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The Question: Why do people abuse their power over others? Apocalypse: The Rise of Hitler Hitler Speaks about the Jews http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0V _xf3OQgM Totalitarianism Refresher The party-state determines what people should believe. An inerrant (incapable of being wrong) leader. No room for the individual. A “religion”. A heroic fight against evil (the devil = Capitalist, Democratic West + Jews). The Strange + Interesting Hitler never allowed anyone to see him while he was naked or bathing. Hitler had a personal photographer: Heinrich Hoffmann. He loved the music of the famous opera composer Richard Wagner. In 1923, Nazi press secretary Dr. Sedgwick tried to convince Hitler to get rid of his trademark moustache or grow it normally. To excite the masses at Nazi rallies he used American College footballstyle music during his speeches. More Strange Hitler parents were first cousins – an interbred union. Hitler had a portrait of his mother in his bunker. He dated and lived with his niece-girlfriend (Gillie) who said “My uncle is a monster”. He became a vegetarian after attending the autopsy of a girlfriend (his niece) who committed suicide because of Hitler – he threatened to kill himself. Began to date his photographer’s secretary, Eva Braun, who would commit suicide with him in 1945. More Interesting Hitler’s designed all the Nazi flags, symbols, uniforms, pins, medals etc. Hitler’s SAs/Brownshirts were comprised of killers and fanatics. The Nazi Party uniforms (black uniforms of SS + Hitler Youth) were created by Hugo Boss = was a Nazi Party member. Lufthansa Airlines ran ads for Hitler and took him on speaking tours = “Fuhrer Over Germany”; “Supreme Saviour”. More Interesting Heil Hitler = Long Live Hitler; Nazi Salute goes back to ancient Rome. Hitler created architectural designs/sketches for the new Berlin he wanted to build - massive structures/flaws in design Henry Ford (yes the creator the of Model-T Ford, assembly line, and the Ford Motor Company) was an anti-Semite/Nazi Party supporter – he became the first foreigner celebrated; received the Order of Germany. Hitler had a picture of Ford on his desk. More Strange + Interesting One of his favourite targets for practical jokes was his foreign minister. He was a collector of fine art (painting, sculpture) Hitler was very proud of his German Shepherd named Blondi. Time: Man of the Year, 1938 Origins of the Name The origin of the name Hitler is either "one who lives in a hut" (Standard German Hütte), "shepherd" (Standard German hüten "to guard", English heed), or is from the Slavic word Hidlar and Hidlarcek. Backgrounder: Ancestry Hitler's father = Alois Hitler. Alois' ancestry subject of much controversy = unknown identity of Hitler’s father’s father. Jewish great-grandfather??? = unable to prove the opposite. Hitler’s Early Years Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) was born in Linz, Austria (1 of 6 children). Loved to play “Cowboys and Indians”; fixated on war; read Karl May’s books about Indians. Hitler was close to his mother, but had a troubled relationship with his authoritarian father = Alois wanted his son to follow in his footsteps as an Austrian customs official. Teenage Rebellion Wanted to go to classical high school and become an artist. For young Hitler, German Nationalism quickly became an obsession and a way to rebel. Hitler expressed loyalty only to Germany. Early Adulthood 1905 - Hitler lived a bohemian life in Vienna. He was rejected twice by the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna (1907–1908). Sold his paintings/postcards to merchants and tourists. Strongly influenced by Social Darwinism. In 1909, he lived in a shelter for the homeless. Anti-Semitism Hitler said he first became an anti-Semite in Vienna, a hotbed of traditional religious prejudice and 19th century racism. Anti-Semitism = prejudice/hatred towards Jews = Hitler claimed Jews were enemies of the Aryan Race (original, pure, Nordic, Caucasian master race); blames for everything, even WW1. WWI Hitler served (volunteered) in the 16th Bavarian Reserve Regiment; Austria found him unfit (he became a German citizen in 1932); he was 25 year old at the start of WW1. He participated in a number of major battles on the Western Front = Battle of Ypres, the Battle of the Somme, the Battle of Arras and the Battle of Passchendaele. Hitler in War Twice decorated for bravery (Iron Cross, 1st and 2nd Class). He also drew cartoons and instructional drawings for an army newspaper. On 15 October 1918, Hitler was admitted to a field hospital, temporarily blinded by a mustard gas attack. “Save Germany” During this hospital experience he became convinced the purpose of his life was to "save Germany" and began thinking of writing “Mein Kampf.” The shock/biterness of Germany’s defeat intensified his commitment (obsession) to racial nationalism. Racial Nationalism = form of nationalism wherein the "nation" is defined in terms of