Authorian states (germany)

Political Terms 

 Weaknesses of the Weimar Republic - Weak government with frequent changes, economic struggles, and lack of public support.

Article 48 - Allowed the president to rule by emergency decree without parliament.

Reichstag Fire- 1933 fire used by Hitler to crack down on communists and gain emergency powers.

Enabling Act (1933) -Gave Hitler authority to pass laws without parliamentary consent, establishing a dictatorship.

Night of the Long Knives - 1934 purge where Hitler eliminated rivals, including SA leaders, consolidating his power.

Spartacus Rising - A failed 1919 communist revolt to overthrow the Weimar government.

Kapp Putsch - A failed 1920 right-wing coup attempt against the Weimar Republic.

Hitler’s Beer Hall Putsch - Hitler’s failed 1923 coup attempt to seize power in Munich.

Election of March 5, 1933 - Gave the Nazis dominance in parliament.

Mein Kampf - Hitler’s book outlining Nazi ideology and his plans for Germany.

Economic Terms

Great Depression - Global economic crisis worsened unemployment and poverty in Germany, helping the Nazis gain support.

Dawes Plan - U.S. plan to stabilize Germany’s economy by restructuring reparations payments.

Autarky - The nazi goal of self-sufficiency in Germany’s economy.

Four-Year Plan - Nazi economic plan to prepare Germany for war and achieve autarky.

Reparations (Treaty of Versailles) - Payments imposed on Germany after WWI, causing economic hardship.

Diktat - Term used by Germans to describe the Treaty of Versailles, meaning “dictated peace.”

Social and Cultural Terms

Volksgemeinschaft - Nazi idea of a “people’s community” based on race and loyalty to the state.

Propaganda - Tools used by Nazis to control public opinion and promote their ideology.

Joseph Goebbels - Nazi Minister of Propaganda, responsible for media and messaging.

Gestapo: Nazi secret police that suppressed dissent.

Hitler Youth (HJ): Organization for indoctrinating German boys with Nazi beliefs.

Bund Deutscher Mädel(BDM)-Nazi youth group for girls to promote Nazi ideals of womanhood.

Kristallnacht: A 1938 attack on Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues across Germany.

Eugenics: Nazi policies to promote “racial purity” and prevent reproduction by “undesirable” groups.

Mother’s Cross: Nazi award for women who bore many children to promote population growth.

Treatment of minority groups: Harsh discrimination and persecution, especially against Jews, disabled people, and Roma.

Reasons for different groups opposing the Nazis: Resistance due to ideological, religious, or personal reasons, such as communists, socialists, or religious minorities.

Military and Foreign Policy Terms

Rearmament - Nazi policy of rebuilding Germany’s military, violating the Treaty of Versailles.

Freikorps- Paramilitary groups of ex-soldiers who opposed communists and supported right-wing causes.

Munich Agreement - 1938 deal allowing Germany to annex Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia to avoid war.

Non-Aggression Pact (1939)- Pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union to not attack each other and divide Poland.

Blitzkrieg - “Lightning war” strategy used by Germany for fast and overwhelming attacks.

Key Individuals

Adolf Hitler - Leader of the Nazi Party and dictator of Germany.

Heinrich Himmler - Head of the SS and architect of the Holocaust.

Hermann Göring - Nazi leader in charge of the Luftwaffe (air force) and economic policies.