...The Nazi Economy: The Economic Background: * Hitler’s position depended on bringing Germany out of depression and so during 1932 the Nazi leadership had begun to consider a number of possible approaches to the management of the economy. * The policy of autarky envisaged a scheme for the creation of a large trading area in Europe under the dominating influence of Germany, which could be developed to rival the other economic powers. It was the aim for self-sufficiency in the production of food and raw materials, especially when at war. * No coherent plan had emerged by January 1933 as Hitler had no real understanding of economics and to a large extent the implementation of economic policy was initially left to bankers and civil servants. From the start there was a lack of real direction, suggesting that economic policy tended to be pragmatic. It evolved out of the demands of the situation rather than being the result of careful planning. * Germany had faced continuing economic problems since the end of the First World War. Economic Recovery 1933-6: * In the early years, Nazi economic policy was under the control of Hjalmar Schacht, President of the Reichstag and Minister of Economics (1934-7). * Schacht was a respected international financer because of his leading role in the creation of the new currency in the wake of the 1923 hyperinflation. * The heart of economic recovery lay in the major revival of public investment, which embarked on a large...
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...1933, when the Nazi Party came to power, it had two main aims – to reduce unemployment, and to make Germany as strong an economic and military power as possible, so that the humiliating and devastating defeat of the Great War could never happen again. In order to achieve their aims, there were plans devised that were to shape the future of Germany in the coming years. The main stages involved in economic recovery were as follows: the New Plan – 1933-1936 – under Hjalmar Schacht where the focus was on reducing unemployment and the balance of payment deficit – ensuring the government spending matched government income; the Four Year Plan – 1936-1940 – under Goering, that focused more on speedy rearmament as Hitler wanted to go to war and acquire Lebensraum, living space. The economic policies included everything from giving the Mittelstand their required state of lifestyle – which had worsened throughout the years leading to the rise of the Nazis as big business had ousted them from the market – jobs to unemployed people, stabilising the economy, controlling imports into the country, to preventing inflation of the currency and developing autarky – self-sufficiency in producing own goods and raw materials especially in times of war. With such deteriorating economic conditions, it is overwhelming, the amount of pressure that the Nazis put on themselves and the promises they made to the Germans, such that the achievement of these aims seems implausible; this sheds light on the fact...
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...vital personality, violently anti-bourgeois and anti-Christian” person. He attended Oxford University and made a post-graduation in history in Vienna. After that, he became a political and diplomatic historian. In 1961 he published his most controversial book, The Origins of the Second World War, where he proposed a new and uncomfortable picture of Hitler – the Chancellor and Head of State of Germany between 1933 and 1945. Likewise, Origins seems to evidence numerous inconsistencies and contradictions in his own theories. In this essay, based on “Hitler’s Foreign Policy” chapter from the previously mentioned book, we will discuss the author’s opinion on the main character, regarding historical facts. Adolf Hitler was born in 1889 in Austria. When younger he was already considered as being a resentful, discontented and of unstable temperament child. He was deeply hostile towards his authoritarian father, and strongly attached to his mother. Later on, he went to Vienna where he acquired his first education in politics and that was when his brutal, violent side and his concerns with the ‘purity of blood’ started to arise. In 1919, Hitler joined a political party created and developed during the post-World War I era – the Nazi party. It was anti-Marxist and was opposed to the democratic post-war government (Weimar Republic) and the Treaty of Versailles; and it promoted extreme Nationalism as...
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...1. Analyse the problems of the Weimar republic After the First World War, Kaiser resigned due to November Revolution and later on, in 1919, a federal republic met in Weimar, Germany to replace the imperial form of government, which is known as Weimar Republic. This Republic lasted until 1933, and was destroyed by Hitler. It went to three stages. In the first stage, which was from 1919-23, there was instability when the republic was struggling to survive. In the second stage, from 1923-29, there was stability when Gustav Streseman was the leading politician. This stability was due to the Dawes plan of 1924 in which USA provided huge loans. In the third or last stage, from 1929-33 there was instability again which led to the downfall of the Weimar Republic. The short term cause was the world economic crisis, which has disastrous effects on Germany, resulting in 6.5 million unemployed. This sudden situation made the government unable to cope with the situation and by the end of 1923 the Weimar republic seemed on the verge of collapse. There were several long term causes for that. Some of them were: 1. It had a number of disadvantages from the beginning the Republic was formed. a. It had accepted the humiliation and unpopular treaty of Versailles Treaty: The republic was not strong enough to reject the defeat and dishonour. b. There was a traditional lack of respect for democratic government: The Germans always favoured the army, and thought that the Democrats...
