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The Weimar Republic
After WW1 things were not looking great for Germany, as it was thrown into economical and social turmoil. In late 1918 Kaiser, Wilhelm ll lost support for his military and was forced to abdicate. Elections were then held in the town of Weimar to create a new parliamentary constitution and the Weimar Constitution was formed. The Weimar Constitution gave the German people the freedom and rights that had not been able to previously experience. -
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Antisemitism
In Nazi Germany a massive outbreak of antisemitic nationalism, which saw Jews as being inferior and should be eradicated from the human race. Nazi-ideology saw Jewishness as being biological and by eliminating all Jews that would eliminate the "problem". Other ani-semiitism movements were boycottying Jewish bussinesses by encouraging the public to by products from German businesses and banning Jews from all public places. -
Hitler becomes Chancellor
In Germany, the Chancellor has more power and control over the President. In July of 1932, an election was held and the Nazi Party won with 230 seats, after a failed election earlier that year. The President at the time of the election, Hindenburg at the start initially refused to make Hitler Chancellor as President Hindenburg was intimidated by his growing popularity. It took a series of economic and political turmoil for Hindenburg to be convinced to appoint Hitler as Chancellor. -
The Enabling Act
The Enabling Act was also known as the "Law to Remedy the Distress of the People and the Reich." The Nazi's had secretly caused the "distress" themselves so the Act would seem necessary to 'restore' Germany. For example, the German Reichstag (government) was burnt down on the 27th of Feb 1933, which caused distress among the German people. The Enabling Act was then passed which gave Hitler dictatorial powers. -
Hitler becomes Fuhrer
After the death of the German President Hindenburg. Chancellor Hitler uses this as an opportunity to have total power and dictatorship in Germany, under the title Führer which means leader. The German army swore an oath out of an alliance for Hitler thus giving him total power and control. -
Night of the Long Knives
Hitler had control over most of Germany but he was in constant fear that his position might be taken over by members of his own party. So to avoid that from happening Hitler decided to get rid of any threats he then removed all possible threats to his dictatorship, by murdering those people. Hitler also feared that some followers had taken his earlier propaganda too seriously. Hundreds of people that opposed Hitler were also killed -
Conscription (defying the Treaty Versailles)
Hitler promised that he would overturn the conditions of the Treaty of Versailles by rearming Germany. Military conscription was enforced in March of 1935 which had expanded the German army to 500,000 men. It was also planned that Germany would start constructing an air force. The Allies and the League of Nations did nothing to stop this. -
Nuremberg Laws
At a rally held by the Nazi's in Nuremberg 1935, it was announced that new laws were put in place that was in alinement with racial ideologies. Such as excluding Jews from citizenship rights, forbidding Jewish people from marrying 'German blood', Jewish people not being able to employ female nationals and Jewish people not being able to raise the Reich flag. Punishment for not abiding by any of these laws was had labor, Jewish people were then no longer considered German citizens. -
Remilitarisation of the Rhineland
Hitler feared that the French and British army was stronger than the German army but was unconvinced that they did not want to go to war and decided to send German troops into Rhineland, which was another aspect of the Treaty of Versailles which Hitler had broken. The Generals of the German army warned Hitler that the French army would win a military conflict but he ignored that claim and in March on 1936 the German army marched into Rhineland. -
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German and Italian Alliance
The Rome-Berlin Axis was formed in October 1936, which was formed between Italy and Germany. Mussolini and Hitler formed an agreement that they would support each other in war. The Axis was officially formed in 1939 and would also include Japan. -
Kristallnacht (Crystal Night)
In November 1938 an incident known as Kristallnacht had occurred. Nazi's burnt down Jewish synagogues, vandalized Jewish homes as well as schools and businesses and 100 Jews were killed. In the aftermath, more than 30,000 Jewish men were sent to concentration camps. After Kristallnacht violence against Jews became worse. -
Anschluss- Unification with Austria
In early 1938 Austrian Nazis tried for the second time in four years to seize power and control of the government. Austrian Chancellor met with Hitler in hopes of maintaining Austria's independence but was forced to name several Austrian Nazi's to his cabinet. A vote was then called to resolve the annexation but before it took place Schuschnigg resigned and Hitler took control. On March the 12th Hitler accompanied German troops into Austria and appointed a new Nazi government. -
The foreign policy Appeasement – The Munich Agreement
The Munich Agreement is signed by the British and French prime ministers which was meant to avert the outbreak of war but instead ended up giving Czechoslovakia away to Germany. The Czechoslovakian government had hoped that Britain and France would aid them if Germany invaded. Hitler then demanded the invasion on Sudentenland and to evacuate the Czechoslovak population. Czechoslovakian troops began to mobilize and the war was about to happen. -
The Sudetenland and Invasion of Czechoslovakia
Nazi Germany invaded the Czech provinces of Bohemia and Moravia in which was against the Munich Pact. The German occupation authorities also made the provinces controlled by Germany under the leadership of the Reich Protector. -
Invasion of Poland
On the 1st of September 1939, Germany invaded Poland. The Nazi's claimed that Poland had been planning an attack with the Allies (Britain and France) that would be aimed at dismembering Germany. The German military also staged a fake Polish attack over German radio and Hitler used this action to launch a campaign against Poland.