Class 9 History Chapter 3 Notes - Nazism and the Rise of Hitler

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.

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

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

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

Allies– 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.

Treaty of Versailles Coming into Effect

• 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.

Parts of Territory that Germany lost after the Treaty of Versailles

• 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.

The Effects of the War

• The war had a devastating impact on Europe, affecting the continent both psychologically and financially.
• Europe transformed from a continent of creditors to one of debtors.
• The infant Weimar Republic was burdened with war guilt and national humiliation and was financially crippled by forced compensation payments.
• Supporters of the Weimar Republic, such as Socialists, Catholics, and Democrats, were attacked by conservative nationalists and were mockingly called the ‘November criminals’.
• This hostile mindset influenced the political developments of the early 1930s.
• The First World War left a deep mark on European society and politics.
• Soldiers were placed above civilians, with emphasis on men being aggressive, strong, and masculine.
• The media glorified trench life, though in reality, soldiers lived miserable lives in trenches, surrounded by rats, poisonous gas, and constant enemy shelling.
• Aggressive war propaganda and national honor became central in the public sphere.
• Popular support grew for conservative dictatorships that emerged after the war, while democracy struggled to survive the instabilities of interwar Europe.

Political Radicalism and Economic Crisis

• The Weimar Republic was born amidst the revolutionary uprising of the Spartacist League, inspired by the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia.
• Soviets of workers and sailors were established in many cities, and there were demands for Soviet-style governance in Berlin.
• Opponents of this movement, including Socialists, Democrats, and Catholics, met in Weimar to form the democratic republic.
• The Weimar Republic crushed the uprising with the help of the Free Corps, a war veterans organization.
• The Spartacists, in their anguish, later founded the Communist Party of Germany.
• Communists and Socialists became irreconcilable enemies, unable to unite against Hitler.
• Political radicalization intensified due to the economic crisis of 1923.
• Germany, having fought the war on loans, was required to pay war reparations in gold, depleting its gold reserves.
• In 1923, Germany refused to pay, leading to the French occupation of the Ruhr industrial area to claim coal.
• Germany responded with passive resistance and recklessly printed paper currency, causing hyperinflation.
• The value of the German mark fell dramatically:
  - April 1923: 1 US dollar = 24,000 marks
  - July 1923: 1 US dollar = 353,000 marks
  - August 1923: 1 US dollar = 4,621,000 marks
  - December 1923: 1 US dollar = 98,860,000 marks
• The figure eventually ran into trillions of marks.
• As the mark collapsed, prices of goods soared, and images of Germans carrying cartloads of currency to buy a loaf of bread were widely publicized.
• The crisis, known as hyperinflation, garnered worldwide sympathy.
• The Americans intervened by introducing the Dawes Plan, which reworked the terms of reparation to ease the financial burden on Germany.

Deplete – Reduce, empty out
Reparation – Make up for a wrong done

The Years of Depression

• The years between 1924 and 1928 saw some stability, but it was unstable as German investments and industrial recovery relied on short-term loans from the USA.
• This support was withdrawn after the Wall Street Exchange crash in 1929.(Wall Street Exchange – The name of the world’s biggest stock exchange located in the USA.)
• On 24 October 1929, 13 million shares were sold in a panic, marking the start of the Great Economic Depression.
• Over the next three years, from 1929 to 1932, the national income of the USA fell by half.
• Factories shut down, exports declined, farmers were severely affected, and speculators withdrew their money from the market.
• The effects of the US recession were felt worldwide, with Germany being the worst hit.
• By 1932, industrial production in Germany had dropped to 40% of the 1929 level.
• The number of unemployed in Germany reached an unprecedented 6 million.
• On the streets, you could see men with placards saying, ‘Willing to do any work’, and unemployed youths either playing cards, sitting at street corners, or queuing at local employment exchanges.
• As jobs disappeared, some youths turned to criminal activities, and total despair became common.
• The middle classes, especially salaried employees and pensioners, saw their savings diminish as the currency lost its value.
• Small businessmen, the self-employed, and retailers suffered as their businesses failed. They feared proletarianization, the anxiety of falling into the working class or unemployment.

