Nazi Germany and WWII

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  • Created by: india722
  • Created on: 22-03-20 12:50

Treaty of Versailles 1

Poverty

  • Germany suffered poverty and employment after the war but still had to pay £6600 million to the allies
  • One reason for this is that the army, air force and navy was drastically reduced so there were lots of people left unemployed
  • In 1922, Germany fell behind on payments and French troops had to send their own workers in as all the Germans went on strike. Money had less and less value and prices soared as they made more money. The government made the Germans work again and said that they would continue with their payments so that the French would leave Germany. Some Germans didn't agree with this so started supporting Hitler however he ended up in jail.
  • Slowly things got better for Germany and they came out of poverty

Loss of land

  • Germany lost land in the north, east and west which meant that on the east, Germany no longer bordered East Prussia and on the west, 2 provinces were given back to France and France was allowed to mine part of Germany
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Treaty of Versailles 2

Humiliation

  • Germany had to accept blame for starting the war
  • Germany was no longer able to communicate with Austria
  • France humiliated Germany by taking over parts of the countries however the other allies didn't agree with this

Army

  • Germany had to reduce its army to 100,000 men and they could only have 6 battleships
  • Germany wasn't allowed to build any new aeroplanes, submarines and tanks
  • Germay had to demilitarise the Rhineland
  • The Germans and the allies knew that Germany needed a large army because of the communist threat from the East (Russia)
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Economic Depression

  • In 1929,the Great Depression started in the USA because the stock market crashed
  • The Great Depression hit Germany very hard because it relied on huge money loans from the USA
  • In Germany, the Great Depression resulted in companies collapsing, lots of people being unemployed (uemployment rates rose by 500% in less than 3 years) and violence on the street
  • Hitler made speeches blaming the weak governement and also the communists and Jews
  • Hitler told people that he could help with the unemployment etc. and the Nazis gave people hope and purpose
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Reasons that Germans supported Hitler

Working Class

  • They found the Nazis impressive because of their uniform etc.
  • Nazis promised restrictions on earning more than 1000 marks per month which would help end poverty for the working class
  • There was huge unemployment and Hitler said he would help
  • People joined the Nazi party to feel pride and a sense of community
  • They wanted a strong leadership and not democracy

Middle Class

  • They didn't have a lot to eat
  • They were worried about losing savings and banks shutting
  • They were afraid of the communist party because they would take their jobs and money
  • They wanted a strong leadership and not democracy
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Hitler's Life and the biggest Influences

  • His father beat him and his mother and died when Hitler was 14
  • He was close to his mother, a picus catholic women, and she died when he was 18
  • He was a good student at first but lost interest in his studies and his teachers described him as being arrogant and broading
  • He attended catholic school and first saw the swastika symbol in the chapel
  • After he left school, he moved to Vienna to study art however he didn't get into art school, which meant that he ended up having to live on the streets for a while - it was this time when he developed a hatred for Jews as they dominated the rich banking industry
  • During WWI, he won the Iron Cross twice for bravery after acting as a runnner
  • After the war, he was upset because all the sacrafices had been in vain but the war had given him a sense of purpose and pride
  • He joined the Nazi party shortly after WWI
  • The Nazis were militant nationalists who campaigned for a strong army and aggressive foreign policy
  • During this time, he discovered a skill for public speaking
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Reasosn why Hitler become Chancellor

  • One of the reasons that Hitler became chancellor was because of the Treaty of Versailles - all the Germans were fed up of living in poverty and Hitler told them that if he became chancellor, they would stop paying the allies. The Germans were also angry that their land had been taken off them (eg. the Polish Corridor) and Hitler said that he would get it back. This meant that many Germans voted for him.
  • Another reason is because of the Great Depression - there were extremely high unemployment rates and lots of poverty and Hitler said that if he became chancellor, he would help with unemployment. This meant that many Germans voted for him.
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Causes of the War 1

