HITLER’S RISE TO POWER:HITLER’S RISE TO POWER:Setting the stage for world war iiSetting the stage for world war ii

19141914

Two major European alliances:

TRIPLE ALLIANCE (CENTRAL POWERS): GERMANY AUSTRIA ITALY

TRIPLE ENTENTE (ALLIED POWERS): BRITAIN FRANCE RUSSIA

TRIPLE ENTENTE

TRIPLE ALLIANCE

JUNE 28, 1914JUNE 28, 1914 Archduke Ferdinand, heir to

Austria’s throne, and his wife Sophie led a parade through the streets of Sarajevo, Bosnia.

Serbians resented Austria for taking the province of Bosnia from Serbia in 1908.

An 18-year-old student from the Serbian Nationalist Society fired into Ferdinand’s open carriage, killing Ferdinand and Sophie.

JUNE 28, 1914JUNE 28, 1914

Austria immediately declared war on Serbia. What follows shows the sequence of events from that point.

Italy ignored the Alliance and supported the Entente; it fought poorly and won little; in 1922 Mussolini took over the country.

Fighting Begins 1914Fighting Begins 1914 Britain launched a naval blockade

against Germany. Germany declared it would attack any ship (passenger or warship) if it entered the war zone around Britain.

In 1915, the British passenger ship Lusitania was attacked (sunk in 18 minutes) by a German submarine. 1,200 people died, 128 Americans.

April 2, 1917April 2, 1917

President Woodrow Wilson of the United States declared war on Germany after it sunk five American ships.

November 11, 1918November 11, 1918

ARMISTICE (lay down weapons) was signed by warring countries as Germany was pushed back to its borders.

President Wilson proposed that nations settle their disputes by negotiations in the future—never by war.

Proposed the establishment of a League of Nations, which later became the United Nations after WWII. Germany was not allowed to join.

June 28, 1919June 28, 1919

Europe declined Wilson’s plan as being too soft.

The Triple Entente BLAMED GERMANY for ALL of the war damage—loss of life and property—throughout Europe, especially in France.

Germany Forced to Sign theGermany Forced to Sign the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 Treaty of Versailles in 1919

Accept TOTAL BLAME for starting WW I (complete humiliation)

Give up 13% of its land (overseas colonies in Asia and Africa were given to France, England, and others)

Severely restrict its military (100,000 army soldiers, no submarines)

Owe $25 billion in war reparations (pay for damages) to the Allied countries—132 thousand million gold marks

Results for GermanyResults for GermanyBy 1921, Germany suffered from “hyper-

inflation” where prices were rising five-fold in one week.

Inflation was caused by printing money to finance the war debt and social welfare programs

The middle classes suffered the most since inflation wiped out their savings.

1914 4 marks = $1 U.S. dollar 1919 65 marks = $1 U.S. dollar 1922 17,972 marks = $1 U.S. dollar

Results for GermanyResults for Germany

After America’s 1929 stock market crash, Germany fell into a Great Depression—people lost their jobs and the economy spiraled even more.

1929 Unemployment = 8.5% 1932 Unemployment = 29.9%

What does this have to do with What does this have to do with Adolf Hitler and WWII?Adolf Hitler and WWII?

Corporal Hitler served in the German Army, fought on the Front Line, and received many medals for valor.

When the 1918 Armistice was signed, the German Army was never forced to “surrender.” Some Germans, including Hitler, believed that the German Army could have fought on to victory.

Hitler and other German soldiers felt betrayed by the German politicians who signed the Treaty of Versailles, calling them the “November Criminals.”

Hitler Rises to PowerHitler Rises to Power1918 - 19331918 - 1933

Hitler molded the German Workers’ Party into the National Socialist German Workers’ Party, or NAZI Party, for short.

