Important Dates

August 1, 1914 : First World War

begins.
November 9, 1918 : Germany
capitulates, ending the war.
November 9, 1918 : Proclamation
of the Weimar Republic.
June 28, 1919 : Treaty of
Versailles.
January 30, 1933 : Hitler
becomes Chancellor of Germany.
September 1, 1939: Germany
invades Poland. Beginning of the
Second World War.
June 22, 1941: Germany invades
the USSR.
June 23,1941: Mass murder of
the Jews begins.
December 8 1941 : The United
States joins Second World War.
January 27,1945: Soviet
troops liberate Auschwitz.
May 8, 1945: Allied victory in
Europe.

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 Nazism and the Rise of Hitle
Introduction
In spring 1945, eleven-year-old Helmuth overheard his parents having a serious conversation about the
possibility of killing the family or his father committing suicide alone.
His father, a prominent physician, feared revenge from the Allies, believing they would retaliate as the
Germans did to the Jews and the disabled.
The next day, Helmuth and his father spent their last happy moments in the woods before his father shot
himself.
Helmuth was deeply traumatized by these events and refused to eat at home for nine years, fearing his
mother might poison him.
Helmuth's father was a Nazi and a supporter of Adolf Hitler, who aimed to make Germany a mighty power
and conquer Europe.
Nazism was a structured system of ideas about the world and politics, not just isolated actions.
In May 1945, Germany surrendered to the Allies after Hitler, Goebbels, and his family committed suicide in
April 1945.

Nazi Germany's actions led to the mass murder of millions, including Jews, Gypsies, Polish civilians, and the
disabled.

Only eleven leading Nazis were sentenced to death, but the punishment did not fully match the scale of their
crimes.

The rise of Nazi Germany can be partly traced back to Germany's experience after World War I.

The Allied Powers were initially led by the UK and France. In 1941 they were joined by the USSR and USA.
They fought against the Axis Powers, namely Germany, Italy and Japan.

Birth of The Weimer Republic

Germany's participation in World War I alongside the Austrian Empire against the Allies (England, France,
and Russia):
- Germany was a powerful empire in the early 20th century.
- Fought in World War I (1914-1918) alongside Austria-Hungary against the Allies (England, France, Russia).
Prolonged war leading to resource depletion in Europe:
- The prolonged conflict drained Europe's resources, including manpower, food supplies, and economic
stability.
- Continuous warfare caused widespread devastation, loss of lives, and economic hardships across the
continent.
The victory of the Allies with the assistance of the United States in November 1918:
- Germany initially occupied France and Belgium.
- The war drained Europe's resources and lasted longer than expected.
- The Allies, with US support in 1917, defeated Germany and the Central Powers in November 1918.
Establishment of a democratic constitution with a federal structure in the Weimar Republic:
- Defeat led to the abdication of the German emperor. Parliamentary parties restructured German
politics.
- A National Assembly met at Weimar, establishing a democratic constitution with a federal structure.
- Deputies were elected to the Reichstag (German Parliament) through equal and universal voting rights,
including women.
The Treaty of Versailles (1919):
- Imposed harsh and humiliating terms on Germany after the war.
- Losses included: Overseas colonies, 10% of the population, 13% of territories, 75% of iron resources &
26% of coal resources (to France, Poland, Denmark, and Lithuania).
- Germany was demilitarized and held responsible for the war through the War Guilt Clause.
- Forced to pay £6 billion in reparations.
- The Allied armies occupied the Rhineland (a resource-rich region) for much of the 1920s.

Treaty of Versailles Coming into Effect

Public Reaction:
- The Weimar Republic was blamed for Germany's defeat in the war and the humiliation of the Treaty of
Versailles.
- Many Germans viewed the new government as weak and responsible for national disgrace.

