Rise to Power
Adolf Hitler and the Nazis
The overall purpose of this presentation is to explain
how this little boy on the left became the man on the
right who was ultimately responsible for the death of
about 50 million people all over the world!!
Birth
• Adolf Hitler was born
on April 20, 1889 in
Braunau, Austria.
• Adolf was 1 of 6
children - 3 of who
died at early ages
Parents
Alois Schickelgruber Hitler was a customs official
who was illegitimate by birth. He died when Adolf
was 14 and left him a small inheritance.
Klara Hitler was very young when she married the
older Alois. She showered young Adolf with love
and affection. Adolf carried a picture of his mom
until the day he died. She died of breast cancer
when Adolf was 18 years old.
Education
• Attended a Benedictine monastery school where
he took part in the choir.
• When it was time to choose a secondary school,
Adolf wanted to become an artist.
• His father wanted him to become a civil servant,
but after his father died, he dropped out of high
school and attempted to get into the Vienna
Academy of Fine Arts - he failed.
• The following slides are examples of Adolf’s
artwork.
signature
signature
Years in Vienna
• After his mother died, Adolf (now 18) decided to
move to Austria to pursue his dream of becoming
a great artist.
• Again he failed to gain entrance into the Academy
• He eventually sold all his possessions and became
a homeless drifter who slept on park benches and
ate at soup kitchens throughout Vienna (age 19)
• Adolf did manage to sell some paintings and
postcards, but remained impoverished
Vienna -Importance
• Influenced by the antiSemitic talk in Vienna
many resented the
wealth of Jews
• Became interested in
the idea of German
nationalism.
• Also received first
taste of politics
Military Service
Adolf left Austria at the age of 24 to avoid mandatory
military service that was required of all men.
But he did sign up for
military service at the
start of WW I. He
joined a Bavarian unit
of the German Army.
This is a picture of Hitler listening to
an enlistment speech.
World War I
• Excited to fight for
Germany.
• Found a home fighting
for the Fatherland.
• Highest rank held was
corporal.
• Was a regimental
messenger, not an
easy job at all.
Military Record
• Awarded the Iron Cross
twice. (5 medals overall)
• Highest military honor in
German Army.
• Single handedly captured
4 French soldiers.
• Blinded by gas attack
towards end of war.
German Loss in WW I
• Hitler was devastated by news of the German
surrender.
• He was appalled at the anti-war sentiment
among the German civilians.
• Believed there was an anti-war conspiracy that
involved the Jews and Marxists.
• Also, felt that the German military did not lose
the war, but that the politicians (mostly Jews)
at home were responsible for the defeat.
Life after WW I
• Hitler was depressed after WW I.
• Still in the army, he became an
undercover agent whose job was to
root out Marxists
• Also, lectured about the dangers of
Communism and Jews
German Worker’s Party
• Hitler was sent to
investigate this group in
Munich in 1919.
• He went to a meeting
and gave a speech.
• He was asked to become
a member, which he did
NAZI Party is Formed
• Hitler began to think big for
the German Worker’s Party
• Began placing ads for
meetings in anti-Semitic
newspapers
• Hitler changed the name to
National Socialist German
Worker’s Party or the
NAZIS
Party Platform
• Nazis were racist Fascists: anti-Semitic, antiCommunist, anti-Democracy.
• Their goal was to restore the glory of Germany
through military power and Racial Purity.
• Hitler used the “stabbed in the back” theory that
Germany was winning WWI, but a
coalition of communists and Jews
gave up on the war as part of a plot.
Besides changing the party name, the red flag with the
SWASTIKA was adopted as the party symbol
Munich Putsch (coup)
• October 30, 1923
• Hitler held a rally in Munich beer hall and
declared revolution – blamed others for problems
• Led 2000 men in take over of Bavarian
Government
• It failed and Hitler was
imprisoned
Trial and Jail
•At his trial (Hitler was charged
with treason), he used the
opportunity to speak about the
NAZI platform and spread his
popularity.
•The whole nation suddenly knew
who Adolf Hitler was and what he
stood for
•He was sentenced to five years,
but actually only served about 9
months
•When he left prison, he was ready
to go into action again.
Mein Kampf
• Hitler’s book “My Struggle” wrote while in jail
• Sold 5 million copies, made him
rich
Topics of Mein Kampf
The Big Lie
Hitler said “When you lie, tell big lies.” because they are more
credible. He says that if you tell a big enough lie often enough
people will believe you. What would become his big lie?
Jews are responsible for Germany’s loss in WW I.
