1. The Problems of the Weimar Republic 1918-1923

1. a) The Armistice

• Signed 11 November 1918 (peace agreement)• Germans felt that they had been forced to

surrender by the new Government who had taken over after the Kaiser had abdicated

• These politicians became known as “the November Criminals” who stabbed Germany in the back

1. b) The new constitution had weaknesses

• Proportional representation meant no single party won a majority of seats which meant the country was ruled by weak coalitions which always broke down meaning there were always new elections

- 1923-30 there were 10 coalition Governments• Article 48 meant the President could rule without

Parliament in an emergency (this happened in 1930 after the Wall Street Crash)

1. C) Unrest in Germany 1918-23

• The new Government was unpopular with the public who felt they had surrendered after WW1 and had a weak constitution

• Weimar was hated by Communists (Spartacist Rising 1919 ) and they staged an uprising in 1919

• The army hated Weimar and in 1920 right wing extremists staged an uprising in the Kapp Putsch. The army did not support the Government

• In 1923 Hitler tried to overthrow the Government in the Munich Putsch

1. d) The Treaty of Versailles• Signed 28 June 1919• Conditions horrified Germans. The claimed it was a “diktat” –

a forced peace1. Germany lost 13% of it’s land, 48% of it’s iron production2. Article 231 the War Guilt Clause. Germany had to accept full

guilt for WW13. Reparation repayments of 6.6 billion 4. They were not allowed to be a part of the League of Nations5. Their army was restricted to 100,000 and was not allowed in

the Rhineland (the area of Germany closest to France)• Germany at first rejected the terms but had to accept or go

back into war. They called the terms Gewaltfrieden (enforced peace) and the Chancellor resigned

1. e) Economic instability

• Germany could not pay the reparation repayments so French and Belgian forces occupied the industrial area of the Ruhr

• This led to inflation which meant the Government had to print more money which made it worthless

• This led to hyperinflation which reached it’s height in 1923 and was a humiliation for the Government

2. Period of recovery 1923-29

2. a) Economic recovery

• 1923 Gustav Stresemann became Chancellor• He introduced a new currency called the

Rentenmark which later became the Reichsmark• The USA lent Germany money under the Dawes

plan in 1924• 1929 Young Plan reduced the reparation

repayments by ¾ and lengthened the time Germany had to pay it by 59 years

2. b) Stresseman’s foreign Policy success

• Germany was allowed to join the League of Nations showing trust from foreign powers

2. c) Stresemann’s political success

• A strong coalition was formed in 1928 which led to a more stable Government

3. How the Nazi Party developed 1920-23

3. a) 1919

• Anton Drexler formed the German Workers Party

• It was very right wing and nationalistic• While working for the army as a spy Hitler was

recruited by Drexler as he was so good at public speaking

• He was made responsible for propaganda and recruitment within the Party

3. B) 1920

• February Hitler and Drexler drew up a manifesto of party ideas “ the 25 point plan” – Hitler kept to these ideas for most of his life

- Hate of the Treaty of Versailles, hate of the November Criminals, hate of the “Stab in the back” and the Armistice, hate of Communists and Jews and hate of Weimar

• The party changed it’s name to the National Socialist German worker’s Party (Nazi for short)

• The membership grew due to Hitler’s public speeches• They published their own newspaper – the Volkisher

Beobachter (People’s Observer)

3. c) 1921

• Hitler became leader• He gave himself the title “Fuhrer” which

meant he would have absolute power in the party

- This became known as the “fuhrerprinzip” this is how Hitler chose to lead Germany when he became Chancellor in 1933

3d 1921 the SA

• 1921 He introduced the Sturmabteilung (the SA) to protect Nazi speakers led by Ernst Rohm

- Became known as the “brown shirts due to the colour of their uniform”

- Disrupted meetings of Social Democrat and Communist meetings

• Membership grew from 1100 in 1920 to 55,000 in 1923.

3. e) 1921-23 • The swastika was created and the use of the raised

arm salute

4. The Consequences of the Munich Putsch

4. a) reasons for the Munich Putsch November 1923

1. Hitler hated the Weimar Government2. German people hated Weimar and felt humiliated

following French invasion of the Ruhr so would support Hitler

3. The Nazi Party had grown and thought they would have support

4. SA would be armed support5. Hitler had the support of General Ludendorff who was

popular6. Hitler thought the province of Bavaria would support him

4. b) the Munich Putsch 8 November 1923

• The Nazis seized the beer hall where Bavarian politicians such as Von Kahr were attending a meeting

• He held them at gunpoint and they agreed to support him

• They were allowed to leave the beer hall though and arranged for troops and police to stop Hitler’s uprising in Munich

