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The President had the power to choose key ministers, such as the Chancellor.
Using Article 48, the President could overrule his government and make laws by decree.
0weaknesses
.Proportional representation meant that weak coalitions were the only way to gain power and lead Germany.
Article 48 was a weakness because it meant that the President could bypass (avoid and go around) democracy.
The Constitution was weak because strong German states, such as Prussia, still held power through the Reichsrat.
strengths
The Weimar Republic was a genuine democracy. This was because all Germans over 20 could vote.
The constitution was strong because no one person or group could hold too much power.
Germany accepted blame for the war (Article 231, the ‘War Guilt Clause’).
Germany must pay £6.6 billion in reparations (payments to the victors) to the Allies.
The loss of land in Europe and all German colonies.
Germany lost 10% of its land and 12.5% of its population.
Military restrictions, which included having a maximum of 100,000 soldiers, 15,000 sailors, 6 ships, 0 submarines and 0 armoured vehicles.
The demilitarisation (removing military from an area) of the Rhineland.
Not being able to join with Austria.
The Spartacists were a Communist group supported by the Soviet Union. They were led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht.
In January 1919, the Spartacists staged a revolt (rebellion) in Berlin and hoped to lead a general strike. The ultimate aim was to overthrow the Weimar Republic.
Ebert used a right-wing (conservative) group of former soldiers, called the Freikorps, to stop the uprising.
He recognised the need to use political extremist (holding extreme views) groups against one another.
In March 1920, the Freikorps in Berlin staged a rebellion. Wolfgang Kapp was the leader of the Freikorps in this rebellion.
The aim was to seize control and stop the Weimar democratic system.
The putsch failed because German workers went on strike. This forced Kapp to flee.
Wolfgang Kapp was a nationalist German civil servant. Some people believe that Kapp was a puppet for General Ludendorff, although this is unconfirmed.
One unit in the Kapp Putsch had swastikas on their helmets.
The second challenge from the right was the Munich Putsch in 1923.
The National Socialist German Worker’s Party (NSDAP), also known as the Nazi Party, staged the Munich Putsch.
Hitler had been introduced to Ludendorff by Rohm, the leader of the SA.
Adolf Hitler and Ludendorff (the general who told the Kaiser to abdicate in World War One) led the putsch.
The Nazis thought the Weimar Republic was weak because of the economic crisis in 1923.
In November 1923, the Nazis entered a meeting of the Bavarian government. Hitler demanded the government’s support.
The Nazis took control of the local police and army headquarters. But Ludendorff secretly let the government leaders go.
The next day, Hitler marched on Munich to declare himself President of Germany.
But the state police met the Nazis. They arrested Hitler, who received a 1-year sentence of 'fortress arrest'.
Hitler's imprisonment
Hitler used his trial for publicity to spread the Nazi message.
In prison he wrote his bestseller, 'Mein Kampf', which outlined his political objectives.
Most importantly, the need to destroy democracy, the need for Lebensraum (to expand German territory to house the population), and the inferiority of the Jews.
Hitler realised he needed to reorganise the Nazi party to gain success.
1922
In 1923, France and Belgium retaliated by seizing the Ruhr (German region) to take what they believed Germany owed in the form of coal and other goods.
The German reaction
In response to the seizing of the Ruhr, Ebert told German workers to go on strike. This was called ‘passive resistance’.
But France and Belgium simply brought their own workers in to take their place.
Over 8 months, 132 people were killed and 150,000 Germans were kicked out of their homes in the Ruhr.
After the Ruhr crisis, to help pay France and Belgium quicker, the Germans printed more money. This led to hyperinflation and had disastrous effects on the economy
People with savings (especially the middle class) lost their money.
People with a fixed income could not renegotiate (discuss again to change) their earnings.
The elderly with fixed pensions could not get any more money and so their incomes were destroyed.
Small business owners went bankrupt.
To get around the problem of hyperinflation, people used a barter system (trading items) instead of money.
Benefits of hyperinflation
A few people benefitted from hyperinflation.
People with debt benefited because it was easier to pay off.
Farmers benefited because people paid more for food.
However, it is important to remember that most people suffered because of hyperinflation. People did not get their savings back when hyperinflation ended.
STOPPED INFLATION
In November 1923, Stresemann set up a new currency called the ‘Rentenmark
In August 1924, this currency was renamed the Reichsmark and placed under the control of the Reichsbank. With this new currency, hyperinflation was stopped.
