Make the lie big make it simple keep

“Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it” --Adolf Hitler

The Creation of the Weimar • In 1919, the German assembly met in Weimar to approve a new constitution for the ruined nation. Because of this, the new government of Germany became known as the Weimar Republic. The Weimar would last from 1919 until 1933. It was during this regime that Adolf Hitler would continue to move up in German politics.

A Brief Overview of the Weimar ► The Weimar Republic could be broken down into three distinct time frames. They are: § 1919 -1924 ► Time of political and economic chaos and upheavals. § 1924 -1929 ► Economy § 1929 -1933 ► Time ► The doing well and political stability. of economic and political chaos. political problems facing Germany from 19191924 were a result of a flawed constitution and communist uprisings.

• Based on the German constitution, a parliament was to exist. It would be known as the Reichstag. The Reichstag’s main responsibility was to select the Chancellor of Germany. The constitution also called for a multi -party system. This created the biggest dilemma for Germany because no party could gain control of the majority of the Reichstag. Thus, there was always a weak government in place. – The only way the party in control of the Reichstag could get anything accomplished was to make agreements with other parties. It quickly led to the creation of a coalition government.

The Emergency Decree Power n The German President was elected for seven -year terms. According to Article 48 of the constitution, the President could run the country by offering decrees to prevent the multi-party system from slowing down the progress of the nation. This was known as the “Emergency Decree Power. ”

Von Hindenburg Appointed • In 1925, the second German president was appointed. This position was given to von Hindenburg. However by this time, the war-hero was old and becoming senile.

Battling the German Communists § Hindenburg had to fight against the growing number of communists in Germany. Five times the German Communist Party tried to overthrow the government. Lenin encouraged these attempted revolutions. The German military, being so weak from the Treaty of Versailles, could not contain and stop the communists. § In an attempt to end the communist risk factor in Germany, the government authorized the creation of a second illegal army called the Frei Korp (“Free Corp”). It would be comprised of WWI veterans who were eager to fight against the communists.

The Free Corp l The Free Corp soldiers had these three distinct characteristics: – – – They loved war and violence. They were all from the middle class. They were all extreme nationalists.

The Power of Roehm • The Free Corp was very successful. They crushed the communist movement in Germany and then began to concentrate their efforts to rid (assassinate) the German government of any politician who was associated with the “stab in the back” theory. • Fifty thousand of the Free Corp moved to the city of Munich in response to the invitation by Ernst Roehm had formed a party known as the “German Workers Party. ” Without these men, Hitler would never have gotten off the ground.

The Hyperinflation of the Mark l The economy of Germany was terrible. There was a runaway inflation. At the end of the war, $1 (US) equaled 4. 2 marks (Ger). By December 1923, $1 equaled 4. 2 trillion marks. There were two main reasons for the inflationary problem. They were…

Creating Your Own Inflation 1. In 1922, the German government deliberately began printing too much money to weaken the currency. They then proceeded to tell England France that their inflation was caused by the Germans having to pay reparations.

Seizing the Ruhr 2. They stopped paying reparations. England told France to forget about the reparations. The French refused to allow the Germans to get away with this. Thus the French seized the Ruhr, which is an industrialized section of the German Rhineland. In response, the German government told the workers not to go to work. • To appease the workers (who needed the money), the German government promised to take care of them by printing more money for their use. Thus, the idea of a runaway inflation became a reality in Germany.

The Pain of the Middle Class o The runaway inflation hurt the middle class the most. Hitler would use this to his advantage.

Making a Much Needed Change n The German government appointed Gustav Stresemann as Chancellor. He did two important things: n He asked the French to leave the Ruhr. In return, he promised the French that the Germans would resume paying reparations. n He throws away the currency and introduced a new currency

The French Hurt Themselves § At this time the Germans weren’t working in the factories in the Ruhr. The French sent workers there to open up the factories. To pay these workers, the French had to produce more franks. This led to an inflationary problem in France. Thus, the French realized that England was correct in staying out of Germany. § From 1924 onwards, France would not take any aggressive actions against Germany unless England fully backed them.