• 16 Nazis were killed and 4 police men• Hitler was arrested with Ludendorff and the Nazi party

was banned

4. c) The effects of the Much Putsch 1923

• Trial began in Feb 1924 and lasted a month. He used the trial as a public platform putting his ideas forward about the “November Criminals” and the Treaty of Versailles

• Judges were sympathetic and only sentenced him to 5 years the minimum sentence and only served 9 months

• In prison he wrote Mein Kampf (My Struggle) which contained all of his political views such as Lebensraum (a bigger living space for pure Aryans) and all Jews to be eliminated from Germany and volksgemeinschaft (strongest races would dominate)

5. How did the Nazi Party change 1924-29

5. a) How did the Nazi Party change 1924-29

• Following his release from prison Hitler managed to get the ban on the party lifted

• At the Bamburg Party Conference in 1926 Hitler strengthened his position as leader removing opposition

• 1926 Hitler created his own private bodyguard the Schutzstaffel (SS)

• 1926 Hitler created the HitlerJugend (Hitler Youth)• In 1928 hitler started to target rural voters as well as

urban looking to farmers• 1925 = 27,000 members: 1928 100,000+ members• However, in the 1928 election they only gained 12 seats

6. Why was Hitler appointed Chancellor in 1933

1. Great depression2. Weak opposition3. Strength of the SA4. Hitler was a strong leader5. Fear of Communism6. Financial backing7. Hitler promised lots of things to lots of different types of

people8. Use of propaganda9. Political manipulation of Hindenburg and Von Papan

6. a) impact of the wall Street Crash and Great depression

• 1929 the stock market collapsed in the USA and bankers withdrew loans made under the Dawes Plan in 1924

• Unemployment rose (1932 6 million were unemployed)

• Farmers struggled as food prices fell• Homelessness rose• Benefits were cut

6. b) Fear of Communism

• The unemployed and hungry started to look to extremist parties (like the Nazis and Communists) for solutions

• The middle class were worried about the growth of the German Communist Party (KPD)

6. c) Weak opposition

• The Government failed to deal with the economic crisis effectively and the Chancellor Bruning was blamed

• There was no majority or effective coalition in 1930. They relied on President Hindenburg using Article 48

- The Reichstag was used less • 1930 the Nazis won 107 seats and became the second

biggest party in Germany• Bruning was forced to resign in May 1932 due to lack

of support

6. d) Propaganda

• Nazis increased their support through propaganda• Josef Goebbels was in charge of propaganda - Mass rallies- Displaying posters and banners wherever possible- 1930 the Nazis owned 120 newspapers- Nazi message constantly spread through the radio,

newspapers, posters - They were one of the first parties to use airplanes

so that Hitler could visit more than one city in a day

6. e) He appealed to all classes of people

• Alternative to the weak Weimar Government• Hitler offered the Jews and the Weimar

Government as a scapegoat to the problem • He promised the working classes jobs• He promised the middle and upper classes to

crush the threat of Communism- Hitler stood against Hindenburg in the

Presidential elections in 1932 and won a large section of the votes and although he lost Goebbels portrayed it as a victory

6. f) Financial support of the Nazis

• Financial backing came from industrialists who were scared of Communism like Krupp and Bosch. They knew Hitler would also reduce thepower of the Trade unions

6. g) the Sturmabteilung (the SA)

• Known as brown shirts or storm troopers• Protected Nazi speakers• Disrupted meetings of their opponents• They were the “bully boy thugs” of the party and beat

up opposition. • They had a membership of 170,000 in 1932• The Communists had their own army (Red Front

Fighters) and their were many fights between them and the SA. Hitler wanted to show Germany he could stamp out their threat

6. h) Hitler was a strong leader

• Hitler had brilliant public speaking skills• He was strong and charismatic making him

popular• People agreed with his ideas

6. i) political manipulation • In the 1932 July elections the Nazis won 230 seats

and were the largest party in the Reichstag• Hindenburg refused to make Hitler Chancellor

keeping Von Papen in the post• Von Papen failed to secure support in the Reichstag

so Hindenburg appointed Von Schleicher• Hitler met with Von Papen and persuaded him that

he should persuade Hindenburg to make him Chancellor and he could be Vice Chancellor

• Von Schleicher was unpopular so Hindenburg agreed and made Hitler Chancellor

7. How did Hitler consolidate his power?

1. Reichstag Fire2. March Elections3. Enabling Act4. Night of the Long Knives5. Death of Hindenburg

7a The importance of the Reichstag Fire

• One week before the March elections on 27th Feb 1933 the Reichstag was set on fire

