Hitler

IMPORTANT PEOPLE/GROUPS IN NAZI GERMANY 

• President Hindenberg - the president of Germany before Hitler came into power 

• Kaiser Wilhelm II - the Kaiser before the war ended 

• President Woodrow Wilson - offered a 14 point peace plan to the Kaiser which was refused 

• Friedrich Ebert - leader of the SPD (Social Democratic Party) who supported democracy and opposed revolution. Led the German provisional government when the war ended 

• Spartacists - a group of communists who wanted a revolution in Germany like the one in Russia. Later known as the KPD

• Freikorps - Ebert’s unit of ex-soldiers who fought the Spartacists 

• Adolf Hitler - you know 

• Gustav von Kahr ft. von Lossow and von Seisser - three politicians (friends) who wanted to seize power in Germany. They opposed Hitler as he was a threat to their revolution. Held the beer hall meeting in which the Munich Putsch took place.

• Erich von Ludendorff - A respected old war hero who was brought to the Munich Putsch as a supporter of Hitler

• SA (sturmabteilung) - the ‘Brownshirts’, the Nazi paramilitary force, many leaders killed in the Night of the Long Knives 

• SS (schutzstaffel) - the ‘Black shirts’, led by Heinrich Himmler, Hitler’s personal bodyguard who ended up becoming a paramilitary force

• Gestapo - The Nazi secret police force who arrested people who opposed the Nazis and took them to concentration camps

• Charles Dawes - an American who created the ‘Dawes Plan’ to help Germany economically after the war

• Gustav Stresemann - sorted out Germany’s economy after the war by issuing the Rentenmark and improved Germany’s international image 

• Franz von Papen - became chancellor of Germany for a short time and tried to use Hitler to his own political advantage 

• General von Schleicher - wanted to become chancellor and needed Hitler on his side for popularity

• Alfred Hugenberg - leader of the DNVP. The cinema guy 

• Heinrich Bruning - made chancellor in 1930 and mishandled economic problems in Germany 

Germany 1918 

1918

What happened to Germany near the end of the First World War? 

• The Kaiser - Germany was a monarchy led by Kaiser Wilhelm in 1914. He was fairly popular but many countries were suspicious of him and thought he wanted war. 

• Losing the war - 

 - Germany was exhausted and was losing the war. 

- They were suffering from the British naval blockade (British navy stopping all supplies being imported into Germany). 

- There were power cuts from the shortage of coal and starvation from lack of food. -Thousands died from a flu epidemic.

-  Additionally, America joined the war against Germany and a huge Allied offensive in 1918 completely destroyed the German army. 

• The Kaiser abdicated - 

• German politicians hoped to be  punished less harshly when it came to creating a peace treaty if the country was ruled by a democracy.

• The Kaiser had refused President Woodrow Wilson’s fourteen point peace plan as military leaders believed Germany could win the war. 

• The Kaiser became very unpopular and the Allies wanted to punish Germany. It became apparent that the Kaiser would have to go. 

• Naval mutinies - 

• The German military commanders told the German navy to go out and fight one last huge battle with the British to save their honour. The navy did not want to put their lives at risk for the sake of nothing. 

• The sailors at the naval base of Kiel mutinied, followed by sailors all over the country. 

• The sailors, along with soldiers and workers, took inspiration from the Russian Revolution and formed ‘worker’s councils’ to govern their local area. They were known as ‘reds’ after Communism. Soon the workers ruled the capital city of Berlin 

• The Kaiser was told by his advisors to abdicate. He fled and an armistice was signed. 

Germany ended the First World War defeated and leaderless. 

The Spartacists 

1919

Ebert’s opposition to Communist revolution 

• Ebert wanted to create a democratic government ruled by more than one party and believed if the Communists revolted, the country would end up ruled by just the Communists 

What did the Spartacists want?

• A group of Communists who wanted a revolution like the one in Russia. 

• They were against a traditional parliament and wanted the country ruled by the workers’ councils

• They wanted change to happen quickly which contradicted Ebert’s plan for slow change 

What did Ebert do?

• He asked the army for support but they didn’t want to because Ebert had criticised the war. 

• The army liked the idea of the Spartacists less than they liked Ebert so the army general decided to help him fight the revolution 

• Ebert also asked for a unit of ex-soldiers to fight the Spartacists who were called the Freikorps

The Freikorps 

• A group of ex-soldiers who were hired by Ebert to crush the Spartacist rising

• They believed that Germany had lost the war due to rebellions by workers and groups like the Spartacists

What happened when the Spartacists tried to start a revolution?