ethnicity = desires total victory over its supposed racial enemies. Freikorps = Free Corps Term was used for the paramilitary organizations that sprang up around Germany as soldiers returned in defeat from WW1. They were the key Weimar paramilitary groups active during that time. They formed the vanguard of the Nazi movement. Freikorps Many German veterans felt disconnected from civilian life, and joined a Freikorps in search of stability within a military structure. Others, angry at their sudden, apparently inexplicable defeat, joined up in an effort to put down Communist uprisings or exact some form of revenge. The German Workers Party In 1919, Hitler joined the German Workers Party (DAP) and anti-Weimar group. Later renamed the Nationalist Socialist Workers’ Party (NSDAP) = Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei from which we get NAZI aka the Nazi Party. He became the leader of NSDAP in 1921 = Führer. Attracting Followers Hitler was a highly effective public speaker. Like Mussolini, Hitler incorporated military attitudes and techniques into politics. His followers believed that he could restore Germany’s strength and pride under the ideology of National Socialism (Nazism) = a unique variety of fascism that incorporates biological racism and anti-Semitism. Opposition to the Weimar Republic There were two attempted revolutions against the Weimar Republic via putsch (coup/overthrow government or state): Opposition came from = left (communists) + right (monarchists and army). The Two Putsches 1) The Kapp Putsch (1920). Led by reactionaries within the army. Aimed at overthrowing the Weimar Republic. Seized Berlin and placed Wolfgang Kapp in the chancellors position. This “government” was soon brought down by a general strike of the workers. The Two Putsches 2) The Beer Hall Putsch/Munich Putsch (1923) = aka “March on Berlin.” Like Mussolini’s March on Rome. Poorly planned, leaders quickly arrested. Hitler was imprisoned for nine months = Ironically, his trial and imprisonment gave Hitler more attention and prestige and his cell was like a hotel room. Mein Kampf While in prison he wrote Mein Kampf (My Struggle) which explained his world-view. Originally called: Four and a Half Years of Struggle against Lies, Stupidity, and Cowardice. Elements of autobiography+ Hitler’s political ideology: National Socialism. Volume 1 (1925) and Volume 2 (1926). The Nazi Party Beginnings When Hitler left prison in 1924, he tightened his hold on the Nazi party. In times of prosperity, the Nazis gained little support. The Nazi and the Great Depression Their ideas were more suited to a populace that was dissatisfied. The Great Depression was perfect for Hitler and the Nazis: occupation of the Ruhr, inflation, unemployment, Versailles Diktat. Hitler would have been considered a nutcase if the Great Depression did not happen – Nazi’s would have been a fanatical fringe party. Key Ideas of the Nazis The key ideas of the Nazi Party would remain the following: Ultra-Nationalism/Anti-Semitism Repudiation of the Treaty of Versailles Fanatical Opposition to Communism The Swastika The word swastika is derived from the Sanskrit word swastika meaning any lucky or auspicious object, and in particular a mark made on persons and things to denote good luck = widely used in Indian religions such as Hinduism and Buddism. Nazi use of the Swastika When Hitler created a flag for the Nazi Party, he sought to incorporate both the swastika and "those revered colors expressive of our homage to the glorious past and which once brought so much honor to the German nation." (Red, white, and black were the colors of the flag of the old German Empire.) Nazi use of the Swastika He also stated: "As National Socialists, we see our program in our flag. In red, we see the social idea of the movement; in white, the nationalistic idea; in the swastika, the mission of the struggle for the victory of the Aryan man, and, by the same token, the victory of the idea of creative work”. Swastika = Hate Though once commonly used all over much of the world without stigma, because of its iconic usage in Nazi Germany the symbol has become stigmatized in the Western world, notably even outlawed in Germany. Nazi Eagle The Nazi Eagle = Party and Country The Nazi Party used a rather aggressively styled black eagle above a highly stylised oak wreath, with a swastika at its centre. When the eagle was looking to its left shoulder, it symbolised the Nazi party. When the eagle was looking to the right, it symbolised the country (Reich). Hitler’s World-view: Racial Nationalism Superior and inferior races = struggle for survival. Aryan Race = The Germans + other Nordic people were descendants of the ancient and possessed superior racial characteristics = the German people were the purest example. Hitler’s World-view: Racial Nationalism Aryan Myth = constructed to argue that modern Europeans (pure Germans) were the direct descendants of the ancient Greeks, making it therefore possible to exclude the contributions of other peoples. Aryan = derived from the Sanskrit “noble” + original Aryans was used to describe peoples of Indo-European Eurasian heritage. Superior vs. Inferior Races Conquer and subjugate other races. Lebensraum (living space) = by expanding eastward at the expense of the racially inferior Slavs = build a great army like Napoleon’s and take Moscow. Destroy the Jews = threatened to contaminate the pure German blood-line. The Resistible Rise of the Nazi Party The Great Depression of 1930: Created the unrest needed for people (particularly the middle class) to increasingly turn to Hitler’s radicalism. What the Germans Wanted In despair, the German public wanted: An end to the weak Weimer Republic. A revival of the economy. Protection against the Communist threat. Revenge for the Treaty of Versailles. The Nazi Party: Elections In the first election of 1932 the Nazi party won 37.3 percent of the vote (230 seats) but not a majority. Aging President Paul von Hindenburg (18471934) refused to give Hitler the chancellorship. The Nazi Party: Elections In the second 1932 election Hitler’s strength fell to 198 seats. Franz Von Papen (former chancellor) and Paul Von Hindenburg now thought it was safe to appoint Hitler the chancellorship so they could use him as a tool against the communists. Moves Toward Dictatorship Hitler took office at the beginning of 1933 and quickly moved to assume dictatorial powers and announce his Thousand-Year-Reich. Cheers greet Hitler as democracy dies. Will gain absolute power in stages. Paul Von Hindenburg anointing Hitler http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4X9 HoGUe1T4 Hitler becomes Dictator The Nazi party created the S.A. (Sturmabteilung) or the Brownshirts = to protect people from communists; appearance of legality. A “communist” set fire to the Reichstag (Reichstag Fire) in February 1933 – Dutch communist killed + communist rounded up. The Reichstag Reichstag = parliament of the German Empire (1894). Hitler Enabled Hitler convinced Hindenburg to sign an emergency decree: The Enabling Act. The Enabling Act: Emergency powers and suspending civil rights. Emergency powers used to arrest members of political parties that opposed him. Further Steps Toward Dictatorship March 1933 elections = able to gain a majority of support. Passed the Enabling Act of 1933 ("Day of Potsdam") = unlimited dictatorial authority. Further Steps Toward Dictatorship March 1933 = broke union powers and replaced them with the German Labour Front. July 1933 = all other political parties were outlawed = only the Third Reich (Nazi State) could exist. Anti –Hitler When Hitler came to power there were antiHitler demonstrations throughout the world and a boycott of German products; many in Germany blind to implications. Stalin refused to an alliance with Hitler = outlawed Social Democratic Party and unions in Germany. Solidifying Power: The Night of Long Knives The Night of Long Knives = June 30, 1934: Murdered (via the Shutzstaffel (S.S.)) some internal challengers/opponents of Hitler and the Nazi Party = aka the “Blood Purge”. Solidifying Power: Murdered “Opponents” Ernst Rohm: leader of the Brownshirts (the S.A.) = “a Bolshevik in disguise”; apparently planned a coup against Hitler; had delusions of grandeur. Kurt von Scheicher: a previous plotter against Hitler; former chancellor of Germany. Strasser: who represented the socialist wing of the party; rival to Hitler. Solidifying Power No one resisted and Hindenburg congratulated him on his achievement = names him Chancellor on Jan. 30, 1933. Hindenburg died (August 1934) which removed the last barrier to Hitler's power within Germany – power was absolute. Speech as Chancellor http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QP ew-SvfgSs&bpctr=1362852897 Key Nazis under Hitler Heinrich Himmler Joseph Goebbels Hermann Goering Amon Goeth Adolf Eichmann Rudolf Hoess Hans Frank Himmler: Policing Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was Reichsführer of the SS, a military commander, and a leading member of the Nazi Party = a powerful man. Chief of the German Police + Minister of the Interior = oversaw all internal and external police and security forces, including the Gestapo. Himmler One of the persons most directly responsible for the Holocaust – came up with the idea of the concentration camps. After capture, Himmler was scheduled to stand trial as a war criminal at Nuremberg, but on 23 May, 1945 he committed suicide by means of a potassium cyanide capsule before interrogation could begin. Himmler The Nuremberg Laws, 1933-1939 Package of anti-Jewish, anti-Semitic, Nazi laws: Register and wear the Star of David. Forfeit their careers and property. Restrictions on marriage and mingling. Loss of citizenship. Harbinger of evil. “Othering” German if all four of their grandparents were of "German or kindred blood.” Jewish if descended from three or four Jewish grandparents. Mischling, a crossbreed, of "mixed blood“ (plural: Mischlinge) = A person with one or two Jewish grandparents. Nazi Germany: The