Nazi Germany 1933-39 Flashcards Preview

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Flashcards in Nazi Germany 1933-39 Deck (32)
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1
Q

Why so many in Europe became communists in 1930s

A
  • Great Depression caused by Wall Street Crash spread
  • Lost jobs
  • Democracy & Capitalism failed them
  • Looked at in Soviet Union
  • Stalin succeeded Lenin in 1924
  • Introduced Five Year Plans - industrialist + modernise country. Many factories + building projects constructed.
  • S.Union seemed to be undergoing economic miracle. Workers had jobs + apartment
  • On surface, Stalin creating fair + happy societ. Communism seemed to work.
  • Propaganda - impression of content + loyal population. Stalin controlled communist parties in Europe, said how great in USSR.
2
Q

Stalin’s control over his people

A
  • Used terror
  • Secret police, NKVD, kept close eye. Anybody could be arrested
  • Suspected of opposing policies executed/ sent to prison camps called Gulsgs. Kolyma in Syberia - over 100 camps. Millions died in Gulags
  • Man-made famine defeat opposition in Ukraine. Estimate 5 mil died. 5 mil wealthier farmers called Kulaks killed/sent to camps
  • Great building projects, eg Moscow underground, built using slave labour
  • Great Purge - hundreds of thousands Communist Party members shot. Most leading generals killed
  • Estimated 20 mil killed under orders of Stalin
3
Q

Stalin’s Russia

A
  • Why so many in Europe became communists in 1930s

- Stalin’s control over his people

4
Q

Weimar government

A

Signed Treaty of Versailles 1919
A lot did not like gov.
Some not like democracy, wanted ruled by Kaiser
Many blamed gov for accepting treaty, plotted overthrow
November Criminals for signing armistice in Nov 1918
Not very strong

5
Q

Why was the Weimar gov. not very strong?

A

Many officials, esp. judged wanted to destroy it
Army not fully under gov control
German states had too much power, often ignore gov
System of proportional voting led to 28 parties

6
Q

Hyperinflation

A

Reparations - £6,600,000,000
1922 - could not manage to keep paying (2 billion paid)
1923 - France + Belgium invaded Ruhr, Germany’s most valuable industrial area
Workers ordered to strike in Ruhr. 132 killed, 150k expelled from home
Economy suffered
Printed money (had to pay striking workers + look after expelled)
Inflation. Led to hyperinflation.

7
Q

Hitlers beliefs

A

Believe betrayed by Jews + communists. Attacked democratic politicians for surrendering + signing Treaty.

8
Q

Hitler’s rise in power (1)

A

Joined German Workers Party.
Discovered gift for oratory.
Become leader.
1920 - renamed National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP), soon Nazi Party.

9
Q

Hitler’s rise in power (2)

A

Uniformed followers Sturm Absteilung (SA) / Brownshirts.

Schtuzstaffel (SS) - personal bodyguard

10
Q

Hitler’s rise in power (3)

A

Der Führer (the leader)

Right-arm salute adopted

11
Q

Hitler’s rise in power (4)

A

Held marches + rallies.
Gov. stopped paying reparations to French. French occupied Ruhr, German workers stopped working in protest.
Massive rise in prices (hyperinflation)

12
Q

Hitler’s rise in power (5)

A

Copy Mussolini + stage own march on Berlin.
Rebellion (putsch) failed.
Five years prison, wrote autobiography Mein Kampf (my struggles)

13
Q

Hitler’s rise in power (6)

A

Main political aims

14
Q

(6) Main political aims

A

Tear up treaty, make Germany great power
Create country that united German speakers
Destroy communism, socialism
Remove Jews from Germany. Believed Germans - master race (Aryan race) + Jews enemies

15
Q

Hitler’s rise in power (7)

A

Wall Street Crash + Great Depression caused unemployment - rise sharply

16
Q

Hitler’s rise in power (8)

A

Growth of communists scared many Germans, voted for Nazis.

Won 107 seats in 1930 election. Political violence became very common.