• in January 1919 the Spartacists tried to get the 100,000 struggling workers in Berlin to start a revolution with them.

• This was a poorly-planned attempt

• Spartacists and their supporters took over the centre of Berlin but as they could not decide on what to do next they stood in the freezing cold for hours. Many gave up and left

• The Freikorps arrived and began shooting at them

• The week in which the Spartacists were defeated was known as Bloody Week. Nearly 700 revolutionaries were killed by the Freikorps, including the leaders of the Spartacists, Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg

How did the Spartacist revolution affect Hitler’s rise to power?

• The SPD (Ebert’s party) and the KPD (the Communists) were left-wing and would have acted as the Nazis’ (right wing) opponents

• In the early 30s the SPD and KPD collectively gained more votes than the Nazis but refused to work together to fight Hitler

• This was because the parties hated each other after the events of the Spartacist revolution and the Freikorps in 1919.

The Weimar Constitution

1918-1933

Why was it called Weimar?

• Weimar was a town where the German parliament was situated

• The parliament decided to move to the quiet town of Weimar while there was violence on the streets of Berlin (the capital)

  The National Assembly

• This was the new parliament

• It was elected by all German men and women over the age of 20

• This was very democratic

• They had to make a new constitution in order to be fair to everyone

  In what ways was the Weimar Republic democratic?

• The politicians who represented the people in the National Assembly were elected in secret by those over 20

• The people of Germany elected members of the Reichstag (parliament) and the Reichstag had the power to remove the chancellor and cabinet ministers

• The voting system used Proportional Representation (PR) which meant political parties gained a number of seats in the Reichstag based on how many votes they got at the election. Therefore even small parties with low votes still got a seat in the Reichstag

• All Germans were given equal rights called Fundamental Laws.

  Some Fundamental Laws

• All Germans are equal before the law

• The home of every German is inviolable; it is a sanctuary for them

• No one will be punished for a crime unless it was punishable at the time of its committing

• Telephone calls and post are private

• Freedom of speech, media and expression

  In what ways was the Weimar Republic undemocratic?

• The President of Germany was elected by those over 35 years old to only allow voters less likely to be revolutionaries

• Chancellors and cabinet ministers were given jobs by the President

• According to Article 48 the president, in emergencies, could rule by decree meaning they could gain total control over the country (essentially become a dictator in times of crisis)

  Germans’ opinions of the Weimar Republic

• People found the PR voting system confusing - governments were always coalitions (different parties shared power) so people never got the exact policies they voted for

• Many wanted to go back to the old Germany with the Kaiser’s rule

• People associated Weimar with defeat and the politicians who ‘stabbed Germany in the back’ such as politicians in the SPD

• Working classes didn’t like how the new system allowed the upper class to keep their power

• People did not like the instability of the government and how it changed often

• Weimar was linked to economic problems such as inflation and unemployment, and the late payments of reparations

  
  The Treaty of Versailles

  1919

  What were some terms of the Treaty?

• Army reduced to 100,000 men

• Navy reduced to 6 battleships and 0 submarines

• Air force banned

• Anschluss (union with Austria) banned

• Rhineland (land on French, Belgian and Dutch border) demilitarised to create a buffer zone between France and Germany

• German colonies given away

  What was the War Guilt Clause?

• Germany had to accept responsibility for causing the war

• Germany had to pay reparations to the allies

  German opinions of the Treaty

• German military commanders thought it would be better to die with honour in battle than accept the treaty

• Many didn’t think Germany had really lost the war and thought they had been stabbed in the back by the politicians who signed the armistice

• They called the treaty a ‘diktat’ meaning it was dictated and forced upon them

  Why was the treaty harsh on Germany?

• Germany had rejected President Wilson’s 14 point peace plan in 1918 which meant many US soldiers died in the war. Americans were not so sympathetic now and wanted to punish Germany in the treaty

• Germany was harsh on Russia after Russia surrendered in 1918

• The British and French governments had perpetuated anti-German propaganda to their citizens and it would look bad if they suddenly decided to treat Germany fairly

  What effects did the Treaty have on Germany long term?

• Hitler and the Nazis used it to rally hate against the November Criminals and the Weimar government during their rise to power

• He got support by promising to destroy the treaty

  The Ruhr

  1923

What was the Ruhr?

• Germany’s industrial heartland where the majority of coal and steel production took place

• It was within the Rhineland so there were no military troops there to defend it

  What happened?

• Germany had been late paying reparations for 33 out of the 36 months they had to pay

• France and Belgium were annoyed about this as they needed the money to rebuild their countries - they also wanted Germany weak so they could not prepare for a future war

• French and Belgian troops entered the Ruhr in order to force the workers to work for them and take German wealth

• The workers refused to cooperate and went on strike - this is called passive resistance

  What did this mean for Germany?