Sleeping on the line. During the great depression, the unemployed could not hope for either wage or shelter

• Organized workers managed to stay afloat, but unemployment weakened their bargaining power.
• Big business was in crisis, and the peasantry faced a sharp fall in agricultural prices.
• Women, unable to feed their children, were filled with deep despair.
• Politically, the Weimar Republic was fragile, with inherent defects in the constitution making it vulnerable to dictatorship.
• The proportional representation made achieving a majority by any one party nearly impossible, leading to rule by coalitions.
• Article 48 gave the President powers to impose emergency measures, suspend civil rights, and rule by decree.
• The Weimar Republic saw twenty different cabinets during its short life, lasting on average 239 days, and a frequent use of Article 48.
• Despite these measures, the crisis could not be managed, leading to a loss of confidence in the democratic parliamentary system, which seemed unable to provide solutions.

Homeless Man Queuing Up for Night Shelter

Hitler’s Rise to Power

After World War I, Germany was in turmoil. The Treaty of Versailles imposed harsh penalties on the country, leading to widespread resentment. This period was marked by economic instability, including hyperinflation and unemployment, as well as political unrest with frequent changes in government and social unrest.

Amid this chaos, Adolf Hitler, born in 1889 in Austria, emerged as a significant figure. He joined the German Workers' Party in 1919, which later became the Nazi Party under his leadership. Initially, the party struggled to gain support, but the Great Depression in 1929 drastically changed the situation. The economic crisis led to mass unemployment and suffering, creating a fertile ground for Hitler's messages of hope and national revival.

By 1932, the Nazi Party had become the largest in the Reichstag, thanks in part to Hitler's powerful oratory and the party's effective propaganda. Hitler promised national strength,employment, and a restoration of dignity to the German people. He also used spectacular rallies and propaganda to project himself as a savior of the nation.

In summary, the combination of post-war discontent, economic hardship, and Hitler's political acumen enabled 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 medals for bravery.
• Post-War Disillusionment:
  • The defeat of Germany in the war and the subsequent Treaty of Versailles deeply affected Hitler. He was outraged by the treaty's terms.
• Formation of the Nazi Party:
  • In 1919, Hitler joined the German Workers’ Party, which he later transformed into the Nazi Party.
• Failed Coup and Imprisonment:
  • In 1923, Hitler attempted to seize control of Bavaria and then march to Berlin but failed. He was arrested, tried for treason, and imprisoned.
• Great Depression and Rise to Power:
  • The Nazi Party struggled until the early 1930s when the Great Depression created widespread economic hardship.
  • The economic crisis led to bank failures, business closures, and mass unemployment, making people desperate for change.
• Nazi Propaganda and Electoral Success:
  • Hitler was a charismatic speaker, and Nazi propaganda effectively promised a better future, including employment and national strength.
  • In 1928, the Nazi Party received only 2.6% of the vote, but by 1932, it became the largest party with 37% of the votes in the Reichstag.
• Political Strategy and Mass Mobilization:
  • Hitler introduced a new style of politics that emphasized rituals and spectacle to unite and mobilize the masses.
  • The Nazis held large rallies and public meetings, using symbols like the Swastika and the Nazi salute to create a sense of unity and power.
  • Rituals like applause after speeches reinforced the spectacle of strength.
• Hitler as a Saviour Figure:
  • Nazi propaganda portrayed Hitler as a messiah who would rescue the German people from their distress.
  • This image resonated with a population that had lost dignity and was suffering from economic and political crises.

