Soc 30-1 Readings: Chapter 5 – parts on Germany

Soc 30-2 Readings: Chapter 7, pg. 172

What could cause Germany, a strong Christian nation with a history of:-music

What could cause Germany, a strong Christian nation with a history of:-music-Protestant Christianity

What could cause Germany, a strong Christian nation with a history of:-music-Protestant Christianity-science

To ideologically accept Hitler’s Nazi party and Fascist ideology?

Wilhelm Rontgen discovered X-rays in 1901!

Remember from Social 20 that Germany was blamed for World War One

The Treaty of Versailles Germany had to say the war was its fault Germany had to pay for war damages (30+

billion) Germany lost much of its territory – the map

of Europe was changed again The German army was limited to 100,000

men; Germany was not allowed to have any U-Boats or an air force

Like France and much of Western Europe, German lands were devastated as a result of World War One A lot of farmland had been destroyed Industry was hampered due to the destruction of

factories In terms of population

Over 2 million military deaths Almost 500,000 civilian deaths (disease, other…) Over 4.2 million military wounded

But the most significant blow came to German pride The Treaty of Versailles and reparation payments was

extremely insulting to the proud German people

Where communism in the Soviet Union was revolutionary, the rejection of liberalism in Nazi Germany is reactionary

Reactionary being: A desire to return to an idealized past An acceptance of economic inequality

1914-1918 Serves in German army

1919-1923 Acts as a right-wing activist in Munich

1923 Fails to overthrow government in Beer Hall Putsch

1930 Nazis win 107 seats in German Parliament

1932 Nazis win 230 seats; become largest party in Parliament

1933 January: becomes chancellorFebruary: Gains emergency powersMarch: Uses Enabling Act to end democracy in

Germany

Born in Austria in 1889Nevertheless, he fought for

the German army during WWI Temporarily blinded by poison

gas in 1918After the war he moved to

Munich, with many other unemployed war veterans

Began as a small fringe group, with Hitler as leader

Nazi is short for: National Socialist German Workers’ Party

But their name is essentially a lie. Nazis oppose: Socialism Communism Trade Unionism Class Conflict Workers’ rights

Why do this?

Unlike the communists in Russia, the Nazis believe that race, not class, is the source of social conflict The Jews were seen as the principal

enemy”- not because of religion though Hitler viewed people of Jewish descent

as a “biological, toxic infection that threatened the racially pure ‘Aryans’”▪ But this is a misapplication of the term Aryan!

Aryan refers to one of two language groups: Indo-Aryan or Indo-European languages

Hitler’s early attempt to overthrow the Weimar government

Hitler was arrested for treason and jailed Here he contemplated suicide But he realized that his trial

would give him a national audience for his views

Mein Kampf “My Struggle” Written by Hitler while in jail This book outlines his radical

view og German political history

After being released from prison, Hitler concentrated on building the Nazi’s power base University and professional groups Labour unions Agrarian Organizations The SA (paramilitary organization)

What do you believe was Hitler’s goal in expanding Nazi influence in these areas?

Germany was unable to pay the required reparation payments

The Dawes Plan was implemented The USA lends Germany

money Germany pays its

reparations to the allies The allies pay their war

debts back to the USA This system stabilized

the German economy… until the USA was no longer able to lend money

The Great Depression eliminated the flow of American money to Germany

So the Weimar government printed additional Reich marks (German currency) to pay the reparations However, this caused

hyper-inflation As additional money is

printed, the overall value of the currency decreases

Cost of a Loaf of Bread in 1923:428,000,000,000 marks

Unemployment rates began to skyrocket in 1929

Increasingly, the German people looked to radical groups to solve the problem that the Weimar government could not solve

Thus the Nazi rise to popularity and power In 1933, a small group of conservative

politicians persuaded President Hindenburg to name Hitler as Chancellor due to his popularity They believed that Hitler “…was no threat…he

could be pushed so far into a corner, that he’ll be squeaking”

They were wrong, and within months, Hitler had ended democracy in Germany

Officially called: “Law for Removing the Distress of the People

and the Reich” This act gave Hitler the power to

suspend the constitution and pass legislation without a parliament

When Hindenburg died in 1934, Hitler was the sole political leader in Germany Hitler took the title of Der Fuhrer (the

leader) “Heil Hitler” was an abbreviated oath to the

Fuhrer, reinforcing Hitler’s supreme authority

PROS

For dominant German groups, life got better Full employment Restoration of national

pride Cultural revolution – ties

nostalgia and modernity together

Heavy investment in public works The Autobahnen Unemployment defeated

CONS

Several groups were threatened with constant persecution Jews, communists,

socialists Real wages fell

Workers earned less $$ Fewer worker’s rights

Concentration on rearmament led to food and consumer-good shortages

Many viewed Hitler as a national saviour since he restored German pride Stopped paying reparation payments Ignored military restrictions of the treaty

of Versailles Massive military parades▪ Bolstered German national identity▪ Reminded Germans of the great German past:

militarism

Hitler and the Nazis utilized modern technology in their propaganda Produced their own magazines, posters, films Littered cities with propaganda

Hitler also subsidized radio production By 1930 most Germans had access to a radio

– and Hitler’s radio talks! Nazi propaganda was based on

“tradition” Sturdy blond peasants Small shopkeepers Independent craftsmen

To foster German national identity, the Nazis clearly identified and targeted groups seen as “not German”

Methods of Repression: Brown shirted SA▪ Replaced by

Black shirted SS (Schutzstaffeln)

• Political opponents

• Roman Catholics

• Jehovah’s Witnesses

• Gypsies• Mental/physical

handicaps• Mixed-race

children• Jewish

community

ScientificRacism

Nazism (Fascism in general) aims to control all aspects of its citizens’ lives This includes reproduction

Eugenics is controlling human reproduction to ensure desirable traits Sterilization or execution of undesirables Fostering reproduction among desirables▪ Lebensborn

Pages 190-191 in textbook

Hitler sought to ensure power through controlling the youth Boys and girls belonged to special

organizations that had fun activities These organizations also inculcated

loyalty to the Nazi regimeChildren even encouraged to report

any anti-Nazi activity (even on their parents)

Boys Programs Focused on military

training Different activities based

on ageUltimate goal is for boys

to enter the labour force or military at 18

Girls Programs Activities focus on

domesticity▪ How to cook & clean▪ How too properly make a bed▪ How to raise German

children▪ How to be a wife & mother

Girls enter the “League of German Maidens” at 14