Adolf Hitler

Early Life April 20, 1889: Hitler is born

Born and raised in Austria Jan. 3, 1903: Father dies October 1907: Fails art exam

Told he had an aptitude for architecture No appreciation of “human form” Could not attend architectural school because

he had dropped out of High School December 21, 1907: Mother dies of

cancer

The War 1914-1918: Hitler participates in World

War 1 Rank: Corporal Best friend was killed by a sniper Temporarily blinded by poison gas Developed strong hatred for Jews and

politicians "There followed terrible days and even

worse nights - I knew that all was lost...in these nights hatred grew in me, hatred for those responsible for this deed."

Post War Hitler 1919: Hitler joins the German Workers

Party Known as the DAP (Deutsche

Arbeiterpartei) Small and unorganized Was a very gifted orator

Hitler on the DAP "This absurd little organization with its

few members seemed to me to possess the one advantage that it had not frozen into an 'organization,' but left the individual opportunity for real personal activity. Here it was still possible to work, and the smaller the movement, the more readily it could be put into the proper form. Here, the content, the goal, and the road could still be determined..."

The Nazi Party October 16, 1919: Hitler speaks at a party meeting

Held in a basement beer hall Invitation published in an anti-Semitic

newspaper Summer 1920: Hitler chooses the swastika for his

party’s symbol Used by other anti-Semitic groups in the past Red flag White circle around it

The Nazi Party is formed National Socialist German Workers' Party Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or

NSDAP 1920: 3,000 members

The Nazi Flag

The Swastika Ancient symbol Hindu, Buddist,

Jainist Represented good

luck Word from Sanskrit

Svasti Meant well-being

Crash of German Economy April 1921: Allies demand payment of

reparations (33 billion dollars) Before 1921: 4 marks to the dollar 1921: 75 marks to the dollar 1922: 400 marks to the dollar Winter 1922: Germany defaults on

payment Jan. 1923: France occupies Ruhr valley

in Germany

Crash of German Economy January 1923: 18,000 marks to the

dollar July 1923: 160,000 marks to the dollar November 1923: 4,000,000,000 marks

to the dollar Set the stage for the growth of the Nazi

Party

The Beer Hall Putsch Nov. 1923: Nazi party had 55,000

members Nov. 8 1923: Hitler kidnapped the

leaders of the Bavarian govn’t Forced to swear allegiance to Hitler

Nazi revolution failed Hitler arrested and sent to prison

Hitler’s Public Trial "I alone bear the responsibility. But I am

not a criminal because of that. If today I stand here as a revolutionary, it is as a revolutionary against the revolution. There is no such thing as high treason against the traitors of 1918."

Closing Statements "The man who is born to be a dictator is not compelled. He

wills it. He is not driven forward, but drives himself. There is nothing immodest about this. Is it immodest for a worker to drive himself toward heavy labor? Is it presumptuous of a man with the high forehead of a thinker to ponder through the nights till he gives the world an invention? The man who feels called upon to govern a people has no right to say, 'If you want me or summon me, I will cooperate.' No! It is his duty to step forward. The army which we have now formed is growing day to day. I nourish the proud hope that one day the hour will come when these rough companies will grow to battalions, the battalions to regiments, the regiments to divisions, that the old cockade will be taken from the mud, that the old flags will wave again, that that there will be a reconciliation at the last great divine judgment which we are prepared to face. For it is not you, gentlemen, who pass judgment on us. That judgment is spoken by the eternal court of history...Pronounce us guilty a thousand times over: the goddess of the eternal court of history will smile and tear to pieces the State Prosecutor's submissions and the court's verdict; for she acquits us."

Time in Prison March 1924: Hitler is found guilty of

treason and sentenced to prison Maximum term: life Hitler’s term: 5 yrs, parole in 6 months

Party fell apart without him 1st volume of Mein Kampf written in

prison

Hitler’s Dream Reich Ruled by Aryan’s

Blonde hair, blue eyes, of Germanic descent

Untermenschen Jews, Slavs, others Lesser men

Jews created a form of govn’t to keep power

The “New” Hitler "...Instead of working to achieve power by

an armed coup we shall have to hold our noses and enter the Reichstag against the Catholic and Marxist deputies. If outvoting them takes longer than outshooting them, at least the results will be guaranteed by their own Constitution! Any lawful process is slow. But sooner or later we shall have a majority - and after that Germany."

Reorganization of the Nazi Party Designed to create a “government in

waiting” Step in when elected No more military coups

Hitler Youth (Hitler Jugend) Boys 15-18 Other programs existed for boys/girls 10-

15

Nazi Groups

"Terror must be broken by terror" Reforms to SA

Originally brawlers to protect party meetings

Really a group of thugs Very visible

organization Paramilitary Generally lower/working

class

My honor is loyalty Bodyguards for Nazi

leaders Evolved to become

Nazi terror squad Responsible for

majority of the genocide durring holocaust

SS Uniforms

Gestapo Nazi secret police Carry out abductions “Arrest” political prisoners “Arrest” Jews and other undesirables

The Dawes Plan Reduced German reparations Stabilized value of Mark American loans to rebuild German

industry Period of stability until stock market

crash in 1929

Nazi Elections Very modern campaign Speeches, rallies Very theatrical Sept. 14, 1930: Nazi party became

second largest in Germany Jan. 30, 1933: Hitler becomes

Chancellor of Germany