Sec 3 Elect Hist- Nazi Germany Notes by by RemoteSupport7960

NAZI GERMANY NOTES BACKSTORY RISE TO POWER 1914 – Austrian Archduke assassinated by Bosnian nationalists - ‘the spark” - Germany gives blank cheque to support Austria-Hungary- escalate → WW1 Start 1919 – Paris Peace Conference to end WW1. TOV punishes GER to end WW1 (e.g. War Guilt Clause- TL blame for war, War reparations: £6.6 billion, Only 100k in army) → Loss of national pride, humiliation, unfair (GER no say) “Stab in back theory”- betrayed by communists and jews (used by Hitler) 1918–19 – Weimar Republic starts. 1923: Hyperinflation (eg. kept print money) Golden age: 1924-1929 (economy good) Too much democracy→ Govt can’t make fast decisions → Ineffective in handling crisis 1929 – Great Depression begins → Worldwide economic collapse. WR: Ineffective (Relied US loans) → Growing discontent, unemployment, social instability → Public likely to support extremist parties (Communist, Nazi) that promise fix things - Beer Hall Putsch – FAILED coup by Nazis and Hitler in 1923 → Hitler arrested and released in 1924 - Hitler’s appeal – Charisma: Good speaker. Make use of fear: promises to make Germany great, Jews and communism as scapegoat- “Jewish Bolshevism” - Support with SA (formed 1921) and SS (formed 1925) + loyal figures who believed in Nazi ideology 1933 – Hitler appointed Chancellor of Germany → Reichstag Fire- Enabling Act to take TL control → Start Nazi regime→ban opposition and take control. 1934 – Night of the Long Knives: Hitler murders rivals (e.g. Ernst Röhm) to consolidate power in the Nazi Party - Afraid of SA too powerful - Hitler tolerated people if they were useful – e.g. Rohm’s homosexuality (but was not above making use of it to prosecute him), “Honorary Aryans”, some of which were Jewish. ASPECTS OF DICTATORSHIP Control of media – Goebbels made propaganda minister in 1933- in charge of controlling films and media + speeches to uphold public morale during war War economy – NOT SUSTAINABLE. 4 year plans (1936). Secret rearmament: paid by fake company through “MEFO bills’ - bank loan money at insane rate. Need to start war if not economic collapse- invade other countries- gain wealth to continuously fund the war. Autarky- economic self-reliance “Fixed” Employment – Conscription, women and Jews not counted, public work schemes → manipulate labour stats Indoctrination of youths – Hitler youth + BDM: teach youths Nazi Ideology and role to support the reich Role of women – Children, Kitchen, Church - be housewives and bear racially pure children. **Although were encouraged to work to support struggling war effort in later years of war Use of terror – SS: Create concentration/death camps to persecute Jews and minorities. Death squads on Eastern front. Gestapo- Secret police to spy and arrest those deemed to be traitors PERSECUTION OF MINORITIES 1935 – Nuremberg Laws : Jews lose citizenship, cannot marry Aryans 1938 – Night of Broken Glass - Violence against Jews and their property. 1941-1945 – Final Solution : Genocide of over 6 million Jews and minorities German Racial theory – Aryan Germans superior race, Jewish was of a lesser race. Need for Lebensraum- more living space: expand. The following table retains as little events to remember as possible. Start of war (1939-1941) 1941-1945 Decline to Surrender 1939 – Nazi-Soviet Pact signed (Hitler and Stalin agree to carve up Poland, 10 yrs no attack each other) → Both invade Poland → UK + FR declare war →WWII starts in Europe. 1940 – Fall of FR in 6 weeks - Blitzkrieg tactic used in other countries too. Battle of Britain: Luftwaffe fails gain air superiority in UK → first major defeat. 1941 – Operation Barbarossa in June: GER invades USSR→ opens Eastern Front. Winter- they unprepared Blitzkrieg : Fast victories, relied on surprise+ speed 1943 – Defeat at Stalingrad- turning point → German army begins retreat on Eastern Front. 1944 – D-Day invasion by Allies → GER caught off guard 1945 – Soviet forces enter Berlin → Hitler commits suicide on 30 April. GER officially surrenders → end of Nazi regime and WW2 in Europe. Hitler’s mistakes: Not listening to generals, delusional, declare war on US, underestimate USSR Inevitable : Could not match to strength of Allies ***This is just a general overview.