HISTORY FULL DECK

Problems Facing Germany’s Economy in 1933

• ~6 million unemployed

• Business collapse after the GD

• Low industrial output

• Dependence on foreign imports for food and raw materials.

• Low public confidence in the economy

Who was Schacht?

• Appointed Minister of the Economy and helped stabilise Germany’s economy.

• He reduced unemployment through public works and rearmament funding schemes such as Mefo Bills, which were credit notes used to secretly finance rearmament w/o causing inflation.

• He opposed excessive military spending and was replaced in 1936.

Aims of Nazi Economic Policy

The Nazis aimed to:

• reduce unemployment

• achieve autarky

• increase agricultural production

• expand rearmament

• increase state control over industry in order to prepare Germany for war.

The Four Year Plan (1936)

• Introduced in 1936 and led by Goring, this plan aimed to prepare Germany for war within four years.

• It prioritised rearmament, increased production of synthetic materials (such as rubber and fuel), set production targets, and expanded state control over key industries like coal, iron and steel.

Reduction of Unemployment

• Unemployment fell dramatically by 1939 due to public works projects (such as autobahns), rearmament, the introduction of conscription, and the National Labour Service (RAD).

• The statistics were misleading because women, Jews, and men in military service were excluded from official figures.

Public Works and the RAD

• The National Labour Service required young men to complete 6 months of labour on projects such as road building, land drainage and farming.

• These schemes reduced unemployment and improved infrastructure.

Rearmament and the Economy

Rearmament massively increased military spending and expanded the armed forces from 100,000 men in 1933 to over 1 million by 1939. It boosted heavy industry and created jobs, but reduced the production of consumer goods, leading to lower living standards (“guns not butter”).

Control of Workers in 1933

• Hitler banned all trade unions in May 1933 using the Enabling Act.

• This was replaced by the German Labour Front (DAF), which controlled wages and banned strikes.

• Workers lost the right to negotiate pay and conditions.

Strength Through Joy (KdF)

Strength Through Joy was a programme under the DAF that organised holidays, theatre trips and leisure activities to reward workers and promote loyalty to the regime.

It also promoted the idea of a “people’s car” (Volkswagen).

Beauty of Labour (SdA)

Beauty of Labour aimed to improve factory conditions by providing better lighting, canteens and washing facilities.

However, improvements were often funded or built by workers themselves.

Impact of War on the Economy

When war began in 1939, Germany was not fully prepared for total war. There were shortages of food, oil and raw materials. Rationing was introduced, labour shortages increased, and women and forced labourers were increasingly used in industry.

Albert Speer and Total War

Albert Speer became Minister of Armaments in 1942 and reorganised industry to increase efficiency and weapons production. Although armaments output increased significantly, it was too late to prevent defeat.

Successes of Nazi Economic Policy

The Nazis reduced unemployment, expanded infrastructure, strengthened the military, and increased industrial output in key sectors before 1939.

Failures of Nazi Economic Policy

Germany failed to achieve full autarky, remained dependent on imported raw materials, limited consumer goods production, and relied heavily on rearmament and war to sustain economic growth.

Primary aims of the league

• To solve disputes that could cause armed conflict

• To achieve world disarmament

• To encourage nations to trade freely with each other

• To improve the standard of living across the world

Key non-members

USA: they feared that joining the League would draw the nation into foreign disputes and possibly require the commitment of U.S. troops in global conflicts, diminishing their constitutional power to declare war.

Furthermore, many senators were isolationist.

Germany: Not allowed to join until they have shown peaceful intentions. This increased the feeling of isolation and resentment. Allowed to join in 1926, but was expelled in 1933.

The Council

members, functions, cons

• Members: Permanent and non-permanent members.

• Functions:

  • Resolving international disputes

  • Imposing economic sanctions

  • Recommending military action

Cons:

• Each PM had a veto

• required unanimous agreement from all permanent members

Britain’s weaknesses after WW1

• 10% unemployment and over 7 billion pounds debt

International Labour Organization

aim, con and successes.

Aim was to improve working conditions.

Cons: could only persuade countries to adopt its suggestions. (Many refused)

Successes: banned poisonous white lead from paint, limited hours small children could work

Commissions refugees, health, slavery - pro for each

Refugees: Tried to help refugees return to their homes.

Pro: over 400,000 displaced people returned to their homes or country. Nansen passports

Health: Attempted to deal with dangerous diseases. Wanted to educate on health and sanitation.

