History Nazi Auth State

Weimar Republic

German republic founded after the WWI and the downfall of the German Empire's monarchy.

Friedrich Ebert

head of German Social Democratic Party; announced the creation of a democratic republic for Germany

Armistice

an agreement made by opposing sides in a war to stop fighting for a certain time; a truce.

Saarland Plebiscite

1935
The Saarland votes in a plebiscite to return to German rule
-Versailles outlined there would be self determination by the Saar
-Results: 9-1 in favor of rejoining Germany
-Hitler uses this in his propaganda

Rhineland

A region in Germany designated a demilitarized zone by the Treaty of Versailles; Hitler violated the treaty and sent German troops there in 1936

President of the Reichstag

parliament and they have elective representatives based on votes. Their leader is called a chancellor and they guarantee that minor parties would be representative. They form coalitions in the parliament to perform different goals

Chancellor and Reichstag

Elected by the President

Reichsrat

Basically the senate

Proportional Representation (PR)

An electoral system in which political parties compete in multimember districts; voters choose between parties, and the seats in the district are awarded proportionally according to the results of the vote

Article 48/Enabling Act

Allowed the President, under certain circumstances, to take emergency measures without the prior consent of the Reichstag.

KPD

Communist Party of Germany

SPD

(Social Democratic Party of Germany) Founded during the latter part of the 19th century, it was Germany's largest party until 1932. Its strength was based in the growing industrial working class.

Sparticists

These were a radical left-wing party in Germany in 1918. They were led by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg. In January 1919, this group (with the reluctant support of their leaders) staged a revolt in Berlin. It was crushed by the army and the Freikorps, and Luxemburg and Liebnecht were captured and then killed without trial.

Freikorps

Germany military (mostly volunteer troops) used by the government of the Weimar republic 2) put down Spartacist revolt in 1919

Kapp Putsch (1920)

The right-wing "armed insurrection" attempts to seize power from the German Weimar Republic in Berlin. Led by a conservative civil servant and supported by army officers. The coup fails, but had collapsed only after the government fled the city and German workers carried out a general strike. Created additional problems for the Weimar Republic.

Beer Hall Putsch (1923)

failed attempt at revolution when Hitler unsuccessfully tried to seize power in Munich. This uprising resulted in Hitler's arrest, but it did in fact get the Nazi mantra out into the world.

Ludendorff

A german general of the Battle Liegen and the battle of Tannenberg

Ruhr Crisis 1923

France occupied Ruhr region of Germany in 1923; Weimar gov't ordered residents to passively resist the French and stop working; inflation skyrocketed in Germany; Stresemann called off resistance

Hyperinflation in Germany

money became worthless due to being overprinted

Gustav Stresemann (1878-1929)

German Foreign Minister who assumed leadership of government; he got the French to move out of the Ruhr and called off passive resistance in the Ruhr. He agreed in principle to pay reparations and asked for a re-examination of Germany's ability to pay debts.

Dawes Plan (1924)

The provision of U.S. Loans to Germany to help meet reparation payments, which were also reduced.

Young Plan 1929

Schedule that set limits to Germany's reparation payments and reduced the agreed-on time for occupation of the Ruhr.

Heinrich Brüning (1885-1970)

Chancellor of Germany from 1930-1932

coercion

use of force to get someone to obey

Enabling Act of 1933

Restricted freedom, eliminated privacy (communication) and the need for warrants, banned all parties but the Nazi Party, and allowed the chancellor (Hitler) to make decisions without the Reichstag's approval.

Sturmabteilung (SA)

Meaning "storm troops", police troops created by Hitler, create conflict to confiscate enemies

Schutzstaffel (SS)

special police force in Nazi Germany founded as a personal bodyguard for Adolf Hitler in 1925

Reichstag Fire

February, 1933; the Reichstag was set on Fire by a secret order of Joesef Goebbels; called a communist plot;Hitler convinced president Hindenburg to suspend all civil rights for Communists, socialists, liberals, and trade unionists

Gestapo

Nazi secret police

Center Party

The Religious party whose aim was to preserve catholic interests and traditional family values, which participated in the Reichstag election of 1932.

