Hitler’s Germany 3.2 To what extent, if at all, did Hitler’s rule benefit the people in Germany?
Hitler’s Germany3.2 To what extent, if at all, did Hitler’s rule benefit the people in Germany?
Recall•Hitler came into power as CHANCELLOR
in 1933•He had 33% of the votes
Impacts of Hitler’s rule in Germany
Political Impact
Social Impact
Economic Impact
Rise of Hitler
He began consolidating powerCalled for an election in Mar 193327 Feb 1933 Reichstag Fire23 Mar 1933 Enabling ActJune 1934 Night of Long Knives2 August 1934: Chancellor + President = Führer
How?
Rise of Hitler
27 Feb 1933 Reichstag Fire
Marinus van der Lubbe
Charred Reichstag
Arrest of communists
BUT! Even though the political opposition had been removed, Hitler did not have complete control over Germany.
Hindenburg could still remove Hitler from office if he wished.
Rise of Hitler
27 Feb 1933 Reichstag Fire
March 1933Enabling Act
Enabling Act, March 1933•Without the
Communist party, the Nazi Party won 44% of the votes
•Allied with a small nationalist party Hitler had a tiny majority in Parliament
On the day of voting…•SA and SS surrounded and intimidated
people around the building•Act was therefore passed – 444 against 84
Aftermath of Enabling Act•Allowed Hitler to pass laws
without the President’s approval
•April 1933 – only Nazi members can work in government departments
•May 1933 – Trade Unions were banned
•July 1933 – One Party Rule, the Nazi Party is the only legal political party
Rise of Hitler
27 Feb 1933 Reichstag Fire
March 1933Enabling Act
June 1934Night of Long Knives
Night of Long Knives• The SA had been a loyal
force for the Nazi Party• However, Rohm had
made many enemies▫Himmler, Goering,
Goebbels▫Army Leaders
• They managed to convince Hitler that Rohm was plotting a coup against him
Video (Night of Long Knives)
Singapore’s Public Service Pledge
Consolidation of power – the final step•Hindenburg’s death in August 1934•Hitler merged the roles of the Chancellor
and the President
President + Chancellor = Fuhrer
Rise of Hitler
27 Feb 1933 Reichstag Fire
March 1933Enabling Act
June 1934Night of Long Knives
August 1934Fuhrer!Muahahaha
Political impact: Positive or Negative?What was the political impact of Hitler’s regime? Did this harm or benefit people in Germany?
▫Describe the political impact ▫WHO – Did it benefit some but not others?
(+) Hitler managed to reunite the government under one single party, and this brought somewhat stability that the Weimar Government lacked. (-) However, this was achieved at the expense of executing people who were opponents to Hitler.
Impacts of Hitler’s rule in Germany
Political Impact
Economic Impact
Social Impact
Economic Impacts•Re-employment•Rise of big industrialists•Control of trade unions•Organsing workers’ leisure time•Militarisation
Economic Impact•Electoral promise of “Bread, Jobs and
Freedom”•Economy recovered•More stable than under the Weimar
Government•Controlled wages, prices and worker’s
right to strike
Re-employment•5 million unemployed•Public works initiated•Built infrastructure
Rise of Big Industries•Banned imports, subsidised local
companies•Goering’s 4 year plan to prepare for war•Control of Trade Union (DAF – German
Work Front)•Wages, working hours, jobs fixed•1939 – workers worked up to 72h a week
Organising leisure time•Propaganda praised workers as important•Provided cheap entertainment (movie
tickets)•Volkswagen beetle (cheap car)
Militarisation•Conscription in 1935•By 1939, there were 1.4million men in the
army•Modern Air force – Luftwaffe•Direct contravention to the TOV
Impacts of Hitler’s rule in Germany
Political Impact
Economic Impact
Social Impact
Social Impact•Germans•Jews and other minorities•Women and children
Impact on Germans•Propaganda
▫Propaganda Ministry headed by Joseph Goebbels
▫Used EVERY form of media▫Pro-Nazi▫Nationalistic▫Anti-Semitic, anti-communist
Nuremberg rallies
Rise of Secret Police•Schutz-Staffel•Gestapo
Henrich Himmler – Head of SS
Death’s Head Unit•Responsible for
concentration camps
•Responsible for the final solution
Gestapo
•Feared throughout Germany
•Unlimited powers of arrest
•Arrested and sent to concentration camps without trials
For Jews and other minorities, it was the start of a nightmare…
… which led to the Final Solution
Nuremburg Laws•Excluded Jews from society•No longer allowed to be citizens•Not allowed to leave the country
Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass)•Nazi diplomat shot dead by Jewish Boy•All hell broke loose
Final Solution Video
Arbeit Macht Frei
Work Shall Set You Free
The concentration camp was situated 400 km away from city centres, so that they could carry out their activities undisturbed and unknown to the public.
Prisoners’ tattoo
Sentry
Prisoner bunks
Double fenced gates
Firing walls – until a cheaper solution was found
Furnace
Gas Chamber
1 can for about a room of 100 Jews.
Genocide
Modern day field trip
Remembering the dead
Liberation video
Hitler Youth•Nazis view them as the future of Germany•Brainwashed from young to grow up and
fight for Germany•Made compulsory for all Aryan Youths•By 1933, it had 2.3 million members
Hitler YouthBoys GirlsNazi Ideology Nazi Ideology
Physical and Military Training Learnt about child bearing and raising a family
Women•Nazis believe that women
would best serve the nation by being good wives and mothers
•Excluded from work and all political appointments
•Kinder, Kirche, Kuche (Children, Church, Cooking)
•Women were given awards for the number of children they had
So who benefitted from Nazi rule?Did Nazi rule harm or benefit people
in Germany?
•Infrastructure•Economy recovered•Unemployment
down•Stability in
government•Germany became
strong again
•Censorship•Secret Police•Life was terrible for
the minorities
BUT