Nazism-Rise of Hitler Class IX History CBSE

Dictatorship is the anti-thesis of democracy. It gives no right to people, tolerates neither opposition nor criticism. It envisages one party rule, controlled by one leader and total authority.

Dictator is a leader who has complete authority and power in a country and has NOT been elected by the people.

RISE OF DICTATORSHIP IN ITALY AND GERMANY:

The interwar period (1919-1939AD) saw the rise of dictatorship in Italy and Germany. Unsettled economic and political conditions after the war paved way for the termination of democracy in both these countries. Several common factors in Italy and Germany led to dictatorship under Fascism and Nazism.

1.    Dissatisfaction with the humiliating peace treaty

2.    Economic crisis

3.    Inefficient and weak democratic system

4.    Political instability

THE RISE OF NAZI DICTATORSHIP IN GERMANY:  Germany, a powerful empire in the early 20^th century fought WWI alongside Austria-Hungary against the Allies, i.e., England France and Russia. All major powers joined the war but the war stretched on and drained Europe of all its resources. The combined forces of USA, Britain and France defeated the Austrians and the Germans in the War and forced them to ask for peace. This Great War ended on 11/11/1918, when the Germans signed the Armistice.

The Peace Settlement:  a conference of the representatives of different countries was held in Paris to settle the terms for Peace. Germany signed the Treaty of Peace on 28/06/1919, the terms were:

1.    Germany lost its overseas colonies, 1/10^th of its population, 13% of its territories, 75% of its iron and 26% of its coal to France Denmark and Lithuania.

2.    Allied powers demilitarized Germany to weaken its powers.

3.    War Guilt Clause held Germany responsible for the war & damages the Allied suffered.

4.    Germany was forced to pay a compensation of 6 billion pounds.

5.    The Allied armies occupied the resource rich- Rhineland for much of the 1920’s.

After its defeat in WWI, Germany faced economic crisis, revolts, lawlessness, unemployment, inflation etc. William Kaiser II was unable to solve these problems; he was forced to abdicate on 10/11/1918. Elections were held to the new constituent Assembly on 19/01/1919, which met at Weimar & adopted the new constitution, which set up a democratic govt. called “Weimer Republic”.

Causes of the Rise of Nazi Dictatorship in Germany OR “The Crisis in Germany”:

1: Weimer Republic: the republic was not accepted by the Germans because of the terms it was forced to accept after Germany’s defeat. Many Germans held the Weimar Republic responsible for not only the defeat in the war but the disgrace at Versailles. Those who supported the Weimar republic, mainly socialists, Catholics and democrats were mockingly named “November Criminals” and were attacked by conservative nationalist circles.

At the same time, workers of Germany wanted to establish a soviet style of govt. which led to a revolutionary uprising of the “Spartacist League” like the Russian Bolsheviks. The Weimar republic tried its best to crush the uprising with the help of war veterans organizations called “Free Corps”. This political instability gave Hitler a chance to come into power.

2: Reaction to the Humiliating Treaty of Versailles: Paying huge amounts of penalties to the victors, ceding large areas of German territories to them including overseas colonies and disbanding German armies. This treaty was signed in Paris in 1919 AD; people looked upon the Weimar Republic as a symbol of national disgrace and an act of betrayal of the German people.

3: The Economic Disaster: unemployment, inflation, price-rise, ruin of German trade and industry, world depression created an economic disaster. 1923 value of Mark collapsed and the price of goods soared. Germany faced ‘hyper-inflation’ under which prices rose very high. Americans intervened and bailed Germany out of the crisis introducing ‘Dawes Plan’.

4: Threat of Communism:  the communists in Germany tried to stage revolution on the Pattern of the Russian revolution of 1917AD; the German capitalists extended full support to Hitler’s Nazi party as the party was against socialism.

5: Hitlers Dynamic Personality: Hitler had a dynamic personality, being influential, charming, a great organizer, excellent orator, and a tireless worker. His logics were very convincing and his appeals touched the reasons and the emotions of the people.

The Ideology of Nazism OR The Aims of Hitler OR Features of Nazism:

Hitler’s cult, creed and philosophy were called Nazism, the main principles or aims:

1.    People exist for the state rather than the state for the people, he believed in totalitarian state.

2.    To tolerate no criticism, opposition and to allow no party to form other than its own.

3.    To end all parliamentary institutions & democratic government.

4.    To have full control over media, press, radio, education and any other means of propaganda.

5.    To crush communism and liberalism.

6.    To turn out Jews from Germany, as they had caused great hardships to the Germans due to their greed and conspiracy, during the WWI.