Pro: Developed vaccines e.g for malaria, prevented a typhoid epidemic in the USSR.

Slavery: worked to abolish world slavery.

Pro: helped free 200,000 slaves in Sierra Leone. Helped abolish slavery in Jordan, Iraq and Nepal.

1920s League of Nations- 5 examples

Vilna 1920

Upper Silesia 1921

Aaland islands 1921

Corfu 1923

Bulgaria 1925

Vilna- failure

• When Austria-Hungary was split, new countries were created, including Poland and Lithuania, and the people living in Vilna wanted to be Polish rather than Lithuanian.

• In 1920, Polish force, annexed Vilna after years of tension.

• Lithuania appealed. → The League condemned Poland but they didn’t move. France didn’t act as it didn’t want to upset Poland as it was a potential ally. Britain wouldn’t send its army without the support of other members.

• No consequences for Poland=failure.

Upper Silesia- success

• 1921

Upper Silesia, a valuable industrial area, was originally granted to Poland.

• Germany wanted it as the population was mostly German.

• The LoN held a plebiscite. Britain and France sent troops to ensure the vote was democratic.

• Upper Silesia was divided based on the vote, both accepting this decision but was considered unfair on both sides.

• Poland argued it had half the population but only 1/3 of the land. Germany claimed it lost ¾ of the coal mines.

Aaland Islands- success

• 1921

• Finland and Sweden threatened war over the Aaland islands. Island was owned by Finland but heavily populated by Swedes.

• Both accepted the League's decision to give the Aaland Islands to Finland. As a safeguard no military personnel or arms could be located there.

Corfu- Failure

• 1923

• Tellini and some Italian soldiers were murdered on the Greek-Italian border.

• Mussolini demanded 50 million lira in compensation and the execution of those responsible but Greece refused.

• Italy invaded Corfu. Greece appealed to the League.

• Mussolini ignored the League's orders to pull out of Corfu, and made Greece pay money to Italy

Bulgaria

• In Oct 1925 there was an incident on the Bulgarian border and a Greek military officer was killed. Bulgaria appealed to the League for help when it was invaded by Greece.

• Greece obeyed the League's orders to pull out of Bulgaria.

• The Greeks complained that during Corfu, Italy, the aggressor, wasn’t punished.

• Greece was forced to pay £45,000 in compensation and threatened with sanctions.

Consequences to the failures of the League

• Each failure eroded trust in the League's ability to maintain peace and protect its members.

• Smaller nations doubted if the League could provide effective security against larger, more aggressive states.

• Major powers themselves became skeptical of the League's values. They often pursued their own interests outside the League framework, further undermining its authority.

Ruhr Conflict

• Germany failed to pay the reparations instalment at the end of 1922.

• French and Belgian troops invaded the Ruhr in 1923 and took what was owed in natural resources, which was legal under the ToV

• This crisis fueled political extremism in Germany.

• The French troops didn’t leave until 1925 and violence continued between them and German workers. The LoN only seemed concerned w/ protecting WW1 victors.

Wall Street Crash & Consequences

The Wall Street Crash was a stock market crash in Oct 1929. It marked the beginning of the Great Depression, which lasted throughout the 1930s and affected almost all countries.

League’s failure to disarm

Feb 1932, a Disarmament Conference was held. No country was ready to disarm.

In Oct 1933 Hitler withdrew from the Disarmament Conference, then the League.

Hitlers election

In January 1933, Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany by President Paul von Hindenburg.

Shortly after becoming Chancellor, the Reichstag building burned down in February 1933.

Hitler used this event to seize emergency powers and suppress political opposition.

By the summer of 1933, Hitler had established a one-party state, outlawing all other political parties and consolidating his control over Germany.

Manchurian Crisis 7 steps

1. The Japanese army controlled the country and wanted to expand Japan’s empire.

2. In Sept 1931, Japan staged an explosion on their own controlled railways, blaming Chinese rebels.

3. In 1932, they renamed Manchuria Manchuko.

4. The LoN condemned Japan's actions and appointed the Lytton Commission to investigate.

5. Lord Lytton took a year to make a report concluding that Japan was indeed the aggressor, but the League was ineffective.