THE DAWES PLAN-1924
Stresemann helped negotiate the Dawes Plan, which helped Germany pay their reparations (payments to the victors).
In 1924, Banks in the US loaned 800 million Reichsmarks to German industries.
Reparation instalments (fixed regular payments) were temporarily made £50 million a year.
THE YOUNG PLAN-1929
Stresemann next negotiated the Young Plan, which proposed to reduce German reparations (payments to the victors).
In 1929, the Young Plan planned to lower the total reparations from £6.6 billion to £2 billion.
The payments would continue until 1988.
The Wall St Crash abruptly stopped the Young Plan in 1929
By 1928, industrial production levels were higher than they were in 1913.
Between 1925 and 1929, exports rose by 40%.
In 1927, the Weimar Republic set up a number of pension, health and unemployment schemes to help German society.
Hitler and the founder of the Nazi party, Anton Drexler, wrote the 25-point programme in 1920.
The programme had three main aims:
To overturn the Treaty of Versailles.
To stop democracy as a political system.
To rid Germany of the Jews who harmed the economy.
The nationalist points included:
Nullifying the Treaty of Versailles.
Lebensraum (to expand German territory to house the population).
Building up the strength of the German military.
Only allowing Aryans (the Germanic race) to be German citizens.
The socialist points included:
Nationalising industries.
Giving every man employment.
Giving all citizens equal rights.
Giving support for mothers and children.
The SA was a group of ex-soldiers who asserted Nazi power.
The Nazi Party got stronger through the violence of the SA.
Ernest Röhm led this group.
They were nicknamed the ‘Brownshirts’ because of their brown uniforms.
Between 1930 and 1934, the SA grew from 400,000 to 3 million.
The long term causes for the Munich Putsch were: resentment against the Treaty of Versailles and its clauses, hatred of being ‘stabbed in the back’ and they thought that the Weimar Republic was fundamentally weak.
The medium term causes for the Munich Putsch were: that Hitler wanted to copy the example of Mussolini in Italy. In 1922, Mussolini led the right-wing Fascist Party in overthrowing democracy and setting up a dictatorship.
The immediate causes for the Munich Putsch were: that the Nazis were angered by the French occupation of the Ruhr in 1923. The Putsch was triggered by Stresemann calling off passive (non-violent) resistance.
Because of this and the fragility (could be easily damaged) of the Weimar Republic in 1923, Hitler assumed the German people would support his Putsch.
On the 8th November 1923, Hitler and 600 SA troops entered a meeting of the Bavarian government in Munich.
Threatening the government leaders, Hitler forced the government to support him.
The head of the SA, Röhm, took control of the local police and army headquarters.
But Ludendorff (the general who told the Kaiser to abdicate in World War One) secretly let the government leaders go.
On the 9th November 1923, Hitler marched on Munich with 1,000 SA troops and 2,000 volunteers.
Hitler wanted to make himself the President of Germany.
State police met the Nazis. Shots were fired. 3 policemen and 16 Nazis were killed. Ludendorff and Röhm were arrested.
Hitler fled and hid at a friend’s house.
On 11th November 1923, Hitler was discovered and arrested for high treason (crime of betraying one’s country). He received a sentence of a 1-year fortress arrest.
In the short term, it looked like the Nazis had failed.
Hitler was sent to prison for five years in Landsberg prison.
The Nazi Party was banned and Hitler was not allowed to speak in public until 1927.
In the long term, Hitler successfully used events to his advantage.
Hitler used his trial to give the Nazis publicity.
As the newspaper reporters would quote his defence speech, Hitler gave exposure to Nazi ideas.
In prison he wrote his bestseller, Mein Kampf, which outlined his political objectives.
Most importantly, the need to destroy democracy, the need for Lebensraum (to expand German territory to house the population), and the inferiority of the Jews.
Hitler realised he needed to reorganise the Nazi party to gain success.
Hitler wanted to reorganise the Nazi party to maximise support.
Hitler made himself the centre of the Nazi party.
This meant that the appeal of the Nazis largely rested on him as a charismatic (able to influence people) leader.
On 24th October 1929, the Wall Street Crash happened in the USA.
After this, banks lost billions of dollars.
Eventually this was felt by the whole world in the Great Depression.
