The Third Reich: Germany (1918-1945)

• The text is about the history of Germany from 1918 to 1991, including the rise of the Third Reich, its role in World War II, the division of Germany after the war, and its reunification.

The Rise of the Third Reich (1918-1945)

• At the end of World War I, Germany lost and the emperor fled, leading to the establishment of the Weimar Republic.

• Weimar Republic was the German republic that began with the new constitution from 1919 and ended with Hitler's seizure of power in 1933, named after the city where the constitution was established.

• The Social Democrats were the largest party in parliament and signed the armistice with the Allies.

• Allies included England, France, Russia/Soviet Union, and America.

• Democracy in Germany was unstable due to:

  • Some Germans did not want democracy.
  • Some Germans lacked confidence in the republic's leaders.
  • The German government failed to resolve major economic problems.

• The older elite felt the state was unable to govern, and nationalist movements on the right wanted a strong leader, while radical socialists/communists desired a dictatorship.

• Communists: a movement within socialism aiming to improve the working class through revolution, leading to a classless society and collective ownership of production

• Many Germans did not trust the government of the Weimar Republic.

• Dolkstootlegende: a conspiracy theory attributing Germany's loss in World War I to the Weimar Republic's government.

• The government was blamed for the Treaty of Versailles, which many Germans hated.

• Treaty of Versailles: the peace treaty of World War I in 1919 between the Allies and Germany, dictating Germany's territorial losses, disarmament, and reparations.

• Reparations: compensation (in money or goods) for war damage.

• The Weimar Republic failed to solve the major economic problems.

• Dawes Plan: an American-led plan from 1924 aimed at easing Germany's reparations payments, allowing Germany to borrow money to revive its economy.

• Stock Market Crash: a massive and sudden collapse of stock prices in New York in 1929, triggering a global economic crisis.

• The chaos in the Weimar Republic led to the rise of antisemitic National Socialists, the NSDAP, who promised solutions that appealed to the public.

• NSDAP promises included:

  • Ending political strife in Germany
  • Restoring lost territories
  • Restoring national unity
  • Reversing the Treaty of Versailles
  • Ending unemployment

• Propaganda helped the NSDAP grow into a mass organization, with stormtroopers intimidating political opponents.

• NSDAP: the National Socialist German Workers' Party, a racist party aiming to improve the German people's condition through a strong leader, abolishing freedom of opinion and democracy, state-controlled economy, and social exclusion.

• Propaganda: political advertising to persuade people to obey ideas.

• The NSDAP won the elections using this approach.

• In 1933, Hitler was appointed Chancellor.

• Reichstag fire: a fire in 1933 that destroyed the German parliament in Berlin, used by Hitler to convince parliament to grant him unlimited power.

• Enabling Act: a law transferring parliamentary powers to the government, allowing it to resolve crises without democratic control.

• As a result, the Weimar Republic ended.

• Totalitarian regime: a government with near-total control over daily life in politics, culture, religion, society, and economy.

• Nazification: the National Socialists' pursuit of a society based on their principles, characterized by propaganda.

• Volksgemeinschaft: a popular Nazi term for an ideal harmonious, racially pure, and classless society.

• The "inferior" people were Jews, Roma and Sinti, the disabled and homosexuals.

• Hitler believed all German-speaking areas should belong to Germany, leading to the annexation of Czechoslovakia.

• Appeasement politics: the British and French policy in the 1930s of avoiding war with Germany by conceding to Hitler's demands.

• In 1939, Hitler invaded Poland, prompting England and France to declare war on Germany and starting World War II.

• Early in the war, Germany conquered much of continental Europe, abolishing the rule of law and enforcing forced labor in the German war industry.

• Jews were persecuted, excluded, and deported to extermination camps in Eastern Europe, where most were murdered.

• Rule of law: a state where laws limit state power and ensure fair justice, freedom of expression, and trade union freedom.

• Forced labor: forced labor of workers from occupied countries in the German war industry.

