Rise of Nazism and Hitler

Nazism and Hitler

Rise of Nazism

• After World War I, Germany experienced economic crisis, hyperinflation, and political instability
• Nazi Party, led by Adolf Hitler, capitalized on these conditions to gain popularity
• Nazi ideology: nationalism, racism, anti-communism, and anti-Semitism

Adolf Hitler

• Born in 1889 in Braunau am Inn, Austria-Hungary
• Served in German Army during World War I, wounded twice and gassed once
• Became involved in politics after the war, joined German Workers' Party (DAP)
• Renamed party to National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP) or Nazi Party
• Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in 1933, then declared himself Führer in 1934

Nazi Ideology

• Racial purity: belief in the superiority of the "Aryan" race
• Lebensraum: need for expansion and colonization of Eastern Europe
• Anti-Semitism: persecution of Jews, blamed for Germany's problems
• Authoritarianism: suppression of individual freedoms and opposition

Nazi Regime (1933-1945)

• Gleichschaltung: consolidation of power, elimination of opposition parties and trade unions
• Reichstag Fire Decree: suspended civil liberties, allowed for arrests and censorship
• Nuremberg Laws: stripped Jews of citizenship, prohibited intermarriage with non-Jews
• Kristallnacht: wave of violent attacks against Jews, November 1938

World War II

• Anschluss: annexation of Austria, March 1938
• Munich Agreement: appeasement policy, allowed Germany to annex Czechoslovakia
• Invasion of Poland: September 1939, prompted declarations of war by France and UK
• Holocaust: systematic murder of six million Jews and millions of others deemed undesirable

Downfall of Nazism

• Allied Victory: Soviet Union captured Berlin, Hitler committed suicide, May 1945
• Nuremberg Trials: prosecution of Nazi leaders for war crimes and crimes against humanity, 1945-1946

Rise of Nazism

• Post-WWI Germany faced economic crisis, hyperinflation, and political instability, creating a fertile ground for Nazi Party's rise
• Nazi Party capitalized on these conditions, promoting nationalism, racism, anti-communism, and anti-Semitism to gain popularity

Adolf Hitler

• Born in 1889 in Braunau am Inn, Austria-Hungary
• Served in German Army during WWI, wounded twice and gassed once
• Joined German Workers' Party (DAP), later renaming it to National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP) or Nazi Party
• Became Chancellor of Germany in 1933, then declared himself Führer in 1934

Nazi Ideology

• Believed in the superiority of the "Aryan" race, aiming for racial purity
• Advocated for Lebensraum, the need for expansion and colonization of Eastern Europe
• Persecuted Jews, blaming them for Germany's problems
• Promoted authoritarianism, suppressing individual freedoms and opposition

Nazi Regime (1933-1945)

• Consolidated power through Gleichschaltung, eliminating opposition parties and trade unions
• Suspended civil liberties with the Reichstag Fire Decree, allowing for arrests and censorship
• Stripped Jews of citizenship and prohibited intermarriage with non-Jews through the Nuremberg Laws
• Orchestrated Kristallnacht, a wave of violent attacks against Jews, in November 1938

World War II

• Annexed Austria through the Anschluss in March 1938
• Exploited the appeasement policy, allowing Germany to annex Czechoslovakia through the Munich Agreement
• Invaded Poland in September 1939, prompting declarations of war by France and the UK
• Systematically murdered six million Jews and millions of others deemed undesirable during the Holocaust

Downfall of Nazism

• The Soviet Union captured Berlin, leading to Hitler's suicide in May 1945
• The Allied Victory led to the prosecution of Nazi leaders for war crimes and crimes against humanity through the Nuremberg Trials from 1945-1946