History Sem 2 Exam Unit 1 Notes PDF

History Exam Sem 2 **Germany (1918 -- 1945)** 1. **The Weimar Republic -- A New Germany** [Chapter Summary] - After signing an armistice that ended that ended the First World War in November 1918, Germany became a republic and establishes a democratic system of government - The dem...

History Exam Sem 2 **Germany (1918 -- 1945)** 1. **The Weimar Republic -- A New Germany** [Chapter Summary] - After signing an armistice that ended that ended the First World War in November 1918, Germany became a republic and establishes a democratic system of government - The democracy was challenged by revolutionary activity from political forces of the left and the right - The Treat of Versailles, which Germany was forced to sign in 1919, imposed severe restrictions on the nation and generated a legacy of intense bitterness - 1923 was a particularly difficult year for Germany with its failing economy, the occupation of the Ruhr area by Frnace and Belgium and the aggressive by hyperinflation that destroyed the value of the German currenct - The German army was always a significant influence in German politics during the Weimar republic - Financial reforms, mainly the work of Gustav Streseman, restored the German economy and the nation began a period of relative exonomic and political stability from 1924 to 1929 - Gustav Streseman as Foreign minister from 1924 also achieved success in restoring Germany's standing in the European community - The period after 1923 saw the flattering of a brilliant creative culture in the arts and advances in science and technology - Since a great deal of the German prosperity was based on the foreign loans, especially from the US, when the GD begain in 1929, the German economy suffered badly - By 1930 Germany began to feel the full impact of the Depression, as unemployment rose and political unrest returned 2. **The Nazis Rise to Power** [Chapter Summary] - In 1919 Hitler joined a small political group in Munich called the German Worker's Party. He soon became the leader of this group and transformed it into the National Socialist German Workers Party or Nazis - The Nazis quickly gained an identity and grew in size as Hitler not only shaped the party, but also emerged as its most prominent figure - In November 1923 the party suffered a major setback in the failed Munich Beer Hall Putsch, an attempt to seize power in Bavaria - Briefly imprisoned for his part of the Putsch, Hitler took the opportunity to write 'Mein Kampf', which defined many aims of the Nazi Party - Between 1924 and 1929, as Germany experienced a period of economic and poitcal stability, the Nazi party failed to make progress - The start of the Great Depression and the severe economic hardship and unemployment gave the Nazis a new opportunity - In the elections of 1930, the Nazis increased their representation in the Reichstag from 12 to 107 seats - In May 1932 the Bruning Government fell and Franz von Papen became Chancellor - New elections in July 1932 increased the Nazi vote to give them 230 seats in the Reichstag, making them the largest party in the German pariament - Papen was dismissed in December 1932 and General Kurt von Schleicher was appointed Chancellor - Schleicher tried to split the Nazis by offering the position of Vice-Chancellor to Gregor Strasser, the leader of the Nazis in the Reichstag. The attempt failed. - Papen and other conservatives set in motion a plan to bring the Nazis and German National People's Party (DNVP) into government, with themselves as a part of a coalition. They believed they could control Hitler - Hindenburg was finally persuaded to overcome his opposition to Hitler and on 30^th^ January 1933 he legally appointed him chancellor of Germany 3. **The Totalitrarian State** [Chapter Summary] - In January 1933 Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany in a coalition wi the German National Party and other conservative politicians - New elections were called for March 1933 - In February 1933 the Reichstag burnt down, which gave the Nazis opportunity to blame the communists, their major political oppistion - An emergency decree, issued under Article 48 of the constitution, removed the basic freedom of the German people - In March 1933, the enabling act altered the constitution and gave the government power to pass laws without the consent of the Reichstag -- established Hitlers dictatorship - In the months that followed the Nazis began the process of Gleichschaltung - Terror and repression now begun. Concentration camps were now opened for political oponents and German became a police stat, suppressing all opposition to the Nazi state - In July 1934 Hitler eliminated the leadership of his own SA because they were a possible threat to his authority. It was a deliberate strategy to capture the support of the German army - With the death of President von Hindenburg in August 1934 the last trace of the Weimar Republic ended as Hitler united the powers of the president and