RISE OF NAZISM



OUR OWN HIGH SCHOOL ALWARGA’A, DUBAI

NAZISM AND THE RISE OF HITLER

1. NAZISM: A political system introduced by Hitler in Germany. A kin to dictatorship and fascism. It also propagated extreme hatred against the Jews.

2. KULAKS: Wealthy peasants or farmers.

3. GESTAPO: Short for “GEHEIME STAATSPOLIZEI”, secret state police in Nazi Germany. It had the power to arrest people without trial torture and kill them. As a result they were the most hated and feared organization in Nazi occupied Germany.

4. KRYSTALNACHT: In November 1938, Hitler ordered an attack on Jewish home, shops and synagogues. This operation infamous in his “KRYSTALNACHT” (The night of the crystal)

5. REICHSTAG: The name given to the German parliament.

6. FREE CORPS: It was war veterans organization which was used by the Weimar Republic of Germany to crush the uprising which occurred after the First World War

7. BLITZKRIEG: Blitzkrieg means a lightening war. The German strategies of crushing the opponent with lightening speed is called blitzkrieg.

Q1.WHAT WERE THE MAIN FEATURES OF THE NAZI MOVEMENT?

a) State is most powerful.

b) Emphasis on war and its glorification.

c) No belief in democracy and its democratic values.

d) Opposition to all liberal and socialist values.

e) Conviction that men are never equal.

f) Victimization of Jews.

Q2.DESCRIBE THE CONSEQUENCES OF VICTORY OF NAZISM IN GERMANY?

a) Assassination of Anti-Nazi Leaders:-An organized assassination of anti - Nazi leaders was launched on a large scale.

b) Suppression of Communist Party: - The Nazi set the Reichstag building on fire on 28th Feb.1933. They blamed the communist party for this and banned it.

c) Bonfire of Classical Works: - The classical works of the Germans and other writers were burnt into ashes.

d) Ill-Treatment with the Jews: - The Jews were held responsible for Germany’s defeat in the First World War I.

e) Militarization: - Preparation of war began and massive programmed of militarization was launched.

f) Second World War: - The victory of Nazism in Germany ultimately led to the Second World War. Because Hitler and the Nazi party believed in war.

Q3.EXPLAIN THE VARIOUS FACTORS THAT HELPED IN THE GROWTH OF NAZISM IN GERMANY?

a) Humiliating Treaty of Versailles: - The Weimar republic of Germany had signed the treaty of Versailles.

b) Economic Crisis: - Germany had to face an economic crisis after the First World War. Trade and commerce had been ruined. Germany felt in grip of starvation and unemployment after the great slump of 1929.

c) Spread of Communism: - The communists of Germany longed to bring about a revolution like the Russian Revolution.

d) Hitler’s Dynamic Personality: - Adolph Hitler was a seasoned orator. His speeches were both logical and effective. He was a top propagandist.

e) Germany’s Lack of faith in Democracy: - The democratic institutions were a lien to the cultures and the traditions of the Germans.

f) Propaganda-Specific type of message directly aimed at influencing the opinion of people (through the use of posters, films, speeches, etc.)

Q4.WHAT WAS SOME OF THE INHERIT DEFECTS THE WEIMAN CONSTITUTION HAD WHICH MADE IT UNSTABLE AND VULNERABLE TO DICTATORSHIP?

a) Proportional Representation: - This made achieving a majority by any one party a near impossible task, leading to a rule by coalitions.

b) Article no 48:- This article gave the president the power to impose emergency, suspend civil rights and rule by decree.

Q5.WHAT WERE THE DEFECTS OF THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC?

a) After the defeat of Imperial Germany, the emperor abducted the throne and a National assembly met at Weimar and established a democratic constitution with a feudal structure.

b) The republic was not received well largely because of the terms it was forced to accept after the defeat of Germany at the end of the First World War.

c) The republic carried the burden of war guilt and nation humiliation and was financially crippled.

d) Those who supported the Weimar Republic, mainly socialists, Catholics and democrats became easy targets of attach and were mockingly called “November Criminals”

e) The political atmosphere in Berlin was charged with demands for the Soviet style government. The Weimar Republic crushed the uprising with the help of veterans called “Free Corps”

f) The Weimar constitution had some inherit Defects which made it unstable and vulnerable to dictatorship.

g) Another defect was Article 48 which gave the President power to implore emergency suspend civil rights and rule by decree.

h) People had lost Confidence in the democratic parliamentary system, which seemed to offer no solutions.

Q6.HOW DID THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES LAY THE FOUNDATION OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR?

a) Germany was forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles on June 28th 1919 was humiliating.

b) Germany lost its overseas colonies, a tenth of its population, 13% of its territories, 75% of its iron and 26% of its coal to France, Poland, Denmark and Lithuania.

c) Germany was dematerialized to weaken its power.

d) She was forced to pay a compensation of 6 billion pounds.

e) Her area of Rhine –Valley was demilitarized.

