The Lean Years for Nazis
• The 1920’s were hard times for the
Nazis. While Hitler was in jail the
party had no real leader, and
declined in popularity.
• The chaotic days of violence and
hyperinflation were gone and the
Weimar Republic experienced its
“Golden Age”.
• The German Mark stabilized,
unemployment was low, and the
economy prospered. Few people
wanted to hear Hitler’s speeches
anymore.
What you should know by the end
of this lesson
• 1. Know what Hitler wrote in his book, “Mein Kampf” and
how this will become the “blueprint” for the Nazi policy
of genocide.
• 2. Understand Hitler’s new strategy to take over Germany
and why it met with only limited success.
• 3. Identify the significance of Joseph Goebbels and the
effect of his propaganda on the German people.
• 4. Understand the SS organization and its mentality
towards the Jews.
• From April to December
1924 Hitler was jailed on the
outskirts of Munich in
Landsberg Prison.
• He was treated more like an
honored guest than an
inmate.
• The guards let him have his
own room, furniture,
clothing, and guests
whenever he wished.
• He devoted much of this
time to writing his book,
“Mein Kampf” in which he
communicated his ideas to
the German people.
What is the translation of the
title “Mein Kampf”?
Mein Kampf
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Originally Hitler wanted to call his book “Four
and a half years against Lies, Stupidity, and
Cowardice” but his friends made him change his
mind.
Published in 1925 it’s separated into two
volumes. The first is his autobiography and talks
about Germany and the Aryan Race. The second
describes the Nazi Party and his vision for the
future.
Mein Kampf is over 600 pages and is known for
it’s long winded passages. As a result very few
people bought the book, let alone read it.
For many people Hitler was seen as a political
extremist who had no chance of obtaining power,
others simply did not take the book seriously.
Had the public become aware of his goals, and
understood he meant to do what he said, it is
conceivable that Hitler would never have become
leader of Germany.
Did you Know? After Hitler came to power it was
required that all households in Germany have a copy
of Mein Kampf. This made Hitler a millionaire, as he
received a 15% royalty on every purchase.
Mein Kampf Editions
• Three editions
– People’s Edition (original
dust jacket, navy blue,
gold swastika eagle)
– Wedding Edition (golden
symbol given to
marrying couples)
– Compact Edition (Red
cover, combined edition
issued by the post office
to send to soliders
– Hitler’s 50th birthday
edition
Mein Kampf Facts
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Hitler wrote a sequel after the 1928 elections
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Only two copies were made – one was found by the Untied States
Published by the United States in 2003 as “Hitler’s Second Book” (Deals with Foreign Policy)
In certain countries it is illegal to buy the book
In certain countries it is illegal to trade the book (promoting Nazi Ideas)
In the United States the book can be found in most book stores and libraries but it
is banned in all school libraries
After Hitler’s death all of his estate (including the rights to Mein Kampf) were
passed to the Bavarian Government
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Mein Kampf is scheduled to enter Germany public domain on January 1, 2016 (50 years after Hitler’s
death)
Last time it was published in Germany was 1945
The publication of Mein Kampf is illegal in Germany
Most libraries in Germany carry a heavily edited version.
Some want to reprint it and use it as a teaching tool
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• The main points of Mein Kampf
First, Hitler outlined his hatred of what he
called the worlds “Twin Evils”: Communism
and Judaism.
Secondly, he spoke of the Fuhrer Principal
whereby the nation would follow one
leader with blind obedience and total
loyalty.
Thirdly, he spoke of the need for
Lebensraum, or “Living Space” for the
German people east of Germany. His plan
was to either forcibly remove or kill the
inhabitants of Poland and Russia and then
use the land for German colonization.
Most importantly, Hitler outlined his
perception of the Jewish people. Although
he does not literally say what should be
done to the Jews, he conveys the budding
ideas for the Holocaust.
Mein Kampf Questions
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What does Hitler think will result in
Germans breeding with those of a different
race?
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When Hitler speaks of “other races” who
do you think he is referring to?
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What 3 classifications of culture does
Hitler describe? What examples does he
give for each?
