World History Post-World War I and II Quiz

Nazism and the Rise of Hitler

• In 1945, an eleven-year-old German boy, Helmuth, overheard his parents discussing killing their family or committing suicide due to fear of Allied retribution for Nazi actions.
• Helmuth's father was a Nazi supporter who viewed himself as a victim of the impending Allied justice.
• Nazism wasn't just a few isolated actions; it was a system of ideas (ideology) about the world and politics.
• In May 1945, Germany surrendered to the Allied forces.
• Hitler, Goebbels, and Hitler's family committed suicide in Hitler's bunker in Berlin in April 1945.
• The Nuremberg Tribunal prosecuted Nazi war criminals for crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
• Allies initially included the UK and France, later joined by the USSR and USA. They fought against the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan).
• Nazi Germany waged a genocidal war, resulting in the mass murder of millions of innocent civilians throughout Europe.
• Groups targeted included 6 million Jews, 200,000 Gypsies, 1 million Polish civilians, and 70,000 Germans with disabilities, as well as political opponents
• Nazis used gas chambers and other means of mass murder.
• The Allies were less harsh on Germany compared to the post-World War I treatment, with only eleven Nazis being sentenced to death, and others imprisoned.
• The rise of Nazi Germany can be traced partially to post-WWI Germany

Birth of the Weimar Republic

• Germany fought WWI alongside Austria-Hungary and against the Allied forces (England, France, and Russia) during 1914-1918.
• Germany's initial gains were countered by the Allied victory in November 1918.
• The abdication of the German emperor led to the establishment of a democratic republic.
• The Weimar Republic established a federal structure and a democratically elected parliament.
• All adults, including women, received the right to vote and participate in elections.
• The terms enforced by the Versailles Treaty were extremely harsh on Germany, demanding territorial losses, resource reductions, and enormous reparations.

Effects of World War I

• WWI had a devastating psychological and financial impact across Europe.
• Europe shifted from a creditor continent to one burdened with debt.
• The nascent Weimar Republic suffered from war guilt and humiliation.
• Financial pressures worsened with Germany forced to make reparations.
• Political radicalization increased due to economic crisis.
• Support for the Weimar Republic, primarily from Socialists, Catholics, and Democrats, became a target.
• The November criminals' derogatory label aimed at democratic politicians.

Political Radicalism and Economic Crisis

• The political climate in Berlin, during 1918 and 1919, witnessed frequent political demonstrations and demands for Soviet-style governance.
• The Spartacist League, a radical group, held demonstrations in German cities
• The Weimar Republic's suppression of Spartacist uprisings.
• The 1923 economic crisis in Germany led to hyperinflation, with the German mark losing substantial value.
• French occupation of the Ruhr Valley due to Germany's non-payment of reparations.
• The Dawes Plan's attempt to ease financial burdens on Germany.