Q7.WHAT WERE THE EFFECTS OF THE 1stWORLD WAR ON THE EUROPEAN SOCIETY?

a) Soldiers came to be placed above the civilians

b) Politicians and publicists laid great stress on the need for men to be aggressive, strong and masculine.

c) The media glorified trench life.

d) Aggressive war propaganda and national honor occupied the centre stage in the public sphere.

e) Popular support grew for the conservative dictatorships.

f) Democracy was a fragile idea which could not survive the inhabitants of Inter war Europe.

The Peace Settlement:  a conference of the representatives of different countries was held in Paris to settle the terms for Peace. Germany signed the Treaty of Peace on 28/06/1919, the terms were:

1.    Germany lost its overseas colonies, 1/10th of its population, 13% of its territories, 75% of its iron and 26% of its coal to France Denmark and Lithuania.

2.    Allied powers demilitarized Germany to weaken its powers.

3.    War Guilt Clause held Germany responsible for the war & damages the Allied suffered.

4.    Germany was forced to pay a compensation of 6 billion pounds.

5.    The Allied armies occupied the resource rich- Rhineland for much of the 1920’s.

After its defeat in WWI, Germany faced economic crisis, revolts, lawlessness, unemployment, inflation etc. William Kaiser II was unable to solve these problems; he was forced to abdicate on 10/11/1918. Elections were held to the new constituent Assembly on 19/01/1919, which met at Weimar & adopted the new constitution, which set up a democratic govt. called “Weimer Republic”.

Q8.EXPLAIN THE MAIN CAUSES OF THE GREAT ECONOMIC DEPRESSION IN USA IN 1929.

a) Overproduction led to the economic depression and the collapse of the American Stock Market.

b) American farmers had greatly increased their production during the war to feed their allies, but the demand fell after the war resulting in prices to fall.

c) Workers lost their jobs or were paid reduced wages.

d) American began to speculate in the stock market with borrowed money. As a result in October 1929, the New York Stock Exchange collapsed.

e) Values of shares dropped drastically. Vast fortunes were wiped out. Hundreds of American banks, factories, mining companies and business firms were bankrupt. There was large scale unemployment, poverty and starvation.

Q9.WHAT WERE THE EFFECTS OF THE ECONOMIC CRISIS (THE ECONOMIC CRISIS DEPRESSION) ON GERMANY?

a) Germany was worst hit, industrial production was reduced to 40%.

b) Workers lost their jobs or were paid reduced wages.

c) Unemployed youth desperately queued up at the local unemployment exchange and as jobs disappeared, they took to criminal activities.

d) The economic crisis created deep anxieties in people.

e) The middle class saw their savings diminish when the currency lost its value.

f) Small businessmen, self employed and retailers suffered as their business got ruined.

g) Sections of society were filled with the fear odd proletarianization or anxiety of being reduced to the ranks of a working class.

Q10.WHAT WERE THE PECULIAR FEATURES OF NAZI THINKING?

a) The people exist for the state, rather than the State for the people. He believed in a Totalitarian State.

b) To tolerate no opposition or criticism and to allow no party formation other than his own.

c) To put an end to parliamentary institution and the democratic propaganda.

d) To have full control on education, press radio, and other means of government.

e) To crush communism and liberalism.

f) To turn out the Jew from Germany, because they had caused great hardship to German people due to their greed and conspiracy, during the First World War.

g) To denounce the Treaty of Versailles as disgraceful and to regain the lost or ceded German territories.

Q11.Hitler’s Rise to Power or The Rise of the Nazi Party:  The rise of Hitler and the Nazi party are interlinked:

·     Adolf Hitler was born in 1889 A.D. He fought on the German side in the WWI and received the ‘Iron Cross’ for his bravery.

·     In 1919 Hitler joined a small political group, called the German Workers Party in Munich.

·     He became its ‘Fuhrer’, the leader, changed the name to Nationalist Socialist German Worker’s Party which became more famous by the name of the Nazi Party.

·     1923, Hitler was arrested & jailed for five years, here he wrote his famous autobiography named “Mein Kampf”-My Struggle.

·     After his release, he reorganized the Nazi Party from 1925-29.

·     He defamed the Weimar Republic for the sufferings of the people.

·     In the election of Jul 1932, the Nazis polled more than 13 million votes and captured 230 seats of the Reichstag.

·     The Nazi Party made the functioning of the coalition government headed by Von Papen impossible and he could not continue for long.

·     Ultimately, President Hidenberg of Germany was compelled to appoint Hitler as the Chancellor (PM) of the coalition government in January 1933.

·     Hitler ordered fresh elections to the German Parliament (Reichstag) to be held on 5 March 1933.

·     Hitler blamed the opposition, particularly the communist for setting the Reichstag building on fire just a day before the election. He crushed them with a heavy hand.

·     In such circumstances, he got passed the Enabling Act, which authorized his Government to take any action without the approval of the Reichstag.

·     Thus without even having a majority, Hitler became all powerful.

·     All political parties and trade unions were banned except for the Nazi Party.

·     Established complete control over the economy, media, army and judiciary.

·     The Nazi regime practically became one-man show.