6. Japan withdrew from the League of Nations in 1933 and continued invasion.

7. The LoN didn’t sanction Japan as it traded with the US. The GP was also causing greater issues at home

The Abyssinia Crisis

• Italy was humiliated by the Abyssinians in 1896 and wanted revenge. It also wanted to expand its empire, so it invaded Abyssinia.

• In Dec 1934, Italian and Abyssinian troops crashed at Wal Wal.

• June 1935 Emperor Haile Selaisse asked the League for help.

• The League imposed economic sanctions on Italy, but these were limited and ineffective. Key products like oil were not included and the League didn’t close the Suez-canal.

  • 1935 Britain and France's Hoare-Laval Pact appeased Mussolini by secretly offering him 2/3 of Abyssinia. Leaked to the press, both foreign ministers resigned.

• Italy continued to take parts of Abyssinia and forced Haile Selassie into exile.

Remilitarization of The Rhineland

• In March 1936, Hitler defied the Treaty of Versailles and the Locarno Treaties by sending 3,000 German troops into the Rhineland.

• The League condemned Hitler's action, but Britain and France were unwilling to take military action to enforce the treaty due to fears of starting another war and a misjudgment of Hitler's intentions.

• Hitler's successful remilitarisation of the Rhineland emboldened him and demonstrated the weakness of the League and the policy of appeasement.

Spanish Civil War

(1936-1939)

• A conflict between the Republican government and the Nationalist rebels led by General Franco. The war became an international issue when Germany and Italy supported Franco, while the USSR supported the Republicans.

• The LoN adopted non-intervention, but this was largely ineffective.

• Germany tested blitzkrieg and using the luftwaffe

• The war resulted in a Nationalist victory and the establishment of a fascist dictatorship in Spain.

5 Key reasons why the league of nations failed

1. Lack of Universal Membership

• The absence of major powers like the United States weakened the League as it lacked the economic and military power to enforce its decisions effectively.

2. Weakness of Collective Security

• Member states were often unwilling to commit troops or resources to enforce the League's decisions, especially when they weren’t directly threatened.

• The League relied on moral persuasion and economic sanctions

3. Self-Interest of Major Powers

• Britain and France often prioritised their own national interests over the goals of the League. This led to a policy of appeasement towards aggressive states like Germany and Italy.

• The self-interest of major powers made it difficult to take action against aggressors.

  4. Economic Depression

• The Great Depression of the 1930s exacerbated international tensions and made it more difficult for the League to address conflicts. Economic hardship fueled political crisis.

• The economic crisis made countries less willing to commit resources to the League.

• Structural Weaknesses

• The requirement for unanimous decisions in the Council made it difficult to take decisive action which weakened the League's ability to respond quickly and effectively to international crises.

Appeasement

Appeasement is a diplomatic policy of making concessions to an aggressive power in order to avoid conflict.

Key Events in the Policy of Appeasement:

• 1936 - Remilitarization of the Rhineland

• 1938 - Anschluss (Annexation) of Austria:

• 1938 - Munich Agreement

• 1939 - Invasion of Czechoslovakia

Anschluss with Austria

• The Austrian Chancellor tried to organise a plebiscite for whether Austria should unite with Germany.

• Hitler opposed this, fearing that Austrians would vote against unification. Hitler demanded he resign and appoint Arthur Seyss-Inquart.

• In 1938, German troops marched into Austria. There was little resistance and many greeted the soldiers with enthusiasm.

• After the invasion, Hitler held a rigged plebiscite with over 99% in favour of unification.

The Saar

The Saar Plebiscite was a vote held on January 13, 1935, in the Saar region of Germany (now Saarland). The result of the vote was:

• 90.7% voted to return to Germany.

• The overwhelming majority voted to return to Germany. This was a major propaganda victory for Hitler.

• This victory held propoganda value, buffer zone, and had economic importance (industrial and coal-rich region)

Czechoslovakia

The Invasion of Czechoslovakia occurred in two phases: first, following the Munich Agreement in 1938, Germany annexed the Sudetenland, a region with approximately 3.5 million inhabitants, largely of German ethnicity, weakening Czechoslovakia's defenses and industrial capacity.

Then, on March 15, 1939, in complete violation of the Munich Agreement, Hitler's forces invaded the remainder of Czechoslovakia.

What were the causes and consequences for Hitler’s foreign policy?

Causes

• Hitler’s anti-semitism and nationalism

• Weakness of LoN

• Hatred of ToV

Consequences

• Start of WWII

• Holocaust, 6M Jewish people murdered

What was Hitler’s foreign policy?

