The Rise of Adolf Hitler and Nazism

The Life of Adolf Hitler

• His Early Years• The development of his racial attitudes• His World War I experience• After the war, moved to Munich in Bavaria

The Life of Adolf Hitler• In 1919, he joined a struggling group

called the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (Nazis)

• Failure of Munich Beer-Hall Putsch (November 9, 1923) demonstrated that power must be taken through legal means.

Imprisonment

• While in prison, Hitler analyzed the party’s strategy– Political strategies

developed and refined.– Shift to winning electoral

support – Development of

propaganda tools.• While in prison, he wrote

Mein Kampf: “My Struggle” (published in 1925)

Hitler’s Beliefs

• Nationalism - He wanted to unite all German-speaking people under one Empire

• He wanted racial purity – “inferior” races such as Jews, Slavs and all non-whites were to form a work force for the “master race” – blond, blue-eyed “Aryans”

Lebensraum

• Hitler believed that for Germany to thrive it needed more land at the expense of her neighbors

• Hitler called it “Lebensraum” or living space

Economic Instability

• Unemployment• Inflation

Jan. 1918 Jan. 1919 Jan. 1920 Jan. 1921 Jan. 1922 April 1922 July 1922 Oct. 1922 Jan. 1923 Feb. 1923

5.21 8.20

64.80 64.91

191.81 291.00 493.22

3,180.96 17,972.00 27,918.00

Mar. 1923 Apr. 1923 May 1923

June 1923 July 1923 Aug. 1923 Sept. 1923 Oct. 1923 Nov. 1923 Dec. 1923

21,190.00 24,475.00 47,670.00

109,966.00 353,412.00

4,620,455.00 98,860,000.00

25,260,000,000.00 2,193,600,000,000.00 4,200,000,000,000.00

Exchange rates, US Dollar to Mark, 1918-1923

Ruhr Crisis

• Loss of Territory– Lost 13.1% of its territory and 10% of its

population– These territories were rich in agricultural and

mineral resources• Reparations: Allies announced in 1921 Germany

had to pay almost $34 billion• Germany's economy weak and it could not pay

all the reparations.• 1923, France occupied industrial Ruhr region of

Germany.

Ruhr Crisis

• German government ordered Ruhr people to stop working & passively resist French occupation.

• Runaway inflation occurred when Germany printed money to pay reparations

• Brought about social revolution in Germany: Accumulated savings of many retired and middle-class people were wiped out; middle-class resented gov't; blamed Western gov't, big business, workers, Jews, and communists for nation's woes

Dawes Plan 1924

Restructured Germany's debt with U.S. loans to Germany to pay back Britain and France, who likewise paid back U.S.; resulted in German economic recovery

1924-1929 – Growing Support

• Focus on traditional values• Built fear of Left Wing groups• Continued use of military imagery• Lack of electoral support due to prosperity in Germany at

the time• May 1928 election: Nazis get 2.6% national vote

1929-1932 - A Change in Fortunes

• Wall Street Stock Market Crash led to end of financial assistance from USA

• Unemployment rose rapidly• Hyperinflation• Threat of Communism increased• Government failed to address problems

successfully

• Depression after the Wall Street Crash made more people vote for the Nazis.

The Wall Street Crash 1929

How did the Nazis Gain Support?

• Military uniforms demonstrated strength when the government was weak– SA – paramilitary unit of Nazi party– SS – elite group within the SA

• Use of force against communists and Trade unions was popular with businesses.

• Rhetoric was employed as reminders of ‘Who was to blame’ for the economic crisis built support.

Nazi Propaganda

• The Nazi’s quickly recognized the value of the media. From the early days of the party they used aggressive advertising to promote the Nazi ideology

• Joseph Goebbels was in charge of ‘enlightening’ the German public

Propaganda

The essence of propaganda consists in winning people over to an idea so sincerely, so vitally, that in the end they succumb to it utterly and can never escape from it.

