Nazi Germany

Year 11 History – Semester 1, 2011

What were Hitler’s main aims?

1. Anti-Semitism Hitler blamed the Jews for many of

Germany’s problems “Scapegoat” The enemy of Germany

2. Social Darwinism A belief that some races were superior to

others, and that this was the result of a long and continuing struggle

Hitler referred to this ideology in his speeches The strong now became ‘culture creators’ with a

duty to overcome ‘culture destroyers’ Aryan’s were the master race and had every right

to take what they needed from the ‘inferior’ races

The Nazi Party

Nationalist policies = emphasised race, expansion, the army, power, and relations with other countries

Socialist policies = to do with state controls over the living conditions of the people and the economy

Extracts from the

Twenty-Five Point

Programme of the Nazi

Party – drawn up in

1920

Following the failed ‘putsch’

Hitler realised that he would have to attempt to win power legally through elections

He realised he would now have to compete with other parties for support of the electorate

The Nazi revolution would be introduced after he had come to power, and not be the means by which he would achieve power

Refounding the Nazi Party

Whilst in prison the Nazi Party had fallen in decline

Re-organised the party to have a Party Official in charge of a particular region

Hitler implemented the SA

The SA (Sturmabteilung)

The Stormtroopers of the Nazi Party

Attracted ex-soldiers, thugs and criminals

Their job was to break up other party’s meetings using force

Also known as the brown shirts

Nazi Propaganda – Joseph Goebbels

Joseph Goebbels became the Minister of Propaganda and Enlightenment for the Nazi Party

Propaganda became very important to the Nazis - indoctrination

THE STOCKMARKET CRASH - 1929

The social and economic consequences of the crash greatly increased the Nazis hold on the electorate during this time

People needed someone to believe in, and Hitler was making them promises

A Nazi anti-Jewish poster, published before Hitler came to power in 1933

A Nazi election poster of 1928. It says the sacrifices made by Germany in the First World War were in vain.