• revise ToV

• unite all German-speaking people into one Reich

• achieve Lebensraum

What were the treaty of versailles’ terms? RAW DEAL

• Reparations of £6.6B

• Army- 100,000 soldiers

• War guilt

• Demilitarised Rhineland

• End of Austrian Union

• Arms reduced- no air force or submarines, 6 ships

• Land taken- Saarland, Alsace Lorraine, ALL overseas colonies

Who was Woodrow Wilson? (motives for ToV)

• idealist, U.S president

• 14 point plan for world peace Jan 1918

• Last point LoN so countries can discuss problems instead of fighting

• Don’t be harsh on Germany because communism or future revenge

Who was Lloyd George? (motives for ToV)

• British prime minister

• realist

• concerned a harsh treaty would lead to a communist revolution like Russia in 1917

• Wanted Germany to lose its navy and colonies as they threatened the British empire

• Wanted Germany to be a trading partner and buy Britain’s imperial goods

Write Hitler’s actions from 1933 leading to WWII (7 events)

1933- Took Germany out of League (Oct), began rearming (March)

1934- Tried to invade Austria, prevented by Mussolini

1935- rearmament rally; reintroduced conscription

1936- 20,000 troops into Rhineland

1937- Spanish cw tried out weapons

1938- Annexed Austria; took over Sudetenland

1939- invaded rest of Czechoslovakia; invaded Poland; war

Who was Clemenceau? (motives for ToV)

• French prime minister

• wanted to gain territory back as France and Germany had already fought twice during the 19th century

• Feared future German invasion as they shared a border

• 1.4M French soldiers lost in WWII, war drained resources, majority of Western front was in France destroying roads, hospitals, factories = HE WANTS REPARATIONS

The Council

• Met 5x a year

• Met more often when emergencies

• Included permanent and temporary members (elected by the Assembly every 3 years)

• Each of the permanent members had a veto

• Unanimous vote

• Could use: moral condemnation, economic sanctions and military force

The assembly

• Met annually

• Every country in the League had a representative
  >Vote on new members, temporary members of the Council, budget of the League and ideas put forward by the Council
  > Decisions made had to be unanimous

What was the Anglo-German naval pact?

1935 pact that allowed Germany to have 35% of Britain’s navy

→ This strained Britain and France’s relationship

What year was the Weimar Republic established?

9th November 1918

Why was it called the “Weimar” Republic?

Its name comes from the town of Weimar in central Germany where the constitutional assembly met.

Who was the German leader that abdicated in 1918?

Kaiser Wilhelm II

On the 9th of November 1918 Kaiser Wilhelm II was forced to abdicate his throne.

What type of government did the Weimar Republic have?

Democratic government.

It was Germany’s first democracy, with elected leaders, a parliament (Reichstag), and a constitution that gave people rights and freedoms.

What was the name of the German parliament during the Weimar period?

Reichstag

What is proportional representation?

Parties win seats in proportion to the votes they receive.

If a party gets 30% of the vote, it should get roughly 30% of the seats in parliament.

What happened in the Ruhr in 1923?

• France and Belgium invaded Germany’s Ruhr region after Germany failed to pay reparations.

• The Ruhr was Germany’s main industrial area, so they aimed to take goods instead of money. Workers went on strike so there was nothing to take.

How did hyperinflation affect ordinary Germans?

Middle-class families suffered most

• Unlike the poor, who had little to lose, and the rich, who had assets abroad, the middle class lost homes, businesses, and status.

• Their savings became worthless

• Many Germans blamed the Weimar government for the crisis. This led to growing support for extremist parties like the Nazis and Communists, who promised change.

What was the Munich Putsch and what happened to Hitler afterward?

• The Munich Putsch was a failed attempt by Hitler and the Nazis to take over the German government in 1923.

• Nov 8 Hitler and 600 SA members stormed a beer hall in Munich hosted by Kahr and Lossow who had not invited him. Threatening them with a gun, he forced them to rebel despite them calling off the rebellion in October.

• A standoff with the police, who were called by Kahr on the 9th resulted in 16 Nazis and 4 police officers being killed.

• The rebellion failed due to reliance on politicians who betrayed Hitler, failing to take over the military and police and hesitation when the police were called, giving them more time to prepare.

