1. Birth of the Weimar Republic
1.1 Germany After World War I
- Germany fought against the Allies in World War I (1914–18).
- Faced heavy casualties and economic strain.
- In 1918, Germany lost the war; Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated.
1.2 Formation of the Weimar Republic
- A democratic constitution was established in Weimar (1919).
- Features:
- President (head of state, elected).
- Parliament (Reichstag).
- Proportional representation (even small parties got seats).
- People enjoyed fundamental rights.
1.3 Treaty of Versailles (1919)
- Imposed harsh terms on Germany:
- Lost territories (Alsace-Lorraine, colonies).
- Army limited to 100,000 soldiers.
- Had to pay reparations of 6 billion pounds.
- War guilt clause: Germany held responsible for WWI.
- Created deep resentment among Germans.
2. Political and Economic Crisis in Weimar Germany
2.1 Political Instability
- Proportional representation led to coalition governments.
- No stable leadership, frequent changes.
- Extreme political parties (Communists, Nazis) gained strength.
2.2 Economic Problems
- Reparations Burden
- Weimar had to pay huge reparations → financial crisis.
- 1923 Hyperinflation
- Germany printed more money to pay reparations.
- Prices skyrocketed: a loaf of bread cost billions of marks.
- Middle-class savings wiped out.
- The Great Depression (1929)
- US Wall Street Crash affected global economy.
- American loans to Germany stopped.
- Unemployment rose to 6 million.
- Farmers hit by falling prices.
2.3 Collapse of Democracy
- People lost faith in Weimar democracy.
- Looked for strong leadership → fertile ground for Hitler.
3. Hitler’s Rise to Power
3.1 Hitler’s Early Life
- Born in Austria (1889).
- Served in German army during WWI.
- Humiliation of defeat deeply impacted him.
3.2 Nazi Party Formation
- Joined German Workers’ Party in 1919.
- Renamed it National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP) or Nazi Party.
- Adopted swastika symbol and brown uniforms.
3.3 Beer Hall Putsch (1923)
- Attempted coup in Munich → failed.
- Hitler jailed; wrote Mein Kampf (My Struggle), outlining his ideology:
- Racial superiority of Aryans.
- Hatred of Jews.
- Anti-communism.
- Need for strong leadership.
3.4 Nazi Propaganda
- Promised to restore German pride.
- Slogans: “One People, One Empire, One Leader.”
- Blamed Weimar politicians for humiliation.
- Used modern propaganda: posters, radio, rallies, parades.
3.5 Electoral Success
- During Depression, Nazis gained mass support.
- By 1932, Nazi Party became the largest in Reichstag.
- January 1933: Hitler appointed Chancellor of Germany.
4. The Nazi State (1933–45)
4.1 The Reichstag Fire (1933)
- Reichstag building set on fire.
- Hitler blamed Communists → emergency powers.
- Civil liberties suspended.
4.2 Enabling Act (1933)
- Gave Hitler dictatorial powers for four years.
- Democracy ended; Germany became a dictatorship.
4.3 Elimination of Opposition
- Trade unions banned.
- Communist, Socialist parties banned.
- Political opponents arrested, killed, or sent to concentration camps.
4.4 The SS and Gestapo
- SS (Schutzstaffel) – elite security force loyal to Hitler.
- Gestapo – secret police, used terror and surveillance.
- Nazi Germany became a police state.
5. Nazi Ideology
5.1 Racial Superiority
- Belief in hierarchy of races:
- Aryans (Nordic Germans) – master race.
- Slavs, Gypsies, Jews – inferior.
- Advocated racial purity.
5.2 Lebensraum (Living Space)
- Expansionist policy.
- Germany needed territory in East Europe for Aryan settlement.
5.3 Anti-Semitism
- Jews blamed for:
- Germany’s defeat in WWI.
- Economic crisis.
- Spread of communism.
- Nazis spread myths and stereotypes about Jews.
5.4 Militarism and Nationalism
- Glorification of war, discipline, obedience.
- Aimed to undo Versailles Treaty and build powerful Germany.
6. Youth and Women in Nazi Germany
6.1 Nazi Indoctrination of Youth
- Hitler Youth (boys): trained in military discipline, loyalty to Hitler.
- League of German Girls: prepared girls for motherhood and domestic roles.
- Schools controlled: textbooks rewritten with Nazi ideology.
6.2 Role of Women
- Expected to be mothers, produce Aryan children.
- Awarded Honour Cross of the German Mother for large families.
- Careers restricted; discouraged from working in professions.
7. Propaganda and Mass Mobilisation
- Goebbels (Minister of Propaganda) masterminded Nazi propaganda.
- Used:
- Films, posters, radio broadcasts.
- Mass rallies, torchlight parades.
- Symbols (swastika, salute).
- Aim: brainwash masses, glorify Hitler as Führer.
8. Nazi Policies and Society
8.1 Economy
- Public works programmes (roads, bridges, autobahns).
- Rearmament created jobs.
- Unemployment reduced drastically.
8.2 Militarisation
- Compulsory military service.
- Secretly built air force and navy (violating Versailles Treaty).
8.3 Workers
- Trade unions banned; replaced by German Labour Front.
- “Strength through Joy” programme provided leisure activities to control workers.
8.4 Farmers
- Encouraged to increase production.
- Restrictions on selling land to maintain traditional peasant class.
9. The Holocaust
9.1 Persecution of Jews
- 1935: Nuremberg Laws
- Stripped Jews of citizenship.
- Prohibited marriage between Jews and Germans.
- 1938: Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass)
- Jewish shops, synagogues attacked.
9.2 Final Solution
- From 1941 onwards: systematic extermination of Jews.
- Jews deported to concentration and extermination camps (Auschwitz, Treblinka, Dachau).
- Millions murdered in gas chambers.
9.3 Other Victims
- Gypsies, handicapped, homosexuals, political opponents also targeted.
- Around 6 million Jews killed → Holocaust.
10. Second World War (1939–45) and Nazi Decline
10.1 Road to War
- Hitler violated Versailles Treaty.
- Annexed Austria (1938), invaded Czechoslovakia (1939).
- 1 September 1939: invaded Poland → WWII began.
10.2 German Expansion
- Rapid victories across Europe.
- Controlled France, Belgium, Netherlands, much of Eastern Europe.
10.3 Turning Point
- 1941: Hitler invaded Soviet Union.
- Failed due to Russian resistance and harsh winter.
- 1942–43: Stalingrad battle → major defeat.
10.4 Defeat
- 1944: Allied forces landed in Normandy (D-Day).
- 1945: Allies invaded Germany.
- 30 April 1945: Hitler committed suicide in Berlin.
- May 1945: Germany surrendered → end of Nazi regime.
11. Impact of Nazism
11.1 On Germany
- Democracy destroyed.
- Economy revived temporarily but at cost of war.
- Millions died in WWII.
- Cities destroyed, divided after war.
11.2 On the World
- Holocaust exposed horrors of racial ideology.
- Led to creation of United Nations (1945).
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted (1948).
- Germany divided into East and West (Cold War).
12. The Legacy of Nazism
- A reminder of dangers of dictatorship and propaganda.
- Holocaust remains a symbol of human cruelty.
- Strengthened global movements for democracy, peace, and human rights.