Do Now – 10 point classwork will be collected and graded

• Read the speech that Hitler made against the Treaty of Versailles in 1923 and construct a 1 paragraph response to the following question:

• “The Treaty of Versailles created Adolf Hitler. Do you agree or disagree? Explain why”

• I will share the TOP 3 best responses in class at a future date. Those students will earn extra credit, 3 points – added to an assignment in the future

• Consider the following that we have studied these last two weeks – Terms of the Treaty– Hitler’s Speech – Hyperinflation – Unstable Government

Chapter 3: Enter Adolf Hitler

What you should know by the end of this lesson

• 1. Know the origins of Adolf Hitler from the time he was born through World War One.

• 2. Understand how Hitler became the leader of the Nazi party and how he attracted people into joining his movement.

• 3. Know the origins of Nazi beliefs, symbols, and the SA organization.

• 4. Understand the Beer Hall Putsch and the subsequent reaction from the German authorities.

• 5. Separate myth from reality about Hitler and know what this man was like behind the scenes.

Hitler’s Origins• Hitler’s father was named Alois

Schicklgruber.• Alois had been born

illegitimate and didn’t know who his real father was until he was 39 years old.

• He later changed his last name to that of his biological father; Hitler.

• He worked as a customs official, was considered well off by the standards of the time, and was both abusive and unfaithful to his wife.

• Hitler’s mother, Klara Poelzl, was 23 years younger than Alois and was his 2nd cousin.

Pictured above are Hitler’s parents. At the top Alois, and below Klara

• Adolf Hitler was born not in Germany, but in Austria on April 20, 1889.

• He had 1 sister Paula, and 2 half-siblings, Alois Jr. and Angela.

• His mother was caring, loving, and devoted while his father was an abusive alcoholic.

• Adolf had a very difficult relationship with his father. Alois wanted his son to join the civil service, while young Adolf wanted to become an artist.

Left: Hitler with Angela. Above: Paula Right: Alois Jr.

• In elementary school Adolf got straight A’s, and at one point wanted to become a Catholic priest.

• By high school Hitler’s dream was to become an artist, and he got into bitter arguments with his father over his future. As a result his grades declined dramatically.

• In 1903 Hitler’s father died and two years later he dropped out of school with the equivalent of a 9th grade education.

• In 1907 Hitler’s mother got breast cancer and was taken care of by Dr. Eduard Bloch, a Jewish physician. She died later that year.

• In 1940 all the Jews from Hitler’s home town of Linz were expelled, with one exception.

• The Nazis came to Dr. Bloch and told him that he could move or stay unmolested for the rest of his life.

• Dr. Bloch moved to the United States and was allowed to sell all his property and take anything with him.

• Whatever Hitler’s reasons for persecuting the Jews, Dr. Bloch’s treatment of his mother was not among them.

• In 1906 Hitler went to Vienna to realize his dream and applied to the prestigious Academy of Fine Arts. The judges failed him in what they called “unfitness for painting” because he had trouble drawing human figures.

• In all fairness it was VERY difficult to get into the Academy. Hitler was one of 113 applicants and only 28 were accepted.

• From 1907 to 1913 Hitler spent most of his money going to the opera and lived in hostels in Vienna. He never tried to get a fulltime job, and as a result spent many nights out on the street. He was constantly worried that he would have to work with unskilled Slavs* whom he detested.

• He tried to get into the academy a second time but failed.

• He would later blame the Jews since, according to him, they owned Vienna’s art gallery's. In 1913 he left for Munich because he hated seeing Vienna’s ethnic minorities.

• He was also trying to dodge Austria's military draft. Officials caught up with him, but upon examination was deemed “unfit for military service.”The reasons for his rejection into the army have never been proven. Even when he was dictator Hitler never let his doctors perform a full physical on him. This has led to one of the most bizarre facts of Adolf Hitler, only confirmed in the 1960’s. Any guess what it is?

Hitler in World War One• Hitler joined the German army in August

1914 and became according to his superiors, “exceptionally brave, effective, and conscientious” and a “courageous and outstanding soldier”.

• He was wounded in 1916, and injured in a gas attack in October 1918.

• In July 1918 he was awarded the Iron Cross First Class, and wore this medal for the rest of his life.

• According to the law of averages there is no reason Hitler should have survived, but he did. His regiment had 3600 troops when the war began and, with replenishments, had lost 3754 by the end.

Hitler’s Paintings and Sketches

Other Hitler Art Work

Let’s review….

• 1. Schicklgruber! Does a persons last name have an effect on their success in life? Explain.

• 2. Hitler was born in Austria, not Germany. Why would a man like Hitler not be bothered by this? Should people who are not natural born citizens be allowed to become head of state?

• 3. How much of an education did Hitler have?

• Do you think if he received a college education he would have been different? Why or Why not?

• 4. What famous art school did Hitler try to get into twice? Do you believe the school today is glad he was denied entry? Or that they may have had a indirect responsibility for future events?

