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great depression
The ravages of the Great Depression -
. Many businesses went bankrup
. Many businesses went bankrupt, and by the early 1930s one in three workers were unemployed -
Hitler and his Nazi Party made promises:
In the lead-up to the election of 1932, Hitler and his Nazi Party made the following promises:
• To tear up the Treaty of Versailles (including promises to pay reparations for World War I)
• To build up the armed forces again
• To provide work for all
• To reunite the ‘fatherhood’. -
tler became the Chancellor (Prime Minister) of Germany.
By January of 1933, Hitler became the Chancellor (Prime Minister) of Germany. Within a few months, concentration camps were opened and political opponents of the Nazis (mainly Communists) were placed in them. By March, Hitler introduced the Enabling Act, which let him make laws without going to parliament or the President. By July, Hitler had banned all political parties except the Nazi Party. -
President Hindenburg died
When President Hindenburg died in 1934, Hitler took over his role as President and declared himself the ‘Führer’ (leader) of Germany. A range of methods were then used to ensure the Nazis faced very little opposition during the following years. The Nazis controlled education and the media to ensure that German people only heard praise for the Nazi regime. The ‘terror’ organisations of the SS and the Gestapo were established to discover and punish anyone who could be an enemy of the Nazis. -
increased the size of the army, began building warships, and created a German air force
On 2 August 1934, the entire army swore an oath of personal loyalty to Hitler. They agreed to stay out of politics and to serve Hitler. In return, Hitler began re-establishing Germany as a military power. He increased the size of the army, began building warships, and created a German air force. Compulsory military service was also introduced. This was despite the fact that one of the requirements of the Treaty of Versailles was that Germany had limited armed forces. -
huge risk and ordered German troops
Yet in 1936, Hitler took a huge risk and ordered German troops to enter the Rhineland. The French, reluctant to start another war, decided to do nothing. At the same time, Hitler made alliances with Italy and Japan.