• Germany was not creating any wealth from the Ruhr

• They continued to print money even though no wealth was being created

• Therefore the value of paper money went down - it buys less. This is called inflation

• As there was no wealth at all being created and huge amounts of money being printed, it became hyperinflation. Money lost its value and prices reached ridiculous and meaningless prices

  Effects of hyperinflation on Germany

• People’s life savings became worthless overnight

• People had to sell valuables to buy food

• Some workers were paid twice a day

• People had to buy things early because in the evening prices would increase again

• People pushed around wheelbarrows full of money

• Those on fixed incomes (such as disabled people, pensioners and war widows) suffered as they could not afford to pay rent and many ended up homeless

• The middle class were affected the most as the working class were used to having little money and the upper class usually owned property so didn;t have to pay rent

• People bartered instead of using money

• Illness and mental illness was rife as people were depressed and could not afford food and heating

• People with debt or loans to pay could easily pay them back as the amount of money lost its value

How did hyperinflation affect opinions of Weimar?

• People believed that the government were incompetent and had to change

• Hyperinflation set the scene for revolution in Germany, paving the way for the Nazis

The Munich Putsch

1923

Where was Hitler at the end of WW1?

• He was a 29 year old soldier in hospital

• He was shocked and outraged at the news of Germany’s defeat and also believed they were stabbed in the back

• As well as this he began to claim Germany lost the war because of the Jews and how they had too much power

• Hitler was worried about revolutionary groups like the Spartacists so he found a job working for the army spying on a group called the Bavarian German Workers’ Party.

• Hitler gained influence in the party and took over it, changing the name to the National Socialist German Workers’ Party, or the Nazis

• Hitler became the Nazi leader in 1921

What did Von Kahr and his friends do?

• Von Kahr was a powerful politician and wanted to come into power along with his two friends Von Lossow and Von Seisser

• They needed to keep Hitler quiet so they could seize power easily

• This was because the Nazis were attracting unwanted attention from the government due to the violence and trouble they caused

• Von Kahr offered Hitler a deal - they would offer Hitler a place in their new government if Hitler promised to stop the street violence.

• This was a trick - Von Kahr had no intention of keeping his promise

• Von Kahr and the other planned to hold a big meeting in a beer hall in Munich to spark off the revolution which Hitler was not invited to

  What did Hitler do?

• He caught wind of von Kahr’s beer hall meeting and was furious he was not invited - von Kahr’s promise was clearly a lie!

• He realised he could use von Kahr and his friends’ support to the advantage of the Nazis

• He stormed the meeting along with 600 Nazis, who lined the sides of the hall while Hitler climbed atop a table, fired shots and shouted ‘The National Revolution has begun!’

• Hitler ordered von Kahr, von Lossow and von Seisser into a back room. Nobody actually knows what happened but they probably refused to show support for Hitler

• Their opinions changed when Hitler brought in Erich Von Ludendorff, a respected war hero, who was supposedly showing support for the Nazis

• Hitler brought the three men onto the stage where they appeared to show support for the Nazis

  How was Hitler tricked?

• Hitler left the beer hall to check on his soldiers who were being fought by the army at the Bavarian barracks

• As soon as he left, von Kahr and friends asked von Ludendorff if they could leave to check on their families, which Ludendorff allowed

• As soon as they were free von Kahr called the police on Hitler and issued a statement saying that the revolution was started by Hitler - letting Hitler and the Nazis take the blame

• Hitler heard about Von Kahr’s statement and decided he could still attract public support if he and the Brownshirts marched into the centre of Munich. His reasoning was that with von Ludendorff there the police would never shoot at them

• They were met by armed police who shot them down. 14-16 Nazis and 3 policemen were killed and Hitler was later captured.

Hitler’s trial and what followed

1924

The trial

• If Hitler was found guilty of treason he should have been sentenced to death

• However he turned the trial into a success for the Nazis - he manipulated the situation to speak about saving Germany from a weak government. This gained the Nazis support

• Hitler was found guilty but was only given 5 years in a comfortable prison - he was even told he could get parole and be relesed within 9 months

  Why was he pretty much let off?

• He had important friends who made sure his punishment was not severe

• His important friends also hated the Treaty of Versailles and the Weimar government

• These influential people thought Hitler might be useful to them in the future so decided not to punish him properly

Nazi policies and ideas

1923-1933

How did the Nazis try and appeal to everyone?

• Their full name was the National Socialist German Workers’ Party which appealed to nationalists, socialists and the working class.

