Nazism and the Rise of Hitler

• In November 1938, there were over 4 million members of the SA, SS, SD, Gestapo, and other organizations under the control of Heinrich Himmler.
• Birth of the Weimar Republic:

  • World War 01 lasted for four years and resulted in Allied power’s victory
  • Germany was held responsible for the losses and the German Emperor Wilhelm abdicated
  • German National Assembly met at Weimar and established a democratic constitution
  • Peace treaty at Versailles made the Weimar Republic unpopular
• Treaty of Versailles:

  • Harsh and humiliating peace treaty between the Government of Germany and Allies
  • Made Germany lose overseas colonies, population, territories, iron, and coal
  • Allied Powers demilitarised Germany and made them pay £6 billion in compensation
• Effects of the War:

  • Devastating impact on the continent both psychologically and financially
  • Economic recession led to European nations becoming debtors
  • Weimar Republic faced public humiliation and disgrace, known as the 'stab in the back myth'
  • Soldiers were glorified, aggressive war propaganda was promoted
• Weimar Republic’s Birth and Challenges:

  • Spartacist League revolted, forming worker and sailor groups called Soviets
  • Weimar Republic stopped revolt using Free Corps
  • Economic crisis worsened in 1923, leading to hyperinflation
  • Americans helped with Dawes Plan, stabilizing the economy
• The Years of Depression:

  • Fragile stability from 1924 to 1928, relying on short loans from the US
  • Big crash in 1929 triggered troubles, leading to the Great Economic Depression
  • Germany hit hard by the depression, factories producing only 40% of what they used to
• Hitler’s Rise to Power:

  • Hitler's background, involvement in World War I, and formation of the Nazi Party
  • Nazi propaganda and growth amid the Great Depression
  • Hitler's pledges, charisma, and introduction of innovative political tactics
  • Hitler became Chancellor in 1933, leading to the destruction of democracy
• Reconstruction:

  • Economic recovery efforts overseen by economist Hjalmar Schacht
  • Foreign policy successes, including reclaiming the Rhineland and integrating Austria and Germany
  • Path to war and Eastern expansion, invasion of Poland in 1939
  • Tripartite Pact in 1940 with Germany, Italy, and Japan
• USA initially avoided involvement in the war due to past economic troubles
• Japan’s expansion and aggression led to US involvement after the bombing of Pearl Harbor
• The war concluded in May 1945 with Hitler’s defeat and the atomic bombing of Hiroshima
• Nazi crimes were rooted in a belief system and certain actions
• Nazi ideology rejected equality, emphasizing a racial hierarchy
• German Aryans considered superior, while Jews were vilified
• Nazi racism drew inspiration from Charles Darwin and Herbert Spencer’s ideas of evolution and survival of the fittest
• Hitler’s belief: strongest race survives, weak perish
• Hitler’s ideology included the concept of Lebensraum (living space)
• Hitler planned to extend German boundaries towards the east
• Nazis aimed to create an exclusive community of pure Germans
• Nazis favored ‘healthy Nordic Aryans’ as the ideal population
• Gypsies, blacks, Russians, Poles labeled as racial ‘inferiors’
• Jews suffered the most
• Nazi Germany instilled firm gender distinctions in children’s minds
• Girls indoctrinated to become Aryan mothers of pure-blooded offspring
• Hitler’s 1933 declaration: Mothers hold utmost importance
• Nazi regime used language and media carefully and effectively
• Nazi concepts spread through visual images, films, radio, slogans, posters, and leaflets
• Many common people adopted Nazi viewpoints and language
• Not all Germans adhered to Nazi ideology; active resistance existed
• Pastor Niemoeller, a resistance member, noted a disconcerting silence
• Jews internalized Nazi stereotypes about themselves
• Nazi practices became known outside Germany in the regime’s final years
• Post-war, Jews sought global recognition of Nazi atrocities
• Ghetto inhabitant’s wish to outlive war to share Nazi truth
• Inhabitants documented experiences in diaries, notebooks, and archives
• Nazis distributed petrol to destroy incriminating evidence
• Holocaust history lives through various forms worldwide
• Memoirs, fiction, documentaries, memorials, and more honor victims
• Reminders of resistance, collaboration, and silence teach important lessons