The Destruction of Democracy

• On 30 January 1933, President Hindenburg offered the Chancellorship to Hitler. The Nazis had managed to rally conservatives to their cause. Hitler aimed to dismantle democratic structures after gaining power.
• A mysterious fire in the German Parliament building in February 1933 aided Hitler's plans. The Fire Decree of 28 February 1933 suspended civic rights like freedom of speech, press, and assembly.
• Hitler targeted the Communists, sending many to newly established concentration camps. The repression of Communists was severe, with 1,440 Communist arrest files out of 6,808 in Duesseldorf.
• On 3 March 1933, the Enabling Act was passed, establishing dictatorship in Germany.
• The Enabling Act gave Hitler the power to sideline Parliament and rule by decree.
• All political parties and trade unions were banned except for the Nazi Party. The state took control over the economy, media, army, and judiciary.
• New surveillance and security forces were created, including the Gestapo, SS, criminal police, and Security Service (SD). These forces gave the Nazi state a reputation as a feared criminal state.
• People could be detained, tortured, rounded up, sent to concentration camps, deported, or arrested without legal procedures. The police forces acted with impunity.

Reconstruction

• Hitler assigned economist Hjalmar Schacht to oversee economic recovery, leading to full production and employment through a state-funded work-creation program that produced the 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,"
  - Annexed German-speaking Sudentenland from Czechoslovakia and later the entire country.
• Hitler received unspoken support from England, which viewed the Versailles verdict as too harsh.
• Ignoring Schacht’s advice against massive rearmament, Hitler chose war to resolve the economic crisis. September 1939: Germany invaded Poland, triggering a war with France and England. September 1940: Germany, Italy, and Japan signed the Tripartite Pact, boosting Hitler’s 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 aimed to conquer Eastern Europe for resources and living space, attacking the Soviet Union in June 1941. This exposed Germany to British bombing and Soviet armies, leading to a crushing defeat at Stalingrad and Soviet control over Eastern Europe.
• The USA initially avoided the war but entered after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. The war concluded in May 1945 with Hitler’s defeat and the US dropping the atom bomb on Hiroshima.

The Nazi Worldview

Understanding the connection between Nazi crimes and their belief system is crucial. Hitler's worldview, which shaped Nazi ideology, was based on a strict racial hierarchy. At the top were the blond, blue-eyed Nordic Aryans, while Jews were placed at the bottom and viewed as the primary enemies. Other racial groups were ranked in between based on their physical features.

Racial Hierarchy in Nazi Ideology

• Hitler's belief system, which formed the basis of Nazi ideology, was centered around a racial hierarchy. At the top of this hierarchy were the blond, blue-eyed Nordic Aryans, who were considered the superior race.
• At the bottom of the hierarchy were the Jews, who were seen as the arch-enemies of the Aryans. This view placed Jews in direct opposition to the ideal Aryan race.
• Other racial groups were positioned between the Aryans and Jews in the hierarchy, depending on their physical features and perceived racial characteristics.

Influence of Darwin and Spencer on Hitler's Racism

• Hitler's racism was influenced by the ideas of Charles Darwin and Herbert Spencer.
• Darwin, a natural scientist, introduced the concepts of evolution and natural selection to explain the development of plants and animals.
• Spencer later added the idea of survival of the fittest, suggesting that only those species that could adapt to changing conditions would survive.
• While Darwin did not advocate for human intervention in natural selection, his ideas were misused by racist thinkers to justify imperial rule over conquered peoples.
• The Nazis adopted the idea that the strongest race would survive while the weaker races would perish.
• They believed that the Aryan race was the strongest and needed to maintain its purity, become stronger, and dominate the world.

Hitler's Concept of Lebensraum

• 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 settlement to expand the area of the mother country.
• This expansion would not only increase the material resources and power of the German nation but also allow settlers to maintain a close connection with their place of origin.
• Hitler aimed to extend German boundaries by moving eastward, concentrating all Germans geographically in one area.
• Poland was seen as the primary location for this expansion and experimentation with Lebensraum.

