TIMELINE

1918

• 9th November - The Weimar Republic Begins following the abdication of the Kaiser.• 11th November - The Armistice is signed signifying the end of the war.

1919

• 21st October - The Treaty of Versailles is signed and employed.• 5th January - The Sparticist uprising. The Ebert-Groener pact brings in military to

suppress uprisings for official government.

1920

• 13th - 17th March - The Kapp Putsch. Freikorps units occupy berlin in an at-tempted coup. Destabilized by mass public (left-wing) resistance • 3rd April - Freikorps units violently suppress the communist Ruhr uprising. Thou-

sands killed.• April - Government halts payment to Freikorps

1923

• 11th January - The french occupy the Ruhr, the industrial heart of Germany after she fails to meet reparation payments demanding telephone poles. As a result the Ger-man government orders a policy of passive resistance in the area.• 1923 - The period of Hyper inflation. Caused by the increased printing of money

used to pay the strikers in the Ruhr. the Papiermark spirals downwards.• 15th November - Creation of a new government, headed by foreign minister Stre-

semann, Introduction of a new currency called the Reatenmark. Rather then back this against Germany’s gold reserves, It backs it against its land and industry.• 8th November - Beer hall putsch suppressed effectively. Nazi party leaders includ-

ing Hitler imprisoned. Proves two clauses; firstly that without the support of the military any activity is near impossible and secondly that the party must follow politically legiti-mate paths.

1924

• September - The Dawes plan is implemented. It asked for the removal of allied troops from the Ruhr and the recognition of the Reichsbank, with the payments set at 1 billion marks initially. This plan was dependent on foreign investment by a consortium of American investment banks.• 20th December - Hitler released from prison

1925

• 4th January - Hitler begins political comeback. Meets with new ministers and presi-dent of Bavaria • 25th April - Hindenburg wins presidential election • July - French and Belgian troops completely evacuate the Ruhr area

1926

• 24th April - Berlin Treaty signed by both Germany and the Soviet Union. Promised neutrality between the two in the event of a third party aggressor.

1929

• 7th June - Young Plan resets German reparation payments • 24th October - Black Thursday stock market crash marking the beginning of the

world wide economic collapse. The short term bonds brought in through the Dawes Plan fall short as foreign investments begin to withdraw. Mass unemployment begins reaching 3 million by the end of 1929 and 6 million by 1932. The lack of control by the SPD caused those to lose faith in Democracy and lean towards more extremist parties

1930

• Sometime - The first grand coalition comes to an end • March - Heinrich Bruning is appointed chancellor by Hindenburg. Introduced a de-

flationary policy which reduced Government spending and increased taxes. Unpopularity spreads amongst the people and the Junker class mainly General Schleicher • 16th July - Reichstag dissolved for Re-election through Article 48.

1931

• 13th July - German Bank crisis • 11th October - The Hartzburg Front coalition is formed between the DNVP, the

Stahlhelm and Nazi Party

1932

• 10th April - Hindenburg is reelected President of Germany• 30th May - Bruening leaves office due to growing public disapproval and increasing

pressure on Hindenburg from General Schleicher. Before dismissal, Hindenburg calls for re-elections in a hostile Reichstag, the Nazis increased from 12 to 107 seats.• 1st June - Franz von Papen is appointed Chancellor of Germany• 31st July - Papen, only having 68 supporters in the Reichstag, calls for elections

where the Nazi Party becomes the largest political party. A vote of confidence is called towards Papen ending in a colossal vote of no-confidence.• 6th November - Reichstag is set for election through Article 48 once again. Further

dwindling Papen’s support from both the Reichstag and the people• 3rd December - Kurt von Schleicher appointed as Chancellor, faces two months of

resistance from the Reichstag,

1933

• 28th January - Schleicher, after asking Hindenburg for the same request of rule by decree, Hindenburg refuses and asks asks Schleicher to resigns.• 30th January - Hindenburg is forced to give the position of chancellor to the largest

party. Adolf Hitler is sworn in as Chancellor of Germany

• 27th February - The Communists responded to the Nazi threat by setting fire to the Reichstag building, an action that was used by propaganda to further grasp their hold on the Reichstag• 21st March - Potsdam day. A national day of celebration in which the Nazis made

great use of public ceremony to link themselves to the imperial glory of Fredrick the Great, e.g. large parade, hand shaking ceremony between Hitler and Hindenburg.• 23rd March - Hitler Enacts the Enabling act. The Third Reich is established.• No Particular Time - The process of Gleichschaltung begins meaning Process of

