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World War II. Hitler's Rise. Effects of the Treaty of Versailles. The Treaty of Versailles forced edicts on Germany such as: Severe restriction on military size, including no air force at all.
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World War II Hitler's Rise
Effects of the Treaty of Versailles • The Treaty of Versailles forced edicts on Germany such as: • Severe restriction on military size, including no air force at all. • Forced Germany to give up much of its land, including economically important land (e.g. coal fields). • Required Germany to pay billions of dollars in reparation for damages caused in WWI. Edict - a formal or authoritative proclamation
Effects of the Treaty of Versailles • The Treaty also included the War Guilt Clause which stated that Germany had to accept sole responsibility for the war. • However, it is clear that Germany was not the only aggressor in WWI. • The Treaty caused lasting resentment with Germans.
Effects of the Treaty of Versailles • As a result, the German currency, the mark, lost value compared to other currencies.
Effects of the Treaty of Versailles • The mark became so worthless, that it was actually cheaper to use money to start fires, rather than paper!
Adolf Hitler Rises to Power • Adolf Hitler was originally from Austria. • He tried and failed to enter the Vienna Art College. • He moved to Munich in 1913, and served four years in WWI and was awarded the Iron Cross for bravery. • In 1919, he joined the National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazi party).
Adolf Hitler Rises to Power • In 1923, he tried to overthrow the Bavarian state government, but failed miserably and was sent to prison. • There, he wrote Mein Kampf, (My Struggle), which set out his plans for restoring Germany and dominating Europe. • He tried to increase the Nazi party’s power between 1925 and 1929, but did poorly.
Mein Kampf. 1. BandSchutzumschlagAdolf HitlerFranz Eher VerlagMünchen, 1925DHM, Berlin
"In this time of bitter wrestling between educating my soul and cold rationality the Vienna streets did me an invaluable service by giving me a concrete lesson. The day arrived when I wasn't wandering the streets of the mighty city overwhelmed anymore, but took in not only the buildings but also the people.Once while I was walking through the city I suddenly encountered an appearance in a long black robe with black curls.Is this also a Jew? was my first thought. They hadn't looked like that in Linz. I covertly and cautiously observed the man, but the longer I stared at this strange face and questioningly examined it feature after feature, the more the first question changed in my mind to another version:Is this also a German?"
Adolf Hitler Rises to Power • Then the Depression hit. • By 1933, worldwide unemployment was almost 30 percent, and people were dissatisfied with traditional political parties. • Germany was severely affected by the Depression. • Hitler captured the support of the people by promising full employment for German people. • In January 1933, Hitler became the Chancellor, a position equivalent to the Prime Minister.
Adolf Hitler Rises to Power • Hitler wasted no time converting Germany to fascism. • He banned strikes, unions, and other political parties. • All economic activity was strictly controlled by the government. • He imposed censorship, and organized youth groups to teach beliefs of the Nazi party.
Adolf Hitler Rises to Power • One feature of the Nazi party belief was that of racial superiority. • This stated that some races are better than others, and the Aryan race (caucasian, and of Nordic descent) was best of all. • With this attitude, Hitler was able to make certain groups scapegoats for the problems of Germany, especially Jewish people.
Adolf Hitler Rises to Power • Hostility and prejudice towards Jewish people is called anti-semitism. • Under the Nazis, Jews were forbidden to participate in certain occupations, and were no longer considered German citizens. • By 1938, Jewish business were looted and destroyed, and Jews on the street were often beaten.
An anti-semitic sign: "Recognize the true enemy with the yellow star." Source: Dachau Memorial Museum
1934 issue of the newspaper The Sturmer, which names the Jews as ritual murderers of non-Jews. The lies of this famous issue brought protest driven by the headlines: "Jewish Murder Programme Against Non-Jewish Humanity Unveiled" and at the bottom, "The Jews are our Downfall!". Source: Dachau Memorial Museum.
Kristallnacht • In a one-night spree, Nazis burned synagogues, destroyed Jewish shops and killed Jews at random. The night became known as Kristallnacht, (“the night of the broken glass”). The incident was a sign of a much darker fate for the Jews trapped in Europe.