7.    To denounce the treaty of Versailles as disgraceful and regain lost or ceded German territories.

Hitler’s Rise to Power or The Rise Of The Nazi Party:  The rise of Hitler and the Nazi party are interlinked:

·     Adolf Hitler was born in 1889 A.D. He fought on the German side in the WWI and received the ‘Iron Cross’ for his bravery.

·     In 1919 Hitler joined a small political group, called the German Workers Party in Munich.

·     He became its ‘Fuhrer’, the leader, changed the name to Nationalist Socialist German Worker’s Party which became more famous by the name of the Nazi Party.

·     1923, Hitler was arrested & jailed for five years, here he wrote his famous autobiography named “Mein Kampf”-My Struggle.

·     After his release, he reorganized the Nazi Party from 1925-29.

·     He defamed the Weimar Republic for the sufferings of the people.

·     In the election of Jul 1932, the Nazis polled more than 13 million votes and captured 230 seats of the Reichstag.

·     The Nazi Party made the functioning of the coalition government headed by Von Papen impossible and he could not continue for long.

·     Ultimately, President Hidenberg of Germany was compelled to appoint Hitler as the Chancellor(PM) of the coalition government in January 1933.

·     Hitler ordered fresh elections to the German Parliament (Reichstag) to be held on 5 March 1933.

·     Hitler blamed the opposition, particularly the communist for setting the Reichstag building on fire just a day before the election. He crushed them with a heavy hand.

·     In such circumstances, he got passed the Enabling Act, which authorized his Government to take any action without the approval of the Reichstag.

·     Thus without even having a majority, Hitler became all powerful.

·     All political parties and trade unions were banned except for the Nazi Party.

·     Established complete control over the economy, media, army and judiciary.

·     The Nazi regime practically became one-man show.

·     President Hidenberg died on 2 Aug 1934, on the very day, Hitler combined in his own person the offices of the Chancellor (PM) and President and assumed the title of the “Fuhrer” and became the absolute dictator of Germany.

Hitler’s Policy of Nazification: Gleichschaltung subjected all major German institutions-universities, schools, professions, youth organizations- to Nazi control. Only the armed forces, Catholic Church and some dissenting Lutheran congregations resisted takeover. Trade unions were abolished. In 1934 the German Parliament voted its powers to Hitler through the Enabling Law. Popular support for Nazism was mobilized by the dramatization of the leader cult (Fuhreprinzip) and through mass political spectacles. The party rally at Nuremberg was an annual highlight. A strong appeal to Germanic traditions and folk culture was a major element. Mountains, forests and peasant costumes were favoured elements of his propaganda.                                                                                  

IMPACT OF NAZISM: After coming to power, Hitler followed a vigorous domestic and foreign policy:

Domestic Policy:

1.    Setting up a strong national state of Germany: Germany became a dictatorship:

a. All powers were in the hands of its Fuhrer- Adolf Hitler.

b. All opposition parties abolished.

c.  Criticism disallowed.

d. Rights denied of the people.

e. Democracy crushed.

f.  A secret state police under the name of Gestapo was established to spy over everyone.

g. Those suspected of disloyalty were executed without proper trial.

h. Germans were told that Hitler was Germany and Germany was Hitler.

i.   Established the rule of one man, one leader, and one party, which brought about national unity.

j.  Radio, press and all means of propaganda were controlled by the state including education was re-planned so as to promote Nazism and German nationalism & its unity.

k. Religion was brought under state control.

2. Economic Reforms and Development Work:  Hitler assigned the responsibility of economic recovery to the economist Hjalmar Schacht who aimed at full production and employment through a state funded work creation programme:

·     He reorganized German economy and administration.

·     New jobs were created and bureaucracy was expanded.

·     Factories were started and agricultural farms set up.

·     Workers were given more facilities, but no right to strike.

·     Hitler ordered the production of armaments at a large scale and introduced compulsory military service.

·     Under militarism, naval ships & aeroplanes began to be manufactured within Germany’s factories

·     He kept prices under control to keep the youth happy.

·     Import & export were controlled to maintain favourable balance of trade.

·     He ordered the construction of govt. buildings, offices, art galleries, stadiums, houses etc.

3. Anti- Jews Policy: the Nazi party & Hitler showed great dislike for the Jews. They held the Jews responsible for German defeat in WWI, due to their betrayal. He put a large number of jews in concentration camps only because they were Jews. They were denied German citizenship, dismissed from govt. jobs and prohibited from practicing medicine, law and other professions. Hitler wanted to remove what he called all ‘non-Aryan’ people from his German state to ensure racial purity. He aimed to exterminate all gypsies and Jews. In this Holocaust, 5.7 million Jewish men, women and children died.

