Download achievement standard 2

ACHIEVEMENT STANDARD 2.6 - 90470
TOPIC: WEIMAR/NAZI GERMANY
IDENTITY: ADOLF HITLER
GRADE: Merit
Adolf Hitler. A strong leader in his own time, known as the leader of the National
Socialist German Workers Party, or the Nazi’s. Today, we remember him as a
madman, persecutor of the Jews, invoked of the Holocaust. But Hitler did have an
influence. I have chosen to write on the topic of The Weimar republic and the Nazi
state and about how this man, Adolf Hitler, influenced the development of the Nazi
identity.
The distinctive sense of identity in this topic is none other than the identity of the Nazi
Party themselves. The Nazi identity was composed of beliefs which they all shared
and were willing to fight for. These beliefs included a need for a strong leader, which
turned out to be Hitler; Anti-semetism or hatred for the Jews who became a
scapegoat for the Germans, belief that the place for a woman was in the home and
that being a mother was the best thing a woman could do for Germany; wanting to
end unemployment in Germany, belief that Jews, Homosexuals, Gypsies, Tramps
alcoholics and the mentally ill were a threat to the Nazi idea of a perfect or Master
race which the Nazi’s called Aryans. Aryans were blond haired, blue eyed and tall.
Can be summed up in this slogan: “Ein Volk, Ein Reich. Ein fuhrer” or “One people,
one government, one leader.”
There are a range of factors which contributed to the Nazi sense of identity. The
ones with the most influence were beliefs, shared experiences and culture.
The Nazis, as I have outlined, had a vast amount of beliefs. First of all, they believed
that there was “a Master race”, one that was superior to all the rest. The Aryans, as
they called this race, were blond haired and blue eyed. The Nazis released a torrent
of propaganda which promoted these people as being “culture creators”, and they
were encouraged to marry and make more little Aryans, and soldiers for Germany.
In the mid 1930’s, The Nuremburg laws were passed. These laws stated that it was
forbidden for a German to engage in sexual intercourse or be married to a Jew. Any
marriages made of this kind would be considered null and void.
In the country, places were created where members of the SS (german army under
Hitler) could breed with approved Aryan women. The Nazis also believed that there
were two strands in the bible, one Aryan, promoting a master race, and one
condemning the Jews.
Another belief shared by the Nazis was the belief that they should stop
unemployment in Germany. They went about this in a number of ways, by creating
large work projects like building autobahns, and introducing the “Strength through
Joy” movement which enabled Germans to get rewarded for working and could even
quality for a cruise upon a luxury liner. They also introduced Reichsarbeitsdienst
(RAD) camps, or working camps. Jews and women without jobs were not counted
as being unemployed, which significantly lowered the unemployment rate.
Experiences that were shared by the Nazis include the failure of the Munich hall beer
putsch, when Hitler first tried to take over the Government and abolish the Weimar;
opposition by the social democrats, the communists, the Church, Jews and
Germany’s youth; and the Nazis shared Anti-semetism.
Hitler was incredibly influential through all of this. First of all he began the whole
thing using the enabling act to appoint himself Fuhrer and constantly using Article 48.
Article 48 enabled him to issue laws without them passing through the Reichstag, or
German Government, and this gave Hitler almost unlimited power.
Hitler first concentrated on how he was going to influence the Nazis while he was in
jail after the Munich Putsch. He wrote his book “Mein Kampf” or “My Struggle” and
rethought his ideas. He decided that he would work from within the government and
get the majority of the vote.
He was a wonderfully powerful public speaker, and organised mass rallies. He also
had powerful and strong people working around him.
I believe that the main way Hitler influenced the Nazi identity was through creating
shared experiences and expressing beliefs through propaganda. The shared
experience I have outlined already, the Munich Putsch, was created by Hitler and
enabled him to contribute to the Nazi identity. He also shared with the Nazis his
hatred of the Jews, and ideas to get rid of them.
In conclusion, I believe that Hitler contributed to the Nazi identity and influenced it by
creating experiences that were shared by him and his party. He also used
propaganda and mass rallies to appeal to the German people which meant that the
Nazis would be more in favour.
This was how Hitler contributed to the Nazi sense of identity and became one of
history’s most well-remembered leaders.
ACHIEVEMENT STANDARD 2.6 - 90470
TOPIC: WEIMAR/NAZI GERMANY
IDENTITY: NAZI IDENTITY
GRADE: Merit
The leader of the Nazi Party, Adolf Hitler, had a significant role in the
development of a distinct party identity. He raised the profile of the party,
unified it, reshaped it’s policies and formed the S.A.
The Nazi Party had a strong identity a dedicated membership whose beliefs
were a strong part of that identity. They believed that the Aryan race was
superior and that it’s opposite was the Jew. Thus they were feisty antisemetist. This is why the party passed the ‘Nuremburg Laws’ when it was in
poser, in 1936. These Laws limited the rights of Jews in such ways as
preventing mixed marriages, preventing Jews from owning businesses or
being given public contacts.
The party was agressive. Adolf itler formed a private army, the SA. It was
uniformed and disciplined. It protected the parties meetings and disrupted the
meetings of others. It had street fights with communists (whose ideas the
Nazi’s hated). Hitlers forming the SA did a good deal to strengthen the
identity of the party by making members feel more secure.
