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Adolf Hitler -Born April 20, 1889 -Austrian -Abused by father, coddled by mother -Psychological problems? -Went to Vienna to become artist -Failed entrance exam twice -Literally becomes a bum selling postcards -Volunteered in Bavarian army during WWI -Great soldier -Loved being in armyàwas his life -Won 2 iron crosses (Medal of Honor) -Left as a corporal (low rank)àwhy??? -People thought he was “unstable” -War endsàLife destroyed -Becomes “educator” for soldiers coming back from war -Help them “demobilize” -Great speaker -Hitler was a spy for German army -Spied on political parties -German Workers Party -Liked it when he was spying on them -Joins German Workers Party -Very tiny party -Had 45 members and about $3 in the bank -Becomes leader of GWP -Renames it National Socialist Workers Party (Nazi) -Tries to overthrow Bavarian (German) gov’t in 1923 -Beer Hall Putsch -Had 15K “bullies” to help him -Fails -Gets 6 months in jail (for TREASON!) -Writes book, Mein Kampf (“My Struggle”) -Outlines his ideas -Becomes member of German legislature -Great politician/speaker/propagandizer -Appeals to many Germans -SocialismàHelp working class -NationalismàGermany can be great again -Blames others for loss in WWI -How did Hitler get into power? -Never had a majority in the legislature -Did put together coalition of parties -His was largest party -Named Chancellor (“Sec. of State”) -Hitler in power -Hitler never got more than 44% of the vote -Nazi propaganda spread like wildfire -Within 6 months of coming to power (legally), becomes Fuhrer (“supreme leader”)
How Germany let this Happen-There were several factors that happened to Germany -If these didn’t happenàno Hitler -World War I -Germany was the loseràGermans angry -Caused rise in Nationalism (patriotism) -Jews were scapegoats -Caused radical parties to emerge -Civil War (right after WWI) -“Red Scare”àFear of communism spreading -Diktat (Peace terms) -Germany loses land, has to admit full responsibility -German army limited in number -Hyperinflation (Value of $ falling very fast) -Workers paid twice a day -Took bus fare at the end of the ride -Paper became more valuable than money itself -People added zeros to the billsàdidn’t matter -People sold everything they had -Upper class devastated -During WWIà4:1 ratios USD: mark -Height of hyperinflation: 4,200,000,000,000:1 -Stock Market Crash/Depression -Germany just as hard hit as US Life in Germany under Hitler-Germany was a totalitarian stateàNazis controlled everything -Hitler allows a vote on himself -“Can I be Chancellor and President?” -Yes (93% to 7%) -When people voted for Hitler, they were NOT voting for the Holocaust -Nazi party only party allowed in Germany -Hitler becoming more popular -Restores law and order, lower unemployment -Germany regaining its reputation -President diesàHitler names himself president -Becomes Fuhrer -How do you oppose Hitler? -You don’t -Hitler has SA (Sturmabteilungà “Storm troopers”) -Bunch of bullies/mobs -Had 50K when he became Chancellor -Had 2,000,000 as dictator -Nuremberg Laws (1935) -Defined who a Jew was -If your grandparents were Jews, you were a Jew -Tried to create Aryan race (pure German) -Had to find way to get rid of non-Aryans (Jews) -Krystallnacht (“Night of Broken Glass”) -November 1938 -Sanctioned by Hitler -ALL the synagogues were burned -Jewish stores lootedàLots of windows broken -Hence the name Krystallnacht -Most Germans disagreed with this -Didn’t say anything (afraid) -Nazis blamed the Jews for Krystallnacht! -Forced Jews to pay for the damages -Forced to wear yellow armband w/star on it -Could easily be identified
Appeasement at Munich -Hitler took the Rhineland (b/w Germany and France) in 1935 -Violated Versailles Treaty -Hitler and Mussolini formed “Rome-Berlin Axis” in 1936 -Axis powers -Supported Franco’s takeover in Spain -Hitler invades Austria in 1938 -Wanted to take the Sudetenland (part of Czechoslovakia) -France and Russia both supported Czech. -Britain’s Neville Chamberlain holds meeting with Hitler -Agree to let Hitler take Sudetenland -Hitler won’t take any more -Appeasement
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