Nazi Germany

Humiliation of Germany

• Treaty of Versailles– The conditions of Germany’s surrender in the treaty lead to

WWII.• War Guilt Clause

– Germany accepted responsibility for the The Great War, most Germans felt animosity towards this clause.

• War Debts from defeated Germany crippled their economy– US loaned money to France and England during the war and

after for reconstruction.– Both countries were unable to pay there debts, and as a result

required Germany to pay Reparations for the war cost– World Depression in the 1930’s crippled Germany’s Economy

• German Disarmament – Germany was forced to disband their military and agreed not

to rearm • Lost Territory

– Germany was forced to give up lands that were valuable economically and culturally

Rise of the Fascism

• Fascism – Extreme Nationalism • Italy

– 1922 Benito Mussolini seized Power and established a Fascist Government

– Came to power using a socialist and ultra nationalist political platform

– Suppressed all political opposition

Fascism Cont.

• Germany – National Socialist German

Workers (Nazi) Party copied Italian Fascism in its rise to power

– Economic Depression allowed Party to displace the Weimar Republic

– Party made Adolf Hitler Chancellor and quickly gave him dictatorial powers

– Hitler copied Mussolini style of Fascism

– Nazi police state was established which persecuted Jews

– Rearmed in defiance of the Versailles Treaty

– Left league of Nations

Fascism Cont• Spain

– 1936 the Spanish Civil War took place

– Francisco Franco defeated the Communist back government and established a Fascist Dictatorship with the help of Germany and Italy

– Stayed Neutral in the during WWII

1936 Berlin Olympics

Opening Ceremonies • Germany won the Olympic bid in 1931, which predated the rise of the Nazi Party

• Despite the Nazi treatment of the Jews and other “undesirables”, the International Olympic Committee allowed the games to continue

• Hitler Used the games to promote Nazi philosophy and Aryan “supremacy”

• The Olympic TV coverage was the first broadcast to be powerful enough to go into outer space

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XDiH6yvXfk

Jesse Owens

• He is considered the hero of the 1936 Berlin Olympics

• Won Four Gold Medals at the 1936 Games

• 100m Dash• 200m Dash• Long Jump• 4 x 100m Relay

• His winning as a direct defiance to Hitler’s philosophy of Aryan Superiority

An Aggressive Hitler

• Signed the Anti-Comintern Pact– Created the Rome-Berlin-

Tokyo Axis of defense

• Rebuilt the German Military

• Reoccupied the Rhineland• Forced Austria into a

political and military union

• Seized German speaking lands in Czechoslovakia and Lithuania

• Signed a Non-Aggression Pact with Russia

• Sept 1st 1939 Invaded Poland

British Response

• Policy of Appeasement - Make concessions to Germany in hopes of avoiding war

• Britain and France declared war on Germany when Hitler invaded Poland

• Winston Churchill, the new British Prime Minister, was egger to fight and never agreed with the policy of Appeasement

• The European chapter of WWII is now underway