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Occupation of the Ruhr
• The Treaty of Versailles was harsh and unfair.
• Since German failed to meet the payments (put on them due to Treaty of Versailles in
1919), Poincaré, the French President, was determined to make the German pay so
France and Belgium sent troops to occupy the Ruhr in January 1923.
• They went in so that their own economy would service.
• The occupation lasted 8 months.
• There was hatred between Germans and French.
• German could not fight the occupation as the Treaty of Versailles allowed them only
to have 100 000 troops. And forbidden to have ship, tanks and planes.
• Article 231 (The war guilt clause) was have hated by the Germans as it meant that
the Germans were responsible for the war.
• The Freikcorps (exWorld War I serviceman) engaged in acts of sabotage, which
included blowing up ridges, derailing trains or destroying communications
equipment. Unlikely hero developed such as Leo Schlageter who became a national
hero.
• The German Chancellor, Wilhelm Cuno, called up the people of the occupied areas
to pursue a policy of ‘passive resistance’, so the miners, public official and transport
workers refused to help French troops.
• A general strike was called and the strikes were still paid.
• Consequently the German currency collapsed, inflation worsened and quickly
became hyperinflation. The German currency became worthless.
• The Middle class lost there savings.
• Immense hardships were caused by wages not keeping up with prices of material.
• 2000 printing presses worked overtime to produce the currency necessary to pay
the wages three times a week.
• People were thrown into poverty overnight.
• Big companies benefited from the hyperinflation as they bought smaller
companies (since the smaller companies went bankrupt).
• It was hyperinflation which lend to some attempts to overthrow the republic
(including Hitler’s Beer Hall Putsch).
• In August 1923 Gustav Streseman replaced Cuno and became the new Chancellor.
• Ended the resistance.
• The Rentenmark replaced the mark.
• On September 1923 the French withdrew their forces.
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Beer Hall Putsch
• On the 8th of November 1923, the Bavaria ministers were addressing a meeting of
businessmen.
• Hitler’s ‘brownshirts’ or SA (stormtroops) had surrounded the building. (not enough
numbers)
• Then Hitler bursts in, jumps onto a table, fires a shot and announces: “The National
Revolution has began!…”
• Von Kahr agreed to Hitler’s demands, however turned against him as soon as he
could (here lacked essential political support)
• On the 9th of November, Hitler and General Ludendorff led a march of 3 000 Nazis
on Munich to take control.
• Von Kahr had time to make preparations
• So that morning police opened fire, leaving sixteen marchers dead. (Lacked defence
and over looked the government response to a Putsch.
• The Putsch was aborted when Hitler received the message that the Republic would
forcibly counteract any further action.
• The Putsch failed because it was
• Premature (too soon)
• Disorganised
• Lacked the armies support
• No clear leadership
• Nazi were at this stage unknown (this Putsch made them Unknown)
• It was an Illegal act
• Hitler was imprisoned for 9 months which gave him the opportunity to write Mein
Kampf and the consolidate his political ideas.
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Paul von Hindenburg
• When Friedrich Ebert died in 1925 an election was held. The three candidates were
Paul von Hindenburg, Wilhelm Marx and Ernst Thämann.
• Hindenburg won the election in April 1925
• The fact that General Hindenburg, the wartime hero and the embodiment of the
Kaiser’s time, won the election shows where the loyalty of many Germans lay.
• In 1929 the Young Plan was introduced, this was the Dawes Plan revised again
which reduced the payments (Hindenburg was a strong supporter of the Dawes an
the Young Plan but opposed the Treaty of Versailles)
• Hindenburg was a monarchist, conservative and he was patriotic
• He had support from the army, trade unions and the Church
• When the depression hit Germany in October 1929, due to the Wall Street crash,
Hindenburg’s greatest fear was that he would be blamed for the problems of the
divided nation.
• Bürning was chancellor from 1930 and was sacked in 1932
• Article 48 was introduced and this meant he could pass laws without the Reichstag
• Since Hindenburg relied heavily on: Otto Meissuer, Schleicher, Oscar (his son)
which advised on all issues (therefore they were authoritarian); in 1931 there was no
democracy (which is what Hindenburg wanted).
• In July 1932, the Nazis became the largest party, but Hindenburg appoint von Papen
as chancellor.
• In November 1932, the Nazi vote was down, Hindenburg appointed Schleicher as
chancellor.