Leader-State The Third Reich was organized as a leaderstate: The Fuhrer (leader) = centralized all power in Hitler’s hands. The Nazi Party = only party allowed in Germany = totalitarian state. Freedoms were eliminated. Perversion of Education Education was completely perverted in order to serve the interests of the Nazi party = burned books in Universities, teachers trained students in weaponry. Nazi Youth organizations – Hitler Youth, Hitler-Jugend (HJ), being the most popular was founded in 1926. Compulsory for youths. Based on a military model. Hitler Youth A separate girls organization was added in 1929: = Schwesternschaft der Hitler-Jugend. Renamed Bund Deutscher Madel (BDM) in 1930. A section for younger females, the Jungmädelgruppe, was added in 1931. Indoctrination By 1939, Hitler Youth membership comprised 90 percent of the country’s youth. Brainwashing These youth organizations taught “genetic soundness” + how to be good wives and soldiers. Goebbels: Propaganda Joseph Goebbels, (29 October 1897 – 1 May 1945) Minister of Propaganda and National Enlightenment. He was the sharp tongued, suffered a limp from polio, and was short statured – nickname: The Poison Dwarf. Goebbels As one of Adolf Hitler's closest associates and most devout followers, he was known for his zealous orations and deep and virulent anti-Semitism, which led him to support the extermination of the Jews and to be one of the mentors of the Final Solution. Goebbels He remained loyal to Hitler until the end: Committed suicide with his wife, Magda = Killed their 6 children because none of them could live in a world without National Socialism. The Secret Police: The Gestapo An elite secret police was formed in 1929. Called the Geheimes Staatspolizei, or Gestapo for short, led by Heinrich Himmler. Were notorious throughout Europe for their ruthless efficiency and inhuman cruelty. SS bolts = Runic letters; Germanic traditions. The S.S. The Shutzstaffel (S.S.) formed by Himmler in 1929. They were an elite elective squadron. Were the cream of society = educated men; would carry out executions/final solution. Note: After the Night of Long Knives the S.S. would replace the S.A. Black cap with a Totenkopf (skull of a dead man) of the SS Luftwaffe The German Air force, Luftwaffe, led by Herman Goering, Minister for Air. Derived from the words: "Luft"= air. "Waffe"=weapon. Goering: Control of the Skies Hermann Wilhelm Göring (or Goering ) (12 January 1893–15 October 1946) was a leading member of the Nazi Party and Commander-inChief of the Luftwaffe, a position he was to hold until the final days of WWII. He was a veteran of the WWI as an ace fighter pilot. He was also the first organizer of the Gestapo. Goering Among many offices, he was Hitler's designated successor. Göring surrendered to U.S. soldiers on 9 May 1945 in Bavaria = put on trial in Nuremberg for war crimes = he was sentenced to death but committed suicide. Goering Hitler and the Churches The Nazis rejected Christianity. Preached a type of neo-paganism that glorified war and conquest. Church officials who preached against the Nazis were sent to concentration camps. Hitler + the Jewish People Pathological hatred of Jews. Anti-Semitism was not a new concept. Jews = successful in business and the professions = jealousy by less successful Aryan competitors. Scapegoating the Jews: An“Inferior” People The Jews became a convenient scapegoat: Someone accepting or being blamed for others shortcomings/problems) for all of Germany’s troubles. Nazi doctrine of racial purity = the Jews were strictly segregated (Jewish Ghettos, began in 1939) and treated as inferior peoples. Protest: A Tiny Flicker of Hope Only one record of public protest ever being made in Germany against Hitler’s treatment of the Jews. Berlin (1943). Kristallnacht (Crystal Night or Krystal Night) Kristallnacht = November 9-10, 1938. Coordinated attack on Jews = Jewish shops, synagogues and homes which were ransacked and many Jews imprisoned and murdered. Hitler Youth, the Gestapo, and the SS. Only the Beginning “Triggered” by the assassination in Paris of German diplomat Ernst von Rath by Herschel Grynszpan, a German-born Polish Jew. This was the beginning of the Final Solution, leading towards the genocide of the Holocaust. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v =hkClcMHP2fM Einsatzgruppen: Death Squads Einsatzgruppen = action group, aka “death squads”. Formed in 1939. Systematically murdered 1,500,000 people across Eastern Europe = predecessors of the Concentration/Death Camps. Einsatzgruppen: 4 Squads, One Bullet 4 groups of Einsatzgruppen = 900 personnel each including local police and Nazi soldiers + officers. Committed in your face killings in towns/communities; killing one person at a time; kept detailed statistics (public, personal, waste of bullets). Einsatzgruppen: To Obliterate Obliterated Jewish communities (4,000 murdered in 2 days); Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania etc. = a routine operation. Rounded up all the Jews in the town