  • Hitler was voted chancellor in 1933

Rearmament

  • In 1935, Hitler started to build up the German army in secret (as it was against the Treaty of Versailles)
  • Britain and France didn't stop Germany as they were more worried about the communist threat from the west and decided that a godd strong German army could actually help to protect them from communism

The Rhineland

  • In 1936, Hitler got German soliders to march into the Rhineland, which was forbidden by the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler claimed that Germany territory should be protected by German troops
  • None of the countries stopped Hitler. Some thought that Germany should be able to have German troops on their land
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Causes of the War 2

Austria

  • In 1938, Hitler wanted to reunite Germany and Austria which was forbidden by the Treaty of Versailles. He sent troops to make the Austrian leader let the people vote if they wanted unification but Hitler rigged the vote
  • The Austrian leader asked Britain, France and Italy for help but they refused as they didn't want to risk another war and Hitler promised peace

The Sudetenland

  • In 1938, Hitler demanded that the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia join Germany. He said that most people were German speaking and wanted to join
  • The British PM went to see Hitler 3 times to try and avoid war. He and the French PM agreed that Germany could have the region if they didn't invade the rest of the country

Czechoslovakia

  • In 1939, German troops invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia
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Causes of the War 3

  • Britain and France didn't help Czechoslovakia but it was clear that Poland may be invaded so they agreed to help Poland if it was

Poland

  • In 1939, Hitler and Stalin hated each other but signed a non-aggressio pact (the Nazi-Soviet pact). They agreed not to fight and to split Poland between them. Hitler asked for the Polish Corridor back and Poland refused. Germany invaded on 1st September
  • On 3rd September, Britain and France declared war on Germany but didn't send troops to defend Poland
  • The main reason that the war started was that Hitler became chancellor because of the Treaty of Versailles and the Great Depression. Hitler then did many things against the Treaty and Britain and France didn't do anything to stop Hitler until it was too late as they were trying to avoid war. Invading Poland was the tipping point and then the war started.
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Positives and Negatives for Youth

Positives

  • The Nazis were friendly towards the youth and made them excited to be part of the Hitler Youth
  • They liked marching in their uniforms and feeling important and like they were part of a community
  • Many boys enjoyed the Hitler Youth summer camps
  • Girls were part of the LGM and many enjoyed learning how to be housewives and mothers

Negative

  • The Hitler youth became compulsory for anyone over the age of 10 in 1939 (after it started in 1932)
  • Some boys didn't enjoy the military training
  • Schools indoctrinated children into the political and racial Nazi ideas and non-Nazi teachers were sacked
  • At first Jews had to sit at different desks, then go to a different school, and then they had no education
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Positives and Negatives for Farmers

Positives

  • Farmers debt was cancelled
  • Farm produce prices were increased by 20%
  • Chickens were slaughtered if they didn't lay at least 65 eggs a year
  • Big shops were banned and people were encouraged to shop in small local shops

Negatives

  • Farmers could no longer sell their farms which kept them fixed on land
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Positives and Negatives for Working People

Positives

  • The Nazis set up an organisation called "Strength through Joy" which gave workers rewards for their work (cheap holiday, picnics etc.)
  • The Nazis also encouraged employers to improve working conditions in factories

Negatives

  • Working hours in factories were increased but the wage was kept low
  • (for workers on job scheme) paid less than unemployed people
  • Trade unions were abolished
  • (for women) Nazis thought they should be housewives and mothers so sacked many female doctors, teachers and civil servants
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Positives and Negatives for Unemployed

Positives

  • 1 million men were recruited for the army
  • Unemployed schemes were set up and things such as motorways and hospitals were built
  • Mums with 4 or more children got a special award

Negatives

  • The unemployment benefit was scrapped but people on job schemes got paid less
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Positives and Negatives for the Army

Positives

  • 1 million men were recruited for the army
  • Vehicles, weapons and uniform were bought from manufacturers 
  • All male teenagers had to do military drills
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Positives and Negatives for Jews