·     President Hidenberg died on 2 Aug 1934, on the very day, Hitler combined in his own person the offices of the Chancellor (PM) and President and assumed the title of the “Fuhrer” and became the absolute dictator of Germany.

Q12.What is hyperinflation? Mention the factor responsible for this.

A. It is situation when there is very high price rise. It occurred in Germany after the First World War due to too much printing of currency.

Q13.What was the enabling Act which was passed by Hitler after he took control over Germany?

A. The enabling Act was passed in 1933. It gave Hitler all powers to sideline Parliament and rule by decree. All political parties and trade unions were banned except the Nazi party.

Q14.What were Ghettos?

A. Jews were considered as inferior and ‘undesirable race in Germany. They lived in separately marked areas called Ghettos.

Q15. ‘The crimes that Nazis committed were linked to a system of belief and a set of practices.’ Explain by giving examples.

a) According to their theory there was no equality between people, but only a racial hierarchy. In this view blond blue, eyed, Nordic German Aryans were at the top, while Jews were at the bottom.

b) Hitler borrowed his ideas from the theory of Charles Darwin and Herbert Spencer. But these scientist explained concept of evolution and natural selection. They gave the concept of survival of the fittest. This idea was used by Nazi to justify imperial rule and war.

c) Hitler also used the idea of Lebensraum or living space. He believed that new territories had to be acquired for settlement.

Q16.Explain the racial policy of Hitler or Nazis

a) Nazis wanted to establish an exclusive racial community of pure Germans by eliminating all other races.

b) They wanted only a society of Pure and healthy Nordic Aryans.

c) Under his racial policy Hitler even ordered to eliminate unhealthy or abnormal Aryans.

d) Many inferiors races like Gypsies, blacks and Jewish were killed and deported.

Q17.What steps were taken by Hitler to popularize ideology?

a) Total control over the school: He put all the school under total control of the state. Undesirable children i.e. Jews, blocks and Gypsies were thrown out of the school.

b) New educational policy: He announced his new education policy. All school textbooks were rewritten. Racial science was introduced to justify Nazi ideas of race. Children were taught to worship Hitler.

c) Spirit of violence’s and aggression: To inculcate the spirit of violence and aggression new sports were introduced. Hitler believed that boxing could make children iron hearted, strong and masculine.

d) Different stages in the life of a youth: Youth organization were made responsible for educating German youth in the ‘the spirit of National Socialism’ Ten year olds had to enter Jungvolk. At 14, all boys had to join the Nazi youth organization i.e. Hitler Youth. After a period of rigorous ideology and physical training they joined the labor service, usually at the age of 18. Then they had to serve in the armed forces and enter one of the Nazi organizations.

Q18.Explain what role women played in Nazi society.

a) Women in Nazi Germany were meant to be good mothers and rear pure- blood Aryan children. A girl’s duty was to maintain the purity of the race, maintain distances from Jews and teach their children Nazi values. They were to be the bearers of the Aryan culture and race.

b) All women were not treated equally. Women who bore racially undesirable children were punished while those who produced racially desirable were awarded.

c) To encourage women to produce many children. Honor crosses were awarded.

d) All Aryan women who deviated from the prescribed code of conduct were publicly condemned and severely punished.

e) Those who maintained contact with Jews, poles and Russians were paraded through the town with shaved heads and blackened faces. Many received jail sentences and lost civic honor as well as their husbands and families.

Q19.Explain Nazis or Hitler art of propaganda.

Various codes: To eliminate inferior races they always used code languages. Nazis never used the word kill or murder in their official communication. Mass killings were termed special treatment, final solution (for the Jew), euthanasia (for the disabled) selection and disinfections. Evacuation meant deporting people to gas chambers.

Use of mass media and communication system: Media was used to win support for the regime and popularize its worldview. Nazis ideas were spread through visual images, films, radio, etc. In posters groups identified as the enemies of Germans were stereotyped mocked, abused and described as evils. Socialist and liberals were represented as weak and degenerate.

Propaganda films were made to create hatred for Jews. The most infamous film was the Eternal Jew.

Q20.How did common people react to Nazism?

a) Many saw the world through Nazi eyes and spoke their mind in Nazi language.

b) They felt hatred and anger surge inside them when they saw someone who looked like a Jew.

c) They marked the houses of Jew and reported suspicious neighbours.

d) They genuinely believed Nazism would bring prosperity and improve general well-being.

e) But not every German was a Nazi. Many organized active resistance to Nazism and braved police repression and death.

f) The majority of Germans were however onlookers and were too scared to protest.

Q21.What event in history is known as the Holocaust? How did the world come to know about the Holocaust?

a) The persecution and mass murder of Jews by German Nazis between 1933-45 is known as the Holocaust.

b) Information regarding the Holocaust tricked out of Germany during the last years of the regime.

c) Documents left behind by ghetto and camps inhabitants, who wrote diaries, kept note books and created archives, have been our source of knowledge.

d) Thus knowledge about the Holocaust lives on in memories, fiction documentaries, poetry memorials and museums in many parts of the world.

These are a tribute to those who resisted the Holocaust and an embarrassing reminder to those who collaborated.

Mr. Gerard Gomes

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