• In January 1933, Schleicher resigned as chancellor and Hindenburg appointed
Hitler as chancellor, however only as a ‘puppet’.
• Hindenburg died on August 2nd 1934.
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Jewish Community
• As soon as the Nazi’s came to power, the Jewish community endured constant anti
Semitic (immense hatred for the Jews) feeling.
• AntiSemitism was a central conforming theme of Nazism.
• Jews were consider unGerman
• Racial Laws
• In April 1933 Jew were excluded form the civil service. Jewish businesses were
boycotted; Jews were expelled form professional organisations doctors and
lawyers.
• In 1935 the Reich Citizenship Act (Nuremberg Laws) deprived Jew of German
citizenship, the right to vote, and to hold a position in government. The German
Blood and Honour Act prohibited marriage and relations between Jews and
Germans, in order to ensure the survival of the German race. Also if forbade
Jews employing German women as domestic servants. In 1938 al male Jews had
to add the name ‘Israel’ and all female Jews had to add the name ‘Sara’ to their
names. Jewish passports were stamped with the letter ‘J’.
• October 1938, Polish Jews living in Germany were to be expelled.
• November 1938, Jewish children were excluded from German schools and
universities.
• December 1938, Jews were forced to sell their businesses at low prices.
• February 1939, Jews were forced to hand over all their jewellery and gold and
silver.
• September 1939, Curfew on Jews after 8pm to 9pm.
• Herschel Grunspan sought revenge for expelling the Polish Jews and murdered von
Rath, so angry Germans and SS went around destroying Jewish shops, beating up
and killing some Jews. 20 000 were sent to concentration camps, they were released
on the condition they leave the country. This episode was called the Kristallnacht
(Crystal Night) after the smashing of the glass shop windows of the Jews.
• The main policy of the Nazis was the emigration of the Jews.
• No one could to them
• Buy from the shops
• If a Jew had a job they soon lost it
• Jews could not go to the cinemas
• Their driving licenses were cancelled.
• They effectively became nonpersons from 1938.
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Hitler methods
• Hitler uses the burning of the Reichstag to prove that the communists were up to
something.
• So Hitler persuaded Hindenburg to has thousands of communists and socialist
rounded up and arrested. (the elections the following week gave the Nazis 288 votes)
• In March, 1933, a law was passed (The Enabling Act), which enable Hitler to have a
‘legal’ dictatorship power (he could make laws without the consent of the Reichstag).
• This brought virtually all aspects of the German society under control of the Nazi
Party
• Other political parties were disbanded (only the Nazi Party remained)
• Local councils were abolished and replaced by Nazi governors.
• May, trade unions were abolished and strikes were banned.
• A Reich Commissioner for justice was appointed.
• Youth groups were dissolved leaving only the Hitler Youth Movement.
• The Church was silenced and the setting up of the Reich national Church.
• Business groups were brought under Nazi control in the Reich Economic
Chamber in February 1934.
• The Night of the Long Knives kept his power and popularity, but most importantly he
now had the support of the army.
• Hitler became Führer when Hindenburg died of a heart attack on the 1st of August
1934. So he merged these political roles and assumed the title of Führer.
• Armed forces were required to swear an oath of loyalty to Hitler.
• A plebiscite to approve Hitler’s assumption of total power took place. (38 million
‘for’ and 4 million ‘against’)
• In April 1934 the Gestapo (State Secret Police) was established, headed by Göering.
• Removed any opposition
• Propaganda was a major part in keeping Hitler’s Power.
• In March 1933 the Ministry of Popular Enlightenment and Propaganda was
created, headed by Joseph Goebbels. Controlled wireless, publications, theatre,
films, music, art and government propaganda.
• In October 1933 a law was passed, forbidding newspaper criticism of the
government
• Many books were forbidden. To indoctrinate the Nazi view
• Music of any kind (except Aryan music) was banned.
• Hitler Youth Groups were a means of keeping power for the long term.
• It indoctrinated the Nazi view and ideology and Weltanschauung (world view)
• By 1936 it was compulsorily for children to join.
• A mothers job in society was to care for the family and create litter ‘blue eyed and
blonde hair’ Aryans.
• Hitler Kept power by doing what he agreed to do for Germany.
• Restoring German pride, following the humiliation of the 1919 Versailles Treaty
• Destroying the Treaty of Versailles
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• Take over lands containing Germans.
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