rise of Hitler

• History
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 3

rise of Hitler.

What associations do you
get with this symbol?

Wat vind jij hiervan?

people in this lesson

Benito Mussolini

Adolf Hitler

Do you think this satirical clip should be allowed to be broadcasted?

how come this cute baby...

becomes a mass murderer? 

Nov 11, 1918: ARMISTICE

the Weimar Republic

1918 - 1933

the Reichstag:           the German parliament

The Weimar Republic (1918 - 1933)

- Socialist government that accepted the treaty of Versailles

(impopular)

- couldn't get a grip on fighting returning soldiers (Nationalists) and revolutionary communists (Spartakists) 

Reichstag, Berlin, 1922

in 17 years democracy changed

Reichstag, Berlin, 1939

The Weimar Republic (1919 - 1933)

These parties all embrace freedom and democracy. That is why we say that they belong to the political center.

• There were also political parties that hated democracy, for example:

• communists (who wanted a country like the Soviet Union)
• nationalists (who wanted Germany to be a strong empire again)

• These undemocratic groups we call extremists.

Spartakists

Freikorps

The Stab-in-the-back Myth

a story created by extremist right nationalists:

The German army did not lose WW1.

Germany was betrayed by democratic politicians who signed the Armistice and later the Treaty of Versailles.

The Stab-in-the-back Myth

Hitler also believed 

that communists and especially the Jews

were part of this plot against Germany and its army.

Hitler in politics

In 1919 Hitler joined a nationalistic party, the Deutsche Arbeiter Partei (DAP)

Hitler in politics

The DAP was

- anti democratic

- anti communist

- anti-semitic (= anti-Jewish)

Hitler turned out to be a good speaker.

He practised his expressions and gestures in front of a mirror.

In 1920 Hitler became the leader of the DAP. He changed the name into N.S.D.A.P. He also used the swastika as the party's new symbol

NSDAP: National-Sozialistische Deutsche Arbeiter Partei.

Or in short: the Nazi Party

1923: the Nazis try to seize power in Munich by force.

This is called a Putsch or Coup (staatsgreep)

Why a Putsch in 1923 ?

• In 1922, Mussolini successfully seized power in Italy. Hitler was inspired by this.

• In 1923, Germany suffered from a hyper inflation, causing millions of Germans to lose all their money. 

    Hitler believed that the                German people were now            so desperate that they                  would support him

Germany was forced to pay 132 billion goldmarks to the Allies

Causes and effects of the Hyperinflation of 1923

When Germany could not pay, the French occupied the Ruhr area to take resources as payment.

German miners went on strike. 

The Weimar government promised to pay their wages.

To keep paying the wages the government printed extra money.

Result: the value of the money decreased, causing inflation

In months the inflation spiralled out of control: hyper-inflation.

Money was worthless. People lost all their savings.

The Munich Putsch fails and Hitler is arrested. He is sentenced to 9 months imprisonment.

In prison, Hitler writes his book Mein Kampf (my struggle) in which he outlines his political ideas.

In short, his ideas and plans are:

1. reverse the Treaty of Versailles
2. rebuild Germany's armed forces
3. unite Germany and Austria
4. extend German territory into eastern Europe (Lebensraum)
5. destroy communism
6. the Germanic race (Aryan race)  is superior (= the Übermensch)

congratulations

congratulations