• The Nazis arrested Dutch Communist Marinus Van Der Lubbe• They claimed the Communists were staging a takeover• Some believe it was the Nazis that set the Reichstag on fire• Following the fire Hitler got Hindenburg to sign the “Decree

for the Protection of People and State”- This suspended civil rights and allowed the Nazis to arrest

many of their opposition just before the March elections. It also stopped opposition parties from promoting themselves

- Hitler arrested Communists and put them in concentration camps and they were banned from the Reichstag

7b The March elections

• 5 March 1933 following the Reichstag Fire Hitler wanted to get a majority (2/3 of the vote) in the Reichstag

• Violence and terror were seen in the campaign with 70 deaths in the weeks leading up to it

• Hitler received large amounts of money from industrialists such as Bosch and Krupp

• There was a massive propaganda campaign• They imprisoned many opposition and the opposition

did not have any media control• The Nazis won 288 seats which was not a majority

7c The Enabling Act 23 March 1933

• Hitler needed 2/3 of the Reichstag to be able to change the constitution. He had failed to get this in the March 5th elections

• He wanted to pass the enabling bill ( a new law) which meant he could pass any law he wanted without consulting the Reichstag

• 2/3 of the Reichstag had to agree to the enabling act for it to be passed. Intimidation of politicians was used to get them to agree to it

• It was passed on 23 March 1933 and was considered the “foundation stone” of the Third Reich (Hitler’s rule)

• It resulted in censorship, abolition of trade unions and the banning of all political parties

7C The Enabling Act• Due to the Enabling Act Hitler introduced Gleichschaltung:

every aspect of life would be controlled by the Nazis• 2 May 1933 all trade unions were banned and the DAF was

set up who decided wages and banned strikes. If anyone disagreed they would be sent to the newly opened concentration camps (the first being Dachau March 1933)

• 14 July 1933 the law against the formation of parties was passed and the Nazi Party became the sole legal party in Germany

• Hitler abolished the 18 “Lander” (provincial Parliaments and put a Reich Governor in to replace them who would be a loyal Nazi

7e The importance of the Night of the long Knives

• Also known as Operation Hummingbird or the Bloody Purge

• Hitler ordered the killing of 400 SA leaders and opposition including Von Schleicher and Rohm by the SS on 30 June 1934

• This was to win the support of the army who distrusted the SA

• To remove the threat to his power (they were a massive organisation)

• It showed that Hitler would rule through terror and fear

7f the death of Hindenburg

• August 1934• The army swore allegiance to Hitler• Hitler combined the roles of Chancellor and

President to become “Fuhrer”• He asked the approval of the German people

and more than 90% of voters agreed showing his popularity

Describe questions1. Describe the Munich Putsch2. Describe Mein Kampf3. Describe how the SA dealt with opposition4. Describe the effects of the Wall Street Crash5. Describe how Hitler used propaganda effectively between

1929-336. Describe the political manipulation of Hindenburg and Von

Papen in 1933 by Hitler7. Describe the Reichstag Fire8. Describe the March elections 19339. Describe the Night of the Long Knives

Explain Questions1. Explain how Germany was affected by the Great Depression2. Explain how propaganda helped Hitler to become Chancellor

in 19333. Explain how the SA helped Hitler become Chancellor in 19334. Explain how the Reichstag Fire helped Hitler to consolidate his

power5. Explain how the Enabling Act helped Hitler to consolidate his

power6. Explain how the Night of the Long Knives helped Hitler to

consolidate his power7. Explain how the death of Hindenburg helped Hitler to

consolidate his power

10 mark questions

1. Was the Reichstag Fire/Enabling Act/Night of the Long Knives/the Death of Hindenburg the main reason that Hitler consolidated his power in 1934

2. Was the Great Depression/political manipulation/propaganda/a weak Weimar Government the main reason Hitler became Chancellor in 1933

Did life improve for ordinary Germans under Nazi rule between 1933-39

• Economic policy• Education/youth policy• Women policy• Race Policy• Religious policy• Political policy/Police State• Censorship

8 How did German economic policy affect life in Germany

8a How he improved the economy

• The RAD provided men between 18-25 with manual labour jobs which reduced unemployment

• BUT it was compulsory from 1935. It was low paid and all workers lived in camps and had to wear uniform

8a How he improved the economy

• Hitler spent millions on job creation schemes. They introduced a massive road building scheme which built 7000km of autobahns as well as hospitals, schools and houses

• BUT there was invisible unemployment. Jews were fired and women were not included in figures. Part time workers were shown as full time employed so the figures looked better than they were

8a How he improved the economy

• 1934 Hjalmar Schact introduced Mefo Bills. Credit notes to boost spending

8a How he improved the economy

• 1936 Goering introduced the 4 year plan to create autarky (self sufficiency) e.g. the chemical company IG Farben was paid to try and develop a way of getting oil out of coal

