Rise and rule of single party states

Adolf Hitler

Underlying causes to rise:

World War 1 (August 1914-November 1918)-Germany under the rule of Kaiser Wilhelm II

Under pressure, Wilhelm II abdicates rule; WeimarRepublic founded, signs armistice with Allied Powers (UK, France, Italy, US) on November 11, 1918.

Weimar Rule:

Gustav Stresemann- leader of the Republic

  1. German economy ruined by the war
  2. currency completely worthless (4 trillionths of one US dollar)
  3. people angry and hungry
  4. Stresemann introduces several pacts
  5. Locarno Pact (Oct. 1925)- Germany recognizes Allied occupation of Rhineland (German industrial heartland)
  1. Makes Germany more welcome in post-war world community
  2. allowed to join League of Nations
  3. Dawes Pact (April 1924)- reduced German reparations payments
  1. helped economy to recover slightly in short term
  2. made Germany dependent on the United States (only country with money)
  3. Allies make Rhineland demilitarized
  4. Young Plan (1929-30)
  1. further reduced German payments

3. Did not firmly punish masterminds (inc. Hitler himself) of the Beer Hall Putsch

Hitler’s rise:

  1. WeimarRepublic signs the Treaty of Versailles

Conditions of Treaty:

  1. All German colonies lost
  2. Germany accepts FULL RESPONSIBILITY for starting the war
  3. Germany must pay large war damages to France and UK
  4. Allowed only 100,000 strong army
  5. Lost portions of territory in Europe

Effects: Left German people very angry and feeling betrayed by Weimar.

  1. Hitler attempts to seize power in Beer Hall Putsch in 1923; arrested and sent to prison for a few months.
  2. First Hitler is spy against German Workers’ Party; joins it and it eventually becomes the Nazi Party
  3. Great Depression (1929)
  4. Hitler uses this to criticize the Weimar Rep. for inability to end the economic problems of Germany
  5. Germany hardest hit in the world (over 33% unemployed)
  6. Hitler’s strategy:
  7. Connections with powerful people
  1. Alfred Hugenburg: owner of 53 German newspapers; supported hitler’s cause
  2. Ludendorf: former WW1 general
  3. Accuses the Weimar Rep. of being backstabbers to the German people (November Criminals included Jews, communists, non-Germans, etc)
  4. Promotes powerful nationalism- unites all the German people
  5. Hammers Versailles Treaty as crap and not legitimate
  6. Mein Kampf- Hitler’s book outlining all his plans and ideas
  1. Franz von Papen: Socialist leader of Weimar Rep.
  2. invites Hitler to join government coalition
  3. motive: “if Hitler is part of us, then the people will see he can’t solve the problems either and dismiss him as an idiot”
  4. Hitler agrees, but wants to be Chancellor
  5. Becomes this on Jan. 30, 1933 and holds election
  6. Feb. 27 1933- Reichstag burns down; mental communist found in rubble; Hitler says it is a communist conspiracy to ruin Germany
  7. March 5, 1933: Nazi Party wins 288 seats and allies with Nationalist Party to control the government
  8. Hindenburg and Hitler pass Enabling Act on March 23, 1933, giving emergency powers to Hitler (making him dictator) for 4 years, which eventually became for life

1. All other political parties dissolved; only Nazi Party in power

  1. When Paul von Hindenburg dies August 2, 1934, Hitler becomes Der Führer (leader) of Germany

The rise of Adolf Hitler is now complete…

The rule of Adolf Hitler…

  1. Germany changes dramatically
  2. Hitler is loved by the German people
  3. Why? He answers the problem to the Depression
  4. Puts Germany on a military footing
  5. Introduces conscription into the Wehrmacht (Armed forces) in 1935
  6. Hitler youth: boys ages 6-16 join boy-scout style group
  7. form labour groups
  8. building projects
  9. military training and tactics
  10. Nazi education
  11. loyalty to Hitler before all else
  12. at becoming adults, straight to the Wehrmacht
  13. books rewritten
  14. unemployment disappears
  15. 1933- 6 million unemployed
  16. 1938- 500,00
  17. 1939- 0
  18. Nationalism preached
  19. Germans are happy and proud to be German
  20. Propaganda
  21. Triumph of the Will documentary by Leni Reifenstahl
  22. Swastikas and German stuff seen in literally every shot
  23. Hitler seen all the time
  24. People are amazed by all the good stuff happening to Germany around them
  25. conclusion: Hitler is to thank and is a great man in the eyes of all German people

Dark underside of Hitler’s rule…

  1. Hitler is dominated by ideology
  2. Jews, communists, gypsies, homosexuals, Slavs, etc. are subhuman beasts that are poisoning the German blood
  3. Solution: remove them from Germany
  4. 1935 Nuremburg Laws:
  5. makes Jews second-class citizens at best
  6. meant to simply get Jews out of Germany
  7. no voting
  8. no good jobs
  9. no govt. jobs
  10. marked with the yellow Star
  11. Final Solution (1941-1942) to the “Jewish question” (Holocaust)
  12. Kill them and all other undesirables around the world
  13. Put into concentration/ death camps
  14. Auschwitz Camp: experimented on, worked to death, killed on the spot by gassing and cremation (gas used: Zyclon B; cyanide)
  15. Night and Fogdocumentary portraying Nazi atrocities
  16. “Night of Long Knives” June 30, 1934- elimination of SA leadership (Ernst von Rohm)
  17. SA dissolved (over 1000 killed)
  18. Waffen-SS put into place by Hitler (eventually becomes de facto fourth branch of Wehrmacht being Hitler’s personal army
  19. “Night of Broken Glass” (Kristallnacht)Nov. 9-10, 1938
  1. Jewish businesses and homes damaged in government organized riots
  2. 91 Jew killed across Germany
  3. 10,000s rounded up and put into camps
  1. Began World War 2 with the invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939…