Hitler revamped the organisation of the party into areas, each with certain
roles and a leader. This formed the identity of an organised and effective
party, where each person knew their role. At the same time he introduced the
‘Fuhrer principle’, which means that everybody was totaly loyal to one leader,
Hitler. This gave him total control of the party.
Hitler bought the party into the public eye. He made frequent speeches, more
posters and propaganda was used and the first mass-meetings were held.
Not only did this express the identity and ideas of the party in a clear way, but
it strengthened member’s feelings of being part of something meaningful.
The mass rallies at Nuremburg are a good example of where Hitler took the
party along these lines.
Hitler himself was an important factor in the development of identity, but some
others are important. The impact of the Treaty of Versallies and the
economic depression are notable.
Some of the clauses of the Treaty of Versallies caused a lot of anger among
German people. The war guilt clause, loss of territory and the scale of
reperations were some. The Nazi identity included wanting to right these
percieved wrongs and restore Germany to it’s former strength.
The economic depression in Germany when the party was formed led to the
establishment of many of it’s policies. For example the Nazi solution to
unemployment was to create a ‘National Labour Force’, to work on public
works such as roads. It is worthy of note that the party was not successful
until conditions were similar in the 1930’s.
In conclusion, Hitler was a powerful and dynamic leader who made a huge
contribution to the Nazi identity. He established the SA, revamped the
organisation and unified the party and bought the party into the public eye.
These contributed to the identity as well as expressing it in ways like mass
rallies.
ACHIEVEMENT STANDARD 2.6 - 90470
TOPIC: WEIMAR/NAZI GERMANY
IDENTITY: NAZI IDENTITY
GRADE: Achieved
Adolf Hitler was not only an influential leader of the Nazi Party but also an influential
leader of the Nazi identity, creating a slick image the German public was drawn to for
reasons of security and interest in a party whose policies aimed to get Germany back
on track. Hitler influenced the development of the ideal Nazi, the Nazi character
while preaching to the people his policies on Treaty of Versaille (to abolish it
completely) the incompetent Weimer government (to oust it) and economic policies
that would lead to German prosperity. His presence in Weimar Germany would be
felt and pressed upon by all.
The structure of the Nazi Party was unique. It had its own private ‘force’ the SS men,
the leader was charismatic and disciplined in a perceived state of chaos in Weimar
Germany. They held rallies, printed propaganda effectively and packaged their
policies in a way that most Germans – moderate or extreme found attractive. The
party was not just a political identity, it was a way of life. After 1933 when it had full
power in Germany and was in the process of ‘Nazifying’ it, it was obvious Nazi
characteristics were going to seep into every factor of German life.
The members were all seen in clear uniforms, with red armbands giving off a feeling
of aura and radiating power. Factors culminating in the Nazi identity were in place
since 1923 – after Hitler had been sentenced to jail for starting the Munich Putsch. It
was during his 9 month stay he wrote his autobiography outlining his policies and
views about Jews, the Weimar Government, Leberstraum, dominance of the Aryan
Race, his vision for Germany. After jail he regrouped the Nazi party and set his
sights on power in the German Parliament.
The image of Nazi’s in uniform, the idea of strength and disciplined help gain
monetary support for Hitler and his party as well as general support of the public. His
meteoric rise to power was accentuated by his oratory skills, a factor of important in
any charismatic leader. This skill he had for public speaking gained more and more
support from converted believers.
Disillusionment of the German people also benefited to the growing awareness of the
Nazi Identity. They were sick of the incompetent government who were weak in
policy and could not tackle the important problems facing Germany. Hitlers
propaganda-man Joseph Goebbles fed off this feeling of dissatisfaction with the
Weimar Govt, producing leaflets, posters stating the Nazi’s strength, accenting
Hitlers strength of leadership, and putting Communism, Jews and the Weimar
Government in a bad light.
Hitlers political skill allowed him to manipulate certain events to the good of the Nazi
party. The Reicstag Fire is an example of his technique to manipulate the President
into believing his claim that behind the fire was a communist plot. He was able to
use it to his advantage and be rid of Communist enemies.
His policies were a major factor in shaping the dark side of the Nazi party’s identity.
He was anti semitic, a personal view which led him to believe the Jews and the
Communists plotted for Germany’s demise. His anti Jew stance became a reality in
the Neuremberg Laws of 1935 which effectively banned their basic rights and
gradually made them aliens in their own country. Kristallnacht in 1938 came about
when a Jew shot a German Official in Paris – it led the way for an all out pogom in
the streets of the destruction of Jews’ property and homes, by Nazi supporters. Hitler
helped to create this hate of Jews which heralded the Nazi Identity. By now
everyone knew his and the Nazi view of the Jews. As they became more powerful,
Jews gradually lost their rights.
Badges were immediate visionary signs of the Nazi blitzkrieg. Hitler’s tendency to go
big as rallies and Nazi events was feverish and caught on with the public who got
taken up in the flood of excitement generated by these images.
Hitler’s influence on the shaping of the Nazi Identity was intense, and mostly all of his
making. His policies and stances gave personal support for the greater good of the
country were impeccably tailored and developed to put Nazi images on every aspect
of life, and to carefully hide the darker aspects for instance the extermination of Jews.
He used propaganda as an important tool of work in this shaping of the Nazi Identity
and other methods that many Germans were not aware of his other actions.
He developed Nazi Identity to be all powerful and present, so that other identities
were suppressed.