Establishment of the Racial State

Establishment of the Racial State:

• Nazis aimed to create a racially pure German society by eliminating those deemed 'undesirable'.
• They sought an exclusive community of 'pure' Nordic Aryans, excluding anyone considered impure or abnormal.
• Under the Euthanasia Programme, mentally and physically unfit Germans were condemned to death.

Nazi Worldview:

• Source A: Hitler believed in the right to conquer and dominate territories based on strength and 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.

Targeted Groups:

• Jews: Subjected to extreme persecution based on pseudoscientific racial theories, with a goal of total elimination.
• Others: Gypsies, blacks, Russians, and Poles were also targeted as racial inferiors, facing severe persecution and forced labor.
• Historical Context: Traditional Christian hostility and medieval discrimination against Jews laid the groundwork for Nazi hatred.

Timeline of Persecution:

• 1933-1938: Nazis terrorized, impoverished, and segregated Jews, forcing many to flee Germany.
• 1939-1945: Focus shifted to concentration and extermination in gas chambers, primarily in Poland.

The Racial Utopia

• Under the Nazi regime, occupied Poland was divided into different regions. Much of northwestern Poland was annexed to Germany, where Polish people were forced to leave their homes and properties behind. These lands were then occupied by ethnic Germans brought in from other occupied parts of Europe.
• The remaining part of Poland was called the General Government, where Poles and other ‘undesirables’ were herded like cattle. Members of the Polish intelligentsia were murdered in large numbers to keep the Polish people intellectually and spiritually submissive.
• Polish children who resembled Aryans were forcibly taken from their mothers and examined by ‘race experts’. If they passed the racial tests, they were raised in German families. If they did not, they were sent to orphanages, where most of them perished.
• The General Government also contained some of the largest ghettos and gas chambers, serving as a major site for the extermination of Jews.

Youth in Nazi Germany

• Hitler aimed to build a strong Nazi society by indoctrinating children with Nazi ideology both in and outside of school.
• Changes in Schools:

  - Schools were ‘cleansed’ of Jews and politically unreliable teachers.
  - Children were segregated by race; Jews and ‘undesirable children’ (physically handicapped, Gypsies) were expelled.
  - In the 1940s, expelled children were taken to gas chambers.

Desirable Children that Hitler wanted to see multiplied

• Nazi Schooling:
  - Textbooks were rewritten to support Nazi racial theories.
  - Racial science was introduced; Jewish stereotypes were promoted, including in math classes.
  - Children were trained to be loyal, submissive, and to hate Jews, worship Hitler, and embrace violence through sports.
• Youth Organizations:
  - Jungvolk: Boys joined at age 10.
  - Hitler Youth: Mandatory for boys at 14; focused on glorifying war, aggression, and Nazism, while condemning democracy and ‘undesirable’ groups.
  - After training, youths joined the Labour Service, armed forces, or Nazi organizations.
• Formation and Control:
  - Youth League founded in 1922, renamed Hitler Youth in 1926.
  - All other youth organizations were systematically dissolved and banned to consolidate control.

The Nazi Cult of Motherhood

Children in Nazi Germany were indoctrinated with the belief that men and women were fundamentally different. The struggle for equal rights between genders, which was a part of democratic movements globally, was portrayed as destructive to society.

• Boys were trained to be aggressive, masculine, and emotionally hardened.
• Girls were instructed to become devoted mothers responsible for raising pure-blooded Aryan 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.
• These rewards included preferential treatment in hospitals, concessions in shops, and discounts on theatre tickets and railway fares.

To encourage higher birth rates, Honour Crosses were introduced:

• A bronze cross was awarded to four children.
• A silver cross for six children.
• A gold cross for eight or more children.

Aryan women who deviated from the Nazi code of conduct faced public condemnation and severe penalties.

• Those who maintained contact with Jews, Poles, or Russians were publicly shamed, often with shaved heads, blackened faces, and placards declaring their 'crime.'
• Many were sentenced to jail, lost their civic honor, and faced the loss of their husbands and families due to this 'offense.'