Unemployment
Firstly, US banks stopped loans under the Dawes Plan to Germany.
Next, German industries lost finance and laid off (fired) workers.
By 1932, 40% of workers were unemployed.
The German government had no money so reduced unemployment benefits.
The combination of these factors meant that families suffered and lost faith in democracy.
Failure of the Weimar Republic
It became clear that the government could not solve the problem of unemployment.
Chancellor Müller could not improve Germany’s economy and neither could his replacement, Chancellor Brüning.
Hindenburg's response to unemployment
In response, President Hindenburg lost faith in democracy himself and used Article 48 to bypass (avoid and go around) the Reichstag.
This significantly weakened the Weimar Republic.
The Nazis also grew because of intimidation tactics (using subtle threats).
The SA and SS fought and eliminated political opponents but also protected the Nazis.
This gave the Nazis an image of power and authority, which influenced how the German people perceived them.
The Nazis could stage (put on) a good, well-funded campaign because they were funded by millionaires, such as Krupp and Hugenberg.
All of Hugenberg’s 53 newspapers spread the Nazi message.
The Nazi’s gained support because of Hitler’s personality.
Not only a strong leader, Hitler was a mesmerising public speaker who travelled the country to give speeches.
This strength was what people wanted in a time of crisis.
Hitler painted himself as ‘one of the people’. As he was a soldier who fought in the First World War, he understood German troubles.
Propaganda (information designed to influence people) helped spread the Nazi message.
It emphasised three things.
Firstly, the Hitler Cult. Hitler was presented as Germany’s saviour.
Secondly, volksgemeinschaft (people’s community). The Nazis wanted to restore tradition values in Germany and focus on an Aryan (Indo-European) community.
Thirdly, anti-Semitism (anti-Jews). They blamed the Jews for the Great Depression in Germany.
Hitler had a flexible message that he adapted to different audiences.
For businessmen, the Nazis would solve the Great Depression, control trade unions and deal with Communists.
For the workers, the Nazis would give employment and food. He promised he would address the fall in wages.
For the middle class, the Nazis would return Germany to its traditional roots.
In 1932, the Nazis gained political power in the Reichstag. But the Reichstag had no stable leadership.
In April 1932, Hindenburg was re-elected as President of the Weimar Republic.
In May 1932, Chancellor Brüning resigned and was replaced by von Papen.
In July 1932, the Nazis became the largest party in the Reichstag.
Hitler demanded that he be made Chancellor, but was refused.
Von Papen and von Schleicher
In November 1932, the Nazis lost votes but were still the largest party in the Reichstag.
In December 1932, von Papen resigned and was replaced by von Schleicher.
But Von Schleicher did not have the support of the Nazis or the people.
In 1932, the Nazis gained political power in the Reichstag. But the Reichstag had no stable leadership.
Between April and December, there were three different Chancellors. Brüning, von Papen and von Schleicher.
Von Papen and Hindenburg’s Secret Pact
Von Papen and Hindenburg secretly met with wealthy industrialists and powerful politicians.
They decided that Hitler and his 196 Nazi politicians should be used to create a political majority.
They decided to make Hitler the new Chancellor, let him have a few Nazis in his cabinet and make von Papen the vice-chancellor.
They hoped that they would be able to use Hitler as a 'puppet leader', as the Soviet Union did in satellite states during the Cold War, whilst using Hitler's popularity for their benefit.
They seriously underestimated Hitler’s power. Hitler was too charismatic (able to influence people) and popular to be controlled by von Papen and Hindenburg.
In January 1933, Hitler was made Chancellor.
On the 27th February 1933, the Reichstag was burned down.
The Nazis blamed a Dutch communist called Marinus van der Lubbe.
This allowed Hitler to pass an Emergency Decree, which suspended the Weimar constitution.
Thousands of communists were arrested after the Reichstag Fire.
German election day was on the 5th of March 1933, 1 week after the Reichstag Fire and the arrest of thousands of communists. Fear of communist uprising had never been higher.
On the 23rd March 1933, Hitler proposed the Enabling Act.
This meant that Hitler could make laws without the Reichstag.
The Reichstag (parliament) supported the Enabling Act by 444 votes to 94.
After the Enabling Act, the Reichstag (parliament) could no longer stop Hitler.
Germany was no longer a democracy.
The Night of the Long Knives
On the 30th June 1934, Hitler used the SS(led by Himmler) to purge (get rid of certain members) of the SA.