• 5. What did Hitler do for his Jewish doctor? What do you think this says about Hitler’s mentality?

• 6. Why did Hitler become impoverished in Vienna? Is he at fault for this? Why would he feel work was “below” him.

• 7. Describe Hitler’s war record. How would this make him into a supporter of right wing political parties?

Assignment: People to Know – 5 point classwork

• Directions: Use a electronic device to look up the following people.

• Ernst Hanfstaengl– Write a short biography – early life, education, career, etc. – Born in Munich, Wealthy family, Attended Harvard, Newspaper man, Wanted to move back to Germany, Heard Hitler speak in 1922. – How was he important in Hitler’s rise to power?– Impressed by Hitler, Stopped Hitler from killing himself, Introduced him to high society, Financed Mein Kampf,

• Fritz Gerlich– Write a short biography– Born in Pmerania, University of Munich, Seems to come from humble beginnings, Became Liberal, Seemed to disagree with many future ideas

of Hitler– What did he do to fight Hitler?– Editor of MNM – newspaper , Critic of Hitler, Arrested and killed

• Gustav Von Khar– What job title did this guy hold?– Prime Minister of Bavaria – What significance does this guy have in Hitler's Rise to Power?– He stopped Hitler at the Beer Hall, was eventually made public knowledge, was eventually hacked to death with axes

• Herman Goering– Write a short biography– Interested in the military at a young age, 138 IQ, Accomplished WWI career – What significance does he have in the rise of Hitler?– Supporting Hitler

Hitler’s Rise to fame• After the war Hitler worked as a spy for

the army in Munich. His job was to investigate over 50 new political parties to see if they posed any danger to Germany. (Communists)

• German Workers Party, led by Anton Drexler which met in the backroom of a Beer Hall.

• Hitler made himself known to the party when he verbally attacked a speaker who demanded Bavaria break away from Germany.

• Drexler – “He has the gift for the gab so we can use him”

Hitler on the German Worker’s Party

• "This absurd little organization with its few members seemed to me to possess the one advantage that it had not frozen into an 'organization,' but left the individual opportunity for real personal activity. Here it was still possible to work, and the smaller the movement, the more readily it could be put into the proper form. Here, the content, the goal, and the road could still be determined..."

• "I finally came to the conviction that I had to take this step...It was the most decisive resolve of my life. From here there was and could be no turning back.– Mein Kampf

• He liked their goals – Nationalist, pro-military, and anti-Semitic party, but not sure if he wanted to join.

• “There was nothing, no program, no leaflet, no printed material, etc” – Mein Kampf

• Shortly afterward Hitler was asked to join the party, becoming member number 55.

• Hitler discovered his talent for public speaking and decided his future was in politics. In March 1920 he left the army.

This is Hitler’s membership card. It says he is member #555. The party started with the number 500 to make it look like they had more members than they actually did.

Hitler Speaks• 1. Hitler had a habit of showing up right before his speech began and leaving right after the

speech is over. Why do you think he did this?

• 2. How does Hitler connect with his audience?

• 3. How does he use his body to enhance his speech?

• 4. How does Hitler use his voice to stress certain points?

• 5. Do you believe it would be easy to be persuaded by him? Explain.

The Swastika• Hitler realized one thing the party lacked

was a recognizable symbol and flag. In the summer of 1920, Hitler chose the symbol which to this day remains perhaps the most infamous in history, the swastika.

• Placed inside a white circle on a red background, it provided a powerful, instantly recognizable symbol that immediately helped Hitler's party gain popularity.

The word for swastika in German is Hakenkreuz, literally “Hook Cross”.

(Left) Men holding the Nazi Standard

A History of the German Flag• In the early 19th century a Black, Red, and Gold flag (1)

was used as a symbolize a unified Germany. It become a well established symbol for the liberal, democratic, and republican movement within the German states. In 1848 there was a brief attempt to unite the German states and this was used as the proposed flag.

• During the Second Reich (1871-1918) This Black, White, and Red flag (2) was the official flag of Germany.

• During the years of the Weimar Republic (1918-1933) The Black, Red and Gold Flag (1) was reintroduced. This change was not welcomed by many people in Germany, who saw this new flag as a symbol of humiliation following Germany's defeat in World War I

• Hitler quickly scrapped the Black, Red and Gold flag and reintroduced the Black, White, and Red along with the Nazi Party flag (3) as the 2 official flag's of Germany.

• From 1935 onward the Nazi Party flag become the sole German national flag.

• What is the flag of German today? Look it up on your phones.

1

2

3

• Thanks to Hitler by early 1920 the party had more than 2500 members and he became its minister of propaganda.

• He decided to change the name of the party to the National Socialist German Workers Party, NSDAP or NAZI for short. Hitler didn’t like the word “Socialist” but added it because it was thought to attract the poor.

• The party also bought a newspaper, the Voelkischer Beobachter. (The Peoples

Observer)

How do you get Nazi from that long name? It gets lost in the translation. In German National Socialist is National Sozialistische.