• Hitler was arrested, put on trial in March 1924, and sent to prison for 9 months where he wrote Mein Kampf

→After, Hitler decided to try gaining power through elections instead of violence.

How did the Dawes Plan help stabilize the German economy?

The Dawes Plan of 1924 made reparations easier to pay through receiving loans from the US, and it ended the French occupation of the Ruhr.

This made the economy stronger, factories reopened, and people had jobs again.

It led to a period from 1924 to 1929 called the Golden Years, when Germany was more stable, life improved, and people had more hope.

Stresemann’s contributions to Weimar Germany

• Introduced a new currency (the Rentenmark) to make money stable again.

• He ended the workers’ strike and helped create the Dawes Plan, which made reparations easier and brought U.S. loans.

• He signed the Locarno Pact in 1925, promising peace with France and Belgium.

• In 1926, he helped Germany joined the League, showing it was trusted again.

  • He supported the Young Plan in 1929, which lowered how much Germany had to pay.

What was the Rentenmark and why was it introduced?

The Rentenmark was a new type of money introduced in Germany in 1923 to stop hyperinflation.

The old money had become useless, so the government made the Rentenmark to help prices go back to normal and make people trust money again.

One Retenmark replaced 1000 billion marks.

How did the Weimar Republic improve its international relations in the 1920s?

• The Locarno Pact was signed in 1925 between Germany, France, Belgium, and other European countries. Germany agreed to respect its western borders with France and Belgium, which helped reduce tensions and fears of another war. In return, the Allies promised not to invade Germany again. This pact made Germany seem more peaceful and trustworthy, and it marked the beginning of better relations with its neighbours.

• The Kellogg-Briand Pact was signed in 1928 by Germany and over 60 other countries. In this agreement, all the countries promised not to use war to solve international problems. Although the pact didn’t include punishments for breaking the promise, it was still important because it showed Germany was serious about peace and wanted to be part of the global community.

• Germany joined the League of Nations in 1926. Germany ended its isolation after World War I and became a respected member of the world again. This helped improve its reputation and gave it a voice in international decisions.

What were some cultural achievements during the Weimar “Golden Era”?

(1924–1929), Germany became a global centre for creativity, with major achievements in art, architecture, silent film, jazz music, and literature. Berlin especially flourished as a hub of modern culture and bold experimentation.

Why did some Germans dislike the cultural changes of the 1920s?

They felt the new art, music, and lifestyles were too modern, immoral, or un-German.

These changes clashed with traditional values, especially among older, rural, and conservative groups.

How did the Great Depression affect the Weimar Republic?

• U.S. loans stopped after the 1929 Wall Street Crash, collapsing Germany’s economy.

• Unemployment soared — over 6 million Germans were jobless by 1932.

• Poverty and hunger spread, and many lost faith in the Weimar government.

• The government couldn’t fix the crisis, leading to political deadlock and emergency rule.

• Support for extremist parties like the Nazis grew, as they promised jobs and strong leadership.

Why did extremist parties gain support after 1929?

• The Great Depression caused huge problems After the Wall Street Crash, Germany’s economy collapsed. Millions lost their jobs, and many families couldn’t afford food or rent.

• People lost trust in the Weimar government The government didn’t solve the crisis. Leaders argued, and President Hindenburg had to use emergency powers. Democracy seemed weak.

• Extremist parties made strong promises The Nazis promised jobs, strong leadership, and to cancel the Treaty of Versailles. The Communists promised equality and help for workers.

• Fear of communism helped the Nazis Many middle-class Germans were scared of a Communist revolution. They supported the Nazis to stop it.

• Hitler and Nazi propaganda were powerful Hitler gave passionate speeches and gave people hope. The Nazis used posters, rallies, and radio to spread their message.

What were the main weaknesses of the Weimar Republic’s political system?

The Weimar Republic had a weak political system.

There were too many small parties, so it was hard to form strong governments. Leaders kept changing, and the government often couldn’t agree on what to do.

The president had special powers to make laws without asking parliament, which made democracy weaker.

Many people didn’t trust the new system and wanted the old way back.

Extremist parties like the Nazis and Communists could win seats and spread their ideas. All of this made the Republic unstable and easy to take over.

What were the aims of the LoN?

World peace

enforce ToV

collective security

What did Clemenceau NOT achieve in the ToV?

Clemenceau did not get all he wanted as, in order for France to be safe from future attack, he demanded that the USA and Britain give a guarantee that they would come to France’s aid if it was attacked by Germany. Britain and the USA refused to give him promises of support over future German aggression.