400 members of the SA were killed, including Röhm. As well as this, Hitler used this opportunity to kill other opponents, such as the former Chancellor, von Schleicher.
There was now no internal opposition (in the Nazi party) to Hitler. Röhm, his most powerful rival was dead.
it happened because:
Removing opposition to Hitler (Röhm) and von Schleicher was one reason.
Another was to secure the support of General Werner von Blomberg. On the 9th of April 1934, aboard a German battleship, historians believe Blomberg agreed to support Hitler as the leader of Germany after Hindenburg if he reduced the SA's power and grew the German army under Blomberg.
The SS was Hitler’s Protection Squad (bodyguards).
It was set up in 1925 and led by Heinrich Himmler.
The SS recruited Aryans. It was an expectation that SS troops would also have children with Aryan women.
SS troops were highly trained and very disciplined (this was one reason why Hitler preferred them to the SA).
They wore black uniforms.
The SS had 90,000 full-time employees and 200,000 'informal workers', who were informants passing information.
The SS were in charge of Germany’s police force.
They had the power to search people’s property and send them to prison without receiving a trial.
They ran the concentration camps.
In the Second World War, the SS were in charge of the Einsatzgruppen and death camps.
The SD were Hitler’s Security Service.
It was set up by Heinrich Himmler in 1931. Reynhard Heydrich led the SD.
The SD spied on Nazi opposition in Germany and in other countries.
Propaganda (information designed to influence people) in Nazi Germany was run by Joseph Goebbels, the Minister of Enlightenment and Propaganda. Goebbels used a variety of techniques to spread the Nazi ideology (set of beliefs).
Cinemas showed films that emphasised Nazi messages. They were shown clearly in propaganda films and more subtly in films for entertainment.
Hitler used radios in homes and loudspeakers in public spaces to reach everyone in German society.
Radio shows would feature Hitler’s speeches, German music or Nazi history.
Rallies and military parades
Rallies and military parades were important for showing the strength of Germany.
This appealed to the German people’s nationalist pride.
One of the most popular events was the annual Nuremberg rally.
The Berlin Olympics, 1936
The Berlin Olympics was a perfect opportunity to display Nazi power.
The Nazis hoped the Olympics would showcase (show off) Aryan superiority.
An embarrassing moment for Hitler was when the African-American Jesse Owens won gold in the 100 metres.
The Nazi Party paused their anti-Semitic policies for the length of the Berlin Olympics.
Totalitarianism
We can argue that Germany was a ‘totalitarian state’.
This means that all aspects of German life were controlled by the Nazis.
This is seen in how much effort the Nazis put into propaganda to establish loyalty but also how ruthlessly they persecuted opponents.
He wanted to create a volksgemeinschaft who were completely loyal to him and the Third Reich.
Nazi messages focused on:
The glory of war.
Hitler as a powerful leader.
The evils of Communism.
The inferiority of the Jews.
The glorification (presenting as admirable) of the Aryan race and volk values, such as family.
Buildings
The Nazis wanted buildings to reflect Nazi power.
They modelled architecture off the grandeur (impressiveness and beauty) of the Ancient Romans and Greeks.
Buildings had to be built from traditional materials.
Albert Speer was Hitler’s preferred architect. He created key Nazi buildings, such as the buildings for rallies.
Music
The Nazis wanted music to be traditional.
‘Degenerate’ Jazz music was banned.
Any music written by a Jewish composer was forbidden, for example Mendelsshon.
Music by Beethoven was encouraged.
Art
Art was meant to glorify (make great) the Aryan race and traditional volk values.
The Reich Chamber of Visual Arts was set up in 1933 to monitor art and culture.
Art had a naturalist style (showing things as they really are). The Nazis popularised (made popular) paintings of the ideal Aryan family or rural (countryside) scenes.
Favoured Nazi artists were rewarded with large competition prizes.
Many artists fled the Nazis to continue their own style of art
Literature
Literature needed to fit the Nazi message.
Thousands of books were burned to show the population to send out a message of Nazi power.
The Chamber of culture had to approve all books
Cinema
The cinema was a modern way to send strong messages of Nazi propaganda.
All film scripts had to be approved by Goebbels himself.
It was compulsory for cinemas to show short Nazi propaganda films before the entertainment film.
