Nazi Germany 1933-1945

1. Abolishing the Treaty of Versailles
2. Destroying Communism
3. Creating living space for Germans (Lebensraum)
4. Creating a greater Germany for the population
5. Creating a Volksgemeinschaft
   1. To split up the population or 'class divide'
   2. Jews and Communist were part of a majority thought to be at the bottom of society

1. Creation of Weimar republic posed big problems for its' future
2. Had to deal with economic and political fallout caused by the end of WW1
   1. Those who signed the armistice ending the war were nicknamed November criminals
   2. Had to agree to The Treaty Of Versailles
      1. Involved taking blame for the war
      2. The following land was taken away from Germany :
         1. Alsace-Lorraine (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)
      3. Germany’s army was reduced to 100,000 men; the army was not allowed tanks
   3. Politicians were blamed for the German defeat and this led to 356 assassinations in the 1920s There were also failed revolutions that commenced. (Far right - Hitler - Beer Hall Putsch) Also see Gustav Von Kahr

1. Means if a party gets 5% of votes they get 5% of the seats in parliament
   1. German parliament - Reichstag
2. Germany was an autocratic country since 1871
   1. Autocratic - All power handed to one person (dictatorship)
3. Led to many small parties disputing with no one permitted to have a majority vote
   1. Majority needed to pass laws
   2. To get a majority parties had to join to form a coalition
      1. Not all policies could be agreed on
         1. 'Lame Duck Government'
            1. Lame duck - ineffective person
            2. Ineffective government
               1. Caused many problems especially in Weimar Germany as they were struggling with serious economic issues

1. 1923 -Hyperinflation
   1. Destroyed the savings of many
   2. Cheaper to burn the money then buy wood
   3. Brief recovery in the mid 1920s
      1. Later Germany was hit HARD by the Wallstreet Crash
         1. Hit hard because of amount of money loaned to them by the US
2. In times of desperation the population started voting for more extremist groups such as the Nazis
   1. This is because they offered the basics
      1. Such as jobs and soup kitchens

1. Hindenburg is convinced by Von Papen to undermine current chancellor Von Schleicher
2. He then offered chancellorship to Von Papen with Hitler as vice chancellor
   1. Hitler refused this and only accepted when we was chancellor
      1. von Papen and Hindenburg only accepted because they thought they could control Hitler
         1. They were wrong
            1. 30th January 1933 - Hitler becomes chancellor

1. 27th Feb 1933
   1. Marinus van der Lubbe set fire to the Reichstag
      1. He acted alone
2. Although can der Lubbe acted alone the Nazis used this to eliminate their political rivals by manipulating the situation to look like it was a communist conspiracy
   1. Hindenburg was convinced to pass emergency decrees
      1. Article 48
         1. Imprisonment without trial
      2. Enabling Act
         1. Nazis gained 2/3 of the majority
         2. Hitler had the authority to pass decrees without consulting anyone
            1. Hitler becomes legal dictator
      3. Hitler's only threat now was the army
         1. Army didn't like the SA
            1. SA had 3 million men led by Ernst Rohm
               1. A lot of Nazis didn't like Rohm
                  1. Josef Gobbels, Goring and Himmler included
                  2. These men convinced Hitler Rohm was trying to take over and so Hitler agreed to eliminate him
                     1. 30th June 1934 The Night Of The Long Knives
                        1. Eliminated 'threat' from SA
                        2. Killed the following: Rohm, Edgar Jung, Erick Klausner, Kurt von Schleicher, Gustav von Kahr, Gregor Strasser (see Important Names To Know)
                        3. SS and Gestapo teamed up to do the elimination

1. Leader of SA
2. Shot

1. Von Papen's speech writer
2. Criticised Nazis
3. Arrested then shot

1. Leader of Catholic action
2. Friend of Von Papen
3. Shot

1. Former chancellor
2. Murdered at his home with his wife

1. Baravian state commissioner
2. Stopped Beer Hall Putsch
   1. Hitler's failed attempt to overthrow the Weimar republic
   2. Weimar republic came down hard on left wing communists but instead of giving Hitler the death penalty they they sentenced him to nine months in prison
3. Killed with an axe

1. Shot in a cell
2. Political opponent to Nazi party

Anmerkungen:

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1. Undermined von Schleicher and convinced Hindenburg to make Hitler chancellor and himself vice-chancellor

1. Chancellor before Hitler
2. Undermined by von Papen
3. Replaced by Hitler

1. Propaganda minister

1. Leader of SS

1. Leader of Gestapo

1. Created in March 1933
2. They were located all over Germany
3. The people sent here were people who didn't fit in with Nazi ideal
   1. Homos
   2. JEWS
   3. Free masons
   4. Jehovah's witnesses
   5. Opposition group members
   6. Communists
   7. Criminals
   8. The unemployed

1. Located to the East of Germany in Poland
2. Factories that found the most effective and humane ways to kill people
3. Sent here to die

1. Secret Police
2. Terrorized German population
3. Relied on informants to tell them about Nazi ativity
4. Many Germans gave the Nazis info about the Gestapo and later died for it
   1. One victim was accused of being a communist and a lesbian by her neighbour

1. Concentration camps + Gestapo
2. Got the army on his side
3. When dealing with the church he sent a pastor who had disagreed with Nazi policies to a concentration camp
   1. Church decides to stay out of politics
4. Had trade unions banned and created their own
5. Eliminated political rivals
6. Had the population so tense that they started to snitch on eachother

1. Movies
   1. Olympia + Triumph of The Will
      1. Leni Riefenstahl
2. Music
   1. Massive speakers in the streets
      1. Played Nazi songs or Hitler's speeches
   2. Radio
      1. Nazi's took over radio stations
      2. Volksradio
         1. Hitler made them cheap so everyone could have one
3. Josef Gobbels
   1. Propaganda minister
4. Newspapers
5. Nuremberg Rallies

1. 356 political assassinations
2. Beer Hall Putsch
3. Hitler spends 9 months in prison
4. Weimar Republic were very hard on the left wing party - the communists
5. 1923 - hyperinflation
6. October 1923 Wall Street Crash

1. 1932 - Hindenburg is convinced to replace von Slchleicher with Hitler and von Papen
2. 30th January 1933 - Hitler becomes chancellor
3. 1933 - 1934 = Hitler consolidates his power
4. 27th Feb 1933 - Reichstag Fire
   1. Hitler becomes legal dictator
5. 30th June 1934 - Night of the Long Knives
6. August 1934 - Hindenburg dies
7. March 1933 - Creation of Concentration camps
8. May 1933 - Trade unionists are banned

1. 1871 - creation of Germany