Chapter 3
Hitler
Who it’s Hitler?
Born in Austria in 1889, he moved to Germany in 1913. After serving in World
War I, he joined the German Workers' Party in 1919, which he later
transformed into the National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nazi Party).
By 1923, he attempted a failed coup known as the Beer Hall Putsch, leading
to his imprisonment, during which he wrote Mein Kampf, outlining his
ideology.
The Great Depression in 1929 created widespread economic hardship in
Germany, which Hitler exploited to gain support. By 1933, he was appointed
Chancellor of Germany. Shortly after, he consolidated power through the
Reichstag Fire Decree and the Enabling Act, effectively establishing a
totalitarian regime. His policies and actions would lead to World War II and
the Holocaust, marking one of history's darkest chapters.
HITLER’S
PLANS
Abolish the treaty of versailles
He believed the treaty of versailles was
humiliating and unfair. He blamed this to the
“November criminals” and he promised he would
reverse it.
Expand German territory
The treaty had taken away German territory and
one one on Hitler’s aims was to take that territories
back. He wanted to unite with Austria and to make
little countries join Germany.
HITLER’S
ACTIONS
Rearmament
One of Hiltler’s promises and first step was to
rearm Germany because of 2 main reasons, it
would make germany stronger and to fight with
the unemployment the crisis led.
At the beginning the rearmament was secret
because he knew it would alarm other countries.
But the league made a disarmament conference
February 1932 in which it seed all countries should
disarm, this was a clearly failure of the league
because nobody disarm and having this as an
excuse Hiltler made this public and then he
introduced conscription breaking the terms of the
treaty.
Saar plebiscite
The Saar region was ruled by the League since 1919. In 1919 they seed that 15 years
later (1935) they would make a plebiscite to make people decide if the people wanted to
return to German rule. Hiltler was wary because all his political opposition had moved to
the Saar, but Goebbels made a massive propaganda campaign and Hiltler won by a
overwhelming 90 percent. This was a
moral booster for Hiltler and it was
completely legal.
Re Militarisation of the Rhineland
The rhineland was the large area either side of the river rhine that form Germany's
western border with France and Belgium. The demilitarization of the zone was a term of
the Treaty of Versailles, it was created to protect France from a German invasion and it
was accepted by the Locarno treaty. Hilter knew the risk but he had chosen the time and
place well. France and the USSR had signed
a treaty to protect each other from a
German attack. Hilter use this treaty to
claim he was under threat. He argue that
he should be allowed to remililatirace the
zone to be protected. When hiltler militarize
the zone he have the order that if France
troops appeared they had to retire, but he
bet France would not appear. But the
League was on Abyssinian crisis which was
exactly in the same time.
Spanish civil war
In 1936 a civil war broke up in spain between
the nationalist and the republicans. Around 50
countries and the USSR supported the
republicans and the nationalist were
supported by Hiltler and Mussolini. They
signed a treaty to abolish a world war saying
they would not participate but Mussolini
sended thousand of Italian troops as
“volunteers” and Hiltler sends aircraft with
German pilots to gain experience to the future
and see how the war and the tactics
funcionated. This war strengthened the
bounds between Hiltler and Mussolini.
The AXIS
East Japan was in control of the
general Tojo (a nationalist
commander). The country wanted to
extend Japan empire all around Asia
and in and in 1937 they naked the first
step invading china. In 1936 Japan and
Germany signed a anti-communist
treaty to oppose communism. In the
same year Germany and Italy signed
the Rome berlin axis to be allais and
they Japan also signed it.
Anschluss with Austria, 1938
Hilter though Austria should belong to Germany and in 1934 Hiltler tried to take
over Austria but Mussolini stopped him. But now it was different, in 1938 Hiltler
and Mussolini were allies. Hilter spoke with the Austrian leader and told him, or
we make a plebiscite and there it’s no war or we do it by force. Austria new they
will lose with Germany army and also new France and Britain will not intervene
so he had not option than make a plebiscite. At the same time there was a strong
Nazi party in Austria and Hiltler order them to destroy everything and make caos.
Hilter use this to show Austria wasn’t strong and could not led with his
population. At the time of the plebiscite Hilter send his army to make sure every
was right and Austria had no more option than see everything. The army was in
the door of the places in were the people voted and Hiltler finally win the vote
with 99.75 of votes. The natural resources and Austrian industries were added to
Germany increasing his army and one again Hilter was breaking the Treaty but
the League don’t do anything.
The Sudetenland
and the Munich agreement
After the terms of the Treaty of Versailles
sudetenland was given to Czechoslovakia
indeed it had three million Germans. Hiltler
wanted to take it and the USSR, France and
Britain claimed that they would defend the
country but in the middle of the tencion Italy,
Germany, France and Britain they meet.
France and Britain accepted Hiltler demands
but 3 days later Hiltler said he wanted all
sudetenland. A final meeting in Munich in
which Germany, Italy, Britain and France
decided without consulting Czechs they gives
Sudetenland to Germany.
Germany after ww1 Germany 1938
Czechs 1939:
The end of appeasement
An opinion poll was made in 1938 and 93
percent said they don’t believe Hiltler. On
March 1939 German troops took over all
czechoslovakia (Hiltler needed to his
future plan of invading Poland). France
and Britain don’t react and there was no
resistance from the czechs. France and
Britain told Hiltler they would declare the
war if he invaded Poland but Hilter don’t
believe them with his threat history.
Nazi- sovietic pact
Stalin’s fears
In 1934 Stalin made Russia a member of the league hoping that the league
would protect him. Then in 1935 he signed a treaty with France that made
that if Germany attacked France or Russia the other country would help, but
he was not sure because France didn’t keep his word. Stalin wanted a treaty
with Britain and France to be protected but when they met in march 1939
Chamberlain was suspicious of the USSR and he went of the place. But in
summer 1939 Hilter spoke with him to make a nazi-soviet pact.
Stalin’s decisión
On August 1939 signed the treaty. They agree not to attack each other, but
they privately also agree to attack poland and divided in 2. Stalin knew Hilter
would attack Russia but he needed time. In September 1939 Hilter invaded
Poland and the 3 of September France and Britain declare the war.