Youth organisations
Boys aged 10 to 14 were part of the Young German Folk.
Girls aged 10 to 14 were part of the Young Girls.
Boys aged 14 to 18 were part of the Hitler Youth.
Girls aged 14 to 18 were part of the League of German Maidens.
Membership for all was compulsory for children aged 10 in 1936.
Hitler wanted to prepare boys to be future soldiers and political leaders.
Boys wore military uniforms and their activities focused on physical exercise and political indoctrination (teaching people to accept beliefs without questioning).
Such activities included sports, singing, shooting, learning military drills, and camping.
The aim for girls
Hitler wanted to prepare girls to be future mothers.
Girls wore a uniform as well. Their activities also focused on physical exercise and learning skills like cooking, which are usually associated with 'homemakers'.
Girls did do sports and singing, as well as cleaning, cooking, and baking.
To make sure that children were indoctrinated (taught to accept) into the Nazi ideology (set of beliefs), all teachers were forced to join the Nazi Teachers’ Association.
The curriculum was tailored (adapted) to help shape children as Nazis.
By 1935, all textbooks had to be approved by the Nazis to make sure they fit the Nazi message.
Physical Education became a priority to make sure children were fit and healthy.
History was used to teach children about the rise of the Nazis.
Race Studies was used to teach children about ‘eugenics’.
This meant that Aryans was a superior race and should grow, whereas other inferior races should stop reproducing.
The aim was to produce a ‘perfect’ human race.
It’s difficult to know the exact success of these policies.
In general, most children were enthusiastic supporters of the Nazi regime.
Some of the activities in the Hitler Youth were fun and enjoyable.
The emphasis on physical education did mean that children were healthy.
The Nazis succeeded in indoctrinating (teaching people to accept) ideas, such as anti-Semitism (strong dislike of Jews).
While 90% of children were part of the Hitler Youth by 1939, this meant that 10% resisted the Nazis.
These groups included the Edelweiss Pirates and Swing Youth.
Children resented (felt bitter about) the focus on military drills.
Parents did not like the amount of time children spent with the Hitler Youth.
The ideal woman was Aryan, with blonde hair and blue eyes. She would look traditional, with no make-up, hair in plaits, flat shoes, and plain clothes.
The Nazis believed women had a very clear role in German society.
Women were expected to look after the home and bear children for the Third Reich.
Women were encouraged to be sturdy in their build because this was believed to help childbirth.
Attitudes to women were shaped by the three ‘K’s: Kinder (children), Küche (Kitchen), Kirche (Church).
The Nazis wanted all women to marry.
To do this, they passed the Law for the Encouragement of Marriage.
This gave married couples a loan of 1,000 marks.
While the number of marriages did increase, we cannot automatically assume it was because of these marriage loans. Wider improvements to the economy could have also affected this.
The Nazis had a ‘pro-natalist’ policy.
This meant they wanted women to have lots of children to increase the Aryan race.
For every child a family had, they were allowed to keep 250 marks of their marriage loan. If you had 4 children, you would not have to pay any money back.
The Motherhood Cross was another incentive to have children.
A bronze medal was for 4 children.
A silver medal was for 6 children.
A gold medal was for 8 children.
The birth rate did increase from 15 babies per 1,000 in 1932 to 19 babies per 1,000 in 1938.
But it is difficult to tell how much of this was down to the Nazis.
To keep women in the home, they were discouraged from working.
From 1933, women were banned from having professional jobs.
Propaganda (information designed to influence people) stressed that women were not to steal jobs from men.
But this policy was not as successful as the Nazis hoped.
Women were cheap labourers and female employment rose by 2.4 million between 1933 and 1939.
The Nazis wanted to educate women on how to look after their family and home.
The German Women’s Enterprise (DFW) ran classes and radio shows to teach women how to run their home.
Schools began to teach girls domestic skills.
From 1937, girls in grammar schools were forbidden to prepare for university.
Changes under the Reich Church
The Reich Church stopped preaching (giving sermons) from the Old Testament. The Old Testament is based on the Hebrew Bible and was associated with the Jews.
Church ministers who were not of pure Aryan descent were banned from the Reich Church.
The blurring of the lines between God and the State is shown by the Nazi phrase: ‘The Swastika on our chests and the Cross in our hearts’.
Hitler tried to influence sermons to convey his propaganda messages.
In July 1933, Hitler and the Pope signed the Concordat.
