Hitler’s Germany3.2 To what extent, if at all, did Hitler’s rule benefit the people in Germany?

Recall•Hitler came into power as CHANCELLOR

in 1933•He had 33% of the votes

Impacts of Hitler’s rule in Germany

Political Impact

Social Impact

Economic Impact

Rise of Hitler

He began consolidating powerCalled for an election in Mar 193327 Feb 1933 Reichstag Fire23 Mar 1933 Enabling ActJune 1934 Night of Long Knives2 August 1934: Chancellor + President = Führer

How?

Rise of Hitler

27 Feb 1933 Reichstag Fire

Marinus van der Lubbe

Charred Reichstag

Arrest of communists

BUT! Even though the political opposition had been removed, Hitler did not have complete control over Germany.

Hindenburg could still remove Hitler from office if he wished.

Rise of Hitler

27 Feb 1933 Reichstag Fire

March 1933Enabling Act

Enabling Act, March 1933•Without the

Communist party, the Nazi Party won 44% of the votes

•Allied with a small nationalist party Hitler had a tiny majority in Parliament

On the day of voting…•SA and SS surrounded and intimidated

people around the building•Act was therefore passed – 444 against 84

Aftermath of Enabling Act•Allowed Hitler to pass laws

without the President’s approval

•April 1933 – only Nazi members can work in government departments

•May 1933 – Trade Unions were banned

•July 1933 – One Party Rule, the Nazi Party is the only legal political party

Rise of Hitler

27 Feb 1933 Reichstag Fire

March 1933Enabling Act

June 1934Night of Long Knives

Night of Long Knives• The SA had been a loyal

force for the Nazi Party• However, Rohm had

made many enemies▫Himmler, Goering,

Goebbels▫Army Leaders

• They managed to convince Hitler that Rohm was plotting a coup against him

Video (Night of Long Knives)

Singapore’s Public Service Pledge

Consolidation of power – the final step•Hindenburg’s death in August 1934•Hitler merged the roles of the Chancellor

and the President

President + Chancellor = Fuhrer

Rise of Hitler

27 Feb 1933 Reichstag Fire

March 1933Enabling Act

June 1934Night of Long Knives

August 1934Fuhrer!Muahahaha

Political impact: Positive or Negative?What was the political impact of Hitler’s regime? Did this harm or benefit people in Germany?

▫Describe the political impact ▫WHO – Did it benefit some but not others?

(+) Hitler managed to reunite the government under one single party, and this brought somewhat stability that the Weimar Government lacked. (-) However, this was achieved at the expense of executing people who were opponents to Hitler.

Impacts of Hitler’s rule in Germany

Political Impact

Economic Impact

Social Impact

Economic Impacts•Re-employment•Rise of big industrialists•Control of trade unions•Organsing workers’ leisure time•Militarisation

Economic Impact•Electoral promise of “Bread, Jobs and

Freedom”•Economy recovered•More stable than under the Weimar

Government•Controlled wages, prices and worker’s

right to strike

Re-employment•5 million unemployed•Public works initiated•Built infrastructure

Rise of Big Industries•Banned imports, subsidised local

companies•Goering’s 4 year plan to prepare for war•Control of Trade Union (DAF – German

Work Front)•Wages, working hours, jobs fixed•1939 – workers worked up to 72h a week

Organising leisure time•Propaganda praised workers as important•Provided cheap entertainment (movie

tickets)•Volkswagen beetle (cheap car)

Militarisation•Conscription in 1935•By 1939, there were 1.4million men in the

army•Modern Air force – Luftwaffe•Direct contravention to the TOV

Impacts of Hitler’s rule in Germany

Political Impact

Economic Impact

Social Impact

Social Impact•Germans•Jews and other minorities•Women and children

Impact on Germans•Propaganda

▫Propaganda Ministry headed by Joseph Goebbels

▫Used EVERY form of media▫Pro-Nazi▫Nationalistic▫Anti-Semitic, anti-communist

Nuremberg rallies

Rise of Secret Police•Schutz-Staffel•Gestapo

Henrich Himmler – Head of SS

Death’s Head Unit•Responsible for

concentration camps

•Responsible for the final solution

Gestapo

•Feared throughout Germany

•Unlimited powers of arrest

•Arrested and sent to concentration camps without trials

For Jews and other minorities, it was the start of a nightmare…

… which led to the Final Solution

Nuremburg Laws•Excluded Jews from society•No longer allowed to be citizens•Not allowed to leave the country

Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass)•Nazi diplomat shot dead by Jewish Boy•All hell broke loose

Final Solution Video

Arbeit Macht Frei

Work Shall Set You Free

The concentration camp was situated 400 km away from city centres, so that they could carry out their activities undisturbed and unknown to the public.

Prisoners’ tattoo

Sentry

Prisoner bunks

Double fenced gates

Firing walls – until a cheaper solution was found

Furnace

Gas Chamber

1 can for about a room of 100 Jews.

Genocide

Modern day field trip

Remembering the dead

Liberation video

Hitler Youth•Nazis view them as the future of Germany•Brainwashed from young to grow up and

fight for Germany•Made compulsory for all Aryan Youths•By 1933, it had 2.3 million members

Hitler YouthBoys GirlsNazi Ideology Nazi Ideology

Physical and Military Training Learnt about child bearing and raising a family

Women•Nazis believe that women

would best serve the nation by being good wives and mothers

•Excluded from work and all political appointments

•Kinder, Kirche, Kuche (Children, Church, Cooking)

•Women were given awards for the number of children they had

So who benefitted from Nazi rule?Did Nazi rule harm or benefit people

in Germany?

•Infrastructure•Economy recovered•Unemployment

down•Stability in

government•Germany became

strong again

•Censorship•Secret Police•Life was terrible for

the minorities

BUT