=so Clemenceau had not achieved what he wanted.

How did France ensure its security in the ToV?

Clemenceau wanted to ensure French security.

France had been invaded by Germany twice in the last 50 years and he did not want it to happen again.

In the Treaty the German army was limited to 100,000 men, conscription was banned, they were not allowed submarines or an airforce and only had 6 battleships. The Rhineland,which was a buffer zone between France and Germany, was also demilitarised.

Key leaders

• Britain and France were key leaders but they were severely weakened by WW1.

• Lacked resources and wealth

• Britain had 10% unemployment and over 7 billion pounds debt

• Britain was also more concerned with rebuilding trade and establishing an empire and France was more concerned about Germany and Russia.

The ToV’s consequences for Germany- RAW DEAL

Reparations of 6.6B pounds

Army reduced to 100,000 men

War guilt

Demilitarised Rhineland

End of Austrian union

Arms reduced- no airforce or submarines, 6 ships, can’t manufacture weapons, conscription banned

Land taken- Saarland, Alsace-Lorraine and ALL overseas colonies

When was the LoN established?

Jan 1918

German criticisms of the ToV- 3

• War guilt- Germans did not feel they started the war. They felt at least the blame should’ve been shared.

• Countries such as Lithuania gained self-determination but over 3M German speakers were shipped off into Czechoslovakia to be ruled by non-Germans.

• Non representation- It was not represented at the peace talks and were forced to accept a harsh treaty without any comment.

German territorial losses

• Lost 10% of land in europe and all overseas colonies

• 12.5% of population,

• 16% of its coal mines

• almost 50% of its iron and steel industry.

3 ways Wilson disagreed with the other Big 3?

• freedom of the seas

• self-determintion

• international peace and diplomacy

• 'freedom of the seas'. everyone should be able to sail trading ships wherever they wanted.

• But Lloyd George believed in the naval supremacy of Britain.

• 'self-determination'. But Lloyd George saw the peace settlement as an opportunity to strengthen the British Empire.

• International peace and diplomacy. WIlson wanted to prevent future wars but Clemenceau was more worried about taking revenge for the damage done to France by Germany.

Brest-Litovsk Treaty?

• Russia lost Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, etc.

• It lost 62M people.

• Germany imposed reparations, or compensation, of 300 million roubles.

Young plan

• Aug 1929

• Stated Germany would have 59 years to pay the reparations, which were reduced to £2 billion.

• Extremist parties were mad the reparations weren’t cancelled completely. Hitler commented extending the deadline was ‘passing the penalty onto the unborn.’.

Dawes Plan

• 1924

• US banks and businesses offered loans worth 800M marks to German industries and businesses. This doubled industrial output from 1923 to 1928.

• The French and Belgians left the Ruhr as they were promised reparations.

• Con: Made Germany reliant on US loans.

How was the radio used as propaganda?

• Cheap People’s Receivers were sold so most Germans could listen.

• Radios received Nazi broadcasts only

• Listening to foreign stations became illegal during WWII

• Hitler gave 50+ broadcasts in 1933

• Jewish-owned radios were confiscated

How was film used as propaganda?

• Nazis bought major film companies → full state control by 1943

• Newsreels shown before films spread propaganda

• Films glorified Nazi power

• Example: Triumph of the Will promoted support for Nazis

• Anti-Semitic films like The Eternal Jew portrayed Jews as aliens with many gruesome scenes

How was the press used as propaganda?

• Opposition newspapers taken over.

• Limited to only Nazi-approved content. Newspapers that weren’t Nazi owned still followed strict guidelines. =difficult for Germans to discern what was true/false

• Editors had to be ‘racially pure'

• Nazi papers showed rallies and positive images of the regime

• Anti-Semitic stories and caricatures spread hatred.

How was photography used as propaganda?

• Images showing Germany negatively were banned

• Photos were staged or edited to glorify Nazi society

• Photos of Jews deliberately chosen or edited to appear negative
  Promoted the idea of a ‘People’s Community’

How were posters used as propaganda?

• Simple designs and memorable slogans made messages easy to remember

• Presented Germany as fighting a defensive and necessary war

• Encouraged youth indoctrination and racial ideology

• Displayed Nazi strength and unity

• Jews and Communists shown as threats (“stab in the back” myth from WWI)
  Effect: Posters reinforced propaganda in daily public life.