• BUT these method s did not reduce the amount of imports that Germany imported

8a How he improved the economy

• Rearmament created jobs e.g. between 1933-39 use of oil, iron and steel trebled. In 1939 26 billion was spent on rearmament

• Hitler reintroduced conscription in 1935 and men had to join the army meaning they were no longer unemployed

8a How he improved the economy• The DAF (National Labout Front) was set up on May 2 1933. the DAF

replaced trade unions and was led by Robert Ley- Workers given relatively high wages- They set up the KdF Strength Through Joy which rewarded hard

workers with sponsored leisure activities such as concerts, sporting events and cruises. They also improved working conditions building canteens and sports facilities and installing better lights

• BUT the KdF meant that the German people’s leisure time was controlled

• Workers received work books and if you didn’t have one e.g. you weren’t a member of the DAF you couldn’t get work

• Strikes were banned• Membership cost 3 Reichsmark• In 1938 the Volkswagon Scheme conned people. The cars never

arrived

9. How Hitler controlled people through social policy

9a control of women• Ideal Nazi woman was traditional (no makeup, blonde, heavy hipped, athletic, flat shoes, did

not work, did not smoke, cooked and brought up children, took no interest in politics)• Before 1933 women’s rights had made big steps in Germany. This was reversed by Nazi

policy• Massive propaganda campaign to promote motherhood• 1933 Law for the Encouragement of Marriage – loans given to couples provided the woman

left her job. They got to keep a quarter of the money for each child they had• On Hitler’s mother’s birthday, 12 August, medals were given to women with large families• 1938 changed the divorce law. A husband could divorce his wife if she could not have

children• Lebensborn was a programme where unmarried women could donate a baby to the Fuhrer

by becoming pregnant by racially pure Aryan men• The German’s Women’s Enterprise was set up who organised classes and talks on

motherhood• Women were asked to stick to the 3 Ks – Kinder, kuche, Kirche (Children, cooking and

Church)• Women were discouraged from higher education at school and at the League of German

Maiden meetings

9b Control of children through education

• Teachers had to swear an oath of loyalty to Hitler and join the Nazi Teacher’s League

• The Curriculum was changed. Boys focus was to prepare them for the military and girl’s motherhood. Race studies was introduced

• Lessons began and ended with “Heil Hitler” salute. Nazi themes were taught in all subjects e.g. History taught the evils of the Treaty of Versailles

• Textbooks were rewritten and were full of anti semitic (anti Jewish) propaganda. Mein Kampf was a standard text

9c Hitler’s control of youth in their spare time

• Hitler Youth- All other youth organisations banned- 1939 membership was compulsory and there were 7 million members- Joined the Jungvolk at 10 (German Young People) and the Hitler

Jungend (Hitler Youth) 14-18. They camped, did athletics and learnt military skills

• Girls joined the Young Girls (Jungmadel) at 10 and the League of German Maidens 14-18 (Bund Deutche Madchen). They learnt domestic skills to prepare them for marriage and motherhood

• Many children did not like these organisations but had no choice but to attend

10 Political policy

• The police state1. SS2. Gestapo3. Concentration camps

10a the police state

• SS (Schutzstaffel) formed in 1925 as a bodyguard for Hitler

- Led by Heinrich Himmler after 1929- Wore black and showed complete obedience

to the Fuhrer- 1934 50,000 members - After the Night of the Long Knives were

responsible for removing all opposition

10a the police state

• The Gestapo (Secret State Police) set up in 1933 by Goering

- Was part of the SS after 1936- Arrested and imprisoned opposition (usually

in concentrtaion camps)- 1939 160,000 people under arrest for political

crimes

10a The Police State

• The legal system- Some judges removed and all had to become

members of the National Socialist League for the Maintenance of Law

- October 1933 German lawyers Front set up - 1934 People’s Court set up to try cases of

treason. Judges were loyal Nazis and Hitler would intervene if he felt a sentence was too lenient

10a The Police State

• Concentration Camps- Ran by SA originally and then the SS- First was in Dachau in April 1933- Prisoners put into different categories shown by

different coloured triangles on their uniforms- Opponents of the Nazis were taken there for

questioning, hard labour and torture. Usually used as slave labour

- Many were killed and the family would be informed that they had died of disease or trying to escape

10b Control over Government

• The Cabinet by 1938 was all Nazi. The Reich Chancellory - a man called Lammers drew up many of the new laws

• Civil Service – 1939 it was compusory for all civil servants to be members of the Nazi Party