Coordination. It refers to the way in which the Nazi’s, having become political dictators through the enabling act, brought all of German society under their control. This involved the following:• April - The Law for the restoration of the Professional Civil Service is enacted. Dis-

missing all disloyal civil servants• April - The Law against the Overcrowding of German School restricts the number

of Jewish children who can attend government schools. • 1st May - Hitler granted the workers the May Day holiday and in the evenings pro-

cessions declared class-conflict over• 2nd May - Using the SA and the police, the trade union offices are raided and lead-

ers arrested. In it’s place Hitler instigated the German Labour Front (Deutsche Arbeits-front, DAF) led by a high ranking Nazi official, Dr Robert Ley.• November - Hitler calls for a new elections for the Reichstag, both as a show for

the regime’s vast popularity and as proof for the legality of their actions. Nazi’s occupy all 661 seats seeing to the end of the once-powerful democratic Reichstag.• Sometime - The National socialist League for the Maintenance of Law, is estab-

lished. Legal appointments and publications are controlled by the state and judges and lawyers are expected to interpret the law in a broad way, considering the ‘good of the na-tional community’ and, above all, the ‘Will of the Fuhrer.’• By this Point - The SA has grown to 3 million strong• Vaguely ‘round this time - Volksgemeinschaft comes into play. Grand social re-

form begins to take place. Return to conservative values for both men and women. Be-ginning of mass racial discrimination. Indoctrination begins, etc...• Again... Vague - A concordant is signed between Germany and the Catholic

Church. Both adopt a strict ‘Don’t ask. Don’t tell” policy

1934

• February - The Reichstag is dissolved following the dismissal of the state govern-ment• April - The People’s court is established. Outside the regular judicial system, to

deal with crimes against the state. There was no right of appeal against judgements from the People’s Court• 30th June - Night of the Long Knives. Hitler sides with the German military over the

SA maintaing his guise of legitimacy, while simultaneously removing the SA as a factor in a single evening.

1935

• 15th September, 1935 - The Nuremberg Laws.• The Law for the Protection of German Blood and Honor - Prohibition of inter race

marriage• The Reich Citizenship Law - Removal of Jews German citizenship.

• 12 December - The Lebensborn or Spring of life program begins. Under the control of the SS and very much the initiative of its leader, Heinrich Himmler, special homes are set up to provide for recommended unmarried women or those impregnated by SS men.

1936

• 1st August - The Summer Olympic Games commence. All blatant anti-semitism is concealed and for its duration effectively released to the point where the non-biologically pure were permitted to compete in the Games. Shortly thereafter the discrimination re-sumes with new ferocity • January - The confessing church opposes hitlers beliefs and condemns his anti-

semitism and and anti-religious policies. Follows with swift retaliation including the im-prisonment of 700 pastors in concentration camps.

1937

• Autumn - The Church Struggle begins and increasing restrictions are placed on re-ligion. Priests are forced to apply for licenses and religious holidays were no longer ac-cepted by the government. Prayers were no longer compulsory in Bavarian schools, cru-cifixes were forcibly removed from classrooms and religious teachers had to be ap-proved by the state.

1938

• Early - The Pope published a proclamation to be read at all churches condemning the failure of the Nazis to honor their pact, leading to increased conspiracy charges and accusations against religious figures.• 2nd March - Pope Pius XII comes into Hat. Fails to speak out against the Nazis

Anti-Semitic policies and the known atrocities perpetrated in their treatment • 9th November - Kristallnacht or the Night of Broken Glass takes place. A series of

coordinated attacks against Jewish industries, building and Synagogues instigated by the annual Nuremberg rallies.

1939

• 1st September - WAR WAS BEGINNING

The Impact of the treaty of Versailles on Germany

The military defeat of Germany in november 1918 had come as a genuine shock to most Germans, who had been encouraged by their government to believe Germany would pre-vail through the war, the terms of the treaty of Versailles when they became known in may 1919 came as a similar shock. The armistice that Germany had signed in November 1918 was sought under the impression that the peace settlement was to be based off President Wilson’s Fourteen Points, also expecting a more moderate peace from the democracies of Britain, France and the United States especially since Germany was to be itself, a democ-racy.Instead the Germans had been neglected from the drafting process which largely doomed it from the beginning due to the French determination to bleed Germany dry and ensure that it would never again threaten France, an act which ironically would go on to stir bad blood between the two countries and lead to the invasion of France by the Nazi Regime The foremost crippling clause of the Treaty of Versailles was by far the reparations for the costs of war, at the final total set in 1921, The Entente was to be reimbursed for a total of 132 000 million gold marks, a mark that was made impossible to reach by certain other economically paralyzing clauses such as the reparation of all its colonies and rich coal pro-ducing areas effectively destroying great portions of its industries, which when coupled with the large amounts of freshly unemployed caused by the massive reductions in military numbers, impacted Germany in a devastating way.

The Period of 1923 - Hyper Inflation

Causes:

• Germany is forced to pay reparation payments to the Allies as a compensation for war• It fails to complete it’s reparation payments in 1923, failing to deliver telegraph

poles, as a result French and Belgian troops occupy the Ruhr - the industrial heart of germany• Thus the German government orders a policy of passive resistance, i.e strikes. The

Ruhr thereafter closes down• For this the Government has to pay the newly unemployed strikers, to do this they

print more money and the increased circulation devalued the German dollar. Eventually spirals into Hyper Inflation

Reactions:

• Creation of a new government, headed by foreign minister Stresemann, Introduc-tion of a new currency called the Reatenmark. Rather then back this against Germany’s gold reserves, It backs it against its land and industry and decides to monitor how much of this is printed

• The German government ceases the policy of passive resistance in the Ruhr. Frees funds for the country• The Stresemann government enacts the Enabling Act, which gave them the power

to pass laws without approval of the Reichstag

The Rise of the Nazis.