This promised that Catholics were allowed to worship and keep their Catholic schools in return for not intervening (meddling) in Nazi politics.
But Hitler betrayed the Concordat by closing down Catholic schools, banning Catholic youth groups and sending priests who opposed the Nazis to concentration camps.
Religious Opposition to Hitler
By 1937, the Pope released a statement called ‘With burning anxiety’ to voice his criticism of Hitler and his policies to the world.
There was little organised opposition from religious groups.
This does not mean that everyone supported Hitler, but that most people were scared of the Nazi regime.
From 1933 onwards, gypsies were arrested and sent to concentration camps.
In 1938, all gypsies had to be registered and medically examined. If they failed this test (which was designed so that most did fail) then German citizenship was removed and they could no longer travel.
Wartime policy towards Roma
From 1939, gypsies were told they would be deported.
From 1940, gypsies were deported to labour camps. From there some went to Chelmno death camp.
From 1942, the Nazis ordered all gypsies to be deported.
By the end of the war, 85% of German gypsies were killed. This was 25% of the whole European Roma population.
Aryans were
white Western Europeans and then the 'untermenschen' (sub-humans).:
the Slavs were the top ‘sub-human’.
Then it was black people.
Underneath this were the ‘Roma’, also known as the gypsies.
The lowest subhuman race was the Jews.
'Undesirables'
Aside from these groups, there were a number of ‘undesirables’ in German society who were excluded from the Aryan vision.
These ‘undesirables’ included disabled people, homosexuals, beggars, socialists, and trade unionists.
Policy towards homosexuals, prostitutes and beggars
The Nazis also developed policies to deal with undesirables.
Homosexual men, prostitutes and black people were sent to concentration camps to treat their ‘disorder’.
Beggars were sent to do hard labour.
Policies towards the disabled
In 1933, the Law for the Prevention of Hereditary Diseased Offspring was passed.
After this over 300,000 disabled people were sterilised (medically operated on so they could not have children).
By 1939, the Nazis began to use euthanasia (intentionally ending a life) to kill those with mental and physical disabilities.
100,000 people were secretly killed between 1939 and 1941.
Jews in Germany were often associated with communism.
Many Jews were very wealthy and the Jews were blamed for the German defeat in World War One.
Therefore, anti-Semitism (strong dislike of Jews) was popular in Germany amongst some people before the Nazis came into power.
This was why many of the German population did not question the persecution (unfair treatment) of Jews.
In 1935, the Nuremberg Laws made anti-Semitism legal.
The Reich Law on Citizenship stated that Jews were no longer allowed to be German citizens and lost their rights.
The Reich Law for the Protection of German Blood and Honour stated that Jews could not marry German citizens.
In 1939, Jews had to have a ‘J’ stamped on their passport and add Israel (for men) or Sarah (for women) to their name.
Anti-Semitism
In 1935, the Nuremberg Laws made anti-Semitism legal.
The Reich Law on Citizenship stated that Jews were no longer allowed to be German citizens and lost their rights.
The Reich Law for the Protection of German Blood and Honour stated that Jews could not marry German citizens.
In 1939, Jews had to have a ‘J’ stamped on their passport and add Israel (for men) or Sarah (for women) to their name.
Kristallnacht attacks
On 9th November 1938, the Nazis staged Kristallnacht in response to a Jew assassinating a German ambassador in Paris.
In Kristallnacht, the SS organised a series of attacks on Jewish communities. They destroyed Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues.
Kristallnacht was a turning point for Jews. This was the first time they had been physically harmed by the Nazis.
Afterwards, it was clear that Jews needed to flee Germany.
No one spoke out to help the Jews.
Many helped the Nazis, others stood back and did nothing because either it did not affect them or they were too scared of the Nazis.
Many Jews and others did not know what happened at the camps. They took suitcases and bought their own train tickets to get to the death camps.
After the Wannsee Conference in January 1942, the ‘Final Solution of the Jewish Question’ was decided.
6 death camps with gas chambers were built in Poland.
Out of all the Jews killed, 60% were killed after 1942, after the Wannsee Conference.
Most of the Jews killed during the Holocaust were from Central and Eastern Europe.
Most people at the death camps were killed in gas chambers.
Zyklon-B gas or carbon monoxide gas was put into a gas chamber containing hundreds of people. People would have no oxygen and would die in minutes.