Joseph GoebbelsThe receptive powers of the masses are very restricted, and their understanding is feeble. On the other hand, they quickly forget. Such being the case, all effective propaganda must be confined to a few bare necessities and then must be expressed in a few stereotyped formulas.

Hitler, Mein Kampf

Weimar Republic

• Democratic Government established in Germany following World War I

• Was a multiple party system, based on “Proportional Representation”

• Each part was allowed representation based on the amount of support it won in elections.

• This system allowed Nazis to gain control of the government.

Hitler Gained a Following

• Hitler’s ability as a public speaker and organizer drew many followers

• He quickly became the Nazi Party leader• He promised to return Germany to its old

glory

Hitler rose to power in part by criticizing the Versailles Treaty as unfair and humiliating to the

proud German nation

Hitler Appointed Chancellor

• By mid-1932, the Nazis had become the strongest political party in Germany

• In January of 1933, Hitler was appointed Chancellor

• Once in office he quickly dismantled Germany’s democratic Weimar Republic and replaced it with a totalitarian government

Hitler was appointed chancellor by the aging President Hindenburg of

the Weimar Republic

Reichstag Fire (February 1933)

• A communist was found inside the building.

• Hitler convinced people that Communists were trying to take power by terrorism

• Communist Party banned from the Reichstag

The Enabling Act (March 1933)

• Hitler can rule Germany for four years• No need to consult Reichstag

The Night of the Long Knives

• Hitler had to get control of the German Army (SA) – A threat.

• June 30, 1934 - Hitler’s S.S. killed over 1000 SA members including Ernst Roehm.

• Hitler had gained the support of the army.

Death of Hindenburg (August 1934)

• Hitler combined positions of President and Chancellor

• Der Führer• Third Reich• Oath of Loyalty: Every soldier swore a

personal oath of loyalty to Hitler: "I swear by God this sacred oath that I shall render

unconditional obedience to Adolf Hitler, der Führer of the German Reich, supreme commander of the armed forces, and that I shall at all times be prepared, as a brave soldier, to give my life for this oath."

DEATH OFPRESIDENT

HINDENBURG

HITLERBECAMECHANCELLOR

THE REICHSTAGFIRE

THEENABLING

ACT

THE NIGHTOF THELONG

KNIVES

OATH OFLOYALTY

TOHITLER

DER FÜHRER

Nazi Germany

Keeping Control:

Terror State

“Terror is the best political weapon, for nothing drives people harder than a fear of sudden death.”

How did Hitler keep control of Germany?

Keeping Control of Germany

Everyone was scared of being arrested by the

Gestapo and being put in a concentration camp.

Hitler Youth & the Young Maidens.

Propaganda

Mass Rallies, Posters and Propaganda films.

The Nazis controlled and censored the radio

& newspapers.

School children were indoctrinated with Nazi

ideas at school.

The Terror State

Secret police called the Gestapo would spy on and arrest enemies of

the state.

SS were responsible for running the

concentration camps.

Popularity

Creating Jobs

Ripping up the Treaty of Versailles.

The Terror State

• Both the Gestapo and the SS were run by Heinrich Himmler.

• The Gestapo employed an army of spies who would inform on people.

Enemies of the Nazi State

• Jews• Communists• Social Democrats• Trade Unions• Work Shy (Lazy)• Homosexuals• Gypsies

• Germans who bought from Jews• Pacifists• Radical Christian Organization• Anyone who criticized Hitler or the Nazi

Party.

Propaganda

Radio

• Between 1932-9 the number of families with radios rose from 25% to 70%

• Hitler is considered to have been one of the greatest public speakers of all time.

