Hitler and Nazi Germany (17-3)

Hitler’s Political Views and Ideas

• On April 20, 1889, Adolf Hitler was born in Austria.

• He was an extreme nationalist who believed in racism and anti-Semitism.

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• After serving four years on the Western front, Hitler continued living in Germany.

• Munich is one of the nationalist parties Hitler joined.

• Was later renamed National Socialist German Worker’s Party (Nazi).

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• While serving jail time after causing an uprising against the government, he wrote My Struggle, or Mein Kampf. The book was about Hitler’s ideas and his belief in a Social Darwinian theory of struggle.

Nazism Rises in Power

• The Nazi Party was expanded once Hitler was released.

• Eventually, it was the largest party in the German Parliament, or Reichstag.

• One factor that led to Nazi’s power was the Great Depression.

• 1 out of 4 people were unemployed and the economy had many difficulties.

Nazis Take Over

• On March 23, 1933, the Enabling Act was passed.

• This act gave the government the power to, for four years, ignore the constitution as it passed new laws.

• The Enabling Act was what allowed Hitler to become a dictator.

• A dictator is someone who exercises absolute power.

• All constitutions were now under Nazi control.

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• Concentration (prison) camps were set up and anyone who went against the Nazis were put in them and tortured to their death.

• Seven months later, Hitler created a totalitarian state and became the leader (Führer) of Germany in 1934.

Examples of what went on in concentration camps during this time in history.

Nazi State (1933-1939)

• Hitler’s main goal was to establish an Aryan (racist) state to defeat Europe and later the entire world.

• It was misused by the Nazis for a racial designation w/ the ancient Romans and Greeks.

• To accomplish Hitler’s totalitarian state, the Nazis…

1. used terror freely, mostly towards women and Jews.

2. employed economic policies.

3. organizations.

State and Terror

• The SS (Guard Squadrons, or Schutzstaffelin) maintained order and balance. It also acted as a bodyguard for Hitler.

• It was led by Heinrich Himmler.

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• Was based on terror and ideology.

• Terror included murder, concentration camps, police forces, etc.

Spectacles and Economics

• Hitler did everything he could to get people out of a depression and back to work.

• Nazis used mass demonstrations to make Germans an instrument of Hitler’s policies.

• The new totalitarian state controlled all churches, schools, organizations, etc.

Nazism and Women

• Women were key to the Aryan state. • Nazis prevented them from working in occupations that

might hinder their ability to bear healthy children. • “Get ahold of pots and pans and broom and you’ll sooner

find a groom”.

Anti-Semitic Policies

• The Nuremberg laws, which identified who were Jews, was released in September of 1935.

• Each Jew had to have the Star of David attached to their clothing and carry ID cards.

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• On November 9, 1938, the “night of shattered glass”, or Kristallnacht, began.

• Synagogues were burned and over 100 Jews were killed. 30,000 men were shipped off to concentration camps.

• Public buildings were blocked off and transportation was shut down.

• All Jews were banned from working at any retail store and forced to clean up any damage that occurred, even if it wasn’t theirs.

The end