seized by Nazis
- Catholic schools closed
- Priests arrested if spoke out
49
Protestant Church
- Many were nationalists and agreed with Nazis
- Called themselves 'SA of the church' and mixed Chiristian beliefs with Nazi beliefs
- 1933 - Protestant Church became Reich church
- Non nazi pastors were expelled
- Martin Niemoller and Deitrich Bonhueffer set up the Confessional Church in 1934 - Argues Nazis should styay out of church matters - arrested and sent to camps
50
Nazi racial policies
- 1933 - Sterilisation Law passed
- 1936 - Juvenile delinquents, tramps, homosexualms, and Jews sent to camps
- 1938 - Gypsies also sent to camps
- Intermarriage between gypsies and Germans banned in 1935
- 1938 - A decree for the 'Struggle against the Gypsy plague' forced gypsies to register with the state
- 1939 - People with mental illnesses put to death
- 1941 - policy abandoned after public protests
- 1935 - Marriage ebtween black and aryans banned
51
Jewish persecution
- Aprill 1933 - Nazi government organised a nationwide boycott of Jewish businesses
- 1935 - Jews banned form public places and the army
- September 1935 - Nuremberg Laws introduced - Jews and Aryans could not marry - Jews could no longer hold a German passport or vote
- 1939 Janurary - Reich Office for Jewish Emigration was set up and was responsible for speeding up the emigration of Jews
- Nazis banned Emigration in 1941 but by then 2/3 of Jews had fled the country
- 1938 - All possesions had to be registered with the government - Jews were made to carry identity cards at all times - Jewish professionals were not allowe dto work for non jews
52
Night of the Broken Glass
- German official in the Paris Embassy murdered by a Jew
- 800 Shops owned by Jews destroyed
- 191 syangogues vandalised or set on fire
- Many Jewish homes attacked and property was damaged or stolen
- 91 Jews killes - 30,000 arrested
- Fined Jewish community 1 billion Reichsmarks to pay for the damage as most of the property was rented from German landlords
53
Nazis first economic plan
- Designed ro reduce imports and reduce unemployment
- Trade agreements with other countries to guarantee Germany's supply of resources
- Began projects to create work - wroad building
- Provided Hitler with money he needed to rearm Germany
54
Four Year Plan
- Making Germany self sufficient in oil, steel, rubber
- Scientists set to work to find substitutes for resources
- Called it autarky
- Accompanied by a propaganda campaign to persuade people to buy German products and eat onyl German food
- Limited success
- Frequent food shortages and rationing
- 1939 - Germany had to import 1/3 of its raw material
55
Economic problems
- 1939 - debt over 40 billion marks
- Germany was importing more than it exported
- Consumption of absic foodstuffs dropped between 1937-39
56
Reducing unemployment
- Continued policies first introduced by Weimar after the Wall Street Crash - doubled spending on public works programmes
- Hitler began to adopt a more aggressive foreign policy and rearmament became important
- Work of Schat and Goering was important in helping unemployment
- Expansion of army created employment
- Nazis paid private companies to create jobs
57
Reality of unemployment
- Many of the data does not include 'invisible unemployment'
- Women not included in figures
- Jews were no longer citizens and were not included in figures
- National Labour Service set up to organise unemployed men to do manual work - was not counted as uneployed
- Anoyne who had temporary employment was counted as being in full employment
- Statistics does not tell us what life was life for Germans who were employed - high number of hours - high cost of living
58
German Labour Front
- Intended to ensure efficient running of industry
- Main aims were to get workers to work harder and to control wages
- Wanted more work without pay so it ran two programmes to improve workers' lives in other ways
59
Strength through joy
- Purpose was to run activities for workers in their leisure time
- Created satisfied workers who would work harder and be more productive
- Reewards offered for the hardest workers
- Responsible for the Volkswagen project
60
Beauty of labour
- Responsible for improving working conditions
- Encouraged employers to provide canteens serving hot meals and sport and leisure facilities
- Facilities were provided by expected workers to build them in their spare time
61
Ghettos
- Jews forced to move
- Walled off, crowded, unsanitary
- Food restricted, diseases spread rapidly
- 4000 Jews died per month
- Jews had to pay for the wall to be built
62
Eastern Relocation
- Warsaw Jews resettled in the east
- 250,000 transported to eastern camps
63
Death Squads
- German invasion of USSR included eastern POland and Baltic States
- Army followed by Einsatzgruppen
- Einsatzgruppen reounded up JEws and other undesireables and executed them
- Intially shot, and then changed to mobile gas chambers
- Over 1.2m civillians murdered by 1943
64
Final solution
- Labour camps built in eastern POland
- 6 million Jews and 5 million non Jews died in camps
- Jews sent to camps divided into two groups; fit to work and not fit to work
- Medical experiments done on many
- Poison gas replaced shooting
- Bodies burned
65
Keeping it secret
- Propaganda movies showing camps as resettlement and labour camps
- Tricked Jewish leaders into organising Jews for resettlement
- Warsaw Ghetto Uprising 1943
- 56,000 Jews were shot or sent to camps
- When war was being lost, the Germans began to destroy evidence
66
Evacuation
- Germans made plans to evacuate children from major cities
- 1942 - mass evcuation to rural areas began
- 2.5m children were evacuated by kinderlandreishickung
- Children evacuated to camps supervised by Hitler Youth Leaders
67
Rationing
- Started in August 1939
- Food stamps issued
- COvered abasic level of nutrition
- Unhappiness during winters of 1939/40 and 1940/41
- Early war successes allowed peopel to over look rationing
- 1942 Government cut rations due to shortages
- End of the war - 3m German refugees from the east added to the problems and there was starvation
68
69
Total war
- Operation Barbarossa into the USSR - June 1941
- Advance came to a halt
- Soviet tactic of 'Scorched Earth Policy" led to shortages
- Failures in USSR and the Battle of Britain put Germany under great strain
- Feb 1943 - Goebbels announced "total war"
- Growing shortage of labour had to be addressed
- Early years used workers from occupied countries
* October 1941 - Hitler announced SOviet POW’s would be used - by 1944 there were 7m
* Janurary 1943 all men 16-65, women 17-45 had to be available to work
* Small and unessential businesses were closed and workers transferred
* August 1944 worker holidays banned and 60 hour work week introduced
* Professional sports team and places of entertainment shut down
* Postal services reduced to save fuel
* Volksstrum (home guard) formed. Boys as young as 12 forced to join
70
Effects of Allied Bombing
- British RAF bombed Germany
- 43 cities were bombed
- Hamburg bombing of 1943 killed 42,000 and forced 1m to flee
- Stories of bravery and determination were spread
- WElfare organisation to provide aid
- Bombing had a negative effect
- Ruhr valley raids in 1944 reduced metal production by 40%
- Destruction of infrastructure more important than industries
71
Changing role of women
- Initially pushed out of work
- Some returned in 1936 to support rearmament
- Fewer women in work in 1939 than 1929
- With men leaving to war, government had the power to enscripy women
- Goering ordered women with no children to work
- 1943 - extra half million were working
- 1945 - Hitler finally agreed to let women up to 50 (originally 45) to work
- 60% of labour force at the ened of the war
- Huge psychological impact on women
