Nazi Germany

• Hitler utilised terror to hold onto control over Germany.He empowered the Gestapo,the secret police to arrest and torture individual,who deemed a threat.Political opponents were often sent to labour camps were prisoners had no rights,endured violent treatment and work long hours.
• Terror : Additionally,during the Night of Long knives in 1934,Hitler ordered the SS to eliminate leaders of The SA, a paramilitary (military not in the country)orgnaisation he saw as a threat to his power.This purge strengthened Hitler’s control by eliminating internal threats and showing the deadly power of his regime .These actions spread fear and crushed opposition,ensuring his dictatorship faced no challenges.
• Hitler rise to power

  • After WW1 Germany became a democratic republic ‘The Weimar Republic’.
  • The Weimar government was in power after the treaty of Versailles was signed - with Germany accepting full terms of the war. The Germans were unhappy about this. After they signed the war guilt clause is November 1918 - they were nicknamed the November criminals
• • The NSDAP - National Socialist German Workers Party/nazi party- was founded to speed German’s recovery by scrapping the treaty of Versailles.
  • Hitler Joined and became a spy for the Germany army.
  • He was an orator so he soon became a party leader and claimed his way up from here
• The Nazi party organised a rebellion against those who were anti-facism in Munich - Beer Hall Putsch.

  He and the nazis went to prison,Hitler served for 9 months and here he wrote (Mein Kampf - my struggle)- which outlined his believes and what he wanted future Germany to look like.
• Mein Kampf

  ● Aryan Race: Blonde hair, Blue eyes – Superior Race

  ● Jews and Communists major threat to Germany

  ● Anschluss: Austria and other German speaking areas should be reunited with Germany

  ● Lebensraum: ‘Living Space’ Hitler planned to conquer Eastern europe and russia to get more space for its German people

  ● Wanted to ignore Treaty of Versailles and rebuild the German Army
• Rise of the Nazi Party

  • Unpopularity of the Weimar Government - blamed for Germany’s defeat - treaty of Versailles
  • The Great Depression: Wall street Crash 1929 - when there was a fall in the value of stock exchange - us economy went into chaos
  • Hitler’s leadership and Policies: Tearing up the Treaty of Versailles,public speaking
  • Propaganda- he used short simple slogans so that everyone could understand.Played on peoples emotions in relation to the treaty of Versailles and unemployment and communism
• Appointed chancellor on Jan 30 1933 by President Hindenberg.Here he starts to Creates dictatorship ; he could rule by decree - make laws without the parliaments consent. (Now - Der führer - leader)
• Economic policies

  • 6 million were unemployed
  • trade unions were abolished and strikes were illegal.
  • Public work schemes were created to build motorways and the Olympic stadium - created employment
  • Rearmament - broke the Treaty of Versailles and they began manufacturing arms and ammunitio,submarines ,ships etc.
• Volkswagen (the peoples car! was manufactured in 1937 it was cheap so everyone could afford it.

  Hitler cut taxes so that private industries could benefit from it - Mercedes-Benz
• Education.

  • Children were indoctrinated (brainwashed) by the youth camps (about Nazi ideas) set up eg - Hitler youth and Nazi youth groups.
  • Textbooks were written to glorify Hitler - Mein Kampf was the official history book. (teachers were part of the Nazi party).
  • Portrait of der fürher - in every class room
• women.

  • expected to stay at home - female teachers doctors and civil servants had to give up their jobs.
  • ‘Kinder Küche,Kirche) kids,kitchen,church - womens role.
  • hilter wanted a high birth rate - future soliders.He gave mothers with more than 8 children medals.
  • Expected to wear traditional peasant costume,flat shoes,hair in bun or plaits
• Propaganda.

  • nazi propaganda was used to control which information reached the public and influence popular opinion.
  • JOSEPH Goebbels - minister for enlightenment and propaganda ( controled the press, radio cinema,theatre and art).
  • loud speakers installed on streets to hear Hitlers speeches.
  • Hitler was portrayed as a godlike figure - compulsory to say Heil Hitler / his birthday was celebrated
• Antisemitism - hatred for Jews

  • the Nuremberg laws were passed in 1935, to protects the Germans - The laws removed the rights of Jews ; to be German citizens, to vote, to own property, to hold certain jobs and he had to wear a yellow Star of David.
• (Kristallnacht) night of the broken glass in November 1938 was when thousands of Jews on buildings businesses synagogues and cemeteries were destroyed and hundred Jews were killed and thousands were sent to concentration camps and their homes were confiscated.