• Hitler was sent as a political officer to investigate the Nazi organization in 1919• He is so impressed by their beliefs that he leaves the army and joins the Nazis• He rises rapidly through the organization, largely due to his commitment to their be-

liefs and his public speaking skills• The Nazis attempted to seize power in Bavaria in 1923 - i.e The Beer-hall Putsch• Although this failed, it had great significance for Hitler

Effects of The Beer-Hall Putsch:

1. It made Hitler a public figure2. The Nazis knew they needed the support of the military3. Made Hitler realize the importance of legitimacy - i.e he would not attempt any more

Putches, but would rise through the Reichstag

Hitler’s World View:

List each of the ten points in the textbook and give a short summary of each

1) Nationalism - Hitler wanted to unite all the German speaking lands into one great Reich, This would be populated by the racially pure Aryans. This would obviously mean a reversion of the Treaty of Versailles

2) Racial Purity of the state - He held the belief that all the parasitic people that burden the German state should be aptly dealt with

3) Anti-Communist - Believed that Communism was a world wide Jewish conspiracy that had to be dealt with before it sent the population into disarray

4) Democracy and the State - Hitler talks of the people having inferior intellect and as such were not fit to govern themselves, He believed that one ruler would unite the state and bring germany into the pious light.

The Great Depression

• From 1924-1929 Germany experienced great prosperity (The most Prosperous of all the European nations

BUT: This prosperity is based largely on foreign loans, primarily America - 23 Billion marks. These loans are invested in long-term projects such as industry. Also, 8 billion marks were used to repay reparations(At the start of 1929 there were 1.5 million unemployed in Germany)• On October 1929, the Wall Street Crash occurs, American investors withdraw their

investments(End of 1929 - Mass unemployment, 3 Million, goes on to reach 6 million by 1932)

• The middle class looses faith in the moderate political parties, leading to more peo-ple voting for extremist political groups

The Build-up to Hitler Becoming Chancellor

• People lost faith in parliamentary democracy as Hindenburg was ruling by decree setting up his cabinet of Barons to run the country• Bruning: Unpopular due to his deflationary policy - i.e.. cut government spending,

increase taxes. He is dismissed due to the pressure placed on the President by General Schleicher. Before dismissal, Hindenburg called for re-elections in a hostile Reichstag, the Nazis increased from 12 to 107 seats (March 1930 - May 1932)• Papen: Only having 68 supporters in the Reichstag, Papen called for an election in

July 1932, but the results disappointed - Nazis were now the largest party in the Reich-stag, once the new parliament met it took a vote of confidence in Papen, ending in a colossal side of no-confidence, Papen arranged another another election in November still hoping for a supportive Reichstag, after further failure, Papen proposed the removal of the Reichstag to govern by decree, at this point Schleicher warned Hindenburg that such a thing would provoke revolution, Papen resigned• Schleicher:, Schleicher takes over but after two months of resistance from the Re-

ichstag, He goes to Hindenburg for the same request of rule by decree, Hindenburg re-fuses and Hindenburg asks Schleicher to resigns• Hitler: Hindenburg, having no alternative, offered the job to the leader of the largest

party

30 January 1933 - Hitler becomes chancellor

Hitler and the Historians

Historians fall into one of two bodies of historical opinion:

1. Intentionalists: Focus on the intent of Hitler in defining the Nazi’s actions and his role as a charismatic leader. Historian K.D Bracher has argued that Hitler was a deter-mined fanatic from the beginning with an unshakeable resolve

2. Structuralists: Focus on the role of existing structures in German society such as big business, military, etc... and how they undermined democracy and contributed to the rise of the Nazis. Historian Ian Kersiaw argued Germany underestimated Hitler,Democ-racy was failing and powerful groups were trying to bring it down, in this way assisting Hitler’s rise to power.

Where the Nazi vote came from:

The traditional view is that support was given from the German middle class who voted for the Nazis. These people were moderate conservatives who faced financial ruin during the depression. But recent research shows that the Nazis received a broad spectrum of votes from all classes due to their flexible and broad ideologies:

• Surprisingly enough they drew a substantial amount of votes from protestant and rural areas due to the Nazi ideal that the agrarian people were more genetically and ide-ologically pure then city-dwellers as they were free of foreign corruption.

• Primarily the protestants supported the Nazis, at this point 63% of germany was protestant • However the Nazis influence had no effect on the industrial areas of Germany,

which had already been swayed by trade-unionism• The youths of Germany rallied behind Hitler as he promised hope and a passage

out of the economic and social turmoil that the previous decades had created

How Hitler get control?

Hitler had learned from the Beer-hall Putsch that straight forward revolution would not work in Germany’s situation, so he adopted a guise of legality to work through the Reichstag to gain support. As the chancellors called continually for re-elections, the Nazis continued to build popularity and thus parliamentary seats, a popularity that was fueled by the very in-decisiveness of the previous chancellors. Once Hitler was elected chancellor on the 30 January 1933, it was only a matter of removing all political opposition through force (e.g. Communists) and using clause 48 (the Enabling Act) to establish himself as dictator.