chancellor to become the Fuhrer of the German people - All members of the German armed forces took an oath of loyalt, not to Germant or the constitution but to Hitler himself 4. **Creating a New Germany -- The Racial State** [Chapter Summary ] - the nazis saw the coming to pwer in 1933 as the start of a revolution that would change German society - Although Hitler was the absolute source of power, he felt above the day-to-day running of the state, intervening only when he chose to - The Nazi state was not an ordered, efficient system. Its nature could best be described as a complex of competing and conflicting interests, which generated a system of administrative chaos - In the 1930s, the Nazis preached the concept of the Volksgemeinschaft; that is the idea of a harmonious national community of pure Germans free from class division and social conflict. It had popular appeal - Race was at the heart of the Nazi state and before the war in 1939, racial policy included forced sterilisation, attacks on minority groups and euthanasia for those who deemed not fit to live - The Nazis sought to influence the youth of Germant to support the new order with organisations like the Hitler Youth and the League of German Maidens. The Education system also significant changes - The role and status of women changed under the Nazi state, the slogan often used for a womens place in the new society was 'Kinder, Kuche und Kirche' meaning 'Children, kitchen and Church' - The German working class was controlled with the establishment of the German Labour Front which controlled working conditions and wages. - The Nazis restricted religious freedom, the German protestant church was more easily influenced by the state, but the Roman Catholic Church, as a part of a worldwide organisation, was harder to control - Propaganda was a vital part of the Nazi state. It set out to constantly reinforce the ideology of the party and define the cultural and social life of the nation. This included the spoken word, the press, literature, music, cinema, art, architecture and music 5. **War and Defeat (1939 -- 1945)** [Chapter Summary] - Although Lebensraum as a policy existed from the 19^th^ century in Germany. Hitler aimed to solve Germany;s quest for living space by a war of conflict in Easter Europe - Prior to 1939 German foreign policy undid the impostioons of the Versailles Treaty and laid the foundations for aggressive actions against Poland, which triggered a war in the West with Britain and France - Germany achieved swift military victories in the West and NOthern Europe and the Balkans from mid 1940 to early 1941 and in June 1941 laucnhed an invasion of the Soviet Union, the initial phase of which were successful - At the time of the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, Nazi anit-semitic policy radicalised form a process of Ghetooisation to mass extermination. The Wannsee Conference, January 1942, initiated planning for the Final solution, the systematic killing of European Jews and was followed by the establishment of extermination camps, mainly in Poland. Jews and other peoples whom the Nazis ddeem subhuman were transported to those camps and executed - There has been a significant historical debate as to whether the Final Solution had been planned from the start as a part of Nazi policy or had evolved as a solution to the Jewish question, as millions of Jews fell under the authority of the Third Reich - Following the entry of the US into the war in December 1941 and a series of defeats in the Soviet Union, Germant was finally forced into a full war economy following Goebbel;s call for total war - Germany fought on to the very end and the war ended 8^th^ May 1945 with the total defeat of Germany 6. **Conclusion** **Hitlers Rise to Power** - **Weakness of Weimar Republic** - Many parties -- no majority - New to democracy - Not all of Reichstag wanted democracy - **Hyperinflation (1923)** - Prices increase (Weimar government printed money) - **Great Depression (1929)** - High unemployment (Weimar government did little)\] - **Munich Beer Hall Putsch (1923)** - Weimar government did not control Nazi aggression - German peoples need for a strong leader - Other politicians underestimating Hitler - Nazis gave Germans a common enemy - Nazis tried to appeal to different classes - **Nazis made promises** - Strong, mark, jobs, 'Make Germany Great Again' - Nazis' use of propaganda - Hitler was charismatic - **Nazi organisation** - Money supplied by industrialists - Fear of the left - The death of Hindenburg I think the Great Depression was the main reason the Nazis gained power because it caused severe economic problems in Germany. People lost their jobs and became frustrated with the government. The Nazis promised to fix the economy and restore national pride, which made them more appealing to desperate voters. This helped them rise to power. Fix the economy -- provide work **\ ** **Nazism in Germany** - **The economic, social, political and military circumstances in Germany at the end of WWI** - Reparations, borrowing money from other countries leading to debt - \$60 Billion - \$760 Billion today - Printed money to pay reparations which led to hyper inflation - Little capacity to recover economy with loss of land - Little imports/exports - 1923 government cost increased 100% [Political] - 28^th^ June 1919 -- after signing treaty of Versailles Kaiser advocate (democracy - Reichstag gained power (led to Weimar Republic) - Germany falls into democracy - People believed in the 'stab in the back' theory [Social] - Spartacist uprising (communist) attempted revolution in Berline 1919 - Captured newspaper and telegraph Bureau owned by the government - People lost trust in the government - Germany blamed for war [Military] - Army reduced to 100,000 soldiers - Navy limited to 10,000 tons (no submarines) - No AirForce - Conscription was not allowed - Blew up own boats and submarines - **The nature of the Weimar Republic and the political, social and economic challenges it faced** - Increasing pressure for changes - Long term legacy of bitterness and humiliation after being 'betrayed' by Weimar Republic, who signed the T.O.V, accepting defeat - Unstable government structure -- too many conflicting parties [Successes] - Years of stability (1924 -- 1929) -- foreign loans available for Gemrany - 1920 -- Germany becomes increasingly modern, industrialised and urban -- therefore the standard of living was increased - Growing consumerism, culture and creative freedom [Political ] - an attack from the left -- the spartacist - the freikorps (ex-soldiers) - threats from the extreme right and left - revolutionary activity from 1919 - Reichstag fire - Article 48 -- temporarily suspended freedoms -- Hitler used this article to take control - Political instability -- too many parties, no major party - Political violence -- intense opposition by extremists - 1919 -- 1922, over 370 political murders - Shooting og Walter Rathernov in 1922 casued government to use article 48 - "there stands the enemy. There can be no doubt about it -- the enemy stands on the right" -- Chanceller Wirth - 1923 -- Munich Beer hall Putsch -- failed [Social] - workers and soldiers' councils - treaty of Versailles 1919 - national unemployment insurance scheme -- 1927 - lots of street fighting - Kristallnacht - conflict in German society between modernists and anti-modernists - opposition to social change and cultural freedom divided Germany society -- unsettled conservatives - Nazis particularly violently opposed to modernism [Economic] - Hyperinflation -- had to print money due to the Ruhr -- workers going on strike 1923 (occupation of the Ruhr) - Economic hardships caused by external factors and failure of government - Valure of German currency fell - By January 1923, \$1USD = \$17927 Marks - Had to default on payment s of coal and telegraph poles to France - Ruhr was the most important industrial area - Disastrous shutdown of the Ruhr - By summer of 1923, government costs soared by 700% - Middle class suffered as their savings became worthless - By June 1923, the government had lost control - Strikes, rising unemployment, failure of wages - **The reasons for the Nazi Party's rise to power, including** - **the Treaty of Versailles** - Weimar Republic couldn't cope with the mandatory policies set by T.O.V - Pay reparations - Give back colonies overseas - Were seen as the reason for war -- blamed - French invaded Ruhr - Army reduced to 100,000 men - People felt betrayed by Weimar Republic (stab in the back) - Hitler appealed to their emotions - Weimar Republic printed more money -- led to hyperinflation - **the impact of the Great Depression** - appeal of National Socialism to all different groups of people in society - middle class, land owners, lower class, young people - public meetings to spread propaganda and ideals to a widespread of people (political) - hyperinflation -- loss of savings, low wages - Nazis provided jobs -- road building and public works - **the nature of Nazi ideology and hostility to communism** - racism -- Jews seen as the main threat to Aryan purity - Aryan race were seen as the Herrenvolk (master race) - Nationalism -- Hitlers main world view - Germany believed they were superior to all countries - Lebensraum -- wanted more land (living space) - Anti-Communism: class conflict, communist was set up by Hungary 1919, link hatred with Jews with hatred of communism, Nazis presented the communist take over of Russia in 1917 as a Jewish world conspiracy - **the ability of Hitler and the Nazi Party to utilise popular fears** - [Reichstag Fire:] Hitler blamed a communist for setting fire to the Reichstag building -- political advantage, blamed all the communists in parliament and had them arrested, severed all opposition to Hitler, allowing him to take power - Labelled the Jews as a common enemy -- people feared and disliked them due to their weath 'stealing money' - **the Party's organisational and tactical skills** - Publication of Mein Kampf - Use of propaganda campaigns -- specialise to age groups and occupations - Ran public meetings and rallies - Discovered that their anti-Semitic views gained them support (common enemy) - **The nature and effects of key aspects of the Nazi state** - ***Gleichschaltung* (Coordination)** - *Gleichaltung is a german word: coordination or synchronisation* - *Gleichaltung refers to a process of Nazification designed to turn Germany into a single party state under Hitler and the Nazi Party* - *[Enabling Act:] allowed the Reich government to issue laws without the consent of Germany's parliament, laying the foundation for complete Nazification of Germany society* - *[Creating Single State Party:] the primary goals of coordination was the creation of a single party state entirelt under Nazi control* - *In January 1933, Hitler became Chancellor* - *At the time, Germany was still a multi state party* - *The country was led by popularly elected representative government* - *[Propaganda:]* - *13th March 1933 -- Joseph Goebbels as Minister for Public Engagement and Propaganda* - *He was responsible for controlling the national media, film, theatre arts and other cultural aspects* - *Radicalised these areas, ensuring they advocated Nazi ideas* - ***Volksgemeinschaft* (People's Community)** - - *OfficeLine* - *YOUNG PEOPLE (HITLER YOUTH + LEAGUE OF* - *HITLER JUGEND* - *formed 1922* - *GERMAN MAIDENS)* - *Peoples* - *VOLKSGEMEINSCHAFT (Pommunity)* - *-Importance of controlling the youth (support of the nat generation)* - * all other youth groups shut down or combined with 14. -law in December 1936 made membership compulsory for bays aged 15-18.* - *-bays aged 6-10 joined Ampfe (Little Fellows) and 10-14 moted to Deutsches Jung volk (Young People) -expected to engage in tests of endurance.* - *to supenors.* - *-taught toughness and self discipline, loyally and obediens -Supported party activities and were always present at rallber and on day\'s of celebration.* - *BUND DEUTSCHER MADEL* - *-Jugendmädelbund (League of Young Girls) aged 10-14 -expected to devote themselves to physical fitness and prepare themselves for their role as mothers & wives. -training in domestic skills like cooking and sewing. -age 18, joined Glaube und Shönheit (Faith and Beary) in which they received teaching on motherhood, and \"Conditioned to accept the Nazi image of awoman\'s role. RESISTANCE* - *-late 1930s-Edelweiss Pirates farmed gangs of non-conformist action, made up of working-class youths.* - *- Swing movement - from middle class,urban backgrands, drossed in english-style dothes and embracing swing and Jarz muse* - * * - * * - *EDUCATION + CONTROL* - *・quality & Branches of education in schools deteriorated under Nazi rule, mostly academic Subjects were effected* - * Girls education opportunities decreased to mostly home making subjects & Eunogenics* - * Teachers were required to preach Nazism & give in old textbooks to be replaced by Nazi* - *·Few people (especially ucmer) went to uni by 1933* - *·Children with disabilities werent allowed to attend high School 3 Religious education was removed from schols in 1939 The only group not rival to the nazis were the Hitler youth Non Jewish people benefited as Jews were forced out of their teaching jobs & Nazi supporters took Jobs* - *used education to propagate Their racist, anti-Semitic &* - *Nationalistic Pov* - *Teachers were required to join nazi organisations like National to Hitler Socialists teachers leage & swear allegence* - * History taught from nationalistic Pov to glorify germany prepared and forced german children to join tlifter youth is join military* - * * - *Discouraged critical thinking & Independance to unquestion ably follow Nazis* - *· Prior to 1933 germany had the best schools in the* - *World* - *Women (children, church 8, Kitchen)* - *Start of power to WW2:* - * * - *Nazis believed that everyone had a Role in* - *Society that had to be accepted without question For women-Lesser Role* - *Hitler viewed women as weak and inferior ・Women were excluded from all political life Women were discriminated against in the workplace L800,000 left the workforce from 1933-1935 ·Gertrud Scholtz-Klink she was the womens leader on behalf of the Nazis The role of women in the Nazi state was generally confined to family life + motherhood! \"the mission of women is to be beautiful and bring children into the world\"-Groebbels School girls were taught the future role of motherhood* - *mothers were awarded medals based on no. of children they had* - *W\~4 W26 28 Children* - *Abortions were made illegal* - *WW2 starts:* - * Suddenly the need of labour in WW2 promoted the state to prod women into the workforce service plan meant that all single women had to report for compulsory labour service 14.6 million women were working in* - *Germany* - ***Herrenvolk* (Master race)** - *Believed that the Aryans were a superior race, having been oppressed by other races for year (mainly jews) and needed to reclaim superiority* - *Jews were inferior (as well as homosexuals and disabled)* - *Aryan: blonde, blue eyed, tall, athletic* - *Any Jewish bloodline mean the person wasn't 'pure' and would be targeted* - *Believed they had to protect the Aryan's from the Jews -- thought they were a threat* - *Went to extremes to remove the Jews* - *Star of David arm bands* - *Anti-semitism stemmed from religious portrayal of Jews being Tax collectors and evil* - *Tried proving it is 'science' and measuring traits* - *Exaggerated Jewish features, whether true or false* - *Portrayed Jews as devils and monsters and tax collectors in propaganda* - *Jews were 'dirty' and needed to be purged* - **The nature and extent of resistance and opposition to the Nazis** - **Stages and significance of Nazi policies to exterminate minorities in German-controlled lands and the Holocaust, 1933--45** - **The role and impact of significant individuals in Weimar and Nazi Germany, for example** - **Adolf Hitler** - **Gustav Stresemann** - **Paul von Hindenburg** - **Leni Riefenstahl** - **Alfred Krupp** - **Joseph Goebbels** - **Hermann Göring** - **Heinrich Himmler** - **Reinhard Heydrich** - **Albert Speer** **\ ** **Elective 5: The Age of Imperialism (1848--1914)** - **the main causes of imperial expansion, including** - **the emergence of market economies in Europe** - **industrialisation** - **the competing naval powers of Britain, Germany and Russia** - **the competition to establish colonies and markets in Africa, Asia and the Pacific** - **the different forms of imperialism, including** - **trade** - **exploitation of resources** - **strategic considerations** - **an overview of the extent of imperial expansion by 1914 in Africa, Asia and the Pacific** - **with particular reference to one or more colonies, the methods and motivations of the colonisers; the experiences and responses of the colonised people; and the changes that occurred within the colony/colonies as part of imperial expansion** - **the key ideas of the 'imperial age', including** - **nationalism** - **the glorification of 'empire'** - **the 'Christian mission'** - **the significance of imperialism in this period, including** - **the spread of Christianity** - **the growth of world trade and capitalism** - **the growth of imperial rivalry and military** **Age of Imperialism (1839 -- 1914)** 1. **The drive to imperialism:** Chapter summary 2. **Imperialism before 1914** 3. **Ideas of 'Imperial Age'** 4. **The experience of colonised people: Vietname under the French to 1940** 5. **The Significance of imperialism** - The impact of Imperialism on war. (Textbook Chapter 5) - Pg 110: 6 factors that would causes conflict between the powers - By the late 19^th^ century, there was not a great deal of territory left for aspiring imperial powers to take. The remaining territory was, not surprisingly, the least desirable areas of land - Those powers late to the imperial game, such as Germany and Italy were jealous of their more experienced imperial rivals, Britain and France - The German Kaiser, Wilhelm II, was particularly angry at the paucity of German colonial possessions. He demanded his 'place in the sun' and this was to bring him into direct conflict with Britain and France - Economic Motives occasionally escalated into open conflict. Britain's interest in Southern Africa, which led to the Boer War, was very much centred on the mineral wealth of that region. - As the imperial powers expanded across the world, it was inevitable that rival expansions would 'bump into each other' and cause tension. Such was the case with Britain and Russian in Persia (Iran), Britain and France in the Sudan, and Russia and Japan in the Far East - Imperial expandion led to naval expansion and hence the need to establish strategic bases around the world. This was another potential cause of conflict. It partly explains Germany's interference in what was France's sphere of influence in Morocco - [Pg. 113: eg. Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany] - [Pg: 120: timeline of Imperial conflicts ] - [Pg 121 - 126: the naval arms race] - [Pg: 123: the HMS Dreadnought ] - [Pg 127: Conclusion:] imperialism was a major preoccupation for the great powers during the latter part of the 19^th^ century up until 1914. In many ways imperialism was a key factor in the worsening of international relations. Some historians have suggested it was a major reason for the coming of war in 1914. On occasions, imperialism led to actual war, as accurred between Russia and Japan in 1904 and arguably as between the United States and Spain in 1908. On other occasions, imperialism took powers to the brink of war, as was possibly the case between France and Britain in 1898. Colonial collisions and colonial interference heightened tensions. **Topics** - The Congo people - British imperialism of Australia - The impact the French had on the Vietnamese -- the civil war, Australia and America became involved -- exploitation, no political say