• 31 March 1933 all state Governments (Landers) closed down and the country was divided into Gaus (provinces) each headed by a Nazi Reich Governor

• The Reichstag lost power after the enabling bill. It became an applause machine for Hitler’s speeches

• Fuhrer. Had supreme authority. Germany was governed by “the will of the Fuhrer”

10c Propaganda and censorship• March 1934 Josef Goebbels set up Ministry for Enlightenment and Propaganda to

control the hearts and minds of the German people• Newspapers: non Nazi newspapers shut down. German people only read what the

Nazis wanted them to know. Editors who didn’t obey were sent to concentration camps

• Radio: cheap mass produced radios sold which could only get German channels. Radio sets were put in cafes and factories and loudspeakers were set up on the street so that everyone could hear regular broadcasts by Goebbels and Hitler

• Film: Goebbels commissioned films with Nazi slants e.g. Hitlerjunge Quex in 1933 told the story of a young boy who broke away from Communists to join the Hitler Youth to be murdered by the Communists at the end. All films had a 45 minutes newsreel before hand which showed Nazi achievements

• Rallies: mass rallies were held regularly to show the power of the Nazis e.g. the Nuremburg rally was held every year and thousands would attend

• Posters: cleverly put across the Nazi message• Books: controlled heavily. Goebbels encouraged students to burn 20,000 books in

Berlins wrote by Jews and any Nazis in May 1933• It was illegal to tell an anti Nazi joke due to the Law Against Malicious Gossip in

1934

10c Propaganda and censorship

• Goebbels set up the Reich Chamber of Culture and all Musicians, Actors, and writers had to be a member. Any that were unsuitable were banned

• Music: Jazz music banned (associated with black people)• Theatre: cheap theatre tickets made availab;e to see plays

with a pro Nazi slant• Architecture: Hitler liked traditional buildings and grand

styles often copies from Ancient Rome and Greece• Art: Hitler hated modern art. He wanted art to shoe hard

work as heroic, perfect Aryans, women in their preferred role as mothers and wives

11 Racial policy 1933-39

11a Hitler’s beliefs

• The Germans were a pure race from Aryan descent which had been contaminated by subhumans

• Jews and Slavs were subhumans• Hitler believed in selective breeding by making

sure all non Aryans did not reproduce

10b Persecution of the Jews 1933-39• Anti semitism in schools: propaganda through

lessons and textbooks. November 1938 all Jews expelled from schools

• Laws against Jews: 1933 SA organised a boycott of shops

• 1935 Nuremburg Laws. Only those of German blood could be German citizens and Jewslost their citizenship e.g. right to vote. They also made relations between Jews and German citizens illegal

• 1938 – Jews had to carry identity cards and had the red letter J stamped on their passports

10b Persecution of the Jews 1933-39• Kristallnacht 9 November 1938- A polish Jew shot a German official at the Embassy in Paris- Goebbels organised anti Jewish demos on the 9-10 November

attacking Jewish shops, homes and Synagogues- So many windows were smashed that it became known as the

“Night of the Broken Glass” or Kristallnacht- 100 Jews were killed and 20,000 were sent to concentration

camps- Many ordinary Germans were disgusted at the violence but

Hitler said they had provoked the attack- Hitler ordered Jews be fined 1 billion Reichmarks for damage,

Jews were no longer allowed to own or manage shops, Jewish children could no longer attend Aryan schools

10b Persecution of the Jews 1933-39

• 1939 Reich office for Jewish Emigration set up under Heydrich. Tried to implement forced immigration wanting other countries to take Jews

• Jews had to give up all metal and jewellry• 30 April they were evicted into ghettos• September Jews had to give up radios so they

couldn’t listen to foreign news

11 Hitler and the church

11a Catholic Church• They were a threat because their first loyalty was to the

Pope not Hitler• 1933 signed a concordat with the Pope which said that

if the Church did not interfere with politics Hitler would not interfere with the Church

• Hitler broke the Concordat. He arrested many priests, Catholic schools were eventually abolished, Catholic Youth organisations were shut down, Monasteries were closed

• 1937 the Pope made a speech attacking the Nazi rule. This resulted in 400 priests being arrested and sent to Dachau

11b Protestant Church

• Many opposed Hitler and the Nazis• They were led by Martin Niemolled a Protestant

Preacher. • He set up the Pastor’s Emergency League in

December 1933 to oppose Hitler• 1934 they set up the Confessional Church • 1937 Niemoller was sent to a concentration

camp and the Confessional Church was banned

11c Hitler’s National Reich Chruch

• 28 Protestant church groups united in 1933 to create the National Reich Church (a Nazified church)

