Download Hitler`s Germany

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.