Germany After the War (1945-1961)

• Hitler declared war on the Soviet Union, this caused a two-front war in result.

• Germany surrendered to the Allies in May 1945.

• The country was in ruins and had to cede territory in the east.

• There was a large influx of migrants.

• Heimatvertriebene: refers to people who were expelled or forced to leave their homeland during or after World War II.

• The Allies divided Germany into four occupation zones.

• The Allies could not agree on reconstruction and future peace terms.

• In Western Europe, the Allies restored a liberal democracy and capitalist economy based on the American model.

• People's Democracies: states that were not proper democracies.

• The Truman Doctrine provided economic and military assistance to countries resisting communism.

• Marshall Plan: a financial aid plan for European countries.

• The aim was to prevent the spread of communism.

• The Cold War arose due to mutual distrust after the war.

• The Cold War was a period of proxy wars between the communist East and the capitalist West.

• Blockade of Berlin: Stalin blocked all access routes to West Berlin to prevent the introduction of a new currency, which led the Americans to supply the city by air.

• In 1949, Germany and Berlin were divided as a result.

• Federal Republic of Germany (FRG): was founded in the western occupation zone.

• German Democratic Republic (GDR): was founded by the Soviet Union.

• The FRG and the GDR became important parts of the Cold War's two spheres of influence.

The Federal Republic of Germany (FRG)

• Developed into an important ally of the West in the 1950s.

• North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO: a military alliance founded by the United States, Canada, and Western European countries

• European Economic Community (EEC): an institution that oversaw the production of coal and steel and were used to make weapons.

• The economy recovered through hard work.

• Wirtschaftswunder: refers to the period of rapid economic growth experienced by West Germany

• The relationship with East Germany remained poor.

The German Democratic Republic (DDR)

• The DDR went in a very different direction in the 1950s.

• East Germany grew into a totalitarian country.

• Staatssicherdienst/Stassi: the secret police who suppressed the regime's opponents

• The DDR founded the Warsaw Pact, and also the Comecon

• Comecon: an economic partnership among communist nations under the leadership of the Soviet Union.

• The Soviet Union demanded high reparations, but the planned economy did not work.

• Many East Germans had fled the DDR to West Berlin as a result of political repression and economic hardship.

• The Berlin Wall was constructed in 1961 by the Soviet Union in order to prevent attempted escapes.

The Reunification of Germany (1961-1991)

• Tensions began to ease in the early 1960s, known as the Détente.

• This situation improved relations between East and West Germany due to the Ostpolitik.

• Ostpolitik: was a new way to improve the relationship that the DDR and other Eastern Bloc nations had in response due to feeling vulnerable due to the absence of the BRD.

• There was a new and respectful attitude, the BRD finalized postponements together with the Soviet Union and other Eastern Bloc nations.

• In 1972, the equal countries of the BRD and DDR recognized each other in international politics.

• The new ruler of the DDR was willing to improve, but he still saw the division as permanent.

• The German’s had reforms in the Soviet Union.

• The economy had major issues.

• Glasnost: Openness, more freedom of expression and administration.

• Perestroika: more political and economic freedom.

• Brezjnedoctrine: The communist opposite of the Truman Doctrine.

• The Soviet Union would rather join forces if it involved one communist nation transforming in capitalism.

• There were many unforeseen events as such,

• In all of the Eastern Bloc countries, democracy became more and more popular.

• In 1989, both Poland and Hungary opted to liberate boundaries with Austria.

• There was enormous pressure on Communist regimes.

• Many countries were heading their own way and detached from Moscow.

• The Berlin wall’s fall was a fact when the DDR government wanted to allow free travel in November 1989.

• Due to no longer being supported from Moscow, the DDR government was obligated to enforce its reforms on the political and economic sides.

• Free and democratic elections occurred and nationalized enterprises were traded out for capitalist businesses.

• October 1991 was the agreement reached due to the negotiations led by the newly elected government.

• The DDR dissolved and joined the Federal Republic of Germany. The capital of the reunified Germany was Berlin.