• 27 February 1933 - The Communists responded to the threat by setting fire to the Reichstag building, an action that was used by Nazi propaganda to further grasp their hold on the Reichstag• 21 March 1933 - A national day of celebration in which the Nazis made great use of

public ceremony to link themselves to the imperial glory of Fredrick the Great, e.g. large parade, hand shaking ceremony between Hitler and Hindenburg.• 23 March 1933 - Hitler Enacts the Enabling act

The Third Reich - Becoming a Totalitarianism

Gleichschaltung - A term the Nazi’s coined themselves meaning Process of Coordination. It refers to the way in which the Nazi’s, having become political dictators through the en-abling act, brought all of German society under their control. This involved the following:

• In april 1933 the Law for the restoration of the Professional Civil Service was pro-claimed. For the Nazi state to function it was essential that this important group should be firmly under control and supportive of the parties philosophy, under this law, it was re-alized. Any Civil servants who were not in full support of the Nazi regime were dis-missed, including those without proper qualifications, those of jewish descent and those with previous political affiliations. • There were 6 million trade union member in Germany in 1933, they were a potent

force• On 1 May 1933 Hitler granted the workers the May Day holiday and in the evenings

processions declared class-conflict over - The Next day (2 May 1933) Using the SA and the police, the trade union offices were raided and leaders arrested. In it’s place Hitler in-stigated the German Labour Front (Deutsche Arbeitsfront, DAF) led by a high ranking Nazi official, Dr Robert Ley.

The End of Political Parties After the passing of the Enabling Act there was no longer any need for political parties in Germany, the Communist party had already been declared illegal and The Nazi’s set be-

gan to work against the SPD. On the 22nd June the party was banned and it’s seats in the Reichstag declared invalid. What was left of the German Democratic Party quickly dis-solved itself on the 28 June. One day later, Hindenburg, is dismissed and the German Na-tional Peoples party disbanded.

The Reichstag Election

November 1933 - Hitler called for a new elections for the Reichstag, both as a show for the regime’s vast popularity and as proof for the legality of their actions. Nazi’s occupy all 661 seats seeing to the end of the once-powerful democratic Reichstag.

Controlling the States

The role of the German states was an area addressed by the Gleichschaltung, which saw the gradual disillusion of the democratic structure of Germany, On February 1934 the Re-ichstag is dissolved following the dismissal of the state government

The Legal System

In 1933 all professional bodies associated with the legal system were abolished and a new body, the National socialist League for the Maintenance of Law, was established. Legal appointments and publications were controlled by the state and judges and lawyers were expected to interpret the law in a broad way, considering the ‘good of the national commu-nity’ and, above all, the ‘will of the Fuhrer.’ Changes in the Civil Service Act allowed for the dismissal of judges who did not act ‘in the interest of the National Socialist state’. In April 1934 the Government set up a special People’s court outside the regular judicial system, to deal with crimes against the state. There was no right of appeal against judgements from the People’s Court

The Dissipation of the SA

After Hitlers ascension in 1933, the SA became increasingly eager for power seeing them-selves as a replacement for the German army, thus Hitler had to make a decision between the numerically superior SA and the legitimate Military:

SA - Other wise known as the ‘Brown-coats’ was the parliamentary (pseudo-military) orga-nization associated with the Nazis, by 1933 is 3 million strong

• Ernest Rohm, Leader of the SA, has differing, more socialist, ideologies then Hitler, but as such attracted large numbers of the disgruntled unemployed who desired social equity

Military - The legitimate army of Germany, reduced to a minuscule 100,000 by the Treaty of Versailles

• A conservative elite group that managed to remain powerful and influential through-out the republic. i.e. State within a state exerting influence over the government, General Schleicher advising Hindenburg

30 June 1934 - Hitler sides with the German military maintaing his guise of legitimacy, while simultaneously removing the SA as a factor in a single evening, which came to be known as the Night of the Long Knives

• In a violent massacre instrumented by the SS (an adjacent organization) The SA is disbanded and its leaders executed. Roughly 200 people are killed in the SS purge, alongside SA leaders were political opposers, official who opposed the Beer Hall Putsch (Gustav Ritter von Khar) and General Schleicher who was a prominent anti-nazi

Hitler Become a dictator OFFICIALLY

• 2 August 1934 - President Hindenburg dies allowing Hitler to merge all political po-sitions and legally become a dictator - The Third Reich truly begins - From thence forth Hitler institutes an oath of allegiance on the Military, but to himself rather then to the state, an important step in securing loyalty in his rule

The Role of Adolf Hitler in the Nazi State

Joseph Goebbels, head of propaganda, created the ‘Fuhrer Myth’ to enchant the german people with Hitler. He regarded this as his greatest accomplishment

• Fuhrerprinzip - Hitler embodied the ideals of the German nation. He had been cho-sen by fate to lead Germany to greatness and sacrificed his own personal life for the prosperity of the nation. Goebbels focused on the strength, drive and determination of Hitler in doing this

Rather then be an Homogenous, structured organization, Nazi government was quite chaotic. Hitler provided the charismatic, presentable front but in reality the Nazi state was filled with competing rivals, whose proximity to Hitler determined their power

• One source states that Hitler was less concerned with the running of the party but more with the upholding of its relations, often deferring decisions to officials below him, where these official attempted to “interpret the will of Hitler himself” often these officials would be whomever was closest to Hitler at the time

Gauleiters - Within the structure of the Nazi state was Gauleiters who acted as province officials with each governing one of about 40 provinces that made up Germany, These offi-cial, often old comrades from the early days of the Nazi party, had direct access to Hitler because he favored them.