• Leader was Reich Bishop Ludwig Muller• Members of the church wore Nazi uniforms and gave

the heil Hitler greeting• Slogan “the swastika on our chests and the Cross in

our hearts”• Bible and cross replaced with Mein Kampf and a

sword

Explain questions (4 marks)1. Explain how the Nazis improved the economy between 1933-392. Explain how Hitler used the DAF to control Germans3. Explain how the KdF was used to control German people4. Explain how the Nazis changed the lives of women between 1933-395. Explain why the Nazis wanted to control education6. Explain how the Nazis controlled education7. Explain why the SS and Gestapo played such an important role in Nazi Germany8. Explain why the use of the police state was so important to the Nazis9. Explain how the Nazis used concentration camps between 1933-39 to control German people10. Explain how the Nazis extended their control over central and local Government11. Explain how the Nazis used propaganda to gain control over the hearts and minds of the

German people12. Explain why it was important for Hitler to control the arts13. Explain why Hitler persecuted the Jews14. Explain how the Nuremburg Laws effected Jewish life in Nazi Germany15. Explain how the Nazis persecuted the Jews16. Explain why Hitler wanted control over the church in Germany17. Explain how Hitler extended control over the church in Germany

Describe Questions (5)1. Describe the DAF2. Describe the RAD 3. Describe how the Nazis improved the economy 4. Describe the KdF/Strength Through Joy movement5. Describe the 4 year plan6. Describe invisible unemployment7. Describe the attitude of nazis towards the role of the woman8. Describe how the school curriculum changed under the Nazis9. Describe the Hitler Youth10. Describe how the Nazis controlled German youth11. Describe the use of concentration camps between 1933-3912. Describe the use of the Gestapo between 1933-3913. Describe the role of the SS between 1933-3914. Describe the use of propaganda in Nazi Germany 1933-3915. Describe the use of censorship in Nazi Germany 1933-3916. Describe the Nuremburg Laws17. Describe Kristallnacht/the Night of the Broken Glass18. Describe how Hitler controlled the church between 1933-3919. Describe the National Reich Church

10 Mark questions

1. Did life improve for ordinary Germans between 1933-39

2. Was the boycott of Jewish shops the worst problem faced by Jews between 1933-39

3. Was censorship and propaganda the main method used by the Nazis to control the German people

12 Life in the early years of war 1939-41

12 a) Initial impact of war 1939-41• War had little effect on Germans• Blitzkrieg (heavy bombing campaigns) brought German

victories and morale was high• There were no food shortages and goods such as gold and silk

came in from newly acquired countries such as Poland• Due to aurtarky (self sufficiency) there were no food shortages.

There was rationing (but not heavily) from 1939 but it meant that 2/5 Germans followed a better diet

• All sections of community were told to take part in the war effort e.g. Hitler Youth collected metal, clothing and books for recycling

• Children were evacuated from Berlin in 1940 but many soon returned as bombing campaigns weren’t very bad

12b Changing role of women during war

• Although originally Naiz policy encouraged women to stay at home they had to reverse this decision as men went to fight

• 1933 there were 4.2 million married women working and in 1939 there were 6.2 million

• Jan 1943 women between 17-45 had to work but many found ways around it

12c Propaganda during the first half of the war

• Used to maintain morale by Josef Goebbels. Much more essential in the later war years when they were losing

• Posters showed German victories in the first half of the war

• Goebbels claimed that in December 1941 Germany gave 1.5 million furs to the German army in Russia to encourage others to give

13 Germany in the later war years 1943-35

• Total War policy• Heavy bombings of German cities• German losses meant a turning point in the

war (Germany were losing)

13 b) Economic policy 1943-45

• 1942 food rations became worse also soap, clothing and shoes.

- Black market and illegal trading rife

13 b) Economic policy 1943-45• The concept of “Total war was introduced by Goebbels in a

speech at the Berlin Sportzplatz in Feb 1943- Closed all non essential to war businesses- Wanted all production and activity to be geared to war- Albert Speer appointed Reich Minister for Armaments who

ensured all factories concentrated on war production- Speer brought in more foreign workers to cover worker

shortages. 1944 29.2% of workers were foreign- 1939-44 in munitions manufacture output increased by

60% despite bombings

13 a) Propaganda changed in the later half of the war

• January 1943 Germany lost badly at Stalingrad in Russia• There were heavy Allied bombings of German cities• Nature of propaganda changed as needed to raise morale and

support for the war- Posters showed that Germany would be victorious in the long

run- Bombing of German cities was used to increase support

against the evil Allies- “Total War” was supported i.e. everything should be focused

towards war- Other campaigns included asking people to save fuel, work

harder and avoid tooth decay

13c Allied bombings 1942-45

• Allies Aim: to stop war production and destroy morale

• At the end of the war 3.5 million civilians had been killed

• Berlin, Dresden and Hamburg were in ruins• Dresden 70% of buildings destroyed in 1945 –

millions homeless

14 How were the Jewish treated during the war years?

14a 1939• Reich Central Office for Emigration was set up to force German

Jews out of Germany (Madagascar was suggested for an area of resettlement)