Controlling People
Hitler wrote about the methods used to get support of people:
MUST CONTROL THE MASSES – that’s where the power and
momentum is
PROPOGANDA – It’s ok to lie for your cause
THE SPOKEN WORD – Dramatically spoken words have more
impact than written words
MASS MEETINGS - People need to feel the band wagon effect
BRUTE FORCE – If you really believe something, force is
justifiable
Living Space
“Lebensraum” Germany needed room to grow. Hitler
lays out a plan to invade Russia after taking out France.
(Stalin didn’t take the hint, France was in denial)
Master Race
Hitler combines the history of the Germans (Aryans)
with Social Darwinism
JEWS
Jews were the root of Germany’s past problem and were trying to
ruin Germany and pollute German blood lines. While Hitler’s
hatred of Jews is best described as fact-less and irrational, he
spread propaganda that:
Jewish people in the Weimer Republic turned on Germany and
quit WWI.
All Communists are Jewish and all Jewish people are Communist
The worldwide depression is caused by Jews
Jews are trying to contaminate German (Aryan) blood lines
1929
After being ignored during the 1920s, the Nazi party
becomes popular during the worldwide depression
Hitler called himself “Der Fuhrer” – the leader and
shouts “Sieg Heil” or Hail Victory
Hitler used storm troopers to whip up excitement, beat
up Communists and terrorized Jewish people
Speeches claimed “a vote for me is a vote for dictatorship”
and “we are intolerant”
Appeal of Hitler
• Germany was in the midst of an economic depression
with hyper-inflation
• Hitler was a WW I hero who talked about bringing
glory back to the “Fatherland”
• He promised the rich industrialists that he would end
any communist threat in Germany
• Constantly blamed Jews for Germany’s problems, not
the German people.
• Hitler was an excellent public speaker.
Strong Arm Tactics
• The “Brownshirts” or SA
(Stormtroopers)
• SA was used to put down opposition
parties
• Threatened and beat up Jews and antiNazi voters
• Wore brownshirts, pants and boots
• Numbered almost 400,000 by 1932
1932 - 1933
People questioned the harsh
tactics of the Nazis, but
Hitler puts on a show using
the democratic process to
destroy German Democracy.
Legal Rise to Power
• Used popularity from failed revolution and
book to seize power legally (democratic
process)
• Spoke to mass audiences about making
Germany a great nation again
• Nazi Party:
– 1930 = 18% of vote
– 1932 = 30% of vote
– Hitler given position of Chancellor by
Hindenburg in 1933
Dictator
• “Reichstag fire” gives Hitler total power
(7 days before the election the Reichstag
burned-killing many of Hitler’s opponents.
Claimed it was the Communists, actually the
Nazis)
• In 1933, all parties were outlawed except
the Nazi party
• Passed the Enabling Act –allowed him to
rule by decree
• People’s civil rights were suspended
• Created new gov’t called Third Reich
• “Night of the Long Knives”
Hitler began to consolidate power and put his ideas into action
when he:
Taxes Jews to raise money (Power, Jewish problem Advance Germ
Nation)
Creates the Gestapo (Consolidate Power/Jewish problem)
Takes control of the press (Consolidate Power)
Starts the Hitler Youth (Consolidate Power)
Censoring art, plays, books (Consolidate Power)
Purges his Storm Troopers, Night of the Long Knives, Murders
100of his political rivals in the Nazi Party ( Consolidate Power)
German military swears personal allegiance to Hitler (Consolidate
Power)
Hitler began to consolidate power and put his ideas into action
when he:
Starts to rebuild German military (Jewish problem)
Everyone must trace family roots (Jewish problem)
Revival of German Aryan history (Jewish problem)
Jewish people required to wear yellow stars (Jewish problem)
Keeps working on the BIG LIE, master race/hatred of Jews (Jewish problem)
Nuremberg Laws of 1935 – limited interracial marriage, Jewish people made non
citizens (Jewish problem)
Puts restrictions on Jews in citizenship, ownership of property and movement
(Jewish problem)
Kristallnacht, The Night of Broken Glass, Jews were arrested, murdered, or
terrorized (Jewish problem)
Hitler began to consolidate power and put his ideas into action
when he:
Outlaws political parties/ unions (Advancing German Nation)
Starts public works projects for jobs (Advance German
Nation)
Absolute Power
• German economy was
improving, people were happy
• Hitler had no political
opposition
• 1st concentration camp
opened in 1933
• Began rearming German
Army for expansion of the
Reich
THE
END