CHAPTER 3: HITLER’S GERMANYTHE WORLD

IN CRISIS

Timeline of Hitler’s rise to power

0 Nov 1918: WW1 ended; Kaiser abdicated

0 1919: Weimar Government formed; Treaty of Versailles signed; Hitler became leader of Nazi Party

0 1923: Munich Putsch failed; Hitler imprisoned

Timeline of Hitler’s rise to power

0 1929: Wall Street Crash led to Great Depression

0 1932: Nazis won 37% of votes – biggest party in Reichstag

0 Jan 1933: Hitler appointed Chancellor of Germany

Video clip of one of Hitler’s speeches

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGhdX1SI3KY&skipcontrinter=1)

Play this video clip for the students and then ask them these questions:• Do you think that Hitler was a

confident and strong speaker?• How did the crowd receive his speech?• How do you think he became so

popular among the people?CHAPTER 3: HITLER’S GERMANY

Hitler speaking to a crowd of supporters.

To what extent was Hitler’s rise to power due more to favourable circumstances than his leadership abilities?

CHAPTER 3: HITLER’S GERMANY

Favourable circumstances

Weaknesses of the Weimar Government

Impact of the Great Depression on Germany

CHAPTER 3: HITLER’S GERMANY

German children playing with worthless banknotes during the hyperinflation.

Weaknesses of Weimar Government (1919-1933)

Anger about Treaty of Versailles

Ineffective constitution

Opposition from left and right

Economic mismanagement

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Rise and Fall of Weimar Government

1919-230 Weimar in danger• Anger over

Versailles • Violent opposition• Hyperinflation

1924-29 Golden Twenties Recovery under

Stresemann

1929-33 Great Depression Rise of Nazis

Treaty of Versailles0A source of bitterness to many Germans

0Harsh treaty that inflicted hardship and humiliation – war guilt clause, reparations etc.

0Many blamed the Weimar Government for signing the treaty believed that Germany had been “stabbed in the back” by the politicians (‘November criminals’) who didn’t dare to continue fighting

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0System of proportional representation (% of seats proportionate to % of votes) resulted in many parties in parliament (Reichstag)

0No single party strong enough to form government

Ineffective constitution

General Election

0100 constituencies contested by PAP and WP0Identical results in every constituency = PAP 60% vs.

WP 40%0First-past-the-post system: PAP will have 100 seats

in parliament0Proportional representation: PAP will have 60 seats

in parliament and WP will have 40 seats

13Crisis and Conflict: Nazi Germany

Copyright 2007

01919-33 20 coalition governments; frequent changes made it difficult to get laws passed

0Article 48 allows President to suspend the constitution and rule by decree

Ineffective constitution

Opposition from left and right

0From 1919 to 1923, both left and right wing extremists tried to seize power by violent means

0Left-wing opposition: communists who wanted to set up a Soviet-style government e.g. Spartacist rebellion

Opposition from left and right

0Right-wing opposition: extreme nationalists who did not accept Germany’s defeat in WW1 e.g. Kapp Putsch

0Weimar Government struggled to suppress the revolts and appeared too weak to control the country.

Economic mismanagement

0The Weimar Government was heavily in debt due to the reparations.

0Tried to pay off debts by printing money – led to hyperinflation in 1923 – rapid rise in prices that damaged a country’s economy

How did this happen?

0In 1923, France invaded the industrial area of Ruhr after Germany missed a payment.

0Humiliated, the government ordered the workers to go on strike.

0As it had no goods to trade, the government simply printed more money to pay its debts.

Result?

0Prices spiraled out of control and hyperinflation resulted.

0Many Germans lost their savings overnight.

0The middle class was the worst hit and they stopped supporting the government.

Stories about hyper-inflation

0 People used money as fuel.

0 People collected their wages in suitcases.

0 One person, who left their suitcase unattended, found that a thief had stolen the suitcase but not the money.

0 One boy, who was sent to buy two bread buns, stopped to play football and by the time he got to the shop, the price had gone up, so he could only afford to buy one.

0 One woman sold her house with the intention of using the money to live on. A few weeks later, the money wasn't even enough to buy a loaf of bread

Stories about hyper-inflation

Impact of weakness of Weimar Government

0Many Germans lost faith in democracy

0Paved the way for the rise of Hitler

Weimar recovery under Stresmann (1924-29)

0Carried out currency reform to stop hyperinflation

0Negotiated Dawes Plan to obtain loans from USA

0Built up Germany’s prosperity again

0Death in 1929 was a big blow

Great Depression

0Wall Street Crash of 1929 led to the worldwide Great Depression which devastated Germany

0When USA withdrew the loans from German banks, Germany suffered an economic crisis

0Businesses went bankrupt and unemployment rocketed. By 1932, six million people were unemployed.

Great Depression

0Many suffered poverty, homelessness and even starvation.

0Weimar government was unable to offer effective solutions due to disagreement among parties

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German women think of your children! Vote Hitler

Work means bread Hitler: Our last hope

Here comes the Nazis

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Nazi election fortunes (1924-1932)

Date of Election May 1928 Sep 1930 Jul 1932 Nov 1932

Seats won by Nazis12 107 230 196

Seats won by Communists

54 77 89 101

Total number of seats

491 577 608 584

Impact of Great Depression

0People lost confidence in the democratic system, and turned to extremist parties like the Nazis who seemed to offer more effective ways of solving Germany’s economic woes.