Hindenburg

A war hero, was elected to be german president when he was 84 and in poor health. the nazis took full advantage of his old age

November Criminals

term coined by the likes of Hitler to identify those associated with signing the Versailles Treaty

Joseph Goebbels

Chief minister of the Nazi propaganda, and organizer of Kristallnacht

Völkischer Beobachter (People's Observer)

A Nazi magazine

Der Angriff (the attack)

A nazi magazine with anti-semetic cartoons

Heinrich Hoffman

Hitler's personal photographer

Führerprinzip (fuhrer principle)

in Nazi Germany, a leadership principle based on the belief in a single-minded party (the Nazis) under one leader (Hitler)

Herman Goering

The commander of the German Luftwaffe ( Air Force) World War II the successor to Adolf Hitler in the Nazi party

Heinrich Himmler

German Nazi who was chief of the SS and the Gestapo and who oversaw the genocide of six million Jews (1900-1945)

Ernst Röhm

Leader of the SA (another paramilitary organization, a part of the old Nazi party, predecessor to SS) German officer and early Nazi leader, was executed by Hitler as a potential rival

Night of the Long Knives (1934)

Ernst Roehm and 400 SA leaders were killed by Hitler , done to prevent Roehm getting power as wanted merge SA with army

DAF (German Labour Front)

A replacement for the dissolved left wing socialist trade unions in May 1933. Worked under Robert Ley. Membership was compulsory and negotiation over money or condition with employers was no longer available. This eliminated the threat posed by powerful trade unions to organize (a communist strategy for undermining regimes) - important sub-sections included "Beauty through Labour" and "Strength through Joy"- which focused on improving working conditions.

Reich Church

This was the name given to the national church into which all protestant churches in Germany merged in 1933. Towards the end of the year, the Confessional Church would break away from this church.

Confessional Church - 1934

Anti-Nazi Protestant church, lead by Niemöller, repressed by the Nazis.

Anschluss

The union of Austria with Germany, resulting from the occupation of Austria by the German army in 1938.

World Disarmament Conference 1932

conference held by the League of Nations which began in 1932, the aim was to reduce military sizes and weapons as a way to prevent future war

Saar Plebiscite 1935

Saar had been under French control since 1918 and now had the option to return to Germany. 91% of voters voted to return to Germany. The plebiscite (an organized vote) was done fairly through the League of Nations. This reinforced Nazi propaganda in the growing strength of Germany.

Sudentenland (Czechoslovakia)

Land that used to be part of Germany, Hitler wanted to take it back

Nazi-Soviet Pact

A non-aggression pact between Germany and the Soviet Union. Prevented them from allying with eachother's enemies, and agreed to split Poland.

Gleichschaltung (coordination)

Labor unions turned into the National Labor Front, state governments were replaced by Gaus and everything was Nazified! Non-Nazi political parties outlawed. Boys enrolled in Hitler Youth, girls in the Organization of German Girls.

Sicherheitsdienst (SD)

The intelligence agency of the Nazis

Reichswehr

The German army during the time of the Weimar Republic.

Concentration Camps

Detention centers for civilians considered enemies of the state

Cult of Personality

Promotion of the image of an authoritarian leader not merely as a political figure but as someone who embodies the spirit of the nation and possesses endowments of wisdom and strength far beyond those of the average individual.

Hitler Myth

The personality and history portrayed by Hitler was drastically different than his actual self. He was not as intelligent as perceived by the Nazi population.

Nuremberg Rally

The annual rally for Hitler to basically rant about Nazism. Over a million Germans participated in 1934. Known as the Rally of Strength or the Rally of Will.

The Eternal Jew

Feature film showing Jews as filth and vermin

Reich Press Law 1933

All newspapers and journalists had to be approved by the Nazis

People's receivers

Cheap radios sold to German citizens so that they could tune into Hitler's speeches

Nuremberg Laws (1935)

Denied German citizenship to the Jews and prevented them from marrying non-Jews. Also, forced them to wear the Star of David in public.

Blitzkrieg (lightning war)

a form of warfare in which surprise attacks with fast-moving airplanes are followed by massive attacks with infantry forces

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

This was a Protestant minister of the Confessional Church. He was a very famous theologian. In the early 1930s he was living abroad, and he could have stayed there, but he chose to return to Germany to do what he could. He preached against the Nazis until the Gestapo banned him from speaking in 1937. He then got involved with members of the army in a plot to assassinate Hitler (described in another card). He was arrested in 1942. One month before the end of the war in 1945, he was executed.

Bishop von Galen

Led Catholic protests against Nazi euthanasia

Edelweiss Pirates

working class youths who beat up Hitler youths, did anti-nazi graffiti and sang anti-Hitler songs

Swing Youth

Middle-class youths who wanted to dance and listen to swing music which was a blend of black jazz and white dance-band music and was not approved of by the Nazis. They wore English-style clothes, girls wore make-up and Jews were accepted into their groups. Some of these young people were harshly punished, e.g. sent to concentration camps.

