Background to the Holocaust

1. Background to the Holocaust

2. World War I • Drop in living standards: 20-30% • Meat consumption dropped to 12%. • Fish consumption dropped to 5%. • 9 million conscripted into armed forces • Influenza and Starvation killed as many as battlefield • Inflation accompanied shortages of food/fuel

3. World War I continued • Workday increase to 12-13 hours • Strikes and Food riots were regular • After all the sacrifices made soldiers could not understand why they surrendered. They had been told victory was close • Scapegoats needed to explain the loss

4. Scapegoats for the loss • Democratic Politicians • Revolutionaries • Communists • Socialists • Jewish Capitalists (accused of financing the war)

5. Versailles Treaty • Germans expected to sit at the Peace Conference Table as equals. • Instead they were given an ultimatum: Sign the Treaty or face renewed attack. This caused bitter resentment

6. Representatives at the conference included, left to right, British prime minister Lloyd George, Italian foreign minister Giorgio Sonnino, French premier Georges Clemenceau, and U.S. president Woodrow Wilson.

7. Treaty of Versailles • After defeating Germany in World War I, the victorious parties found it difficult to agree on the price Germany should pay in war reparations. Leaders from the United States, Britain, France, and Italy met at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 and drafted the Treaty of Versailles. The treaty mandated a number of restrictive and compensatory measures for Germany, including massive demilitarization and financial reparations.

8. Fulbrook,Mary History of Germany 1918-2000. The Divided Nation “…a country defeated in war, reduced in territory and status, subjected to a burden of reparations, rankling with revisionism, lurching from one political crisis to the next, and finally suffering a major economic collapse…(this) ultimately spelled the death of democracy. No one factor alone is sufficient to explain the collapse of the Weimar Republic ( and rise of the Nazi Party)…

9. Weimar Republic The republic was established after workers and troops in the German empire revolted in early 1918 against the government's refusal to end World War I (1914-1918). On November 9, Emperor William II fled the country and a provisional coalition government was formed between the moderate Social Democrats under Friedrich Ebert and the more radical Independent Social Democrats, who were hoping for a more fundamental socialist revolution. The new National Assembly met in Weimar, Thüringen, in February 1919 and wrote a constitution that established Germany as a democratic federal republic and provided for two houses of parliament, the Reichstag and the Reichsrat. Ebert was elected president of the new republic.

11. Weimar Republic • Ebert, Friedrich (1871-1925), German socialist leader and First president of the post-World War I Weimar Republic.

12. Immediate Tasks • Come to terms with the Treaty of Versailles (Tried to have it overturned) • Achieve some semblance of civil order • Arrange for payment of reparations • Political Chaos • Martial Law existed until 1924 • Left and Right Wing attempted Coups

13. Political Chaos • January 1919 – Spartacist Putsch in Berlin • Communist demonstrations in the Ruhr • Short lived Communist Regime in Munich (1919-1920) • March 1920- Kapp Putsch –right wing challenge to the government, driving it from Berlin temporarily

15. Adolf Hitler • Hitler was a “down and out tramp in Vienna in his youth, an unknown soldier in WWI, a derelict in Munich in the first grim postwar days (general thought him unfit to be promoted – “lack of leadership skills,”)and somewhat comical leader leader of the Beer hall Putsch – spellbinder who was not even German, but Austrian • Shirer, William. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich

16. Hitler practiced his gestures in order to perfect his stage presence

17. Hitler • Born in Braunau on April 20, 1889 • Close to border with Germany. Hitler became obsessed with the idea that there should be no border • An adequate student, Hitler opposed the idea of becoming a civil servant, like his father.

18. Adolf Hitler • Was not always an anti-semite • Fought in WWI (2 iron crosses) • Never accepted the German loss • Love Opera especially Wagner (anti-semite) • Wagnerian myth of Dolchstoss: Germany was never defeated but was victim of treacherous beings of an inferior race • (Jews and Communists)

19. Nazi Party Roots Autumn 1918, Munich: A small society calling itself the Political Workers Circle was formed by journalist Karl Harrer and Anton Drexler – a toolmaker in Munich Railway Radical Right wing anti-semitic views Attracted little attention January 5th, 1919 German Workers Party became it’s political arm. Drexler had ambition

20. Nazi Roots • Hitler joined party in September 1919 (30) • Became the Party Chief Propaganda Officer • Executive Committee member • Hitler was actually a spy assigned to monitor the PWC for the Bavarian Reichsehr (army) • Was drawn to it’s “good-will” ie anti-semitism

21. Seizing Control of NSDAP • Hitler influence rose in party • Hitler published “25 Point Party Program” A mix of anti-capitalism, anti-socialism, anti-Semitism, corporatism and ultra-nationalism. (de-emphasized socialist nature of party to attract middle-class support) Name was changed to National Socialist German Workers Party in Summer of 1920 Swastika was adopted as the Party Symbol

22. Seizing Control of NSDAP • December 1920: Dietrick Eckart, a friend of Hitler’s purchased the independent paper Volkischer Beobachter which was under the direct control of the Party Propaganda leader – Hitler • Hitler now could make personal beliefs known to circulation of 10-15,000 in 1921 • July of 1921 NSDAP merged with German Socialist Party to create a single unified organization based in Berlin (to undermine Hitler)

23. Seizing Control of NSDAP • Hitler resigned, leaving the party ineffective without their best public speaker • Set out preconditions for rejoining which included being elected Chairman with dictatorial powers and called for a special conference to put the issue to a vote • Drexler reluctantly agreed, rather than see the party collapse

24. Hitler gains control • July 29th 1921 Hitler elected First Chairman by a vote of 543:1, The “Fuhrer” of the Nazi Party • Retained Drexler as head of a “Reconciliation Committee” to smooth out differences outside of Munich • Eckart became editor of Volkischer Beobachter • Hitler headed the Investigation Committee – used to purge uncooperative party members and further own authority.