“In the twelve years of his rule in Germany, Hitler produced the biggest confusion in gov-ernment that has ever existed in a civilised state... He removed from the organization of the state all the clarity of leadership. It was not all laziness... It was intentional ”

The Volksgemeinschaft -The People’s Community

The Nazi regime saw the coming to power in 1933 not just as a change of government but rather as the start of a revolution that would change German society. They sought not only to control but also to reshape the state according to their ideology.

• The Nazis preached the concept of Volksgemeinschaft. This was to be a new soci-ety, a harmonious national community free from class division and social conflict, with national unity in its place

• All racially pure Germans were equal regardless of socio-economic standing and unified through blood and comradeship • Most importantly national interest was to be placed over self-interest • Hitler took no salary for his position, a point promoted by propaganda to further the

Hitler Myth • “A Psychological revolution rather then one of substance”

Women in Nazi Germany

Prior to the rise of the Nazi state German society had made significant advances in the rights and positions of women. Where previously women’s employment rate was 400% greater than in the United States and women held more seats in the Reichstag then in any other European nations parliament, Hitler had now sent women back to a conservative role in German Society.

The Famous Nazi propaganda phrase for the role of women in Germany:“Children, Church, Kitchen - Kinder, Kirche und Kuche”

• Though women still played an important role in the nazi regime, with their idea of social darwinism, the racially pure women of society were encouraged to breed pure ger-man children.• Women were enticed to breed through rewards, those who had bred at least 4 chil-

dren were awarded the female equivalent of the Iron Cross - The Mutterkreuz or Mother Cross (Bronze for 4 children, Silver for 6 and Gold for 8, those wearing the gold cross were entitled to a salute from Hitler youth members) these families could even have their mortgage dissolved.• The Ideal German woman was perceived as the women entrenched into the ger-

man land by her big German child bearing hips. Slim figures and dieting were discour-aged as they were not healthy for conception and pregnancy • Gertrud Scholtz-Klink - Leader of the German Women’s league, although she was

the head of a Nazi regime she held no power or political sway• Ironically even though strong family structure was promoted by the Nazi ideals, the

various nationalistic organizations such as the Hitler youth and the League for German Maidens eroded the structure of Family - Reports of children reporting parents for talking against Hitler

Lebensborn - Giving a child to the Fuhrer

In Nazi Germany abortions were illegal, birth control was actively discouraged, family plan-ning centers were closed and the stigma associated with illegitimacy was lessened. In 1941 the production of contraceptives was banned.Since every pure German child was important, the ‘Lebensborn’ or Spring of life program began in 1936. Under the control of the SS and very much the initiative of its leader, Hein-rich Himmler, special homes were set up to provide for recommended unmarried women or those impregnated by SS men.

• These houses were exclusively for racially pure German women

• The children born in Lebensborn homes were usually fostered out to married cou-ples.• During the war the Lebensborn initiative was extended to remove nordic-looking

children and place them in German homes

The Hitler Youth

If the Third Reich was to endure, it was essential for the regime to win the loyalty of the next generation. For this reason great care was put into the next generation in ensuring their support. The Nazi indoctrination of youth began at a young age, beginning with kindergarten education and extending until their eventual recruitment into the Army:

• The Hitler youth was formed as early as 1922 (called the youth league) but was out-lawed alongside the remainder of the party after the 1923 Beer Hall Putsch• Boys between the ages of 6-10 are called Pimpfen, within youth organization

groups• Pinpfen - Translates to ‘Little ones’• There is a great focus on involvement, a great sense of the individual submitting

themselves to the will of the community• There were actually several groups that resisted the Nazi regime, it was not a com-

plete, 100% submission to the Nazi state

Boys

• 6-10 The Little Fellows (Pimpf)• 10-14 The German Young People (Deutches Jungvolk)• 14-18 The Hitler Youth (Hitler Jugend)

Girls

• 10-14 League of Young Girls • 14-18 League of German Maidens (Bund Deutscher Madel)

League of German Girls

The Female equivalent of the Hitler Youth. Girls were expected to devote themselves physical fitness through camping and hiking trips and to prepare for their future roles as German wives and mothers.• By 1935 over 1.5 million women were active in the league of German Girls • Afterwards, at the age of 18 they could join Faith and Beauty (Glaube und Schon-

heit) An organization devoted to instruction in aspects of motherhood and conditioning the Nazi image for the role of women in German Society. • There was particular emphasis on home skills and grace as a preparation for mar-

riage

Preserving Racial Purity

One of the major beliefs of the Nazi party was to preserve the racial purity of the German nation, they instituted the already popular belief of eugenics, where they would control the purity of the race through selective breeding, which through the absolute power of the Nazi state was taken to new levels:

• They introduced a policy of forced sterilization on men and women deemed biologi-cally handicapped, including those who had disabilities or specific diseases. Furthermore a law passed in 1933 required doctors to report those with these ‘disabilities’ that made them eligible for sterilization. Between 1934 and the end of the war 350 000 people were sterilized