The Dawes Plan l In January 1924, the second phase of the Republic began. This period introduced the Dawes Plan. This economic plan called for: l l It lowered reparations set upon Germany. It encouraged American banks to lend money to German cities.

Why It Was a World Depression • American banks began to lend more and more money to Germany then proceeded to pay England France their reparations promised to them by Stresemann. England France then paid back their debts they owed to the United States for money that they borrowed during World War I. It was a giant financial cycle. Thus, when the stock market crashed in 1929, it led to a worldwide great depression.

Germany’s Unemployed Population o Germany was hit the hardest by the depression. In 1932, 45% of Germany’s population was unemployed. During the cruelest days of the depression in the United States, 25% were unemployed.

Bruning Steps In l Hindenburg stepped into the Reichstag and appointed Heinrich Bruning to run the country. By 1930, democracy was dead in Germany. Bruning raised taxes and lowered government spending. It made the situation worse.

Making a Name For Himself n Hitler was born in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He went to Vienna to become an artist. It didn’t work out for him. However, while in Vienna, two aspects of his ideology were formed…

Hitler’s painting of Vienna's Karlskirche, also known as Saint Karl's Church

Hitler’s Hatred Begins 1. As a German living in the multi-national empire, Hitler hated the Slovaks. He feared them as well. Hitler called the Slovaks “Untermenschen” (subhumans). He referred to the Germans as the “Ubermenschen” (super-humans). In addition, he hated the Russians because a large majority of them were Slovaks.

Lueger’s Influence on Hitler 2. The mayor in Vienna was Karl Lueger. He was elected to office by campaigning on the idea that the Jews posed a threat to the Germans living in Vienna. Hitler realized how anti. Semitic the Germans were at that time.

The Impact of the Great War on Hitler n In 1912, Hitler left Vienna and moved to Munich. Shortly after, World War I breaks out. He quickly enlisted in the German army. During the war, Hitler served as a frontline soldier. He emerged from the war believing that he was the chosen leader for Germany. He would (like Mussolini) transform his wartime nationalistic patriotism into an appeal for revolution.

For the animal lovers, the pit bull's name is Fuchsl.

The Problem with Germany… According to Hitler n At the end of the war, Hitler began to examine his nation to determine where they went wrong in the Great War. He realized that Germany was very diverse. Because of this, the toleration of diversity and individualism cost Germany the war. People cared more about themselves rather than their nation, and non. Germans living in Germany were the greatest culprits of this. Thus, Hitler scorned human rights and glorified national solidarity.

Hitler Joins a Party l By 1919, the war had ended and Hitler had no formal education. He wanted to join a political party that was small. Thus, he found the German Workers Party as the ideal party for him. The party was associated with conservatives, middle-class values and institutions.

The NSDAP is Formed • Hitler grew within the party and quickly acquired more power. He soon became the leader of the party and decided to change the name of the party to the National Socialists German Workers Party (NSDAP). The proper name for his movement is National Socialism (Nazi. National Socialism). There was nothing socialist about his party. The party only promised national strength and unity. It is now clear that Hitler was strictly a fascist.

The Power of Nationalism • Nazism was unique. It made racism a central feature of its ideology. Above all, anti-Semitism was the driving force behind the party. In addition, the Nazis believed that the restoration of German might in Europe was the first step towards world power. No other fascist regime turned

Why People Joined the Nazis • The Nazi Party grew because: – Hitler was a great orator. – Hitler came up with events that incited the emotions of the Germans. – Hitler received much needed help from Roehm contacted the Free Corp and had them join the party. He put them in a branch called the S. A. (Stormtroopers). They wore brown shirts. The S. A. did three things…

The Importance of the S. A. n n n They provide physical protection for Hitler (200 -400 people were killed a year in Germany because of political wars). They were ordered to cause problems at other political meetings. As a member of the S. A. it was required that each member perform good “boy scout-like” deeds. This gave the image to the general public that the S. A. was comprised of good, honest men.