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...History The Effect of the NSDAP on German Society (1933 – 1945) “The Nazis had a sweeping set of aims which involved a totally new German society. All they in fact achieved was chaos and ruin for Germany. This was not just due to the war in Europe, but also before the war.” – Richard Overy Hitler and the Nazi party had many beliefs about what German society should be like and different aims to create the perfect Germany. The main goal was the complete reshaping of German society into the Aryan community, or the creation of Volksgemeinschaft. The only way that the Nazis could achieve this was through discrimination, eradication, and ultimately by killing or those who did not fit into the Aryan society. Hitler only wanted the ‘perfect’ Germans to be part of his people’s community. He introduced benefits for those who he believed to be of the perfect race and punishments for those who weren’t. One policy he put into place was Strength through Joy (KdF), though which workers received a free holiday or event. The idea was to keep the workers happy and refreshed and therefore working longer and harder. Hitler also wanted his Volksgemeinschaft to be completely self-sufficient – he wanted only German goods produced by German shops. In an attempt to achieve this he shut down all Jewish and foreign owned shops and businesses. Then on 2ndMay 1933...
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...What did the term Fascism stand for? The term ‘fascist’ was later applied to other rules and rulers like Hitler (Germany), Franco (Spain), Salazar (Portugal) and Peron (Argentina). These were sometimes quite different from the Italian rule. Since there was no great theoretical writer during this age who would have explained the philosophies clearly in the way that Karl Marx had did for Communism. Mussolini had been frequently changing his policies and aims before 1923 which suggested that his main aim was to acquire power. Some of the basic principles of Fascism can be listed as follows: • Extreme Nationalism: Emphasis on the re-birth of the Nation after a period of decline and also establishing that one’s own Nation is superior to all. • A totalitarian system of Government: In this the Government attempted to arouse and mobilize the ordinary people and to organize them with strong disciplinary measures and to control as many aspects of human life as possible. According to the ‘fascists’, this was necessary in order to promote the interest of the State. • A one party state was essential: there was no place for democracy and especially communism. The fascist party members were the elite class of the Nation and the leader would win mass support thrilling speeches. • Importance of economic self-sufficiency (autarchy): This was required in order to develop the greatness of the state. • Military strength and violence: This was an integral part...
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...Word count= 2000 Word count= 2000 World War Two (WW2) and the situation it created within Germany saw the creation of two rival political systems which were influenced by rival foreign powers. In this aspect, it can be seen as the key turning point in German political systems. When Germany at the end of WW2 was conquered and occupied by the allies between the years 1945-1949 (point zero), the subsequent rift between the capitalist allies (Britain, France and America) and the communist allies (Russia) formed two opposing democratic Germany’s; The Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the German Democratic Republic (GDR). This is significant, due to foreign powers controlling Germany’s political system, as well as the departure from Sonderweg, meaning Germany no longer followed a unique path of development and that nationalism and militarism were on the decline. The significance of the previous German eras, Kaiser Reich (Semi-Autocratic Empire), Weimar Republic (Federal Democracy) and the Third Reich (Dictatorship) are also significant, however in political terms they are not as significant as post 45. The significances of post 1945 can be seen by its success of creating a working democracy in Germany after 1945, the FRG. One reason why the FRG was successful revolves around the sudden decline in German militarism and nationalism. This is evident in the fact that the FRG’s constitution was based on the Weimar Republics concept of ‘Grundgesetz’, which means basic law. The implications...
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...They needed to produce weapons for their soldiers, and therefore allow factories to go back to work. To revalidate their countries, Hitler and Mussolini had to create laws. In Germany, Hitler implemented the New Plan (1934), which stopped all foreign imports and subsidized industry, hence raising their production in war essentials such as coal or oil (“Germany”). Later they implemented the Four Year Plan (1936), which was meant to prepare Germany for war in four years, in both industry and army (Rice 105). This left the country in a state of Wehrwirtschaft, an economic state where both the economics of peacetime and wartime were combined (Overy). Although these policies successfully boosted the economy and industry, the economy was strictly controlled, and many small businesses were sacrificed to support bigger industries, which on the long run gave Germany more problems. Labor unions also came under Nazi control by implementing policies such as the RAD, which gave jobs to men while wearing an army uniform, the Strength Through Joy (KdF), which was a controlled leisure organization, or the German Labor Front (DAF) (Overy). By controlling the labor unions, Hitler was able to control the workers as he pleased. For Mussolini, the goal of modernization had been long overdue, since he felt this would help establish Italy as a leading European power. Mussolini’s first goal was to make Italy...