0This enabled the Nazis to gain more votes and paved the way for the rise of Hitler.

Hitler’s leadership abilities

Nazi IdeologyCharisma and oratorical

skillsExploitation of the fears

of CommunismReorganization of the

Nazi PartySkillfulness at making

deals with politicians

CHAPTER 3: HITLER’S GERMANY

The crowd reaching out to Hitler.

Nazi ideology

0Key Nazi ideas were outlined in the Twenty-Five Point Programme of the Nazi Party and Hitler’s auto-biography, Mein Kampf.

0Attractive to those vulnerable to Depression: the unemployed, middles classes etc…

Nazi ideology

0Abolish Treaty of Versailles

0Establish a strong government under a single leader

0Superiority of the white Aryan or Germanic races

0Get rid of Jews and Communists

Impact

0Offered a better future and something for everyone which gave Nazis widespread appeal.

0Made people more willing to support and vote for Hitler rise to power

Charisma and oratorical skills

0Powerful speaker with great charisma and oratorical skills

0Dynamic leader of modern party

0Man of the people – someone who knew and understood the people and their problems

Charisma and oratorical skills

0Used the ‘November criminals’, communists and Jews as convenient scapegoats

0Promised to solve Germany’s troubles and make the country great again.

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“He was holding the masses, and me with them, under an hypnotic spell by the sheer force of his beliefs. His words were like a whip. When he spoke of the disgrace of Germany, I felt ready to attack any enemy.”

Effects of Hitler’s speech

Karl Ludecke, an early follower of Hitler, 1924

Impact

0??

Exploitation of fears of communism

0Hitler exploited the popular fear of communism to advance his own cause.

0Told the landowners and industrialists that the Communists would take over all their property and business

Exploitation of fears of communism

0Claimed that the Nazis were the only party that could provide order and prevent the Communists from starting a revolution

0Big businesses gave financial support to the Nazis as they wanted an anti-Communist government.

Impact

0??

Reorganization of the Nazi Party

0After the failed Munich Putsch, Hitler reorganized the Nazi Party to win power through elections.

0Method 1: Increase party membership by setting up local party branches and creating the Hitler Youth

Reorganization of the Nazi Party

0Method 2: Establish the SA (storm troopers) and SS (elite bodyguard) to protect Nazi party and fight Communists – gave impression of discipline and order

0Method 3: Effective Nazi propaganda that appealed to people’s emotions – posters and pamphlets with generalized slogans; massive rallies etc.

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Work means bread Hitler: Our last hope

Nazi campaigning posters

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:JUST_DO_IT._(NIKE).gif

Impact

0Projected Nazi Party as a strong, united, modern party

0Increased appeal and support network

Skilfulness at making deals with politicians

0Hitler was a clever political strategist

0Skilful at making deals to advance his own position.

0Nazis were the largest party after 1932 elections . Hitler refused to join any coalition unless he was made Chancellor.

Skilfulness at making deals with politicians

0President Hindenburg and Franz von Papen wanted to use Hitler to provide support for their policies and keep the communists under control.

0Thought they could limit Hitler’s influence by controlling the Cabinet.

0Did a deal with Hitler and made him Chancellor in Jan 1933.

Skilfulness at making deals with politicians

Hindenburg brought Hitler to power in January 1933

Impact

0??

SEQ

0Were economic factors the main reason Hitler rose to power in 1933? EYA. (2005 ‘O’ level)

0Explain given factor0Explain three other factors0Conclusion

Trailer of Schindler’s List

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W74jGQ-CDTE)

Play this video clip for the students and then ask them these questions:• Would you have dared to help

the Jews, as Oskar Schindler tried to?

• Would you have been able to come up with a list of people you wanted to save? How would you decide who was worth saving?

CHAPTER 3: HITLER’S GERMANY

Concentration Camp Scene (Band of Brothers)

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PNjQi1Pmkc)

Play this video clip for the students and then ask them these questions:• Who were the targets of

Hitler’s concentration camps?• What were the living

conditions of the concentration camp victims?

Did Hitler’s rule benefit the people in Germany?

CHAPTER 3: HITLER’S GERMANY

Political Impact

Consolidation of power through political manipulation and use of force• Reichstag Fire• Enabling Act, March 1933• One Party Rule, July 1933• Night of the Long Knives,

June 1934• Creation of the Fuehrer

position, August 1934

CHAPTER 3: HITLER’S GERMANY

The Reichstag Fire.

Economic ImpactRe-employmentRise of big industrialistsControl of trade unionsImproved working

conditionsMilitarisation

CHAPTER 3: HITLER’S GERMANY

A Nazi poster showing Hitler’s support for industrialisation.

Social ImpactPropagandaCensorshipRise of the Secret policePersecution of Jewish

people and other minority groups

CHAPTER 3: HITLER’S GERMANY

Jews being escorted to concentration camps.