2. BACKGROUND OF GERMANY
• After WWI: Germany poor, 1923, have to pay 33 billion in reparations. US, England and
France reduced reparations, and US sent loans, Germany started to make money again
until…….
• Economic Depression: Loaf of Bread 10,000 marks
• People upset, out of work, scared…. (remember the picture from Friday?)
• Who do they blame for all their problems….
• Weimar Republic
• Government took over during WWI, but blamed for loosing WWI, blame for signing
Treaty of Versailles and war guilt clause, blamed for all economic problems of
Germany, (you signed treaty that caused all these problems).
• People are now desperate in Germany. Need jobs, need leadership, need money,
need change!!!!!
3. ENTER HITLER
• Born in Austria, moved to Vienna Germany in 1900’s
• Fought In WWI, injured on field an sent home. Saw Weimar Republic as weak and
inefficient
• Failed as student, artist, architect…..
• Joined National Socialist German Workers Party, right wing extremist group. 1919
• Within one year, became the leader of the group, NAZI party.
• Began talking of his dissatisfaction with Weimar Republic, and anti-sematic beliefs
• Beer Hall Putsch: 1923, Munich Germany- tried a Coup de Ta but was arrested
• Mein Kampf- written in prison, explains all of Hitler's plans, theories, and ideology
(Extreme nationalism, racism, and anti-Semitism)
4. HOW HITLER TOOK OVER
• After prison, began finding supporters in lower middle class and veterans
• Promised the public to end the war reparations, create jobs, and break the Treaty of
Versailles to make Germany glorious again
• Became a part of the Weimar government, holding a seat in the house of legislator
• Weimar Republic was split between Nazi and Communists holding government seats
• Hitler molded his idea of government after Mussolini’s Fascist Italy
• Hitler gained power and was elected Chancellor by Weimar Republic in 1933
• After becoming Chancellor, Hitler took over as “De Fhurer” or the leader in German (1934)
• Once the overtake was complete Hitler demanded unquestioned loyalty and obedience.
• “Purged” Germany and Nazi party of all “disloyal” members. In some cases the
executions were brutal and public to show everyone what would happen
5. HITLER IN CONTROL
• Brown shirts: Hitler's military force, later becoming his Storm Troopers
• Gestapo: Hitler's secret police
• Lebensraum: Living space for the German people
• Anti-Semitism: extreme hatred of the Jewish religion and people
• Purging the German Culture: unquestioned loyalty to Hitler only, erase any memory of Weimar
Republic, religion in general, (Hitler and Germany is God), and censor, (burn and ban) all
books, writings, pictures, of anything that was negative about Germany. Hitler controlled all
media, (radio, movies, newspaper, entertainment EVERYTHING)! Propaganda
• Hitler took steps to openly defy the treaty of Versailles, (we will get into details later), and he
was not stopped by foreign nations, because we did not want war, and some felt bad about how
harsh we treated Germany.. Which gave Hitler more authority and credibility to his people, (look
what I can do, and no one will stop me)
• Hitler was a great speaker, very manipulative, and charismatic