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...(pogroms) yet have managed to survive as a group and as a religion. * Nazi policy towards the Jews was the most brutal and horrific example of anti-Semitic behaviour in history * Nazis developed a deliberate policy to kill the Hews who lived in Germany — In 1922, 60% of the worl’d’s population of Jews occupied land in German and its area. By 1945, 2/3 of the Jewish population had been killed * By the 19th Century: German-Jews had won greater acceptance in that they made very important contributions to the intellectual, financial, educational and cultural life of the nation. * During WW1, 100 000 Jewish soldiers died during the conflict. * In the Weimar Republic, Jews enjoyed equal rights with all other Germans and some even rose to high positions in the civil service and the government. * Late 19th Century: Jews represented a challenge to the concept of the nationalism, especially when there was a development of the Volkisch movement. * Bt the start of the 20th Century, ideology of the racially pure was being embraced by all, and the Jews were not part of it. * German Historian Heinrich von Treitschke in the 1880’s said that ‘The Jews are our misfortune’ — A quote which was quickly adapted by the Nazis in the 1930s * Hitlers hatred of the Jews was at the heart of his view of the world — an ‘obsession’ that never waned * In Hitlers view, civilisation and nations decline when they failed to maintain the purity of...
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...Course Study Notes: hsctutoringnotes@outlook.com MODERN HISTORY Topics World War One Germany Albert Speer The Cold War 1 Course Study Notes: hsctutoringnotes@outlook.com World War One Themes War on the Western Front Home Fronts in Britain and Germany Turning Points of the War The Allied Victory 2 Course Study Notes: hsctutoringnotes@outlook.com War on the Western Front Reasons for the development of the Stalemate A stalemate is an end of a war movement. It refers to the deadlock resulting from high levels of defence. The stalemate developed from four major reasons: i. The Faults of the Schlieffen Plan ii. The Faults of Plan XVII iii. Problems with Communications and Tactics iv. Problems with the High Command • The Faults in • There was an incredible reliance on speed – quick defeat of the France and a slow response by Russia Schlieffen • Unexpectedly strong resistance by Belgian forces – sabotaged Plan railway lines • Strong resistance from French • Troops were diverted from the West to the Eastern front • The “hammer swing” was shortened, so they approached Paris from the East which was expected • The Treaty of London was disregarded as a scrap of paper • Germans weren’t adequately trained for modern warfare strategies • The Faults in • French underestimated number of soldiers available to Plan XVII Germany • French were preoccupied with revenge for Alsace-Lorraine • Insufficient forces were given to the French...
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...Fascism was one of the greatest influences of Nazism. Because Fascism influenced many aspects of Nazism, they have many things in common, but they also have many differences. Nazism is believed to be a form of fascism. Fascism began in 1919 after the treaty of Versailles while Nazism began in 1933. One main difference between Fascism and Nazism are their main focuses. Fascism focused on certain political ideologies while Nazism focused on racial hate. The Nazis believed that they were superior and people who were unlike them, such a the Jewish people in World War II, should be killed. Nazi Germany’s main european ally was Italy. Although Italy and Germany were military allies their relationship wasn’t stable. Both Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany’ priorities were their own national interests instead of supporting the interests of their ally. Their relationship became a relationship of convenience rather than a firm alliance. In his early years of establishing the Nazi party, Hitler was a huge admirer of Mussolini, he particularly admired Mussolini’s rise to power through the march of Rome. Hitler tried to replicate the march on Rome with Munich putsch when he tried to rise into power. Mussolini began giving the newly rising Nazi party financial support, he also allowed the Nazi soldiers to train with his own people, the Blackshirts. In 1933 Mussolini publicly praise Hitler's ascension to power, counting it as a victory for...
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...mainly the result of a long term plan by Hitler to eliminate the Jews Source A and B believe more that the holocaust was a short term plan that slowly developed due to the outbreak of the war and the general belief of cleansing of the population. Whereas source C and D believe that the holocaust was a long term plan by Hitler and that his mood or any other factor did not play a part in the mass genocide of the Jewish population in Germany and Europe and his main aim throughout the war was to look for a ‘final solution’. Source A talks about how late any action against the Jews, the source is implying that if this was a long term plan they why had Hitler waited so long to prosecute the Jews. The source believes that the outbreak of the war is one of the main factors that brought upon the prosecution of the Jews, originally Germany only had a small population of a few hundred thousand Jews but after Germany invaded Poland this figure drastically increased due to the Jewish population in Poland. It had added ‘several million Jews who were unable to leave the Reich’ this made it hard for any resettlement plans due to the large numbers; this meant physical annihilation looked much more desirable. Source A also gives the impression that Hitler never originally wanted to kill the Jews rather to resettle them this would lead to the conclusion that the holocaust could have been a short term plan. This would make sense when Hitler first though up his anti-Semitic ideals as...
