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Brest- Litovsk Treaty Signed
The signing of the Brest- Litovsk Treaty ended Russia's involvement in World War I. Russians were forced to give up land to both Germany and the Ottoman Empire and they also had to pay over six billion German marks for reparations. This made Germany feel like they had power over Russia. The primary source is a photo taken the night that the treaty was signed. Leaders from Russia and all of the Central Powers are present in the photo. -
Weimar Republic established
The establishment of the Weimar Republic was the first step toward democracy taken by Germany. However punishment in the Treaty of Versailles and years of economic problems caused the decline of the Republic and the rise of a dictatorship. The primary source shows the first and last pages of the Constitution of the Weimar Republic. -
World War I Armistice Signed
The World War I Armistice was an agreement between Germany and the Allied Powers that ended fighting but an official end to the war did not happen until the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. The Armistice was a declaration of German defeat which was not well received by the German people. The embarrassing loss for Germany sparked the desire for a strong government which led to the collapse of democracy and establishment of a dictatorship. The primary source is a newspaper article from Paris. -
Nationalist Social German Worker's Party Formed
The formation of the Nationalist Social German Worker's Party was the first step of Hitler's rise to power. The group became known as the Nazi Party and when Hitler was elected Chancellor, they put their plan of German dominance into effect and the emerging democracy was destroyed. The primary source is a propaganda poster for the Nazi party featuring Hitler. -
Signing of the Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles forced Germany to take responsibility for the war, give up their land overseas, and greatly downsize their military. This treaty humiliated Germans and made them crave the strong presence they used to have. As a result of this, the Weimar Republic eventually declined and a dictatorship emerged. The primary source is a painting of the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. -
The USSR is Formed
The formation of the USSR radically changed the Russian government to Communism. Russia, like Germany, was having economic problems at the time. Germany just developed the new constitution for the Weimar Republic when Russia became Communist. Germany knew that they did not want to adopt Communism so they kept working on making the Democracy work. The primary source is a quote from Hitler about his fear of the spread of Communism. -
Beer Hall Revolt
The Beer Hall Revolt was a protest by Hitler and his followers against the Weimar Republic. They came into a bar, while armed, and started an uprising. They were later arrested and while in prison, Hitler wrote Mein Kampf, a book about his life and anti- semitic ideas. The revolt demonstrated Hitler's desire for change and disaproval of the Weimar Repulic. When Hitler became Chancellor the government radically changed into a dictatorship. The primary source is a photo of the men who were accused -
$1 = 4,200,000,000,000 German Marks
This date marked the highest point of German inflation. Germany faced many economic problems after World War I because they spent so much money on the war effort.The incredibly high rate of inflation forced Germany to abandon the emerging democracy. The primary source is a famous photograph of children playing with money that is essential worthless because of the inflation, -
Mein Kampf Published
Mein Kampf is a book written by Hitler known for exposing his severe, anti- semitic ideas. The hate for non- Germans that he wrote about in his book shaped his political view when he came into power. He developed a dictatorship with the main goal of German dominance. The primary source is a photo of the first two pages of Mein Kampf in its original form. -
US Stock Market Crashes
The US Stock Market crash affected economies all over the world. Up until the crash, the United States had been assisting Germany in its recovery from WWI by giving them loans. However, when the stock market crashed, the US wanted the loans payed back and Germany didn't have the money. Many businesses were forced to close and the economic crisis only worsened the Weimar Republic pushing Germany closer to a dictatorship. The primary source is a photo of Americans rushing to bank to get money out. -
Hitler Named German Chancellor
After several other Chancellors failed to solve Germany's economic problems, the President appointed Hitler in hopes that he would fail and a revolution would begin. However President Hindenburg was wrong and, as Chancellor, Hitler had just enough power and popularity to destroy the Weimar Republic and create a dictatorship. The primary source is a photo of Hitler as he is being appointed Chancellor. -
Enabling Act becomes Law
The Enabling Act was easily passed and it enabled Hitler to punish anybody that he believed was a threat to Germany. During the time, Communism was a big concern for Hitler and he wanted to be in complete control. The act gave Hitler an overwhelming amount of control and solidified that fact that Germany was in fact a dictaorship. the primary source is a picture of the enabling act with the signatures that passed the act. -
Law for the Restoration of Professional Civil Service becomes law
The Law for the Restoration of Professional Civil Service essentially made racism legal. The act removed Jewish people from their jobs and greatly limited the number of Jewish students who were allowed to attend school. Hitler's idea was to give the jobs previously held by Jews to Germans so civil service could be restored. This is the event in which Hitler's dictatorship started showing dangerous signs of a possible genocide. The primary source is the original law on paper. -
Gestapo Formed
The Gestapo or Secret State Police was created to protect public safety and order. They were allowed to interrogate people they deemed threatening, send them to prison, and even send them to concentration camps. The newly formed Gestapo were feared by people all around Germany and contributed to the magnitude of Hitler's power and control over the country. The primary source is a photo of the original Gestapo. -
First Series of Government sponsored book burnings
The Nazi party publicly burned all non- German books in an attempt to destroy culture and make a statement. Hitler asserted his power by beginning his quest for German dominance. The book burnings were a huge foreshadow of the genocide that was to come. A Jewish and German poet, Heinrich Heine said "Where they burn books, they will soon burn people". The primary source is a photo of one of the first book burnings. -
Law for the Prevention of Hereditary Diseased Offspring becomes law
This law allowed the government to sterilize anyone who had a genetic disease. They wanted to eliminate the possibility of their offspring carrying on the disease. The government's goal was to create a genetically pure society of German people and wanted to eliminate everyone else from society. This law also shows major signs of a future genocide and affected the lives of many Germans. The primary source is a photo of the original law. -
Night of Long Knives
The Night of Long Knives was the carrying out of Hitler's plan to remove all members of the Nazi party who he believed may oppose his views. On the Night of Long Knives, two hundred SA leaders and some of their family members were executed for suspicion of being against Hitler. This event was when Hitler's control over Germany reached an outrageously high level making him too powerful. The primary source is a photo of a person who was murdered being carried out of a window. -
Paul von Hindenburg dies
After Hindenburg's death, Hitler took over his role and became President and Chancellor. This gave him a dangerous amount of power and control over Germany. He forced German soldiers to take an oath pledging their allegiance to him. At this point, the fate of Germany was truly in Hitler's hands. The primary source is a photo of Hindenburg on his death bed. -
Nuremberg laws become law
The Nuremberg laws were created in an attempt to define what a Jew was. Whether a person was a Jew depended on what their ancestors believed and not necessarily what they believed. The laws stripped Jews of more of their rights and isolated them from society. The Nuremberg laws directly led to the beginning of the Holocaust. The primary source is a photo of the original laws.