• Wealthy people hoped the Nazis would protect them from Communism

• The military liked the Nazis ideas of discipline and order

• Powerless people liked the aspect of racism (ie. they couldn’t find anything else to agree with them over)

  What did the Nazis stand for?

• Hitler was to be the supreme leader or ‘Fuhrer’ of all Germans

• Destroying the Treaty of Versailles

• Creating the ‘Aryan race’ or the ‘master race’ by eliminating all other races apart from white, blonde and blue-eyed. They also wanted to eliminate those with disabilities

• Everyone who spoke German was to become part of Germany

• Dissent from the Nazi party was not to be tolerated

  The SA

• This was the Nazi paramilitary force called ‘sturmabteilung’ or SA for short

• They were known as Brownshirts

• Mostly young men who created violence on the streets and attacked meetings of opponents

  How did Hitler plan to destroy Weimar?

• Hitler deduced that the only way to seize power would be through legal means

• He planned to destroy the government from within which meant becoming part of the Weimar Republic

  Why were the Nazis not important during the 1920s?

• Most people lost interest in the Nazis while Hitler was in prison

• By 1928 the Nazis only had 12 out of 600 seats in the Reichstag

• Only 3% of Germans voted for the Nazis

  The Golden Age of Weimar

  1924-1929

  How was hyperinflation stopped?

• The end of hyperinflation was down to two men - Charles Dawes and Gustav Stresemann

  Charles Dawes and the Dawes Plan

• Charles realised that if the German economy was left in ruins - as it was at this point - the whole of Europe’s economy could also be unstable, leaving their allies the US unstable too.

• Charles was American and so would be affected

• The Dawes Plan consisted of America lending Germany a huge loan in order to pay reparations

  What the Dawes Plan entailed

• French and Belgian troops were to leave the Ruhr

• Reparations to start at 1 billion marks and increase to 2.5 billion every year after 5 years

• The Reichsbank to be reorganised and new currency introduced

  Was it successful?

• Sort of - it provided short term support for Germany’s economy and it made the reparations more manageable.

• Businesses and employment started to recover and confidence increased

• More foreign loans were available since Germany’s reputation was improved

  Chancellor Gustav Stresemann

• He was the key to ending Germany’s financial problems

• He sorted out the economy, Germany’s reputation and German confidence for the future

  How did he do all this?

• He ended hyperinflation by destroying all of the old paper money and creating a new currency called Rentenmarks.

• He helped to restore confidence in German currency

• He reached an agreement with the USA to reduce reparations further

• He became foreign minister as well as Chancellor and took it upon himself to improve Germany’s relationship with other countries

• In 1925 he signed the Locarno Treaty signifying that Germany meant no harm to any other country. This was Germany’s first sign of acceptance of responsibility and democracy which made countries like France suspicious

• The Locarno Treaty meant that Germany accepted the Treaty of Versailles if France and Belgium promised never to invade Germany again.

• All in all Germany was beginning to apologise for everything after the war

  Effects of the Golden Age of Weimar on the Nazis

• During the golden age only 3% of Germans voted for the Nazis

  Hitler’s path to Chancellor (von Papen, von Schleicher and the Great Depression)

  1929-1932

  What happened in America?

• The Great Depression occurred

• Since the USA were going through economic difficulty they now wanted back all the loans they had given Germany and other countries

  How did the death of Stresemann affect Germany?

• Stresemann had greatly improved Germany on the whole, as he had sorted out the economy, reputation and confidence

• He died in 1929 just before the financial crisis hit

• Stresemann was the most capable leader of the government and could have stopped Hitler and saved the German economy

  How did the Great Depression help the Nazis?

• People began to vote for the Nazis in huge numbers

• Germans feared greatly the return of hyperinflation (the wound that never healed) as the Young Plan from the US had given them more stability

• The 1929 financial crisis in Germany was much worse than the Great Inflation as this time there was no chance of outside help from the US

• Hitler used this to claim that the Nazis were Germany’s way out of despair and so many turned to them as the answer

• Bruning’s policy of cutting spending made Germans’ lives extremely difficult which made them look up to the Nazis even more

  What part did Hugenberg play in the Nazis’ rise to power

• He was the leader of the DNVP and was a very influential character who thought Hitler might be useful

• Hugenberg didn’t like the Communists so thought he could use the Nazis to defeat them

• He paid a lot of money to promote the Nazis

• He owned almost all the cinemas in Germany and loads of newspapers. Through these methods he gave the Nazis a lot of publicity. The Nazis were also given loads of money from wealthy businessmen who liked them.

  Who were von Papen and von Schleicher?