Negatives

  • Nazis blamed Jews for Germany's problems
  • 600,000 Jews were declared as racially inferior
  • Jewish shops were destroyed or closed down
  • They were sent to concentration camps
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Positives and Negatives for Small Shop Owners

Positives

  • Big shops were banned and people were encouraged to shop in small local shops

Negatives

  • Increase in prices of farm produce
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Positives and Negatives for Manufacturers

Positives

  • Vehicles, weapons and uniform (for the amy) were bought from manufacturers

Negatives

  • Increase in prices of farm produce
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Control and the Secret Police

  • The Nazis used many methods of control including punishment, propaganda and the secret police (Gestapo)
  • The Nazis also controlled the legal system - judges had to swear an oath of loyalty to Hitler and were expected to act in the interest of the Nazis, all lawyers had to join the Nazi Lawyers asscoiation, the role of defence lawyers was weakened and standard punishments for crimes were abolished so local prosecutors could decide
  • Hitler set up the Schutzstaffel (**) which was Hitler's personal bodyguard service. It was led by Himmler. It oversaw the Gestapo (Nazi's secret police force) and the Sicherheitsdienst (SD) which was the intelligence gathering of the ** and was responsible for the security of Hitler, as well as other important Nazis. The SD was led by Heydrich, Himmler's right-hand man
  • The Gestapo's job was to monitor the people who lived in Germany and it looked for signs of oppositon or resistance to Nazi rule
  • The Gestapo was helped by ordinary people who had to watch their friends or family members (they were threatened so they couldn't refuse) and they would inform Nazis about any suspicious behaviour 
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Propaganda and Censorship

Propaganda is twisting information to make people think in a particular way

Censorship is when people are not allowed to see, hear, read or know certain information

  • Books regarded as "un-German" were burned eg. books talking about the failings of the German army were were burned as Nazis wanted Germans to be prepared to fight and to see war as a glorious struggle
  • Posters would emphasise the strength and achievments of the Nazis and pour scorn on Jews and communists
  • Newspapers that were controlled by communists, Jews and anti-Nazis were closed down
  • Images of Hitler were everywhere (in papers, on posters etc. and his speeches could be heard over loud speaker in punlic spaces
  • Radio stations were taken over and broadcasted pro-Nazi programmes which featured speeches by Nazi leaders and traditional German music. Cheap radios were made so all German households could have one
  • Foreign films were banned and newsreel films were made which showed Nazi achievments
  • There were rallies which were huge and had displays, marching, parades, singing and dancing to make Germans feel like they were part of something important and exciting
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Important Definitions

Discrimination - unjust treatment of different categories of people, normally based on race or sex

Genocide - the mass killing (extermination) of a group of people who share similar beliefs, have the same race or religion, or have something else in common, in an attempt to wipe them out of existence

Prejudice - preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience

Racism - prejudice or discrimination directed against someone of a different race, based on the belief that one's own race is superior

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Discrimination against Jews

  • Hitler believed tha Jews (as well as gypsies, homosexuals, the disabled and more) were racially inferior
  • Hitler believed that Aryans were the master race and others should be prosecuted
  • Methods of persecution involved sterilisation, euthenasia and, most commonly, concentration camps
  • In 1938, Krystallnacht took place as an act against Jews, but before that Jewsish books were burnt; Jewish civil servants, lawyers and teachers were sacked; people were taught that Jews were sub-human; their rights were taken away; marriage between Jews and Germans was banned; Jewish children couldn't go to school; Jews had to add Israel (male) or Sarah (female) to their name; Jews couldn't be doctors; Jews couldn't own a business; and they had to wear the Star of David
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Kristallnacht

  • Kristallnacht was on 9th November 1938 and was the first physical attack against Jews
  • Kristallnacht translates to crystal night - the night of broken glass
  • At around 1am, there was a document sent to the police that said Jewish property should be destroyed and healthy Jewish men should be sent to concentration camps
  • Windows were smashed; homes, businesses and synagogues were burnt down; contents of homes were thrown on the streets and stolen or burnt; a mob attacked a Jewish children's hospital; and a Jewish leader was beaten to death and his death was recorded as suicide
  •  At the end of the night, 26,000 Jews had been sent to concentration camps
  • The Nazis said that what they did was acceptable because a Jew had tried to kill a Nazi comrade so all Jews should be punished
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Punishment