Film: The Triumph of the Will

Film was used to show Hitler in a positive light as often as possible.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Reichsparteitag.jpg

Newspapers

• 1933 - 4,700 daily newspapers, 3% controlled by Nazi Party

• 1944 - 997 daily newspapers, 82% controlled by Nazi Party

• Censoring newspapers ensured that only the news you want people to read is available to the public

• Nazi party members wrote many articles for the press, ensuring that the message was always positive

• Many publications were banned

Germany Under the Nazis

1933-1938

• On April 7, 1933 Hitler ordered all non-Aryans removed from government jobs

• Thus began the systematic campaign of racial purification that eventually led to the Holocaust – the murder of 11 million people across Europe (more than half of whom were

Jews) Title: “Away with him” The long arm of the Ministry of Education pulls a Jewish teacher from his classroom.April 1933 (Der Sturmer Issue #12)

Use of Schools

• Syllabus & textbooks changed to reflect Nazi ideas on race & German history

• Compulsory membership of German Teacher’s League

PERIODS Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1. 8:00-8:45 German German German German German German

2. 8:50-9:35 Geography History Singing Geography History Singing

3. 9:40-10:25 Race Study Race Study Race Study Race Study Party Beliefs

Party Beliefs

4. 1025:11:00 Break – with sports and special announcements.

5. 11:00-12:05 Domestic Science with Mathematics – Every day.

6. 12:10-12:55 The science of breeding (Eugenics) – Health Biology.

2:00-6:00 Sport each day.

1935 Schedule for a Girls’ School in Nazi Germany

Boycott of Jewish Businesses

April 1933

"Where they have burned books,they will end in burning human beings."

Heinrich Heine

Book Burning 1933

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/Yad_Vashem_Books_burned_by_Nazis_by_David_Shankbone.jpg

DACHAU CONCENTRATION

CAMP

1933

Nuremberg Rallies

The Law for the Encouragement of Marriage gave newly-wed couples a loan of 1000 marks, and allowed them to keep 250 marks for each child they had.   Mothers who had more than 8 children were given a gold medal.

In 1934 the Ten Commandments for the choice of a spouse were compiled. They included: 1. Remember that you are a German. 2. If you are genetically healthy you should not remain unmarried. 3. Keep your body pure. 4. You should keep your mind and spirit pure. 5. As a German choose only a spouse of the same or Nordic

blood. 6. In choosing a spouse ask about his ancestors. 7. Health is also a precondition for physical beauty. 8. Marry only for love. 9. Don't look for a playmate but for a companion for marriage. 10. You should want to have as many children as possible.

Hitler Youth

Nuremberg Laws 1935• Deprived German Jews of their rights of citizenship,

giving them the status of "subjects" in Hitler's Reich. – The laws also made it forbidden for Jews to marry or have

sexual relations with Aryans. • The Nuremberg Laws had the unexpected result of

causing confusion and heated debate over who was a "full Jew." – The Nazis settled on defining a "full Jew" as a person with three

Jewish grandparents. Those with less were designated as Mischlinge.

• The Nuremberg Laws were unique in classifying Jews, not as a religion or culture, but as a race. This meant that even non-practicing Jews or Jews who had converted to Christianity could be defined as Jews.

Supplemental Laws• Jews must carry ID cards and Jewish

passports are marked with a “J”• Jews may no longer own or bear arms• Jews may no longer own businesses• Jews may no longer attend plays, concerts, etc.• All Jewish children are moved to Jewish schools• All Jewish businesses are shut down• Jews may no longer be in certain places at certain times• Jews must hand over driver’s licenses and car

registrations• Jews must sell their businesses and hand over securities

and jewels• Jews may no longer attend universities

Jews forced to wear bright yellow stars to identify themselves

Euthanasia Program

• Part of the Nuremberg Laws were laws to promote a genetically “healthy” Germany.

• The ‘simple minded,’ retarded, mentally ill, deformed and other ‘defectives’ were to be sterilized to prevent their reproducing.

• Eventually this extended itself to the Euthanasia program which killed such people. Usually they went in for a tonsillectomy or some such surgery and “died” during surgery.

Olympics 1936

KRISTALLNACHT (NIGHT OF BROKEN GLASS)

• On November 9-10, 1938 Nazi Storm Troopers attacked Jewish homes, businesses and synagogues across Germany

• Over 100 Jews were killed, hundreds more were injured, and 30,000 Jews arrested

• Afterward, the Nazis blamed the Jews for the destruction