Parts of Territory that Germany lost after the Treaty of Versailles

 The Weimar Republic crushed the uprising with the
The Effects of the War help of the Free Corps, a war veterans
The war had a devastating impact on Europe, organization.
affecting the continent both psychologically and The Spartacists, in their anguish, later founded
financially. the Communist Party of Germany.
Europe transformed from a continent of creditors Communists and Socialists became irreconcilable
to one of debtors. enemies, unable to unite against Hitler.
The infant Weimar Republic was burdened with war Political radicalization intensified due to the
guilt and national humiliation and was financially economic crisis of 1923.
crippled by forced compensation payments. Germany, having fought the war on loans, was
Supporters of the Weimar Republic, such as required to pay war reparations in gold, depleting
Socialists, Catholics, and Democrats, were its gold reserves.
attacked by conservative nationalists and were In 1923, Germany refused to pay, leading to the
mockingly called the ‘November criminals’. French occupation of the Ruhr industrial area to
This hostile mindset influenced the political claim coal.
developments of the early 1930s. Germany responded with passive resistance and
The First World War left a deep mark on European recklessly printed paper currency, causing
society and politics. hyperinflation.
Soldiers were placed above civilians, with emphasis The value of the German mark fell dramatically:
on men being aggressive, strong, and masculine. - April 1923: 1 US dollar = 24,000 marks
The media glorified trench life, though in reality, - July 1923: 1 US dollar = 353,000 marks
soldiers lived miserable lives in trenches, - August 1923: 1 US dollar = 4,621,000 marks
surrounded by rats, poisonous gas, and constant - December 1923: 1 US dollar = 98,860,000 marks
enemy shelling. The figure eventually ran into trillions of marks.
Aggressive war propaganda and national honor As the mark collapsed, prices of goods soared, and
became central in the public sphere. images of Germans carrying cartloads of currency
Popular support grew for conservative to buy a loaf of bread were widely publicized.
dictatorships that emerged after the war, while The crisis, known as hyperinflation, garnered
democracy struggled to survive the instabilities of worldwide sympathy.
interwar Europe. The Americans intervened by introducing the
Dawes Plan, which reworked the terms of
Political Radicalism and Economic reparation to ease the financial burden on
Crisis Germany.
The Weimar Republic was born amidst the
The Years of Depression
revolutionary uprising of the Spartacist League,
The years between 1924 and 1928 saw some
inspired by the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia.
stability, but it was unstable as German
Soviets of workers and sailors were established in
investments and industrial recovery relied on
many cities, and there were demands for Soviet-
short-term loans from the USA.
style governance in Berlin.
This support was withdrawn after the Wall Street
Opponents of this movement, including Socialists,
Exchange crash in 1929.(Wall Street Exchange –
Democrats, and Catholics, met in Weimar to form
The name of the world’s biggest stock exchange
the democratic republic.
located in the USA.)
On 24 October 1929, 13 million shares were sold in
a panic, marking the start of the Great Economic
Hitler’s Rise to Power
Depression. After World War I, Germany was in turmoil. The
Over the next three years, from 1929 to 1932, Treaty of Versailles imposed harsh penalties on the
the national income of the USA fell by half. country, leading to widespread resentment. This period
Factories shut down, exports declined, farmers was marked by economic instability, including
were severely affected, and speculators withdrew hyperinflation and unemployment, as well as political
their money from the market. unrest with frequent changes in government and social
The effects of the US recession were felt unrest.
worldwide, with Germany being the worst hit. Amid this chaos, Adolf Hitler, born in 1889 in Austria,
By 1932, industrial production in Germany had emerged as a significant figure. He joined the German
dropped to 40% of the 1929 level. Workers' Party in 1919, which later became the Nazi
The number of unemployed in Germany reached an Party under his leadership. Initially, the party
unprecedented 6 million. struggled to gain support, but the Great Depression in
On the streets, you could see men with placards 1929 drastically changed the situation. The economic
