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Germany underwent great changes after World for “My Struggle”. The book described Hitler’s War I. Like Mussolini and Stalin, Germany’s major political ideas, including nationalism and Adolf Hitler rose to power during a time of the racial superiority of the German people, conflict and political instability. whom he called Aryans. POSTWAR GERMANY After World War I, HITLER GAINS POWER After Hitler was Germany formed a new republic government released from prison, he continued to work to known as the Weimar (Vy-mar) Republic. This gain power. The economic effects of the Great government was extremely unpopular among Depression helped his cause, as the German Germans, who blamed it for the humiliating people were desperate for a strong leader who Versailles treaty and for the economic would improve their lives. Hitler promised to problems that overwhelmed Germany after the rebuild Germany’s military. He spoke of a war. Inflation soared in Germany in the early mighty German empire and said that Germans 1920s, and the German mark (money) became were the “master race”. His claims about virtually worthless. Many Germans saw their German greatness won the Nazi Party many savings wiped out. Although an economic new supporters who wanted to believe that his recovery began in the late 1920s, the Great words were true. Depression soon brought even more political Through Hitler’s efforts the Nazis and economic chaos to Germany. continued to gain strength in the early 1930s. HITLER’S EARLY CAREER Adolf Hitler, born in They became the most popular of Germany’s Austria in 1889, served in the German army many political parties. As a result, in 1933 during World War I. In the chaos of postwar Hitler was appointed to the position of Germany, he became involved with a group of chancellor, the most powerful post in the right-wing extremists and soon joined the German government. Nationalist Socialist Party, or Nazi Party. HITLER CONTROLS GERMANY Once in power, With the Nazis, Hitler discovered that he Hitler began to crush had a talent for public speaking and leadership. his opposition. Many He soon became a key figure in the party, but of his opponents were he wanted greater power. In October 1923 he arrested; others were led an attempt to overthrow Germany’s intimidated by Nazi government. The effort failed, and Hitler thugs. By these received a short prison term. While in prison, means, Hitler bullied he wrote a book titled Mein Kampf – German the German legislature into giving him dictatorial powers. Increasingly, Hitler’s rule took the form During the 1930s, Hitler’s Nazi government passed many laws aimed at excluding Jews from mainstream German life. of a totalitarian regime. The attempt by a They prohibited Jews from marrying Germans. government to control all aspects of life is In 1935 the Nuremberg Laws created a called totalitarianism. Nazi propaganda built separate legal status for German Jews, up a cult of personality glorifying Hitler as the eliminating their citizenship and many civil and Fȕhrer (Fyoor-uhr), or “leader”. Nazi youth property rights, such as the right to vote. Jews’ organizations shaped the minds of young right to work in certain jobs was limited. The Germans, who pledged complete loyalty to Nuremberg Laws defined a person as Jewish Hitler and Germany. based on the ancestry of grandparents – not Hitler began to rebuild the German military and improve the German economy. religious beliefs. The Nazis also mounted more direct Strict wage controls and massive government attacks. On the nights of November 9 and 10, spending on public works programs helped 1938, they encouraged anti-Jewish riots across reduce unemployment. Much of the spending Germany and Austria. This attack came to be was for the rearmament of the German military, known as Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken although it also included the construction of Glass. During the riots, nearly 100 Jews were new buildings and roads. killed, and thousands of Jewish businesses NAZI ANTI-SEMITISM A key component of the and places of worship were damaged and Nazi system was strong anti-Semitic beliefs. destroyed. Yet as terrifying as this anti-Jewish Anti-Semitism is hostility toward or prejudice violence and destruction were, greater horrors against Jews. Hitler blamed Jews for many of were yet to come. Indeed, Hitler’s Germany Germany’s problems, including its defeat in was about to lead the world into history’s World War I. bloodiest war. Anti-Semitism had a long history in largely Christian Europe. In fact, Christian hostility toward Jews had existed since the Middle Ages. Nazi anti-Semitism combined this religious hostility with modern – and false – beliefs that Jews were a separate race. Under the Nazis, anti-Semitism combined prejudice based on religion with hatred based on ancestry.