The Art of Propaganda

• Nazis termed mass killings as special treatment, final solution (for the Jews), euthanasia (for the disabled), selection and disinfection.
• ‘Evacuation’ meant deporting people to gas chambers. 

Gas Chamber 

• Gas chambers were labelled as ‘‘disinfection-areas’, and looked like bathrooms equipped with fake showerheads. Nazi ideas were spread through visual images, films, radio, posters, catchy slogans, and leaflets. 
• Orthodox Jews were stereotyped and marked and were referred to as vermin, rats, and pests. The Nazis made equal efforts to appeal to all the different sections of the population. 
• They sought to win their support by suggesting that Nazis alone could solve all their problems.

A Concentration Camp

Ordinary People and the Crimes Against Humanity

Knowledge about the Holocaust

• The war ended and Germany was defeated. While Germans were preoccupied with their own plight, the Jews wanted the world to remember the atrocities and sufferings they had endured during the Nazi killing operations – also called the Holocaust.
• When they lost the war, the Nazi leadership distributed petrol to its functionaries to destroy all incriminating evidence available in offices.

Difficult Words

1. Weimar Republic: The democratic government founded in Germany following the abdication of Emperor Wilhelm II in 1918, which lasted until 1933 when the Nazis came to power.

2. Treaty of Versailles: The peace treaty that ended World War I between Germany and the Allied Powers, which imposed heavy reparations and territorial losses on Germany.

3. War Guilt Clause: Article 231 of the Treaty of Versailles, which assigned blame for World War I solely to Germany and its allies, making them responsible for all damages.

4. Hyperinflation: A very high and typically accelerating rate of inflation, often exceeding 50% per month, leading to the rapid erosion of the real value of local currency, as the prices of all goods increase.

5. Proportional Representation: An electoral system in which parties gain seats in proportion to the number of votes cast for them.

6. Article 48: A clause in the Weimar Constitution that allowed the President, under certain circumstances, to take emergency measures without the prior consent of the Reichstag.

7. Chancellorship: The position of the Chancellor, a senior official (often the prime minister) in some countries, responsible for leading the executive branch and the government.

8. Enabling Act: A 1933 Weimar Constitution amendment that gave the German Cabinet — in effect, Chancellor Adolf Hitler — the power to enact laws without the involvement of the Reichstag.

9. Euthanasia Programme: A program during Nazi Germany aiming at the systematic killing of the mentally and physically disabled and sick, considered by the Nazis as "life unworthy of life."

10. Lebensraum: A Nazi policy and ideology of territorial expansion, based on the notion of natural rights to land believed necessary for national survival and growth.

11. Racial Hygiene: The set of eugenic policies embraced by the Nazis to "improve" the genetic quality of a race, primarily aimed at increasing the reproduction of characteristics deemed desirable.

12. Genocide: The intentional action to destroy a people—usually defined as an ethnic, national, racial, or religious group—in whole or in part.

13. Orthodox Jews: Adherents to a traditional form of Judaism which strictly observes religious laws and practices.

14. Propaganda: Information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote a political cause or point of view.

15. Holocaust: The genocide of six million Jews and the persecution and murder of other minority and dissenting groups by the Nazis during World War II.

16. Concentration camp : A camp where people were isolated and detained without due process of law. Typically, it was surrounded by electrified barbed wire fences.

17. Proletarianisation :To become impoverished to the level of working classes.

18. Nordic German Aryans : One branch of those classified as Aryans. They lived in north European countries and had German or related origin

19. Gypsy : The groups that were classified as ‘gypsy’ had their own community identity. Sinti and Roma were two such communities. Many of them traced their origin to India. 

20. Pauperised : Reduce to absolute poverty 

21. Persecution : Systematic, organised punishment of those belonging to a group or religion

22. Usurers : Moneylenders charging excessive interest; often used as a term of abuse

23.  Jungvolk : Nazi youth groups for children below 14 years of age.

Some 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.