Education In the Third Reich

Hitler dropped out of school when he was 15 years old and for the rest of his life held a contempt for formal education, the teaching profession and intellectualism. Thus the Nazi’s regarded the aim of education as indoctrination and opposed intellectual though and free-inquiry

• Education differed according to Gender and their future role in society - Girls pri-marily domestic courses and boys primarily the higher levels of maths and science as well as Nationalist History • History and Biology were praised and a new subject was made compulsory; Sci-

ence of the Races • Great importance was put onto physical activity to promote the health of future

breeders • “War is an inherent means of cleansing the race” Quoth the Daly• Dr Bernhard Rust was appointed the Reich minister for Education - He Nazified the

education system. Focuses solely on Race, Physical activity...etc... • Teachers supported the Nazi doctrine quite easily as they followed conservative be-

lief. A The Highest profession to vote in the Nazis were teachers • Future Nazi leader were sent to the Napolas which were modeled on the Prussian

Military Academy - Very difficult

The Church

Although the twenty fourth point of the Nazis’ Twenty five Point program promised religious freedom, except for those endangering the German Race, to most Nazism was a religion itself and during the 1930s the German Faith Movement sought to create a kind of neo-pa-gan church, based on pagan rituals and old teutonic myths, that was clearly anti-Christian. But through a sequence of events this was destroyed:

• In 1933 Hitler signed a concordat with the Vatican, By this agreement the Catholic Church was allowed to administer itself and was guaranteed legal status and a role in education. In return the church agreed to take no part in politics • A religious resistance known as the ‘Confessing Church’ wrote to Hitler in 1936 con-

demning his policies of anti-semitism and anti-religion, retaliation was swift, church funds were confiscated and some 700 pastors imprisoned in concentration camps• The ‘Church Struggle’ began and increasing restrictions were placed on religion.

priests were forced to apply for licenses and in 1937 religious holidays were no longer accepted by the government. Prayers were no longer compulsory in Bavarian schools, crucifixes were forcibly removed from classrooms and religious teachers had to be ap-proved by the state.• In 1938 the Pope published a proclamation to be read at all churches condemning

the failure of the Nazis to honor their pact, leading to increased conspiracy charges and accusations against religious figures

• When Pope Pius XII came into hat in late 1938 he failed to speak against Nazism to protect the Church from further persecution. • Other religious groups were attacked - Jehovah’s Witnessed were completely sup-

pressed for their refusal to do military service and their belief in the imminent arrival of a messiah. Many were sent to concentration camps

Economic Life under the Nazis

The Nazis had always been vague about their economic policies, and when they came to power in 1933 they had no detailed program for dealing with the economic problems that confronted the nation.• Hitler had no interest in economics, never placing any importance on the socialist

aims of the earlier days and after the party had come to power, ignoring them. He did not truly want to abolish social classes but desired that the people, regardless of social class, would sacrifice themselves for the community.

Opposition to Hitler

This information is crucial to any question on the impact of the Nazis on the 3rd Reich

The highest vote the Nazis obtained in a free election held before Hitler was appointed chancellor was 37.4% in July 1932. This meant that a significant number of Germans never supported the Nazis prior to Hitler’s election as chancellor. After 1933 there was very little organization that actively opposed the Nazis. There were, however, still a minor portion of Germans who were distressed by the changes brought on by the Nazis. There two forms of opposition possible in Nazi Germany:

• Institutional oppositions from groups such as opposing political parties, trade unions, the army and institutions like the church • Personal Opposition from individuals or smaller groups in Germany, such as Car-

dinal Clemens von Galen, the Catholic Archbishop of Munster who was able to voice op-position over the euthanasia program

(Pastor Martin Niemoller suffered eight years in a concentration camp for writing a simple yet effective poem on the importance of the individual resisting evil)

Though from the very start the Nazis effectively eliminated the potential for most institu-tional opposition, as such many resistance organizations sprung up, but because these groups were isolated and lacked coordination, they were ineffective but those were de-tected paid a fearful.

• Edelweiss Pirates Many young me aged between 16 - 18 years formed a sub cul-ture which rejected nazism. They rejected the Hitler youth and acted as an opposition to the requirements of the Reich Labour Service. During the war they engaged in more ex-treme activities such as anti-nazi slogans. In 1944 Himmler ordered 13 of them publicly hanged in the city of Cologne • The Kreisau Circle A school of German conservatives and scholars that would rise

with righteous intent on pious wings, like a glorious phoenix, from the ashes of the in-

evitable german defeat. By the end of 1944 the Circle’s leader, Helmuth von Moltke, was arrested along with and executed along with many members of the Circle• The White Rose Hans Scholl and his Sister Sophie established and anti-nazi orga-

nization within the University of Munich. It came to include a large portion of students who resisted the Nazi movement by printing pamphlets demanding the end to their regime. In February 1943 both Sophie and Hans were beheaded.

During the war years many nazi war officials attempted to assassinate Hitler such as the July plot, by General von Schtafen.

