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The Weimer Republic
The Weimer Republic was the government of Germany, throughout the period between WW1 and Hitler's reign. the Weimer Republic was successful for a short period of time, however, when the Great Depression occurred in America, Germany was no longer able to support its self financially and meet financial obligations, causing the economy to crumble. The devestation caused many people to become unhappy with the government, therefore setting up for Hitler to become a valid political cantidate. -
Hitler becomes Chancellor.
Adolf Hitler was made Chancellor of Germany, Hitler was appointed by President Paul von Hindenburg, who was the president of the reigning political party of the time, The Weimar Republic. Hitler being appointed Chancellor of Germany allowed him to increase his political power and make more influential decisions such as starting a new military force comprised of members of the Nazi party. -
Anti semitism
While prejudices against the Jewish minorities existed before Hitler gained power, the Jewish population in Germany (and all Europe) began to be persecuted and truly hated when Hitler blamed Germany's problems on them. Having a minority to blame problems on allowed Germany to use the Jewish population as a scapegoat- the people of Germany wanted a solution and Hitler gave them one. Hitler convinced people that he could solve Germany's problems, and this allowed him to seize power -
Enabling Act implemented
The enabling act was implemented on the 23rd of March 1933, by the Weimar republic was an amendment to the Weimar constitution which stated that the German Cabinet was to be granted the power to make laws without permission from the Reichstag. This allowed Hitler to pass laws quickly and efficiently, solidifying the Nazi party’s power. -
Hitler becomes Fuhrer
On the 2nd of August 1934, with President Hindenburg's passing, Hitler was appointed official Fuhrer (leader) of Germany. This gave Hitler total power, and he immediately used this power to change laws, create laws and assign new roles under is leadership. The appointing of Hitler as Fuhrer of Germany gave Hitler total power over the military- and he ensured is power was known, making all soldiors swear loyalty to him, as opposed to germany itself. -
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Night of the long knives
The Night of the long knives was a purge of Nazi leaders by Hitler in June/July 1934. Hitler feared opponents and felt it necessary to ensure that there was no one who was likely to challenge his power. With this in mind, he executed many of both his supporters and allies, as well as enemies. One of the most important executions was that of a close ally Ernst Röhm, who was the leader of the SA (Sturmabteilung), an assault division. This consolidated Hitler's power and showed his ruthlessness. -
Military conscription
Adolf Hitler defied the Treaty of Versailles, when on the 16th of March in 1935, he proclaimed that he would be reintroducing conscription- this involved a 480 000 peace time army, which was 380 000 more than the 100 000 the Treaty of Versailles said Germany could have in their military forces. This conscription proved to the German people that Hitler would not fail them and bow down to other countries (as the previous government had), therefore validating his ruling. -
Nuremberg Laws
The Nuremberg Laws of 1935 were racial laws targeted at German minorities- or rather a single German minority- Jewish people. The laws restricted the right of Jewish people- for example stating that those of the Jewish faith could not marry German nationals. This supported Hitler and the Nazi's rise to power as it implemented policies to essentially destroy the minority (or the problem) that Hitler had blamed Germany's problems on. This showed Nazi supporters Hitler's 'dedication to Germany'. -
Remilitarisation of the Rhineland
The Rhineland was a demilitarised zone in Western Germany, found alongside the Rhine River. After WW1, Germany was forced to demilitarise the Rhineland according to the Treaty of Versailles. Ignoring the treaty, Hitler broke a second clause of the Treaty (the first was ordering conscription). This showed his supporters and Germany's population that he was not willing to submit to the orders of other leading countries, as the previous German government had done- validating his previous words. -
German/Italian alliance
The German Italian alliance was an alliance formed by two dictators- Adolf Hitler of Germany, and Benito Mussolini of Italy in 1936. It was known as the Rome, Berlin Axis agreement, designed around the idea that the world would involve around the two powers of Germany and Italy. By combining powers with another nation, Hitler began his expansion, spreading his power not only through germany, but also italy and potentially other countries in the future. -
Anschluss- Unification with Austria
Anschluss- or the unification of Austria occurred when Austria was annexed with Germany. Hitler had had designs on the unification for a considerable period of time- he wished to join Germany with his homeland and native land- Austria. Hitler was able to unite the countries through a Nazi party in Austria which created a channel giving him access to Austria. The rule over Austria further expanded Hitler's control and power- and he used this to spread his ideas- i.e. persecuting Austrian Jews. -
The foreign policy appeasement – The Munich Agreement
The foreign policy appeasement- or the Munich agreement, was an agreement between Germany, Britain, France and Italy, which allowed Germany to take control of the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia. This agreement showed that while not on peaceful terms, germany was able to align with strong powers such as Britain, France and Italy to acheive objectives. yet again, this agreement alloowed Hitler to expand his reach over Europe. -
Kristallnacht (Crystal Night)
Kristallnacht, also known as the Night of Glass was where Nazis torched/ burned synagogues (Jewish place of worship), and vandalised Jewish homes, schools, shops, and businesses. This night also resulted in over 100 deaths of Jewish people. The aftermath of this night lasted for years, leading to the Holocaust where 6 million European Jews where systematically killed. -
The Sudetenland and Invasion of Czechoslovakia
The Sudetenland was a section in Czechoslovakia on Germany and Czechoslovakia's border. In this area, there were many German speakers aligned with Hitler and Nazi Germany, Czechoslovakia was prospering, however, Germany's plans for expansion were a huge threat. On the 15th of March in 1933, Hitler and the German army advanced into Czechoslovakia and took over Bohemia. As Hitler not only wished to occupy the Sudetenland but also other regions, it proved his wish to expand beyond greater Germany. -
Invasion of Poland
On the 1st of September 1939, Hitler sent 1.5 million German troops to invade Poland- on top of this, German Luftwaffe bombed Polish airfields and German warships attacked Polish seacraft. Hitler believed that the invasion would create living space for Germans, and he also believed that he could claim his actions as defensive. However, the invasion, in turn, sparked the start of WW2. These actions, may have not consoidated Hitler's power- instead they portrayed him in a negative light.