Adolf Hitler
Leader of the Nazis
What is Adolf Hitler infamous for?
Adolf Hitler rose to power in German politics as leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party, also known as the Nazi party. Hitler was chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and served as dictator from 1934 to 1945. His policies precipitated World War II and the holocaust.
What kind of leader was Adolf Hitler?
As a leader, Hitler maintained legitimate power, however he could achieve it (Hughes, Ginnett, Curphy). When Hitler joined the Nazi Party, he felt that the leadership was divided and ineffective, paving the perfect path for him to take over. While there were many in the party who disapproved of his personal ambition, most recognized his abilities to generate public attention for the party; therefore, when Hitler threatened to resign in 1921, the other members decided to grant him overall leadership because they knew they needed his expertise.
What is the holocaust?
It was the murdering of 6 million Jews by the Nazis under the control of Hitler.
Holocaust is a Greek origin meaning "sacrifice by the fire".
In January 1933 the Germans believed they were racially superior than the Jews and that they should be executed.
Hitler led it
Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, mentally or physically disabled people, were murdered
It Happened in Germany
Jews were put in ghettos, transit camps, forced-labor camps
Social consequences of WWI
Economic consequences of WWI
The wages of the workers went down dramatically but the cost of living was raised because of the debt that the country was in. This left the people in distress.
Political consequences of WWI
What is the Weimar Republic?
Weimar Republic comprised all the essential elements of a perfect democracy.
Strengths:
A Bill of Rights, Men and women over age of 20 given vote
An elected president and elected Reichstag
Weaknesses: Proportional Representation Article 48
Weaknesses: Proportional Representation- Instead of voting an MP, Weimar Germans vote for a party. Each party allocated seats in Reichstag exactly reflecting number of people who had voted it. Resulted in dozens of tiny parties, and with no party strong enough to get majority, there was no government to get its laws passed in Reichstag
Article 48- Stated if in an emergency, president could issue decrees. It was not said what an emergency was, and led to Hitler using it to take power legally
What is the treaty of Versailles?
Territorial Guidelines
1. Alsace-Lorrain given to France
2. Eupen and Malmedy given to Belgium
3. Northern Schleswig given to Denmark
4. Hultschin given to Czechoslovakia
5. West Prussia, Posen and Upper Silesia given to Poland
- The Saar, Danzig and Memel were put under control of the League of Nations and the people of these regions would be allowed to vote to stay in Germany or not in a future referendum
- The League of Nations also took control of Germany's overseas colonies. Germany had to return to Russia land taken in the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. Some of this land was made into new states: Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia. An enlarged Poland also received some of this land.
Military Guidelines
- Germany's army was reduced to 100,000 men; the army was not allowed tanks
- Airforce was not allowed. Allowed only 6 capital naval ships and no submarines. The west of Rhineland and 50 kms east of the River Rhine was made into demilitarized zone (DMZ). No German soldier or weapon was allowed into this zone. Allies were to keep an army of occupation on the west bank of the Rhine for 15 years
Financial Guidelines
- The loss of vital industrial territory would be a severe blow to any attempts by Germany to rebuild her economy. Coal from the Saar and Upper Silesia in particular was a vital economic loss.
- Germany was forbidden to unite with Austria to form one superstate, in attempt to keep her economic potential to a minimum
General Guidelines
3 Vital Clauses:
- Germany had to admit full responsibility for starting the war.
- Germany, as it was responsible for starting the war as stated in clause 231, was therefore responsible for all the war damage caused by the First World War. Therefore, it had to pay reparations, the bulk of which would go to France and Belgium to pay for the damage done to the infrastructure of both countries by the war.
- A League of Nations was set up to keep world peace
How did Adolf Hitler rise to power?
Hitler was a powerful and spellbinding speaker who attracted a wide following of Germans desperate for change. He promised the disenchanted a better life and a new and glorious Germany. The Nazis appealed especially to the unemployed, young people, and members of the lower middle class (small store owners, office employees, craftsmen, and farmers).
The party's rise to power was rapid. Before the economic depression struck, the Nazis were practically unknown, winning only 3 percent of the vote to the Reichstag (German parliament) in elections in 1924. In the 1932 elections, the Nazis won 33 percent of the votes, more than any other party. In January 1933 Hitler was appointed chancellor, the head of the German government, and many Germans believed that they had found a savior for their nation