Download Lesson 1 Rise of Hitler 2013

History of Canada – Start of WWII
The Rise of Hitler and Nazism in Germany
Germany had lost WW1. The Treaty of Versailles brought peace, but the Treaty
also forced many concessions on Germany. The concessions included (1)
paying reparation for war damages, (2) giving up land and colonies, (3) reducing
its armed forces and (4) taking blame for WW1. Under these strict conditions,
Nazism became a political force and eventually a totalitarian regime in Germany.
There were a number of factors that led to the rise of Nazism?
Why did so many Germans turn to Hitler and Nazism?
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Read the notes that follow this information
(http://fcweb.limestone.on.ca/~stridef) and refer to your textbook
In your notebook, make a chart similar to the one below
From your research, identify the reasons why many Germans turned to
Hitler and Nazism. Note: One reason, the Treaty of Versailles, is
provided
Provide examples, proof or rationale for each reason.
Complete the table
Also use Internet research to complete the second table about the role of
other nations during this period AND answer the three questions about the
idea of isolationism and Canada.
Reason for rise in
Nazism in Germany
Treaty of Versailles
Example, Proof or Rationale
WORLD EVENTS LEADING TO WORLD WAR 2
How could Hitler and the Nazi Party have gained so much power so quickly?
USA and Canada
 Separated…and protected…by two oceans, and thus policy of isolationism
 Desire not to become involved in politics of other countries
 Needed to solve domestic problems of the Great Depression
Britain
 Involved in own affairs of rebuilding empire
 Wary of Communist Russia
 Had world largest and most powerful navy – confident they were safe
 Tried to avoid war by signing Munich Agreement with Germany restricting
German expansion – called Appeasement
France
 Involved in own affairs of reconstructing country
 Wary of Communist Russia
 No desire to enter into another war
 Tried to avoid war by signing Munich Agreement with Germany restricting
German expansion – called Appeasement
Italy
 Formed an alliance with Germany
 Sought to expand powers (e.g., invaded Eastern Africa and Albania)
Japan
 Formed an alliance with Germany
 Planned its own conquest for domination of Asia
 Invaded Chinese province of Manchuria in 1931, and by 1937 controlled all of
China
Russia
 Rebuilding after bloody Communist Revolution
 Building up a powerful army
 Under Stalin, intending to spread Communist form of government worldwide
 Signed non-aggression pact with Germany
Germany
 Used Self-Determination” section within Treaty of Versailles affirming that
people in different regions of Europe had the right to determine the form of
government under which they would live to German benefit (e.g., claimed part
of Czechoslovakia saying Germans living there want German government).
Building armed forces secretly in Germany and Austria
Questions
1. Was a policy of Isolationism a good policy? Explain
2. Was the policy of Appeasement a good policy? Explain
3. Could Canada have played a different role?
NAZI and Rise of Hitler - Events
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Hitler fought in WW1. He was a dispatch runner. He was wounded twice and
survived a gas attack. For his service, he earned First and Second Class Iron
Cross medals.
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The Treaty of Versailles humiliated Hitler. He also felt Germany was being
corrupted by Jews and Communists.
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In 1919, he joined the German Workers Party, and by 1921, he became its
self-imposed Chairman. He renamed the Party as the National Socialist
German Workers Party (Nazi). The Nazi had 3,000 members.
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Hitler introduced his 25-point program that included the Final Solution for
Jews (exclusion from society, ghettos, annihilate).
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In 1923, Hitler tried to stage a coup to overthrow the German government.
Called the Beer Hall Putsch, the coup ended with 19 dead, many wounded
and Hitler jailed for five years. The attempted coup was not a failure because
it raised the profile of a political nobody.
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Hitler became more politically active. By 1933, he had been elected
Chancellor of Germany with a majority of the seats in the German Parliament.
NOTE: 63% of Germans did not vote for Hitler. They failed to vote with a
unified voice against the Nazi.
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Almost immediately, Hitler enacted the Enabling Law. The law gave the
Government the power for four years to enact laws without the input of the
Parliament and deviate from the German Constitution.
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One week later, the Nazi passed the Temporary Law for the Coordination of
the States and the Reich. Under this law, states were required to conform to
the German Parliament. Hitler installed a Nazi Party member as the leader of
each state.
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Police forces were combined to form the SS and the Gestapo. Soon
afterwards, Germany became a police state.
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In 1933, Germany withdrew from the League of Nations.
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In 1934, Hitler began a campaign to purge Germany of his political foes.
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In 1934, the German Reich President died. Hitler abolished the title and
declared himself Fuhrer. All troops were required to swear an oath of
allegiance to Hitler…not to the country.
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After the “invited conquest of Austria”, Hitler looked at the Sudentenland of
Czechoslovakia. Hitler noted that many people of German descent lived in
this area, and that they wanted to be part of Germany. The Czechs were
ready to fight, but the world was not. British Prime Minister Neville
Chamberlain and French Premier Dadodian agreed to the German
occupation of Sudentenland at the Munich Conference. By March 1939,
Germany controlled, by force, all of Czechoslovakia.
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In August 1939, Germany signed a Non-Aggression Pact with the Soviet
Union. In the pact, these two nations would not fight each other and they
would divide Poland. Hitler could now concentrate his political efforts on his
western border.
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In September 1939, Hitler demanded the Polish Corridor awarded to Poland
in the Treaty of Versailles be returned to Germany. Poland refused.
Germany invaded Poland using a new strategy of warfare called blitzkrieg or
lightning warfare. It involved the rapid deployment of troops supported by air
attacks on important military sites (e.g., supply depots, air fields).
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On 3 September 1939, Britain under Winston Churchill declared war. Two
days later France declared war. Canada followed soon afterwards.
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For the next year, nothing happened, and Hitler readied his troops on his
western border.
EMPLOYMENT UNDER HITLER
Hitler and the Nazi Party came to power in 1933 promising to restore the glory of
Germany. During the Great Depression, Germany experienced massive
unemployment. By the mid-1930s, nearly 50% of Germany was unemployed.
The following data shows unemployment figures for Germany between 1928 and
1939.
1. Make a bar graph of the data
2. Discuss Hitler’s impact in terms of support for his plans.
Table 1. Unemployment in Germany between 1928 and 1939
(millions of people)
Year
Summer
Winter
1928
1.102
1.862
1929
1.251
2.850
1930
2.765
3.218
1931
3.990
4.887
1932
5.392
6.042
1933
4.464
6.014
1934
2.426
3.773
1935
1.754
2.974
1936
1.170
2.520
1937
0.563
1.853
1938
0.218
1.052
1939
0.038
0.302
Source: Davenport, M. 1997. World War II – Europe. T.S. Denison. Grand
Rapids, Michigan, USA.