• When war broke out it allowed the persecution of Jews to get worse without world opinion, they also had more Jews e.g. 3million in West Poland

• Ghettos introduced in 1939. All Jews rounded up and sent there

- Jewish reservations in towns with walls to keep the Jews in. The largest was Warsaw in Poland

- Starvation rations and many died from starvation, cold and diseases like typhus

- 55,000 Jews died in the Warsaw ghetto

14b 1941• Following the invasion of Russia the Nazis had even

more Jews under their control and no where to put them

• Murder squads known as the Einsatzgruppen were introduced

• They followed German troops into Russia rounding up Jews taking them to the outskirts of towns. There Jews were ordered to dig their own graves before they were shot

• 1943 the Einsatzgruppen had murdered 2 million Russian Jews

14 c 1942-45• The Final Solution: to the Jewish problem. To

exterminate them in death camps• It was the main idea of Himmler• It was an efficient and quick solution• The details of the Final Solution was were worked out

at the Wanassee Conference in Jan 1942• Death camps were built in Poland where Jews would

be worked to death building gas chambers and crematoria (ovens for bodies)

• First death camp was opened in March 1942 at Belzec

14d Gas chambers• Gases: Carbon Monoxide and Zyklon B• Very efficient. In Treblinka 140,000 Jews were killed a

month in 1942• Fitted out as showers to avoid panic and bodies were burnt

or left in mass pits• Prisoners who weren’t gassed were given many jobs to do

the worst being to remove dead bodies from the gas chambers

• Strict routine and terrible conditions• Doctors used inmates for medical experiments without

anaestetic• 1945 6 million people had been killed in the camps

15 Opposition to the Nazis during the war years

• Military oppostion• Youth opposition• Religious opposition

15a Military opposition• Kreisau Circle: wanted to get rid of Hitler from

power but not kill him. Leader arrested in 1944 for speaking out against the regime.

• The army: growing discontent with Hitler after defeats in the later part of the war. Karl Goerdeler and General Ludwig Beck tried two failed assassination attempts on Hitler

• These two groups joined Colonel Von Stauffenburg for the 5th July Bomb Plot (Valkyrie)

15a Military opposition (Valkyrie)• Colonel Von Stauffenburg fought in Russia. Was

appalled by the treatment of the Jews and wanted to kill Hitler

• He thought up Operation Valkyrie which used a bomb in a briefcase to kill Hitler. Unfortunately the suitcase was moved and Hitler was just injured

• 5746 people executed for their role in the plot• Every member of the army had to re swear an oath

of loyalty to Hitler• The military salute was replaced with the Heil Hitler

salute

15b Opposition from Youth groups

• Edelweiss pirates: a youth group who’s symbol was Edelweiss flower

- Go on hikes and camping trying to beat up Hitler Youth patrols. They hid deserters from the army and pushed anti Hitler leaflets through doors

- 1944 12 members of a group were publicly hanged in Cologne

15b Opposition from youth groups• Swing Groups: upper middle class youths in large

cities that didn’t like the ideals of the Hitler Youth. Met in bars and played American black music, jazz and Jewish music

- Nazis closed the bars and made some arrests• White Rose Group (led by Hans and Sophie Scholl):

set up in Munich University in 1941. Issued 6 leaflets telling people of Nazi atrocities. They also painted anti Nazi messages on buildings.

- They were spotted by a Nazi caretaker in Feb 1943. The leaders were tortured by the Gestapo and hanged

15c Opposition from religious groups

• Martin Niemoller: 1934 set up Confessional Church to rival Hitler’s Reich Church and spoke out openly against the regime. He was arrested and was sent to a concentration camp. He survived

• Dietrich Bonheoeffer: Helped to create the Confessional Church. He spoke out against Hitler and was part of a secret group trying to overthrow Hitler. He set up Operation 7 helping Jews to escape. He was sent to a concentration camp where he was executed in 1945

• Von Galen: Catholic Bishop. He spoke out publicly against Hitler’s murder of disabled people amongst other things but was unpunished because he was too popular

16 Germany after the war

16a Why did they lose1. Heavy Allied bombings2. The Allies had better resources3. The invasion of Russia meant that Hitler was fighting on two fronts