How were rallies used as propaganda?

• Massive rallies held at Nuremberg

• Designed to create excitement and emotional loyalty

• Neoclassical architecture copied Roman/Greek styles to symbolize power

• Giant crowds gave the impression of total national support

• Promoted Volksgemeinschaft while excluding “non-Germans”
  Effect: Individuals felt part of something powerful and unified.

How did the Nazis control higher education?

• 1933 Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service removed Jewish professors

• Universities promoted racial science and eugenics

• Academics became propaganda tools supporting Nazi racial theory

• Criminal psychology studies claimed Roma and Sinti were genetically criminal
  Effect: Nazi racism appeared scientifically legitimate.

How did the Nazis control literature?

• May 1933 book burnings held in over 20 university towns

• Books promoting pacifism, left-wing ideas, or criticism of Nazis banned

• Burnings celebrated publicly, often organized by university students

• Works by groups Nazis hated removed from libraries
  Effect: Alternative ideas disappeared, limiting independent thinking.

How did the Nazis control music and what was its effect?

• Jazz and swing labeled “degenerate” and censored

• Swing Kids who resisted were punished

• Aryan composers e.g., Richard Wagner promoted heavily

• Music was used in rallies, Hitler Youth events, and ceremonies
  Effect: Music reinforced nationalism and racial ideology.

How did the Nazis control music and use it for propaganda?

• Over 6,500 modern artworks removed as “degenerate”

• Modern art associated with cultural decay

• Approved art showed strong, idealized Aryan bodies and military pride

• Great German Art Exhibition displayed approved works

• Degenerate Art Exhibition (1937) mocked modern artists

• Josef Thorak’s Striding Horses represented Nazi power (sculpture)
  Effect: Art promoted Nazi ideals of strength and racial purity.

How did the Nazis control architecture and use it for propaganda?

• Modern styles like Bauhaus shut down

• Massive classical buildings built to overwhelm viewers

• Buildings symbolized permanence and authority

• Zeppelinfeld Stadium in Nuremberg held around 340,000 people for rallies

How did the Nazis control sport and use it for propaganda?

• Jews, Roma, and Sinti excluded from sports clubs

• School sports prepared boys for military service and girls for motherhood

• 1936 Berlin Olympics staged as a spectacle of Nazi success

• Clubs followed Aryan racial policies
  Effect: Sports promoted physical strength and racial ideology.

A change in Nazi strategy- 1920s

• 1925 Hitler enlarged the SA, ~55% were previously unemployed

• ~35% of the population worked on the land, so the Nazis promised higher prices for agricultural products to clear farmer debt and praised farmers as ‘racially pure’ Germans.

• Gained support from conservatives who saw flourishing art, literature and film as immoral and degenerate.

• The SA attacked communists which was successful as it made communists seem violent which appealed to the middle class

• Goebbels used propaganda posters to highlight immorality and corruption, which made Germans angry at the November Criminals and created Nazi support.

Steps Hitler took to become chancellor

• The Nazi Party increased its number of seats in the Reichstag to 230 in July 1932 to become the biggest party in the Reichstag.

• General von Schleicher persuaded President von Hindenburg to appoint von Papen as chancellor on 30th May, 1932.

• Hitler demanded to be appointed chancellor.

• He called for new elections in November 1932. The number of seats won by the Nazis dropped to 196 but they were still the largest party.

• Von Schleicher persuaded the president to sack von Papen and appointed Schleicher as chancellor on 2nd December, 1932.

• Von Papen told the president that von Schleicher was planning a military coup.

• He persuaded the president to sack von Schleicher and appoint Hitler as chancellor as he believed he could control him.

• Hindenburg relied on emergency powers to run the country and to preserve democracy he needed a chancellor with support in the Reichstag.

The creation of Weimar Germany

• 1918- Germany was under a dictatorship of the Kaiser Wilhelm II who ruled from 1988 and pushed economic and military power, refusing to give the people rights and freedoms.

• He was forced to abdicate the throne due to the Kiel Mutiny. At the end of WWI German soldiers and sailors were tired of fighting and German sailors refused to launch a final attack against the British navy. This rebellion spread and soldiers and workers joined protests and demanded an end to the war and the Kaiser’s rule.

• The Kaiser fled to the Netherlands and the armistice was signed in Nov 1918.