26. Beer Hall Putsch 1923 • Nazi’s, under Adolf Hitler, were the best organized extremist group. • Based out of Bavaria where many groups opposed the democratic Weimar Government • Aim was to win over German army and proclaim a wide revolt to overthrow the Weimar Republic

27. The Plan • Group of prominent businessmen were meeting in Munich Beer Hall with Bavarian Guest Speakers. • Plan: Kidnap the Guest Speakers and force them to accept Hitler as Leader. • March on Berlin, in imitation of Mussolini’s March on Rome

28. Events November 8, 1923, Hitler and the SA troops under Herman Goring surrounded the Hall and burst into the meeting. “The National Revolution has begun!…No one may leave the hall. Unless there is immediate quiet I shall have a machine gun posted in the gallery. The Bavarian and Reich governments have been removed and a provisional national government has been formed. The barracks of the Reichswehr and police are occupied. The Army and the police are marching on the city under the Swastika banner” None of this was true!

29. Hitler’s Speech in the Hall “I want now to fulfill the vow that I made to myself 5 years ago when I was a blind cripple in the military hospital: to know neither rest nor peace until the November criminals had been overthrown, until on the ruins of the wretched Germany of today; there should have arisen once more a Germany of power, and greatness of freedom and splendor.”

30. Results • Coup failed for a number of reasons. • Hitler attracted neither the army, nor police force nor the population in general • Nazi Party was banned • German Army sent to Munich to stop Nazi Putsch • Hitler arrested, tried, and convicted.

31. Results • Although the coup itself was a joke Hitler gained a great deal of publicity and thus their ideas became more widely known. • At trial Hitler gained more publicity, pleaded guilty and admitted he wanted to overthrow the government. • Described himself as a Patriot

32. Results • Jury was sympathetic • Judge had to convince them to find Hitler guilty • They did so only after the promise that Hitler would be eligible for parole in 6 months

33. Mein Kampf • While in Prison Hitler wrote his book “Mein Kampf” meaning My Struggle. The book was poorly written and sold very poorly when first released. When Hitler became more popular his book sold millions of copies

35. Ideas presented in Mein Kampf • Aryan Race was the master race • Jews were to blame for • Loss of the war in 1918 • Versailles Treaty • Hyperinflation of 1923 • Lack of jobs during the depression • Anschluss- Germany and Austria join together • Lebensraum – “Living Room” to be taken from Russia, especially the agricultural land of the Ukraine

37. Post -Prison • Hitler continued to rise to the top of the Nazi Party. • Others were simultaneously vying to be top dog. • General Ludendorff and Ernst Rohm were threats to Hitlers power although they held similar extremist views

39. Created a Party Structure to correspond with the 34 Reichstag Electoral Districts headed by a Gauleiter 7 Gaue for Austria, Danzig, Saar and Sudetenland Gaue divided into Kreise (circles) Local groups call Ortsgruppe Nazi’s Expansion

41. Sports Clubs were founded Flying Clubs introduced (helped prepare future pilots without violation requirements of Versailles Treaty Mass Banners Light Shows at Rally’s Torch Parades at Night Banner Parades during the day All designed to attract young males to the party Expansion

43. Hitler Youth League established Pre-Hitler Youth (10-15) Girls enrolled in Bund Deutscher Maedel Women had program called Frauenschaften …in preadolescence they were conditioned to hate and kill Jews. Given daggers with engraving “Blood and Honour” taught to sing: “When the Jew blood squirts from our knives we can stab twice as well – with Jew blood –with Jew blood” Nazi Expansion

44. Industrialists like Hitler’s Economic ideas and gave huge funds to the Nazi’s Financed University Fraternities Hitler’s Entourage drove the latest and most expensive Mercedes Children and adults were indoctrinated to be on guard against dangerous enemies of the state. Told they must have no pity and obey orders ruthlessly Expansion

45. Nazi Power • 1925 – 27,000 Nazi Party Members • 1926 - 49,000 • 1927 – 72,000 • 1928 – 108,000 • 1929, - 178, 000

46. Hitler reorganized the SA, his storm troopers and the SS. Organizational Expansion

47. Expansion Slowed • While true that the Nazi memberships were growing steadily in the 1924-1928 stage, this growth is by no means spectacular • This was because the economy was actually quite strong in these years. Unemployment was less than 2%. Nazi popularity with public fell from 6.5% to 2.5 % The general public still had no real interest in the party until the early 1930’s when the great depression set in.

49. The Great Depression • 1930’s Economic Crash • Foreign loans recalled • Unemployment jumps • Middle Class still recovering from inflation of 1923 • General Loathing of Treaty of Versailles • Resentment of those deemed to still be financially stable • Communist party grows in membership

50. Great Depression • Middle Classes fear Communist Revolution • Weimar Government paralyzed • Weimar government seems indecisive • Hitler presents himself as a strong leader and Nazi support grows among general public • Middle Class need a champion to oppose Communism