and brought them to the outskirts/edge of the community = farm fields, forest clearings, and cleared land on the side of roads became killing fields. Einsatzgruppen: Disposal 2-4 Einsatzgruppen would shoot the people so they had no individual responsibility; this was a trivial matter. The Einsatzgruppen were the reasons for the creation of Death Camps = hard to shoot one person at a time and the disposal of bodies became a problem – put them in mass pits filled to capacity (Himmler horrified). Adolf Eichmann: The Organizer Otto Adolf (9 March 1906 – 31 May 1962) was a German Nazi SSObersturmbannführer (lieutenant colonel) and one of the major organizers of the Holocaust. Adolf Eichmann Because of his organizational talents and ideological reliability, Eichmann was charged with the task of facilitating and managing the logistics of mass deportation of Jews to ghettos and extermination camps in German-occupied Eastern Europe. Adolf Eichmann After World War II, he fled to Argentina using a fraudulently obtained laissez-passer issued by the International Red Cross. He lived in Argentina under a false identity, working a succession of different jobs until 1960. Adolf Eichmann He was captured by Mossad (intelligence agency of Israel) operatives in Argentina and taken to Israel to face trial in an Israeli court on 15 criminal charges, including crimes against humanity and war crimes. Adolf Eichmann He was found guilty and executed by hanging in 1962. He is the only person to have been executed in Israel on conviction by a civilian court. Amon Goeth Amon Leopold Goeth (11 December 1908 – 13 September 1946) was an Austrian SS-Hauptsturmführer (captain) and the commandant of the KrakówPłaszów concentration camp in Płaszów in Germanoccupied Poland during World War II. Amon Goeth He was tried as a war criminal after the war by the Supreme National Tribunal of Poland at Kraków and was found guilty of personally ordering the imprisonment, torture, and extermination of individuals and groups of people. He was executed by hanging not far from the former site of the Płaszów camp. Rudolf Hoess Rudolf Franz Ferdinand Hoess (25 November 1900 – 16 April 1947) was an SSObersturmbannführer (lieutenant colonel), and from 4 May 1940 to November 1943 was the commandant of Auschwitz concentration camp, where it is estimated that more than a million people were murdered. Rudolf Hoess Hoess joined the Nazi Party in 1922 and the SS in 1934. He was hanged in 1947 following a trial in Warsaw. Hoess Hans Frank Hans Michael Frank (23 May 1900 – 16 October 1946) was a German lawyer who worked for the Nazi party during the 1920s and 1930s. After Hitler's ascension to power in 1933, Frank became Nazi Germany's chief jurist and Governor-General of occupied Poland's 'General Government' territory. Hans Frank During his tenure (1939–1945), he instituted a reign of terror against the civilian population, systematic plunder and brutal economic exploitation and became directly involved in the mass murder of Polish citizens of both Jewish and non-Jewish background. At the Nuremberg trials, he was found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity and was executed. Frank Hitler & Prosperity 1936 = eliminated unemployment. Created the autobahn. Rebuilding Germany’s power in international affairs = League of Nations admitted in 1926 - in 1936 kicked out. The Berlin Olympics, 1936 In 1936, Adolf Hitler’s fascist regime camouflaged its racism and militarism to hold the Winter and Summer Olympics. Goebbels convinced Hitler that the Olympics were an opportunity to gain international approval for the Nazi government. Exclusion of Jews April 1, 1933 – Nazis boycott Jewish businesses. April 7, 1933 – government creates the Laws of Restoration for the Professional Service. April 25, 1933 – Nazi Sport Office = “Aryans Only” policy. Fall of 1935 – Nazi government implements the Nuremburg Laws. International Pressure International Olympic Committee and the USA started a boycott, to treat Jews fairly and allow German Jews to compete in the Games. Nazis allowed two “half-Jewish” Germans – hockey player Rudi Ball and fencer Helene Mayer – to participate on the German Olympic Team. Gretel Bergmann (left Germany for the USA) Rudi Ball Helene Mayer Johann Trollmann Jesse Owens, USA Canada: Women’s Basketball Sammy Luftspring (boycotted Olympics) Phil Edwards Eva Dawes (boycotted Olympics) The Nazi Olympics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gN KlxcqLKcM Inside Germany: Death Threats The Jewish athletes attested that they and their families were threatened with their lives if they did not participate in the Games. Inside Germany: Firsts The first torch relay was inaugurated at the 1936 Games. First to be broadcasted live on radio and TV. First time that an Olympic cultural program (the Cultural Olympiad) took centre stage along with athletic events. Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer! (One People,One Empire, One Leader!) The Question: Why do people abuse their power over others?