• You can imagine Hitler had his fair share of enemies by this time. Men began to volunteer to

• 1. Protect Hitler at his speeches. • 2. Disrupt those of his opponents. • 3. Fight anyone that treaded on the Nazi

Party.• This force called themselves the Sturm

Abteilung (Storm Detachment) or SA. The SA literally became the private army of the party. Leading the organization was Ernst Rohm. Rohm was a war veteran who wanted nothing to do with communists, democracy, or women.

The SA was also called “Brownshirts” because they bought surplus army uniforms that were brown.

• In 1921 Hitler took over the leadership of the party and created a new post for himself called the Fuhrer, or leader.

• He spoke all over Munich at dozens of beer halls and became famous.

• In September he was arrested when he and his SA men beat a speaker demanding Bavaria break away from Germany.

• Georg Neithardt, a judge sympathetic to the Nazi cause, acted as judge and was sentenced to only 33 days in jail. The records of his arrest

were supposedly destroyed when Hitler came to power but were found in 2005.

The Hofbrauhaus

Beer Hall Putsch Background • November 8 – 9, 1923 • Happened during the

Hyperinflation Crisis • Bavaria was ruled by Gustav

Von Kahr, General Otto von Lossow, and Colonel Hans Ritter

• People would gather in beer halls during the evening and enjoy beer while discussing political or social issues.

• The Putsch was launched at the Bürgerbräukeller which was one of the largest in Munich

The Plans before • Original Plan was to capture the triumvirate on

November 4, 1923 (German Memorial Day)– Close the street off with machine guns and “convince”

them to join Hitler in his revolution • Abandoned the plan because there were too

many police on the street • Planned to march into Munich and seize specific

points on November 11, 1923 (anniversary of the armistice) – However, Hitler heard of the November 8th meeting

and decided to act from there

Bürgerbräukeller• One of the main gathering

places for Nazis during the early 1920’s

• After Hitler seized power he would come here each year to commemorate the anniversary of the Putsch

• In 1939, Georg Elser, an anti-Nazi set up a time bomb to go off during Hitler’s speech on Nov. 8

• The bomb killed 7 people, but Hitler cut his speech short and was not harmed

• Building never recovered

Beer Hall Putsch Questions• 1. What did the essay state were the 2 causes of the hyperinflation? Think back to Chapter 2. Do you believe Dr.

Havenstein is still to blame, or were outside forces so great he had no choice?

• 2. How did Hitler plan to take over Germany?

• 3. How did Von Khar and the other leaders initially respond to Hitler’s putsch? Who made them change their minds?

• 3. Why did Hitler leave the Beer Hall? Why was this a big mistake?

• 4. When things began to unravel what new plan did Ludendorff come up with? Why did he think it would work?

• 5. How did the putsch end?

Hitler on Trial• The trial of Adolf Hitler for high treason after the Beer

Hall Putsch was not the end of Hitler's political career as many had expected.

• Overnight, Hitler became a nationally known figure due to massive press coverage. The main judge at this trial was again Georg Neithardt.

• He allowed Hitler to use the courtroom as a propaganda platform from which he could speak at any length on his own behalf, interrupt others at any time, and even cross examine witnesses.

• Rather than deny the charges, Hitler admitted wanting to overthrow the government and outlined his reasons, portraying himself as a German patriot. He called the democratic government, its founders, and leaders as the real criminals.

• Newspapers quoted Hitler at length. Thus, for the first time, the German people as a whole had a chance to get acquainted with this man and his thinking. And many liked what they heard.

• The three judges in the trial had become so sympathetic that they had to be persuaded to find him guilty at all. They agreed to find Hitler guilty only after being assured he would get early parole.

• The court's verdict – guilty. Hitler's sentence – five years, eligible for parole in nine months!

• Other Nazi leaders arrested after the failed Putsch got light sentences as well. General Ludendorff was even acquitted.

Try to violently overthrow the government, get 9 months in jail. What is this telling you about those in the German judicial system?

Legacy of the Putsch • Hitler learned that he could NOT destroy the

Weimar Republic with the support of the Army and police

• Hitler learned that the success of the Nazi party depended on him and ONLY HIM

• Hitler learned that he could not overthrow the government, he needed to do it Legally – Popular Vote, Freedom of Speech

• Nazi party banned until 1925 • Hitler goes to jail and retires for a short period of

time

Closing

• What if the judges had followed the law and deported Hitler for plotting against the government? Would people have protested the decision? Or was Hitler so unknown and unimportant at the time that his case was likely to be overlooked? How would this affect Germany?

Questions for Review

• 1. How did his trial for treason actually help Hitler?

• 2. Who did Hitler say were the real traitors?

• 3. How did the judges at the trial treat him and his fellow conspirators?

• 4. What sentence did Hitler get?

• 5. As you watch the trial, list at least 3 things you notice about the courtroom that stand out.