saying, ‘Willing to do any work’, and unemployed crisis led to mass unemployment and suffering, creating
youths either playing cards, sitting at street a fertile ground for Hitler's messages of hope and
corners, or queuing at local employment exchanges. national revival.
As jobs disappeared, some youths turned to By 1932, the Nazi Party had become the largest in the
criminal activities, and total despair became Reichstag, thanks in part to Hitler's powerful oratory
common. and the party's effective propaganda. Hitler promised
The middle classes, especially salaried employees national strength,employment, and a restoration of
and pensioners, saw their savings diminish as the dignity to the German people. He also used spectacular
currency lost its value. rallies and propaganda to project himself as a savior
Small businessmen, the self-employed, and retailers of the nation.
suffered as their businesses failed. They feared In summary, the combination of post-war discontent,
proletarianization, the anxiety of falling into the economic hardship, and Hitler's political acumen enabled
working class or unemployment. his rise to power in Germany.
Hitler’s rise to power was influenced by the crises
in the economy, politics, and society of post-World
War I Germany.
Early Life and World War I experience:
-Born in 1889 in Austria, Hitler faced poverty in
his early years.
-During World War I, he joined the German Army,
where he served as a messenger on the front
lines, rose to the rank of corporal, and received
Sleeping on the line. During the great
depression, the unemployed could not hope medals for bravery.
for either wage or shelter
Post-War Disillusionment:
Organized workers managed to stay afloat, but -The defeat of Germany in the war and the
unemployment weakened their bargaining power. subsequent Treaty of Versailles deeply affected
Big business was in crisis, and the peasantry faced Hitler. He was outraged by the treaty's terms.
a sharp fall in agricultural prices.
Women, unable to feed their children, were filled
with deep despair.
 The Destruction of Democracy
Formation of the Nazi Party: On 30 January 1933, President Hindenburg offered
-In 1919, Hitler joined the German Workers’ the Chancellorship to Hitler. The Nazis had
Party, which he later transformed into the Nazi managed to rally conservatives to their cause.
Party. Hitler aimed to dismantle democratic structures
Failed Coup and Imprisonment: after gaining power.
-In 1923, Hitler attempted to seize control of A mysterious fire in the German Parliament building
Bavaria and then march to Berlin but failed. He in February 1933 aided Hitler's plans. The Fire
was arrested, tried for treason, and imprisoned. Decree of 28 February 1933 suspended civic rights
Great Depression and Rise to Power: like freedom of speech, press, and assembly.
-The Nazi Party struggled until the early 1930s Hitler targeted the Communists, sending many to
when the Great Depression created widespread newly established concentration camps. The
economic hardship. repression of Communists was severe, with 1,440
-The economic crisis led to bank failures, business Communist arrest files out of 6,808 in Duesseldorf.
closures, and mass unemployment, making people On 3 March 1933, the Enabling Act was passed,
desperate for change. establishing dictatorship in Germany.
Nazi Propaganda and Electoral Success: The Enabling Act gave Hitler the power to sideline
-Hitler was a charismatic speaker, and Nazi Parliament and rule by decree.
propaganda effectively promised a better All political parties and trade unions were banned
future, including employment and national except for the Nazi Party. The state took control
strength. over the economy, media, army, and judiciary.
-In 1928, the Nazi Party received only 2.6% of New surveillance and security forces were
the vote, but by 1932, it became the largest created, including the Gestapo, SS, criminal police,
party with 37% of the votes in the Reichstag. and Security Service (SD). These forces gave the
Political Strategy and Mass Mobilization: Nazi state a reputation as a feared criminal
-Hitler introduced a new style of politics that state.
emphasized rituals and spectacle to unite and People could be detained, tortured, rounded up,
mobilize the masses. sent to concentration camps, deported, or
-The Nazis held large rallies and public meetings, arrested without legal procedures. The police
using symbols like the Swastika and the Nazi forces acted with impunity.
salute to create a sense of unity and power.
Rituals like applause after speeches reinforced Reconstruction
the spectacle of strength. Hitler assigned economist Hjalmar Schacht to