White Rose

A group opposed to the Nazis, named after the flower as a symbol of peace

Hans Scholl

brother to Sophie Scholl who was a founding member of White Rose; arrested in february 18, 1942 and condemned to death on February 22, 1943

Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg

-organizer of the July Bomb Plot 1944

Kreisau Circle

In 1944, a group of army officers and intellectuals called the Kreisau Circle tried to bomb Hitler. The bomb was planted by Colonel Stauffenberg. It exploded, but Hitler survived. In retaliation, 5,000 people were executed.

Abwehr

German secret service

Wilhelm Canaris

head of Abwehr (Germany's intelligence service)

Erwin Rommel

Esteemed general who tried to assasinate Hitler. Failed but was given the option to commit suicide rather than execution due to his status

Ernst Thälmann

Leader of Communist Party during Weimar Republic; arrested 1933; killed in Buchenwald on Hitler's orders in 1944

People's Court

24 April 1934- Hitler forms the Nazi People's Courts, where judges have to swear an oath of loyalty to the Nazis.

Appeasement

A policy of making concessions to an aggressor in the hopes of avoiding war. Associated with Neville Chamberlain's policy of making concessions to Adolf Hitler.

Anglo-German Naval Agreement

established ratios for British and German navies; implied Germany was allowed to re-arm

Anti-Comintern Pact

In 1936 Japan signed this with Germany and it was later ratified by Italy. It was in opposition to Communism but actually proved to be the foundation for diplomatic alliance between these three powers. Each now had allies and pushed their demands for individual success. In 1938 Mussolini was willing to accept the German absorption of Austria which he had resisted in 1934.

Plebiscite

A direct vote in which a country's people have the opportunity to approve or reject a proposal

Czechoslovakia

Small East European democracy betrayed into Hitler's hands at Munich

Sudetenland (1938)

appeasement; Hitler promised that his last territorial demand was the Sudeten territory from Czechoslovakia

Munich Agreement (1938)

An agreement permitting the Nazi German annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland; it is widely regarded as a failed act of appeasement toward Nazi Germany.

Danzig and the Polish Corridor

October 1938: he demanded the return of Danzig, a Baltic Sea port with strong German roots, to German control. Although Danzig was more than 90 percent German, it had been separated from Germany at the end of World War I to give Poland access to the sea. Hitler also requested a highway and railroad across the Polish Corridor, which separated western Germany from the German state of East Prussia.

Operation Barbarossa (1941)

Hitler's idea to destroy the Soviet Union and achieve his goal of Lebensraum; successful at first but failed to capture the key cities

mandate

(n.) an authoritative command, formal order, authorization; (v.) to issue such an order

manifesto

a public statement explaining the intentions, motives, or views of an individual or group

Weltanschauung

world view

Volksgemeinschaft (people's community)

In the Nazi ideology, there is no more individual. Everyone is part of one "People." "Volk"

Aryans

Germanic people seen as the master race

Social Darwinism

The belief that only the fittest survive in human political and economic struggle.

Working towards the Führer

Every authority figure had the right to determine how to run their establisments to best reflect Hitler's views

Hjalmar Schacht

Key minister of economics created new currency to save Germany and devised four year economic plan

Reich Labour Service (RAD)

Group set up to employ young Germans. Service for 6 months was compulsory for men 18-25 from 1935.

Autobahnen

Superhighways that provided a military highway system throughout Germany in anticipation of fighting another two-front war.

Cartel

a formal organization of producers that agree to coordinate prices and production

Four Year Plan (1936)

-made war economically necessary
(what's the point of making all these weapons if no one is going to use them?)
-was created so that the German economy and the military forces would be prepared to fight war in four years
-created by Goring and it gave priority to Hitler's plans to military expansion and it gave government money to research, development, and armaments production
-Between 1936-40, nearly 50% of all spending was in industrial production.

Autarky economy

closed economy; self-sufficient system that limits outside trade; relies on own resources

Strength Through Joy

propaganda campaign of the Nazis designed to promote social events & lifestyles of good Aryans

Volkswagen

people's car

Blut und Boden (blood and soil)

The belief that the blood of the community is rooted in the soil; one of Hitler's main ideologies.

NSLB

National Socialist Teachers' league