17
Q

Hitler’s rise in power (9)

A

Made many speeches throughout Germany

18
Q

Why people voted for Hitler

A
Fear of communism
Economic problems, esp. unemployment
Hatred + resentment of Treaty of Versailles
Hitler's leadership + use pf propaganda
Loss of confidence in democracy
19
Q

Hitler creating a dictatorship

A

1) Nazis took control of police. Brownshirts can beat up/kill political opponents. Gestapo (secret police) established - keep eye on population.
2) Dutch communist sets fire to Reichstag building. Hitler uses this to ban Communist Party.
3) Enabling Law in 1933 - rule by decree, democracy end.
4) Hitler acts swiftly, crush remnants of democracy. Political terror imceased, political opponents beaten up/killed.
5) Night of the Long Knives

20
Q

Night of the Long Knives

A
  • Who: Hitler, Brownshirts, Ernst Röhm, SA (Sturm Abteilung), S.Sk Kurt von Schliecher, Rudolph Hess, Strausser
  • What: June 30 1934 - SA arrested by SS, most killed. Killed other political enemies.
  • Why: Power of brownshirts growing, 2 mil+ members, Röhm talked about SA becoming new army of Germany, worried generals. Enemies in Nazi party, convinced Hitler Röhm plotting against him.
  • Results: Power of SA destroyed. No one to oppose Hitler left.
21
Q

Reasons Germans supported Hitler

A
  • Foreign policy very successful, made most Germans proud.
  • Hitler’s economic policy very succesful. Came to power in 1933, began ‘Battle for Work.’ Provided work for all through huge public work schemes, rearmament, growing car industry (Volkswagen)
  • Propaganda - important, control what was known/thought.
  • -> Josef Goebbels: Minister for National Enlightenment and Propaganda. In charge of press, radio, cinema, theatrs, art, - used Olympic Games in Berlin 1936 as Nazi Showcase.
22
Q

Berlin Olympics 1936

A

First torch carrying
Jews from Germany not allowed compete
Rumours - some countries to boycott games for humanitarian reasons, it was rejected
Promoted image of peaceful, tolerant Germany and hid military
Anti-semitic posters taken down
Nazi olympics
Promote Aryan race
89 medals for Germany
10 top athletes not allowed compete (Jewish)
German team - 300 approx. - Aryan race
New stadium in Berlin held 100,000 spectators

23
Q

Education under Nazi Germany

A

Loyalty to Führer taught from play school to university.
History books rewritten to glorify Germany’s past, PE emphasised.
Boys + girls joined youth organisations, indoctrinated with Nazi ideas.
Boys - Hitler Youth
Girls - League of German Maidens

24
Q

Economy in Nazi Germany Problems

A
  1. Massive unemployment: 1933 - 6 mil unemplyed, 33% population. Result if Wall Street Crash + Great Depression which followed. Factories shut down forcing workers into unemployment.
  2. Hyperinflation: 1919 - 48m for $1, 1921 - 330m for $1, 1923 - 4.2 tril. for $1. Direct result of Great Depression + Wall Street Crash. People struggled to pay for basic items such as bread.
  3. Restrictions imposed by Treaty of Versailles: Had 50% iron + steel industry lost. Owed 112 bil marks for WWI. Army restricted to 100,000 - no conscription. Loss of West Prussia - took away Germany’s richest farming land.
25
Q

Solutions to massive unemployment

A

started Battle for Work - create emplyoment.
Public work schemes established - building motorways.
Wages fixed.
Car industry investments.
Women not incl. in unemployment figures.
Careers Civil Service Act 1933 removed Jews from Civil Service.

1932 - 5 mil unemployed,
1939 - 302,000 (0.5% of pop.)

26
Q

Solutions to hyperinflation

A

New currency, mark –> rentenmark

27
Q

Treaty of Versailles solution

A

Stopped paying reparations

Appeasement - reversed terms of treaty - take back land, build armed forces, in exchange promise of good behaviour

28
Q

Anti-semitism

A

Hatred of the Jewish people

29
Q

Jews in Germany

A

Enemies to master race - Aryan.
Blamed for WWI defeat + problems after war.
Main aim of Nazis - get Jews to leave.

Less than 1% of pop, about 500,000.
Successful in business, medicine, law
Most felt themselves to be German.

30
Q

How did the Nazis make life difficult for the Jews?

A

1933 - boycott of Jewish shops.
Jews not allowed work for gov.
Anti-Jewish signs put up.
Forced to sell businesses at fraction of value.
1935 - Nuremburg Laws - illegal for Germans + Jews to marry or have sexual relations.

31
Q

Kristallnacht

A

Night of Broken Glass.

32
Q

Kristallnacht - revenge

A

1938 - German diplomat in Paris shot by Jewish student.

Nights of 9 + 10 Nov, Jews in Germany attacked.

Synagogues (place of Worship) attacked.
Jewish property + shops destroyed.
91 murdered, over 30,000 arrested + sent to concentration camps. Treated badly, soon released.
Community fined 1 bill. marks for murder. To pay for insurance bill for damage caused.

Over 80,000 Jews left in following month.