The road to Nazi Germany and WW II

By: Jeff Douglas

The Treaty of Versailles

Section of the “Peace of Paris” that ended WW I

Was written by Lloyd George of Britain and Clemenceau of France

Written to punish Germany

Germany was unfairly punished by the treaty of Versailles

Greatly reduced the size of Germany Reduced the size of the German army and

banned the manufacture of weapons Reestablished the country of Poland Germany lost its oversea colonies Germany had to pay reparations for property

damage and for the cost of the Allied war effort

German land lost at Versailles

The fertile Alsace-Lorraine” ceded back to France

The “Danzig” land given so that Poland could have a coast

Allied forces to occupy the fertile “Rhineland”

Weimar Republic

Another effect of the Versailles Treaty was that Germany was to become a republic

Only lasted from 1919 to 1933 Nationalists claimed that Weimar leaders

betrayed Germany by accepting the Versailles Treaty

Outrageous Reparations

Germany was to repay $35 billion dollars to the allies for the cost of WW I

1922 German government announced inability to repay

1923 France marches on Germany’s industrial Ruhr Valley and takes control of coal and steel industry

Economic Troubles

Germany lost valuable income from industry to France

Germany prints more $ to pay striking workers

By the end of 1923 inflation has wiped out the savings of the entire middle class

Nationalist Socialist Workers Party

Started as a valid political party challenging the Weimar Republic

Led by Adolph Hitler Formed the “brownshirts” private army of

nationalist, out of work, young men

Adolph Hitler

Born in Austria in 1889 WWI Veteran Wrote “Mein Kampf”

(My Struggle) while in prison for “Munich Beer Hall Riot”

Blamed Jews and Communists for Germany’s WWI defeat

Nazism

The philosophy of Hitler and the Nationalist Socialist Worker’s Party

Declared Germans to be the “master race” Gained strength after the Depression began

in 1929 Blamed Jews for the depression

Hitler in power

The Nazis won 229 seats in the “Reichstag”-they are not a majority, but are the largest party

Hitler becomes Chancellor on January 30, 1933

Hitler blames Communists for a 1933 fire that destroyed the “Reichstag” building

Hitler consolidates power

Brownshirts force the voters to choose Nazi party leaders

Hitler in total power because of “Communist threat” Bans all other political parties Threw out freedom of press, speech, religion and

assembly Nazi party regulated all aspects of German life

Hitler’s Paranoia

1935 Nuremburg laws stripped Jews of their rights

Jewish businesses destroyed, Jews forced to wear yellow badges so they could be recognized and discriminated against

The Gestapo, or secret police, arrested Jews and sent them to Concentration Camps

Third Reich

Hitler took the title of “Fuhrer” (The Leader) in 1935

He declared that the “Third Empire” would last 1000 years

Ignored Versailles and began to produce weapons and ammunition

Brought all intellectual activity under the control of the Nazi Party

“Lebensraum”(Living Space)

Hitler said living space was needed to expand the German population

1936 Germany invades the Rhineland France backs down for fear of war 1938 Hitler sends troops into Austria- Britain

and France do nothing

Axis Powers

Hitler and Mussolini sign the “Rome-Berlin Axis” in 1936

1936 Japan joins Germany and Italy in the “Anti-Comertern Pact”

Western Europe ignores Russia’s Stalin and his plead for help

Hitler invades

September 12, 1938 Germany invades Czechslovakia

Britain and France choose “appeasement policy”

September 1, 1939 Germany invades Poland with “blitzkrieg” –lightning war

Western Europe finally accepts the threat, but it is too late. War is imminant.

Works Cited

http://www.flholocaustmuseum.org/history_wing/assets/room2/map_versailles_treaty.jpg

http://www.newgenevacenter.org/portrait/hitler.jpg

“World History- The Human Experience” Glencoe, 1997; Westerville, Oh.