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...Jews live in Israel and this % is rising.’ * ‘Zionism wants to strengthen and protect Jews and the State o What problems faced Palestine in 1945 Civil disruption.‘ * Large numbers of Jews wanted to go to Palestine.’ * ‘The US was supporting a state of Israel.’ * ‘Should immigration be allowed?’ * ‘Campaigns of violence by the Irgun.’ Why did Britain decide to hand Palestine over to the United Nations * ‘It did not want to stay.’ * ‘Because of the cost.’ * ‘There was violence.’ * ‘Because of its view of Zionism.’ * ‘The pressure from the Irgun.’ * ‘Because of the guerrilla campaign. Explains why * ‘At the end of the war Britain was under great pressure to change its policy and allow in survivors of the holocaust. They refused and this brought about violent protest.’ * ‘The Irgun deliberately attacked and killed British soldiers including the explosion at the King David Hotel. The violence from the Irgun was intended to persuade the British to leave.’ * ‘Because the Arabs continued to block any proposals regarding partition.’ * ‘The British were finding it too expensive to keep large numbers of troops there, especially having just fought a costly war.’ How far was the war of 1948-49 a success for Israel * It was as the Arab armies were forced to accept defeat.’ * ‘A Jewish state was established.’...
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...1 GCSE HISTORY GERMANY 1918-1939 REVISION This awesome booklet has been designed to help you get exam-ready. It contains the ‘essential’, need-to-know points for the Germany unit, plus useful revision boosters and guidance on answering exam questions. Remember, getting your exam technique sorted is a must if you’re going to succeed in the exam - it’s just as important as knowing your stuff! CONTENTS....There are 4 sections to this booklet. 3 Hitler overcomes his opposition 1 The rise and fall of the Weimar Republic 1918 1929 1933 1934 2 The rise to power of Hitler and the Nazis 1939 4 The Nazi dictatorship 1 The rise and fall of the Weimar Republic 1918-33 Introduction If, just for fun, we were to make a graph showing the fortunes of the Weimar Republic, it would probably look like this…. B A Phase A 1918-23: The WR suffers from a few major teething problems, and struggles to survive. C Phase B 1924-28: ‘The Golden Twenties’. Things are on the up for the WR, as it recovers from its earlier problems. But beneath the surface, there are still weaknesses. Phase C 1929-1933: With the Wall St. Crash and the Great Depression, the WR comes ‘crashing’ down! Of course, during each phase, the Nazis were experiencing their own political rollercoaster ride. Broadly speaking, whenever the WR was enjoying success, the Nazis were not, and vice versa. More about that later. What was the Weimar Republic and why was it set up? A lot...
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...Part 1 - Weimar Germany 1918-1929 1) The Treaty of Versailles ▪ Kaiser abdicates November 9th 1918, Armistice (cease-fire) signed November 11th ▪ Treaty of Versailles signed June 1919 ▪ It is a DIKTAT – something forced on to Germany. Allies say that they will carry on the war if Germans do not sign. ▪ For many Germans the defeat in WW1, national humiliation, the Treaty of Versailles, the Weimar constitution & democracy are all linked – helps explain why democracy is weak in Germany ▪ Terms of the Treaty – ▪ Germany has to pay REPARATIONS (fixed in 1921 as £6600 million) ▪ Germany loses all its COLONIES (overseas parts of their empire) ▪ German army limited to 100,000 men with no air force & a small navy with only 6 battleships and no submarines ▪ 13% of Germany is now transferred to neighbouring countries as the map is redrawn ▪ Germany loses land to France (Alsace-Lorraine), Belgium, Poland (Posen & West Prussia) & Denmark ▪ 15% of German coal mines are lost in map changes ▪ Many Germans blame the defeat in the war on “the stab in the back” (DOLCHSTOSS) – i.e. the Socialists / Communists / Jews betrayed Germany & the army was never defeated. This myth makes it harder to accept the Treaty ▪ Treaty weakened democracy in Germany and the German economy ▪ Friedrich Ebert appointed Chancellor in October 1918 2) The Weimar Constitution ▪ A National Assembly was elected to write this new constitution ▪ It met in Weimar because Berlin was...
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