Nazi Racial Policy

Intentionalists: Hitler played an integral role in determining nazi racial policies. They trace a blueprint of extermination from Mein Kampf to the gassing chambers of Auschwitz.

Structuralists: Nazi racial policy evolved over time, adapting to the different situation. Nazi leaders interpreting hitlers will such as Goebbels’ Krystalnacht and Reinhard Hey-drich’s final solution. There was no predetermination, instead racial policy was product of the chaotic nature of the Nazi regime

Why the Jews?

Anti-Semitism was a central consistent theme in the Nazi doctrine. They strongly believed that civilizations and nations decline when they fail to uphold the racial purity of their popu-lation. The Jewish acted as the target for this view. Labeled as parasites due to their lack of a homeland and involvement in wealthy German industries. To Hitler The Jew repre-sented the absolute contrast of the racially pure Aryan, believing that the great war was undermined in both the frontline and the home front and was responsible for the failure of the war, the economy and the national community.

• The Jews were a people without a homeland. They were forcibly removed from Palestine by the Romans i.e. the Diaspora• 19th Century anti-semitism. e.g. Pogroms in Russia, the Dreyfuss Affair in France.

Ironically many jews fled persecution into Germany from other European countries, as it was one of the most liberal countries of the time• Roughly 1% of German population is Jewish during the period of Weimar. De-

spite this the Jewish had a monopoly on certain wealthy sectors of society particularly Banking and Finance. The created resentment.

The British historian Richard Overy has suggested that Nazi racial policy towards the Jews could be broken into four distinct phases:

• Vilification: The deliberate attempt to revile the Jews. In this phase the Nazi propa-ganda machine played a decisive part. Its aim was to make Germans dislike and fear the Jews in Germany.• Discrimination: The laws that were progressively passed depriving Jews of their

rights including their citizenship.• Separation: The progressive removal of Jews from the community and the ‘reset-

tlement’ to the east.• Extermination: The killing of the Jews and others in the extermination camps.

Between 1933 and 1935 laws were passed that removed Jews from the civil service, and from the education, health and legal systems. In april 1933 the Law against the Over-crowding of German School restricted the number of Jewish children who could attend government schools. In the Same month the government approved a boycott of Jewish business, shops and the offices of Jewish professionals.

• Although in 1936, Germany hosted the Olympic Games. For this time Jewish perse-cution is almost dissipated to the point where Jewish athletes were permitted to partici-pate in the Games. Though after this period it resumed with a new found ferocity.

The Nazis approached its anti-Semitic policies with caution, understanding that a gradual indoctrination process was necessary to lead the population into mass discrimination

15th September, 1935 - The Nuremberg Laws.• The Law for the Protection of German Blood and Honor - Prohibition of inter race

marriage• The Reich Citizenship Law - Removal of Jews German citizenship.

What is a Totalitarianism?

Carl Friedrich, an american historian, first applies this umbrella term in the 1950‘s that first using it to compare the Nazi menace to the new communist threat from Russia. He estab-lished six characteristics of totalitarianism that the two regimes had in common;

1. An elaborate ideology that covered all aspects of existence and contained a pow-erful promise of a new era that would last for a millennia or more

2. A single mass party. Led by one person, that forms a hard core for the regime and that is above of closely intertwined with the existing state bureaucracy

3. A system of terror. Integral to the structure of the regime, directed against both real and imagined enemies

4. A monopolistic control of the mass media. Preventing the spread of ideas op-posed by the regime while being used as a vehicle for its propaganda

5. A near monopoly of weapons. The armed forces subservient to the regime, or staffed by supporters of the regime

6. Central control of the economy.

It is now widely disputed by structuralist who establish that it merely acts as a partially in-correct umbrella term for these regimes but fails to illustrate the complexity and individual-ity of each. Kershaw illustrates that in order for a true totalitarianism state to exist, the defi-nition requires a passive and isolated population, unable to respond. this instantly ex-cludes Nazi Germany from this definition.

The Nazi state as a Totalitarianism

These 6 characteristics do or do not apply to the Nazi regime;

1. An Elaborate ideology. Although Nazi Germany did have a central ideology, it was fluid and diverse, appealing to all sectors of German society. The government of the regime was largely based upon interpretation of their ideology by Hitler’s officials. Nazism had the appearance of a monolithic, cohesive political party. But in reality was a chaotic and competitive structure.

2. A single mass party. The ban of all other political parties came alongside the Nazi’s rise to power, from this point it was once believed that Hitler stood at the head of state handing down instructions that would govern the whole state. However it is now known that it was a inconsistent mess that acted more as a polyocracy defined by the members proximity to Hitler.

3. A system of terror. Inarguably the system of propaganda was employed from the very beginning of the regime, though it is false to assume it was enforced through fear. Through a spectacular use of this propaganda, Germany was made to ‘love’ the party, and Hitler himself. The Gestapo relied on willing informers and received such in plenty

4. A monopolistic control of the mass media. This was present almost immediately through the control of literature and media as part of the propaganda campaign to the book burnings housed by the Nazis to destroy all opposing materials

5. A near monopoly of weapons. They Nazis integrated the existing military into their structure by 1934, and through the oath, effectively expressed a complete control over all armaments and receiving little to know violent resistance from within.

