A Nazi Postcard from 1933

• The slogan on the postcard (not in the picture) was:

‘What the King conquered, the Prince shaped, the Field Marshal defended, the Soldier saved, and united’

‘What the King conquered…’

• Under Frederick the Great (right), Prussia increased its size and importance in Europe in the late 18th Century.

• By the beginning of the 19th Century Prussia was challenging the Austrian Empire as the dominant Germanic state.

• The Prussians achieved this through having a powerful military.

The Prince shaped…• In 1861 Bismarck was

appointed Minister-President of Prussia.

• He brutally suppressed Liberal opposition to increase military expenditure.

• He is best known for his genius in foreign policy.

Wars of Unification• Under the leadership of

Bismarck Prussia engaged in 3 wars to unify Germany.

• These wars were against:1864 – Denmark1866 – Austria1870 – France

• The Second German Reich was proclaimed 18th January 1871 in the Hall of Mirrors of the Palace of Versailles. (pictured right)

• Kaiser Wilhelm I became Kaiser of all of Germany.

The Power Structure of the New Germany

• The Hohenzollern monarch (Kaiser) was Commander-in-Chief of the German Armed forces and could declare war as he saw fit.

• The Imperial Chancellor was appointed by, and was responsible only to the Kaiser.

• The Reichstag was a popularly elected House of Representatives. This institution did have some powers, but was largely a rubber-stamp for Bismarck’s policies.

Summary – Bismarck’s Achievement• Otto von Bismarck was the principal architect of a

German state which:Valued the end above consideration of the means;Preached the necessity for submission to higher

authority;Taught its citizens to believe in their special destiny;Saw war as the continuation of diplomacy by other

means;Demonstrated the German ability to overcome

adversity through planning and preparation;Proved the value of order, system, method, and

stability;

Pre-1918 Germany

• Had traditions of:NationalismMilitarismAuthoritarianism

Weimar Republic• During the turmoil of the Weimar republic

many Germans looked back on the old Imperial Germany with fondness.

• They were looking for someone to lead them back to the “good old days” when Germany was great.

• Hitler and the Nazis took advantage of these feelings...

• Some Germans wanted a ……?

• A knight in shining armour!

• To save them!