Hitler as a Saviour Figure: oversee economic recovery, leading to full
-Nazi propaganda portrayed Hitler as a messiah production and employment through a state-
who would rescue the German people from their funded work-creation program that produced the
distress. German superhighways and Volkswagen.
In foreign policy, Hitler quickly achieved successes:
- Withdrew from the League of Nations in 1933,
- Reoccupied the Rhineland in 1936,
- Integrated Austria and Germany in 1938 under
the slogan "One people, One empire, One leader,"
 Hitler received unspoken support from England, At the bottom of the hierarchy were the Jews,
which viewed the Versailles verdict as too harsh. who were seen as the arch-enemies of the Aryans.
Ignoring Schacht’s advice against massive This view placed Jews in direct opposition to the
rearmament, Hitler chose war to resolve the ideal Aryan race.
economic crisis. September 1939: Germany invaded Other racial groups were positioned between the
Poland, triggering a war with France and England. Aryans and Jews in the hierarchy, depending on
September 1940: Germany, Italy, and Japan signed their physical features and perceived racial
the Tripartite Pact, boosting Hitler’s characteristics.
international power.
Puppet regimes loyal to Nazi Germany were
established across Europe, and by the end of 1940,
Hitler had reached the height of his power.
Hitler's racism was influenced by the ideas of
Hitler aimed to conquer Eastern Europe for
Charles Darwin and Herbert Spencer.
resources and living space, attacking the Soviet
Darwin, a natural scientist, introduced the
Union in June 1941. This exposed Germany to
concepts of evolution and natural selection to
British bombing and Soviet armies, leading to a
explain the development of plants and animals.
crushing defeat at Stalingrad and Soviet control
Spencer later added the idea of survival of the
over Eastern Europe.
fittest, suggesting that only those species that
The USA initially avoided the war but entered
could adapt to changing conditions would survive.
after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. The war
While Darwin did not advocate for human
concluded in May 1945 with Hitler’s defeat and the
intervention in natural selection, his ideas were
US dropping the atom bomb on Hiroshima.
misused by racist thinkers to justify imperial rule
over conquered peoples.
The Nazi Worldview
The Nazis adopted the idea that the strongest
Understanding the connection between Nazi crimes and
race would survive while the weaker races would
their belief system is crucial. Hitler's worldview, which
perish.
shaped Nazi ideology, was based on a strict racial
They believed that the Aryan race was the
hierarchy. At the top were the blond, blue-eyed Nordic
strongest and needed to maintain its purity,
Aryans, while Jews were placed at the bottom and
become stronger, and dominate the world.
viewed as the primary enemies. Other racial groups
were ranked in between based on their physical
features. Another key aspect of Hitler's ideology was the
concept of Lebensraum or living space. He believed
that new territories needed to be acquired for
Hitler's belief system, which formed the basis of
settlement to expand the area of the mother
Nazi ideology, was centered around a racial
country.
hierarchy. At the top of this hierarchy were the
This expansion would not only increase the
blond, blue-eyed Nordic Aryans, who were
material resources and power of the German
considered the superior race.
nation but also allow settlers to maintain a close
connection with their place of origin.
Establishment of the Racial State Youth in Nazi Germany
Nazis aimed to create a racially pure German Hitler aimed to build a strong Nazi society by
society by eliminating those deemed 'undesirable'. indoctrinating children with Nazi ideology both in
They sought an exclusive community of 'pure' and outside of school.
Nordic Aryans, excluding anyone considered impure Changes in Schools:
or abnormal. - Schools were ‘cleansed’ of Jews and politically
Under the Euthanasia Programme, mentally and unreliable teachers.
physically unfit Germans were condemned to death. - Children were segregated by race; Jews and
‘undesirable children’ (physically handicapped,
Gypsies) were expelled.
Source A: Hitler believed in the right to conquer - In the 1940s, expelled children were taken to gas
and dominate territories based on strength and chambers.
industry, viewing life as a right for the strong.
Source B: Hitler criticized the limited size of
Germany, advocating for an expansion to match
other global powers.