The Creation of the S. S. • After the creation of the S. A. , Hitler added an elite group of bodyguards dressed in black uniforms called the “Schutzstaffel” (S. S. ). He demanded of the SS a loyalty greater than that of any soldier in the German army. By 1932, the S. S. had 800, 000 members and the S. A. had 500, 000 members.

The Beer Hall Putsch n Hitler knew he was the chosen leader of the Nazi Party as well as Germany. At one party rally, a supporter yelled out, “Hitler is the People, the People is Hitler. ” q Finally, in 1923, Hitler tried to seize power of the government. This event was known as the “Beer Hall Putsch. ” Hitler went into the hall and took over the meeting. The next day, he went down to the city hall. They opened fire on him. The results were…

Leaders of the Beer Hall Putsch

Hitler Learns a Lesson n Hitler was so shocked by all of this that he would never try to seize power again by force. n His trial was covered by all of the media in Germany. Thus, the Nazi Party received free publicity. Hitler pleaded guilty of leading an attempted coup. n Hitler spent nine months in jail. While sitting in his cell, he wrote Mein Kampf (“My Struggles”). It contained his ideology and blueprints of what he would do when he comes to power. Rudolf Hess and Adolf Hitler

In Landsberg Fortress. From left to right: Adolf Hitler, Emill Maurice, H. Kriebl, Rudolf Hess, F. Weber

Understanding Mein Kampf • Hitler’s Mein Kampf called for the following: – Remove all enemies in Germany. For Hitler, enemies were usually Jews, communists, and November Criminals (those men who overthrew the Kaiser and anyone who supported the Weimar government). There were 72 million citizens in Germany. Only 250, 000 were Jews. – Germany must tear up the restrictions made by the Treaty of Versailles. They must: • Rebuild the military. • Remilitarize the Rhineland. • Pay no more reparations.

Germany Needs to Expand n Expand Germany’s borders. This became known as the Pan-Germanic Dream. Hitler was referring to Austria, the Sudetenland (northwest Czechoslovakia), and the Polish Corridor. n Hitler called for Lebensraum (living space). He was referring to Poland Ukraine. He wanted to conquer these areas because: § § § Germans believed that God wanted them to move east. This theory is known as Drang nach Osten (Drive towards the East). Hitler wanted these areas back from Brest-Litovsk. The Poles and Ukrainians are Slovaks. By controlling the Ukraine, communism is severely weakened. Most of the world’s Jews lived in Poland Ukraine.

The Failure to Gain Political Power n In 1925, Hitler was released from jail. Three years later (1928), there was an election for the Parliament. The Nazis’ received 12 seats out of 500. n When the depression hits Germany, the Communist party gains more supporters. However, as the Communists gain strength, so did the Nazis. Hitler leaving Landsberg Prison

Hitler Gains Some Momentum l In 1932, Hitler’s party had 230 seats. The Nazis received one-third of all German votes. At that time, this was now the largest party in Germany (the Communism Party received 17% of the votes). By the end of 1932, Hitler had peaked. He realized that he had to make a strong political move at that moment or else he might miss his opportunity. He began to feel desperate. Hitler knew that President Hindenburg was senile and that he relied on the people he trusted, including army generals and conservative aristocrats. Personally, Hindenburg despised Hitler.

Chaos in the Government § In June 1932, Franz von Papen became the Chancellor of Germany when Bruning resigned. In November, Papen was fired for failing to get a majority of the Germans to support Hindenburg/Papen’s government. He was replaced by General Kurt von Schleicher who was eventually fired as well. There was tremendous political maneuverings going on around President Hindenburg.

Hitler Has a Supporter n Papen was furious with Schleicher. He believed that the General was the reason for his dismissal from the Chancellorship. Thus, Papen was committed to putting Hitler in Schleicher’s position. Before Schleicher was fired, Papen began to acquire financial support for the Nazi Party. With the firing of Schleicher, Papen forced the senile Hindenburg to give the Chancellorship to Hitler. ¨ Papen convinced Hindenburg that by promoting Hitler, the Nazis would quiet down. Other generals and aristocrats from whom Hindenburg often sought opinions felt that they could manipulate Hitler just as they had manipulated Hindenburg. They were wrong.