Foreign Policy:

1. Disregarded the Treaty of Versailles:

• Hitler started re-armament & compulsory military service in violation of the ToV.
• He pulled out of the League of Nations in 1933.
• He stopped the payment of war indemnity.
• Took back the territory of Saar from France in 1934.
• In 1936 German troops re-entered Rhineland & fortified it as it was de-militarized by the ToV.

2. An Imperialist and Expansionist Foreign Policy: Hitler had imperialistic designs and wanted to establish the rule of the Swastika over the world.

• When he declared openly that he would not abide by the ToV- Itlay, Czechoslovakia & France entered into a Military Pact against Germany.
• France-Russia signed a Military pact against germany.
• He concluded the Anglo-German Naval Agreement in 1933.
• In 1936, Treaty with Italy called the Rome Berlin Axis, Japan joined in 1937, Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis.
• He concluded the non-aggression pact with Russia.
• Hitler attacked Austria on 13/03/1938 and annexed to German empire.
• Also annexed Sudentland( a part of Bohemia) in sept 1938.
• He seized a part of Czechoslovakia with the connivance of Britain, France due to the Munich Pact.
• Both Britain and France adopted a policy of appeasement towards Germany under Hitler.
• They did not oppose him when he captures the rest of Czechoslovakia in 1939.

NAZIS AND THE JEWS:

There was no equality among people, only a racial hierarchy. He regarded Nordic German Aryans at the top while the Jews at the lowest rung. They were considered as an anti-race, the arch-enemies of the Aryans. Jews remained worst sufferers of Nazi Germany. There are many factors responsible for this:

1.   Role of Traditional Christians: Jews suffered the most in Nazi Germany. This hatred had a precursor in the traditional Christian hostility towards Jews. They had been stereotyped as killers of Christ and ‘usurers’. Jews were barred from owning land and survived mainly on trade and money-lending. They lived separately in marked areas called Ghettos & were often persecuted.

2.   Various Theories: Nazis started using theories of Darwin and Herbert Spencer to propagate against Jews, which justified their hatred as they were considered an inferior race and had no right to survive according to these two theories.

3.   Propaganda at School Level: All Jewish teachers were dismissed from schools. School textbooks were re-written to justify Nazis ideas of race.

4.   Propaganda at Home: all girls had to maintain purity of race. Mothers were supposed to teach Nazi values to their children. There was a code of conduct for all women.

5.   Propaganda Through Press And Radio: ideas were spread through visual images, films, radios, movies etc. Jews were shown as pests.

Once in power the Nazis quickly began to implement their policies to eliminate all those who were seen as ‘undesirable’. The Nazis took steps to create the ‘desirables:’

1.   Total Control Over Schools: Hitler was fanatically interested in the youth of the country. Strong Nazi society could be established only teaching children Nazi ideology. This was done by controlling the child from inside and outside school.

All schools were cleansed and purified. Children were first segregated. Germans and Jews could not sit together or play together. Undesirable children and teachers were expelled-Jews, Gypsies, physically handicapped and finally in the 1940’s they were taken to the gas chambers.

Everyone aged 10-18 had to join the Hitler Youth Movement. At its meetings they not only learnt military discipline, but also games & put on displays of dancing and marching.

2.   New Education Policy: Textbooks were re-written under the New Education Policy. Racial science was introduced to justify the Nazi ideas of race. Stereotypes about Jews were popularized even through a Math classes. Children were taught to be loyal, submissive, hate Jews and worship Hitler.

3.   Spirit of Violence and Aggression: Boxing was introduced to inculcate the spirit of violence and aggression.  To make them strong hearted and masculine.

4.   Different Stages in the Life of a Youth: Youth organizations were made responsible for educating German youth in “the spirit of National Socialism”. All boys age 6-10 went through a preliminary training in Nazi ideology. At the end of the training they had to take an oath of loyalty to Hitler. 10yr old boys had to enter Jungvolk. At 14 all boys had to join ‘Hitler Youth’. After a period of rigorous ideological & physical training they joined the Labour Service, usually at 18 they had to serve in the Armed forces and enter one of the Nazi organizations.

Hitler’s Policy Towards Women:

1.   Superiority of Men: children were told that women were radically different from men. Nazis were against democratic rights of women. Boys were taught to be aggressive, masculine and steel hearted, girls were told they had to be good mothers and rear pure blooded Aryan children. Girls had to maintain purity of race and distance themselves from Jews, look after the homes and teach their children Nazi values.

2.   Awards & Punishments: women who bore racially desirable children were awarded by giving them favoured treatment in hospitals, concessions in shops, travel fares and theatre tickets. To encourage women to produce more children Honour Crosses’ were awarded, a bronze for 4, silver for 6 and gold for 8 +. Women who bore racially undesirable children were punished.

3.   Code of Conduct: All ‘Aryan’ women who deviated from the prescribed code of conduct were publicly condemned and severely punished. Those who maintained contact with other races, were paraded through the town with blackened faces and shaven heads. They were sentenced to jail and were separated from their families.

Hitler’s Propaganda: to eliminate inferior races and Jews. Nazis used a code language. They never used words like kill or murder in their official communications. Mass killings were termed ‘special treatment’, ‘final solution (jews)’, euthanasia (for the disabled), ‘selection’ and ‘disinfections’. ‘Evacuation’ meant deporting people to gas chambers. They were labeled as ‘disinfection areas’ and looked like bathrooms equipped with fake showerheads.

The Holocaust was the systematic, bureaucratic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of 6 million Jews by the Nazi regime & its collaborators. Holocaust is a word of Greek origin meaning ‘sacrifice by fire’. The Nazis who came to power believed that Germans were racially superior and the Jews were inferior and were an alien threat to the so-called German racial community. During the Holocaust, German authorities also targeted other groups because of their perceived ‘racial inferiority’: Roma (Gypsies), the disabled, and some of the Slavics(Poles, Russians and others).

Media was carefully used to win support for the regime & popularize its worldview. Their ideas were spread through visual images, films, radios, posters, catchy slogans, and leaflets. Groups were identified as enemies of Germans in posters & were mocked, stereotyped, abused and described evil. Socials and liberals were represented as weak & degenerate. They were attacked as malicious foreign agents. Propaganda films were made to create hatred for the Jews.

Ordinary People and the Crimes Against Humanity: Common People’s reaction to Nazism: Many saw the world through Nazi eyes and spoke their minds in Nazi language. They felt hatred & ander surge inside them when they saw a Jew. They marked the houses of Jews and reported suspicious neighbours. They genuinely believed that Nazism would bring prosperity & improve general well being. Nazis used all their power to create hatred in the society.

But there were some who resisted to Nazism braving police repression & death. The large majority of Germans were passive onlookers and apathetic witnesses as they were helpless. They were too scared to act, protest or differ. They preferred to look away.

Mein Kampf:  My struggle is a book by Adolf Hitler. It combines elements of autobiography with an exposition of Hitler’s National Socialist Political ideology. The book contains: Land Reforms, Racial Superiority, Eliminations of Jews, and Abrogation of the Peace Treaties.

Fall of Hitler:

When Hitler attacked Poland on 01/09/1939, that Britain and France issued an ultimatum to Germany, which Hitler ignored. Thus began the WWII in which Germany was totally defeated by the Allied Powers. She surrendered in 1945 AD. Hitler is believed to have committed suicide, with his end Nazism came to an end.

Comparing and contrasting the role of women in the two periods.

 Role of women during the French Revolution (1789 - 1815) - Women played an important role in French Revolution. They took an equal part in the social and political development of their country. During the French Revolution women marched to the Versailles and brought the king back to Paris along with them. Most of the French women, especially of the Third Estate, had to work for a living along with their men. They worked as seamstresses, sold flowers, fruits and vegetables at the market. Women in France started their political clubs and newspapers to raise their voices. They were free to demand equal rights as men. They were free to change their life-partners. This was not the case in Germany. However, in one thing, the French women and German women resemble very much. Both had to care their families, cook food, fetch water and look after their children. But in other regards the French women were quite free as compared to the German women under Nazi regime.

Role of women in the Nazi society (1933 - 1945) - In Nazi Germany, young people and even children were told that women were radically different from men. According to the Nazi cult, the fight for equal rights for men and women that had become a part of democratic struggles was quite wrong and it would destroy society. While boys were trained for hard jobs, girls were told to prove good mothers and bring up pure blooded Aryans, look after the home and teach their children the Nazi values.

Those mothers who brought up racially desirable children were awarded and favoured in various ways. On the other hand, those women who produced racially undesirable children, by marrying any undesirable men belonging to Jews, Poles, and Russians etc. were severely punished and were considered to have committed criminal offence. Thus all women were not treated equally in Nazi society.