The bodies of the dead would then be incinerated and burned in the death camp's crematorium.
Who died at the death camps?
Anyone who did not conform to Nazi Aryan ideals or any political opponents of the Nazis including:
Jewish people.
Homosexual people.
Communist supporters.
Slav people.
Black people.
Prisoners of war.
Political opponents of the Nazis.
Roma (or gypsy) people.
Disabled people.
The Edelweiss Pirates were a group of youths in the Rhineland.
They were mainly from working class backgrounds and showed resistance by attacking the Hitler Youth.
The group wrote anti-Nazi slogans in graffiti and sang popular songs from before the Nazi regime.
They wore American style clothing.
Their symbol was the Edelweiss, an Alpine flower.
By 1939, there were 2,000 Edelweiss Pirates.
Opposition during the Second World War became more open and was treated more harshly.
The Edelweiss Pirates distributed (spread) Allied propaganda, protected army deserters and openly attacked the Hitler Youth.
The Nazis clamped down on the Edelweiss Pirates.
In 1942, 700 members were arrested.
In 1944, 12 were publicly hanged in Cologne to send a message.
The Swing Youth during the war
he White Rose emerged in the war as a new group of opposition.
Formed from two Munich University students, Hans and Sophie Scholl, the White Rose was a symbol of justice.
The White Rose published anti-Nazi leaflets and graffiti exposing the atrocities (awful acts) the Nazis were committing.
In 1943, they were both executed by the Gestapo after a public protest against the Nazis.
The most serious threat to Hitler was the July Plot in 1944. Known as Operation Valkyrie, Count Stauffenberg of the army tried to kill Hitler with a bomb in his briefcase at a military conference on the 20th July 1944.
Although the bomb went off, Hitler was only injured.
Stauffenberg and 5,746 others were executed. This included 19 generals and 26 colonels.
It highlights that many people within the army opposed the Nazi regime by the end of the war.
Hitler reduced unemployment by creating new jobs for men.
Men were employed to work on public construction projects. These included public buildings, creating farmlands, the 1936 Olympic Stadium and building 7,000 km of autobahns (motorways).
The National Labour Service (RAD) made it compulsory for men aged 18-25 to work on public schemes for 6 months.
Most men disliked RAD because they felt exploited (treated unfairly for others’ benefit). Wages were very low and they worked long hours.
All workers had to join the German Labour Front. This organisation was used to keep workers loyal to the Nazis and disguise the lack of any huge improvement to their standard of living.
The Strength Through Joy (KdF) scheme gave workers rewards if they worked hard. This included going to the theatre or having a holiday.
.The Beauty of Labour (SdA) scheme planned to improve working conditions. But nothing was often done about it.\
Hitler boasted that unemployment fell from 5 million in 1933 to 0.3 million in 1939.
In this statistic, Hitler did not include the Jews and women forced out of their jobs, or the men conscripted (drawn) into the National Labour Service.
There was a lot of ‘invisible unemployment’ .
Food rations were set up in 1939 before the war had even begun.
Clothes, soap, fuel and petrol were rationed after the war began.
Shortages of some rations only became noticeable in the winter of 1941 - 1942, as the German army struggled to battle on the Western Front and against the Soviet Union in the East at the same time.
The British and US bombing raids
Although air raid shelters had been built, 500,000 civilians were killed and 750,000 Germans were wounded in these raids.
The bombing destroyed over 1 million homes. This meant over 7 million people were left homeless.
Bomb raids also targeted supply lines and factories.
This damaged the war effort because it stopped armaments (weapons and military equipment) being sent to the front line.
Post-Barbarossa rationing
Between 1942 and 1945, rationing had increased for German civilians.
Shortages increased and this meant rations were reduced.
Clothing rations were completely stopped.
By 1945, the rationing system was completely null (had no value). People used the black market to survive.
After the war, Germany returned to a completely free market and no rationing very quickly.
By the 22nd March 1945, the Allied powers had come across the Rhine River.
By the 22nd April 1945, The Soviet Red Army had entered Berlin.
On the 29th April 1945, Hitler married Eva Braun in secret.
Hitler's suicide
On 30th April 1945, Hitler poisoned his new wife and committed suicide
Upon his orders, Hitler’s body was cremated so the Allies could not publicly destroy it.
On the 7th May 1945, Germany surrendered to the Allies.