Hitler is Sworn In • Thus, on January 30, 1933, Adolf Hitler was sworn in as the Chancellor of Germany. The Republic was now bordering on Nazism.

Accepting Nazism ► The German people seemed to embrace Nazism with relative ease for two main reasons. They were: ► The labor unions, once firm supporters of the Republic, had suffered in the depression and were unwilling to launch a massive strike movement for the overthrow of the Weimar leadership. Nazism offered a completely new direction for the lagging nation to turn towards. The unions were correct. When finally in full control, the Nazis rejuvenated the German economy and began to bring back a nationalistic flare to the citizens.

Respect of the Generals • The military, sworn to serve the Republic, believed their loyalties lay with the President. When Hindenburg gave the position of Chancellor to Hitler, no series of protests were made by the generals.

Let the Terror Begin • By the end of 1933, while technically still a constitutional democracy, the S. A. and the S. S. began to intimidate and terrorize Nazi opponents at will.

Reworking the Government n Using his powers as Chancellor, Hitler dissolved the Reichstag and called for new elections in March. The Berlin building that housed the Parliament was set ablaze in late February. Hitler blamed the Communists and persuaded the President to grant him powers “for the protection of the people and the state. ” With this new, increased authority, Hitler: q q Suspended individual liberties, including freedom of press and assembly. Passed the Enabling Act, granting the Cabinet (Hitler) the power to rule without constitutional restraints. This made Hitler a virtual dictator.

• In July 1933, all political parties were outlawed aside from the Nazis. The country became a one-party dictatorship.

Roehm Cannot Be Trusted l The only group not to come under the control of the Nazis was the military. The officers remained loyal to Hindenburg. Roehm, still leading the S. A. , ordered his Stormtroopers to kill the military officers. This purge made Roehm one of the Party’s most powerful leaders. l Hitler knew Hindenburg was close to death. Thus, Hitler supported the army in their opposition to Roehm. He promised the generals an expanded army and protection from reform. Hence, Hitler became Roehm’s enemy.

The Night of the Long Knives • In June 1934, S. S. squads seized and executed over 70 political leaders whom Hitler wanted eliminated, including Roehm and other S. A. officers. Hitler justified the executions by claiming that he made the law. This event was known as the “Night of the Long Knives. ”

Von Hindenburg Dies • On August 2, 1934, Hindenburg died. Hitler proclaimed himself head of state and commander-inchief of the armed forces.

The Rise of Himmler l Behind a governmental facade and an integral part of the Nazi Party was the infamous Schutzstaffel (S. S. ). The S. S. was comprised of political leaders within the Party who would serve Hitler without question in an absolute fashion. In 1934, the S. S. supplanted the S. A. and became the most powerful and repressive faction behind the Nazis. – Heading the S. S. from 1929 -1945 was Heinrich Himmler helped to establish the Gestapo (the secret police) and the Waffen-S. S. (the military division of the S. S. ). Because of the importance of the S. S. , Himmler became one of the most important and feared men in Germany.

• Hitler now had the men in place to issue a new empire, the “Third Reich. ” According to Hitler, the Third Reich would last for 1, 000 years.

Denying Jews as Germans o With the new empire, came the beginning of an increasingly oppressive regime. n 1933 o Jews were denied any position in the German government. n 1935 o The Nuremberg Laws were passed. These laws stated that all Germans with at least three Jewish grandparents lost their German citizenship. Marriages between Germans and Jews became illegal. This led to the removal of more Jews from towns and cities. Signs were posted claiming “Judenrein” (Free of Jews). n 1938 o Over 100, 000 Jews emigrated. More moved after Kristallnacht (Crystal Night), during which all Jewish synagogues were burned.