  • The main method of punishment was concentration camps
  • Jews, homosexuals, prostitutes, Jehovah's witnesses, gypsies, alcoholics, pacifists, criminals, disabled people and more were sent to concentration camps
  • The elderly, children and disabled people, amongst others, were often killed on arrival, most commonly by using gas chambers
  • The physically healthy were worked extremely hard (many died from being overworked) treated horribly and lived in terrible conditions
  • Another form of punishment was sterilisation - certain groups of people were prevented from having children to keep the Aryan race pure
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Opposition

  • Other parties opposed Hitler because they didn't like how Hitler treated some people (eg. Jews), how there was poverty during the war and how Hitler did things that they didn't agree with (eg. abolish trade unions)
  • Parties opposed Hitler by doing things such as giving out disguised leaflets and painting anti-Nazi things on walls
  • An example is Hans Schon who set up an oppostion party called The White Rose and he and his sister printed leaflets. Eventually they were caught and beheaded
  • People also opposed Hitler  for the same reasons as other parties
  • People opposed Hitler by doing things such as not greeting with the Nazi salute and not giving money to Nazi charities
  • An example is Fritz Reck who opposed Hitler by keeping a diary because he thought that Hitler was going to end Christianity and another example is a man who gave anti-Nazi semons in church and had to spend 8 years in prison
  • Many people didn't speak out because they didn't know what was going on or they were afraid that they would be killed or sent to concentration camps
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Dunkirk

  • The government portrayed Dunkirk as a success for Britain and used propaganda
  • Some evidence was unreliable or didn't portray the whole picture
  • British propaganda included ships of all shapes and sizes bought soldiers home, disaster turned into miracle, men were calm and organised, soliders suffered but were unshaken etc.
  • Nazis also used propaganda and this included Germans captured the English and forced them to retreat, Britain lost both soldiers and equipment, the soldiers were not organised or calm etc.
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Hiroshima 1

Why was the atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima?

  • Hiroshima had a big military base
  • US Army had avoided fire bombing Hiroshima so they could measure the effects of the atom bomb on it
  • It was to shorten the war
  • America had tested the bomb on desert land but wanted to test it on a city
  • Japan ignored the order to step down

What was the destruction like?

  • There was a flash of light and the smoke went up in a mushroom shape and a shock wave was sent out
  • There was destruction and fires everywhere
  • People underneath where the bomb dropped were instantly killed, people outside nearby were covered in terrible burns and blood and people got trapped in the rubble - where many suffocated or burnt to death
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Hiroshima 2

  • Dark raindrops, black from the ash and smoke, began to fall and people drank them, not knowing that they were highly radioactive
  • The next morning, survivors who were wounded were taken to the hospital, dead bodies were disposed of and relatives searched the streets for their loved ones

What were the after effects?

  • A mysterious untreatble illness began to spread through the hospitals - the people who were near where the bomb dropped or had drunk the radioactive rain suffered from radiation and had no white blood cells
  • To this day, arguments continue about the morality of dropping the bomb
  • Every year on 6th August there are ceromonies to remember the dead

Reasons why dropping the atom bomb was not justified

  • The number of lives lost and people injured was not acceptable under any circumstances
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Hiroshima 3

  • Thousands of lives were ruined for decades to come
  • Japan was close to surrendering because over 60 of its cities were destroyed
  • The USA could have had a demonstration bombing over Tokyo Harbour to convince the Japanese to surrender, which would have saved thousands of innocent lives
  • The USA only dropped the bomb because they had spent so much money on it, which is not a valid reason to kill around 140,000 people
  • The USA argued that Hiroshima was a military base but there were 5 times more civilians in Hiroshima than soliders
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