It became a paramilitary group with the aim of bringing down the existing Weimar government with no respect for the democratic process

NSDAP Party Platform 1920NSDAP Party Platform 1920

Dismantle Versailles Treaty Create a Greater Germany with its original

borders Establish a “national community” without

political parties or a parliament Allow only citizens of German blood to be

members in the national community

Hitler took over the NSDAP in 1921

Hitler Rises to PowerHitler Rises to Power19231923

In 1923, Hitler and the NSDAP tried to take power in a coup d’état by marching on Berlin

He was arrested and sentenced five years; he served only one

At his trial, he was portrayed as the “patriotic” victim who was fighting for Germany, gaining many supporters

Hitler Rises to PowerHitler Rises to Power1920’s to 19331920’s to 1933

The Nazi Party went the legitimate route; because of the social unrest and unstable government, the Party gained many supporters.

Hitler was elected Chancellor in 1933 with the rise of the Nazi Party. Once in office, Germany became a dictatorship.

Hitler Rises to PowerHitler Rises to PowerFebruary 1933February 1933

In February 1933, Parliament (Reichstag) was burned down

Hitler persuaded President Hindenburg to sign a decree for the “protection of the people and the state”

Hitler Rises to PowerHitler Rises to Power February 1933 February 1933

This decree suspended freedom of thought, the press, association, secrecy of written correspondence, inviolability of the home

The death penalty was reintroduced Arrest for reasons of security was legalized,

allowing political enemies to be held

Hitler Rises to PowerHitler Rises to Power June 30, 1933 June 30, 1933

Night of the Long Knives Ernst Rohm was head of the SA, the militia part

of the NSDAP—street thugs that wanted revolution and violence

Hitler needed the backing of the regular German army to solidify his power

In one night, Rohm and 100 other SA members were murdered

Violence and illegality had now been established as instruments of government

Hitler Rises to PowerHitler Rises to Power July 14, 1933 July 14, 1933

A law was passed sanctioning ONE PARTY and one alone—the NAZIS.

Autonomy of all local and regional governments were abolished

Parliament (Reichstag) would only meet a few times to bless Hitler’s decrees

With President Hindenburg’s death, Hitler declared himself President of the Reich, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, and Chancellor.

Hitler Rises to PowerHitler Rises to Power19331933

Hitler took the title “Führer” (leader) and called his government the Third Reich (empire that would last 1000 years).

Hitler promised to bring back German pride and rebuild their economy. Posters said “Hitler: Our Last Hope.”

Hitler Rises to PowerHitler Rises to Power1918 - 19331918 - 1933

Hitler wrote the book Mein Kampf (My Struggle) in 1923, which described his life and political ideas. It became the manifesto of the Nazi movement.

He was one of the first politicians to use radio to reach an audience of millions. He was also a brilliant speaker.

Official Nazi ProgramOfficial Nazi Program

NSDAP platform base, PLUS: Hatred of the Jewish people became

the focus of the Nazi program. Of its 25 points, 8 were about Jews.

No Jew could be a German citizen. Jews were less than human. Jews started WWI. Jews must be driven away or completely

destroyed.

Start of World War IIStart of World War II

Hitler began to defy the Treaty of Versailles by building back the German Army.

1938, Hitler invaded parts of Czechoslovakia and annexed Austria. The world said “okay.”

In 1939, Hitler invaded Poland: England and France declared war on Germany.

EUROPE: Eve of WWII, 1939EUROPE: Eve of WWII, 1939

NAZI OCCUPATION by 1942NAZI OCCUPATION by 1942

ALLIES vs. AXIS POWERSALLIES vs. AXIS POWERS

Allied Powers: Great Britain (Winston Churchill) France (Charles DeGaul) United States (Franklin D. Roosevelt) Russia (Joseph Stalin)

Axis Powers: Germany (Adolf Hitler) Italy (Benito Mussolini) Japan (Emperor Hirohito)

U.S. ENTERS WWIIU.S. ENTERS WWII

December 7, 1941“A day that will live in

infamy.”Japan bombs Pearl Harbor,

HawaiiU.S. declares war on Japan

and Germany.

ANNE FRANK’S FAMILYANNE FRANK’S FAMILY

Otto Frank moved his family out of Germany in 1933 after Hitler came to power.

They moved to Holland.Holland was invaded by the

Nazis in 1940.