6. Central control of the economy. Their control of the economy failed from the out-break of war. The four year planned instituted by Goring, meant to make Germany com-pletely self-sufficient, went horribly astray as Germany by 1939 was completely depen-dant on foreign resource.

Comparison with Soviet Russia

• Stalin strengthened the Soviet Union economically, whereas Hitler destroyed the German economy.• Stalin led the soviet led the Ussr to victory in WWII, whereas Nazi Germany was to-

tally destroyed.• Stalin created one of the most orderly, centrally controlled bureaucracies of all time,

whereas Nazi germany was a chaotic jumble of competing institutions. • Marxist - Leninist ideology aimed at creating a universal human kinship with equality

where Nazism was racist and based on imperial expansion.

Nazi Foreign Policy

1) Recovery of Will

Hitler’s foreign policy was both racial and national. It involved the restoration of German national greatness and the deliberate expansion of Germany at the expense of inferior peoples. Democracy was replaced by the strong one party state subject to the will of the leader, most organizations were brought under the control of the state, Jewish influences were eliminated, and economic recovery and rearmament gave the nation the power to in-fluence events.

2) The conquest of living space:

Hitler believed that if the German people were to survive and preserve their racial identity they would have to acquire new territory and this could only be done through force.

The German Foreign Policy in Action

1933

• 1933 - Germany withdraws from the league of nations and the World Disarmament Conference. (The Nazis perceived Germany’s move to join the League in 1926 as a be-trayal, condoning the Treaty of Versailles)• 1934 - Non Aggression Act with Poland. Served the purpose of propaganda in es-

tablishing good relations with Poland, though it was a facade, from its creation it was in-tended to be broken.• March 1935 - Rearmament announced. The existence of the new German air force

was made public, and conscription was introduced to bring the army to a size of 500 000 men. No action was taken by the allies• June 1935 - The Anglo-German Naval Treaty is signed. It ensures that German

navy would not exceed 35% the British Royal Navy and in return the British would vacate the Baltic Sea. Again this was ultimately ignored but brought temporary good relations between the two.• 1936 - The re-occupation of the Rhineland by German troops. The greatest gamble

of Hitlers career, he moved against the advice of his generals and dared to reclaim the rhineland despite Frances vastly superior force. He succeeded because of Germanys good relationship with Britain and the state of the French government. Which at the time of occupation had fallen and a provisional caretaker established in its place.

PRACTICE QUESTIONS:

• Account for the failure of democracy during the Weimar republic• Describe the changes in German society• Describe the rise and structure of the Nazi party• How is the Depression the central reason for the collapse of the Weimar republic• What was the impact of the Nazi’s on German society

Describe the Rise and Structure of the Nazi Party

Intro: During most of the Weimar Republic, the Nazis were agitating on the fringe of Ger-man politics. Whereby the end of Weimar, however, they received 37.4% of the vote in the final free election in Germany in 1932.

1) Flexibility of Nazi ideology.

• Historically, Historians believed that support only came from the middle class as they were impacted by the depression/conservative by nature.• Historian now know that support came from all sectors such as conservative elites

and the working class. Major support from the protestants but received little support from the catholic and industrial areas of Germany

2) Role of Hitler

• According to the Intentionalists he was the crucial an charismatic leader of the nazi party without whom they would of never achieved power• Bring in the Fuhrer Myth perpetuated by Goebbels • Hitlers world view• His ideology appealed to German nationalism i.e. Revision of Versailles, national

pride, reclamation of lost land, etc...• Hitlers oratory skills• Structuralist point of view

3) The effective use of propaganda .

4) Events that placed Hitler in the public eye• Munich Beer Hall Putsch - Guise of legality, support of the army • Hartzburg Front

5) Depression • Moderate governments failed to deal with Germany’s economic problems, people

looked to extremist parties, such as the nazis.• Nazis offer hope during this period, they operate soup kitchens, beat up commu-

nists, offer employment.

6) Reichstag Fire• Use within propaganda to help gather support for the outlawing of separate political

parties• Potsdam Day as a means of returning Germany back to its glory days

7) Enabling act• Article 48 abused. Number of deputies growing in the Reichstag.• Legally allowed for the convergence of all political leadership positions for Hitler.• Allows for hitlers continual guise of legality alongside the Gleichschaltung and

Volksgemeinschaft

8) Oath of Allegiance• The final nail in the coffin, in securing the army under the nazis

Failure of Democracy during the Weimar period.

1) Lack of Democratic tradition in Germany

2) Dolchstosslegende

3) Army exclusively • Ebert - Groener Pact• Sparticist uprising• Kapp Putsch • Period of revolution & counter revolution i.e. the November Crisis• Army acts independently of the government

4) Von Seeckt• Preservation of the army, rearmament of Germany

5) Hyper Inflation & the Dawes Plan (1924) & Depression

6) Subsequent polarization of voting patterns

7) Rise of the Nazis• Popular support base/ Who voted for them

8) Hindenburg & Article 48• Bruning, Papen, Schleicher

9) Historical Viewpoints• Intentionalists - Hitler• Structuralists - Other groups • things that eroded the power of democracy e.g. Stinnes-legien Pact

10) Hitler & The Enabling act