(borders)4. German treatment of people in occupied countries led to

resistance and protest giving the Allies help5. Advances in technology stopped Germany’s navy (in particular

their u-boats)6. The Allies had strong leaders (Churchill/Stalin) who united their

people in the belief they were fighting a war against evil7. Hitler meddled in military affairs and made mistakes e.g. he

refused to allow his troops to retreat from Stalingrad

16 B: The People’s Home Guard

• 1944 People’s Army created in 1944 to defend German cities from the Allied invasion

• They lacked experience and never really taken seriously as they had few weapons and suffered low morale

16b) the fall of Berlin• Following the D Day landings the Allies took Paris 25 August 1944

and advanced towards Germany• Operation Market Garden was launched in 1944 to take the

bridges (they flew men in behind the enemy lines). This failed due to weather and poor radio communication

• Hitler tried to defeat the Allies in one last push at the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium but failed and March 1945 Russian forces attacked Berlin but were held back

• 1944 Russians freed Warsaw and Vienna and they began their final attack on Berlin 16 April 1945. The Russians were hard to control and looted, raped and were very violent

• 8 May 1945 the last German troops surrendered

16c the death of Hitler

• Hitler hid in an underground bunker and married Eva Braun and committed suicide on 30 April by poison and shooting

• He wanted his body burnt• 1 May Goebbels committed suicide with his

wife having poisoned his 6 children

16d Germany’s surrender

• Admiral Donitz was left in charge and began negotiations for surrender

• The end of fighting was 11pm on 8 May despite surrendering on 2 May

• All German cities lay in rubble with 3.6 million dead and millions of refugees with nowhere to go. The economy was in ruins and the transport system was non-existent

16e Germany’s punishment

• Yalta Conference 1945: the Allies could not agree on key decisions but agreed to divide Germany into 4 zones; French; US; British; Russian

• Potsdam Conference 1945: agreed on reparations, denazification and getting rid of the army in Germany

• Nuremburg trials for war crimes: 22 senior Nazis tried and 200 others

- Trials between 21 November 1945 and 1 October 1946 in Nuremburg

- 24 were executed and the rest bar 35 were imprisoned

16f Denazification

• Removing any trace of the Nazi regime from Germany

- Banned the Nazi party- Punished members of the party by manual

labour - 30,000 books were banned- Tried to punish many of the Germans

17 Germany in 1947

17a Germany in 1947

• 4 zones in Germany stopped working together (Russians had Communist ideas and the US, France and Britain had capitalist)

• This hostility between Russia and the Allies became known as the cold war and two Germanys continued to exist (East and West) until they were reunited as one country in 1990

Explain questions (4)1. Explain why the role of women changed in WW22. Explain how life on the homefront changed after 19423. Explain how the Nazis controlled the economy during WW24. Explain how propaganda was used during WW25. Explain how Albert Speer managed to increase weapons production6. Explain the effects of Allied bombings n German cities in 19457. Explain why the persecution of Jewish people escalated after 19398. Explain why the Final Solution was introduced in 19429. Explain why opposition to the Nazis increased during WW210. Explain how youth groups/ordinary civilians opposed the Nazis during WW211. Explain how the church opposed the Nazis during WW212. Explain how the military opposed the Nazis during WW213. Explain why Germany was forced to surrender in 194514. Explain why the Yalta conference took place15. Explain why the Nuremburg trials took place16. Explain why it was important that the Allies controlled the German media after WW217. Explain why denazifcation was important to the Allies

Describe questions (5)1. Describe life on the homefront 1939-412. Describe life on the homefront 1942-453. Describe total war4. Describe how propaganda was used during WW2 on the German homefront5. Describe the effects of Allied bombings on German cities6. Describe the use of rationing in Germany during WW27. Describe the Volksturm8. Describe the activities on the Einsatzgruppen9. Describe the use of Ghettos10. Describe the Final Solution11. Describe the use of gas chambers during WW212. Describe the Holocaust13. Describe oppostion from youth groups during WW214. Describe the Edelweiss Pirates15. Describe the White Rose Group16. Describe religious opposition to the Nazis during WW217. Describe the work of Martin Niemoller 18. Describe the July Bomb Plot19. Describe military opposition to the Nazis during WW220. Describe Operation Marke Garden21. Describe the Battle of the Bulge22. Describe the fall of Berlin in 194523. Describe the Soviet attack on Berlin in 194524. Describe the condition of Germany in 194525. Describe the decisions made at the Potsdam Conference26. Describe the Nuremburg trials27. Describe denazification

10 mark questions1. Was life one of hardship on the home front for

ordinary Germans 1939-452. Was the main opposition to the Nazis from the

military between 1939-453. Was heavy Allied bombings the main reason for

Germany’s defeat at the end of the war