Hitler and Nazi Germany

Hitler and His Views Hitler – DOB – April 20, 1889 Austria – Travelled to Vienna to become an artist but was rejected – Veteran of WWI who chose to stay in Germany and enter the political world – German Worker’s Party Joined in 1919 and by 1921 he had taken complete control of the party and renamed it the National Socialists German Workers’ Party - Nazi

Hitler and His Views Hitler – While a Nazi he staged an armed uprising but the it was quickly crushed and Hitler was thrown in jail While in jail he wrote Mein Kampf or My Struggle – Links German Nationalism, strong anti-Semitism, and anticommunism together – Superior Individuals could gain authoritarian leadership over the people

Rise of Nazism Legal is the way to go – Nazis would have to get power by legal means – Hitler expanded the party to 800,000 members Germany and Hard Times – Unemployment had risen dramatically to 5.5 million – Hitler promised a new Germany Appealing to nationalists and militarists

The Nazis Take Control More Power – 1933 Hitler became chancellor and created a new government – Enabling Act Gave the government the power to ignore the constitution for four years until the country’s problems were dealt with This act gave Hitler’s actions a legal base – Appointed dictator by the parliamentary body and no one could stop him

The Nazis Take Control Nazi Power – Concentration Camps were established – All political parties were abolished except the Nazis – President Hindenburg died in 1934 and Hitler became the sole ruler of Germany People pledged the loyalty to the Fuhrer

The Nazi State Hitler had BIG plans – Aryan Racial State Race that would dominate Europe and possibly the world Believed Germans were the true descendants of the Aryans who would create an empire like the Romans – Germany believed there had already been two Reichs – Holy Roman Empire and the German Empire that ended with WWI

The State and Terror SS – Originally created as Hitler’s personal bodyguard – Heinrich Himmler – created secret police forces and also developed the “final solution” – Based on 2 Ideas Terror – Secret Police, concentration camps, execution squads and death camps Ideology – Further the Aryan Master Race

Economics and Spectacles 1932 – unemployment was more than 5 million 1934 – unemployment was at 2.5 million 1937 – Unemployment was less than 500,000 Nuremberg Party Rallies – Held every September to show the people how great Germany was doing

Women and Nazism Nazis believed men were destined to be warriors and political leaders while women were to be wives and mothers Encouraged women to work but not certain jobs – Heavy industry, university teaching, medicine and law “Get ahold of pots and pans and brooms and you’ll sooner find a groom”