Jews: Subjected to extreme persecution based on

pseudoscientific racial theories, with a goal of
total elimination. Desirable Children that Hitler wanted to
see multiplied
Others: Gypsies, blacks, Russians, and Poles were
Nazi Schooling:
also targeted as racial inferiors, facing severe
- Textbooks were rewritten to support Nazi
persecution and forced labor.
racial theories.
Historical Context: Traditional Christian hostility
-Racial science was introduced; Jewish
and medieval discrimination against Jews laid the
stereotypes were promoted, including in math
groundwork for Nazi hatred.
classes.
- Children were trained to be loyal, submissive,
and to hate Jews, worship Hitler, and embrace
1933-1938: Nazis terrorized, impoverished, and
violence through sports.
segregated Jews, forcing many to flee Germany.
Youth Organizations:
1939-1945: Focus shifted to concentration and
- Jungvolk: Boys joined at age 10.
extermination in gas chambers, primarily in Poland.
- Hitler Youth: Mandatory for boys at 14; focused
The Racial Utopia on glorifying war, aggression, and Nazism, while
Under the Nazi regime, occupied Poland was divided condemning democracy and ‘undesirable’ groups.
into different regions. Much of northwestern - After training, youths joined the Labour
Poland was annexed to Germany, where Polish Service, armed forces, or Nazi organizations.
people were forced to leave their homes and Formation and Control:
properties behind. These lands were then occupied - Youth League founded in 1922, renamed Hitler
by ethnic Germans brought in from other occupied Youth in 1926.
parts of Europe.
 The Nazi Cult of Motherhood The Art of Propaganda
Children in Nazi Germany were indoctrinated with the Nazis termed mass killings as special treatment,
belief that men and women were fundamentally final solution (for the Jews), euthanasia (for the
different. The struggle for equal rights between disabled), selection and disinfection.
genders, which was a part of democratic movements ‘Evacuation’ meant deporting people to gas
globally, was portrayed as destructive to society. chambers.
Boys were trained to be aggressive, masculine, and Orthodox Jews were stereotyped and marked and
emotionally hardened. were referred to as vermin, rats, and pests. The
Girls were instructed to become devoted mothers Nazis made equal efforts to appeal to all the
responsible for raising pure-blooded Aryan different sections of the population.
children.
They were tasked with maintaining racial purity,
avoiding Jews, and instilling Nazi values in their
offspring.
In 1933, Hitler proclaimed the mother as the most
crucial citizen in the state.
However, not all mothers were treated equally.
Women who bore racially undesirable children faced
punishment, while those who had racially desirable
children received rewards. Gas Chamber

These rewards included preferential treatment in

hospitals, concessions in shops, and discounts on
Gas chambers were labelled as ‘‘disinfection-
theatre tickets and railway fares.
areas’, and looked like bathrooms equipped with
To encourage higher birth rates, Honour Crosses were fake showerheads. Nazi ideas were spread through
introduced: visual images, films, radio, posters, catchy slogans,
A bronze cross was awarded to four children. and leaflets.
A silver cross for six children. They sought to win their support by suggesting
A gold cross for eight or more children. that Nazis alone could solve all their problems.
Aryan women who deviated from the Nazi code of
conduct faced public condemnation and severe Ordinary People and the Crimes
penalties. Against Humanity
Those who maintained contact with Jews, Poles, or
Russians were publicly shamed, often with shaved
heads, blackened faces, and placards declaring Reactions to Nazism in Germany
their 'crime.' Many Germans embraced Nazi ideology, adopting its
Many were sentenced to jail, lost their civic honor, language and beliefs. They felt hatred toward
and faced the loss of their husbands and families Jews, marked their houses, and reported suspicious
due to this 'offense.' neighbors, genuinely believing that Nazism would
bring prosperity.
However, not all Germans were Nazis. Some Knowledge about the Holocaust
actively resisted the regime, despite facing severe
The war ended and Germany was defeated. While
repression. Most, however, remained passive, too
Germans were preoccupied with their own plight,
fearful to protest.
the Jews wanted the world to remember the
Pastor Niemoeller, a resistance fighter, highlighted
atrocities and sufferings they had endured during
this silence in the face of Nazi crimes, lamenting
the Nazi killing operations – also called the
the lack of protest as people failed to speak out
Holocaust.
until it was too late.
When they lost the war, the Nazi leadership
The absence of resistance was not solely due to
distributed petrol to its functionaries to destroy
fear. As Erna Kranz, a German who lived through
all incriminating evidence available in offices.
the 1930s, reflected, many Germans, feeling
downtrodden, welcomed the apparent economic
revival under the Nazis. She acknowledged that,
for her, it seemed like a good time, despite the
horrors that others, especially Jews, endured.

In Nazi Germany, Jews internalized the

stereotypes imposed on them, even dreaming about
the distorted images portrayed by Nazi
propaganda.
The psychological torment began long before many
were sent to the gas chambers, causing them to
suffer repeatedly.

First they came for the Communists

And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me

the poetic form of a 1946 post-war confessional prose by

the German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller