After initial gains in the First World War, Germany faced defeat.
A democratic constitution with a federal structure was established in the National Assembly of Weimar.
Germans were of the view that the new Weimar Republic was the cause they lost the war and their disgrace at Versailles.
The Effects of the War
Europe turned from into debtors.
Socialist, Catholics and Democrats in favour of the Republic were called ‘November criminals’.
Aggressive war propaganda and national honour were given limelight.
Political Radicalism and Economic Crises
Communists and Socialists became enemies and could not make common cause against Hitler.
Economic crisis of 1923 increased political radicalisation.
The Dawes Plan of America lightened the financial burden on Germans after terms of the reparation were reworked.
The Years of Depression
On October 24, 13 million shares were sold which marked the beginning of the Great Economic Depression.
The effects of this recession in the US was felt all over the world.
Weimar Republic was politically fragile, unstable and vulnerable to dictatorship.
Hitler’s Rise to Power
Hitler was horrified when Germany lost the war and was infuriated by the Versailles Treaty.
He joined the German Workers’ Party in 1919 and later took over the organization and renamed it the as the Nazi Party.
The Destruction of Democracy
With the support of the conservatives Hitler became powerful enough to dismantle structures of democratic rule.
The Fire Decree of 28th February 1933 suspended rights of freedom, press and assembly.
The Enabling Act of 3rd March 1933, established dictatorship in Germany, giving Hitler powers to rule by decree and overthrow the Parliament.
Reconstruction
Tripartite Pact was signed between Germany, Italy and Japan in 1940 thus increasing Hitler’s claim to international power.
With maximum power by the end of 1940, Hitler proceeded to conquer Eastern Europe.
The German western front was exposed to British aerial bombing and the eastern front was exposed to Soviet armies, leading to its defeat at Stalingrad by the Soviet Red Army.
Japan supported Hitler and bombed the US base at Pearl Harbour.
Hitler lost the war and the US dropped two atom bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki thus ending the war in May 1945.
The Nazi Worldview
According to the Nazi ideology racial hierarchy existed between people.
Another aspect of Hitler’s ideology was related to the concept of Lebensraum.
Establishment of the Racial State
The Nazi officials condemned to death many Germans who were considered mentally or physically unfit.
Gypsies and blacks, Russian ad Poles and the Jews living in Nazi Germany were widely persecuted.
Youth in Nazi Germany
Hitler strongly believed that a strong Nazi society could be established by teaching children the Nazi ideology.
Girls were told that they had to be bearers of the Aryan race and culture and had to become good mothers and rear pure-blooded Aryan children.
Nazis spread their ideas through visual images, films, radio, posters, catchy slogans and leaflets
Ordinary People and the Crimes against Humanity
The absence of protest, silence against brutal and organised crimes was observed.
Knowledge about the Holocaust
After Germany was defeated, the Jews wanted the world to be aware and remember the atrocities and suffering they were subjected to during the Nazi killing operations, known as Holocaust.
The history and memory of the Holocaust exists in memoirs, fiction, documentaries, poetry, memorials and museums in many parts of the world today