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To Hitler Jews are a ________ , not a
religion
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According to Hitler what do Jews do in
their “Host Nations”?
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What does Hitler see as the threat that
Jews pose to the German race? What will
they do?
Setting a New Course
• After Hitler was released from prison
in December 1924 he set a new path
for the Nazi Party.
• They would no longer be a group that
seeks to overthrow the government
in a revolution, but one that seeks to
obtain power legally through
democratic elections.
• For the first few years the Nazis met
with only limited success with this
policy.
• With the economy improving
Germany became more stable, and
fewer Germans were attracted to
radical groups such as the Nazis.
Hitler’s House
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Hitler decided to spend most of this time in
seclusion to avoid being held responsible
for the poor performance of the Nazi Party.
He bought a home in a rural town called
Berchtesgaden and named it the Berghof.
Berchtesgaden became the second capital
of Nazi Germany complete with
administrative buildings and homes for all
the top Nazis.
As a 50th birthday present in 1939 Hitler
received a second home called The Eagles
Nest just above the Berghof on top of the
Bavarian Alps.
Reichstag Elections of the 1920’s: Number of Seats in each election
Nationalists
Communists
Social
Democrats*
Democrats*
May 1924
62
100
81
81
45
95
32
December
1924
45
131
32
88
51
103
14
1928
54
153
25
78
45
73
12
Center
Party*
German
Peoples
Party*
Nazis
* = Moderate Party favoring Democracy
Questions:
1. How well do the non-democratic parties
do in the elections?
2. What can explain the rising number of
seats for the Social Democratic Party?
3. What can explain the dramatic drop in
popularity of the Nazis from May to
December 1924? Think About what was
happening early in the year.
Percent of Nazi Vote in Bavaria
Out with the Old, in with the New
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By this time Ludendorff became a liability
for the Nazis. After Ludendorff’s very poor
showing in the 1925 Presidential election
Hitler split with Ludendorff and the general
retired.
The same year a man named Joseph
Goebbels came to Hitler’s attention. As a
propaganda official he had incredible
morale boosting techniques and believed
in rampant anti-Semitism. He was quickly
named Nazi Propaganda Minister and held
this title till the end of the Third Reich in
1945.
As Minister of Propaganda in the Third
Reich, Goebbels had complete control over
the German media. Every newspaper,
magazine, movie, and radio program was
under his dominion.
Using this power his was able to transform
public opinion in Germany against the Jews
in preparation for the Holocaust.
Ludendorff only
got 2% of the
vote in the
Presidential
election. His
friend Paul Von
Hindenburg won.
Joseph Goebbles
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Born in 1897 in Rhineland
Went to college at Heidelberg University
Served in WW I for the German army
Joined the Nazi Party in 1924
– His job was to build support in Berlin for the Nazi party
• He killed his family and himself in 1945
• Before Hitler died, Hitler gave his watch to Goebbles,
claiming he was the only senior Nazi that had stayed
with him till the end
Quote by Goebbles
• “The essence of
propaganda consists in
winning people over to
an idea so sincerely, so
vitally, that in the end
they succumb to it
utterly and can never
again escape from it.”
The Influence of Goebbels in real life
• To inspire the Germans with the
Nazi Party, Goebbels began the
tradition of holding a national party
rally in the Bavarian city of
Nuremberg each September. The
rallies grew in size each year until
more than 2 million people were
involved by 1938.
• Nuremberg became the spiritual
center of the Third Reich. It had so
much significance that after World
War II American officials chose the
city to hold the trials where the
Nazis were convicted of crimes
against humanity.
The Power of Goebbels in fiction: Jud Suss
• One of Joseph Goebbels’s most
successful works of propaganda was
the film “Jud Suss”. Considered one of
the most anti-Semitic films of all time it
was viewed by more than 20 million
people and was the most profitable
German film of 1939-1940.
• The movie was shown to SS units
before being deployed to the
concentration camps, and to non-Jews
in lands where Jews were being
deported. Even the Nazis knew the
power of the film and banned anyone
under 13 from viewing it.
Review Questions
• 1. What influence did Joseph Goebbels have in Nazi Germany? What was his goal
as Minister of Propaganda?
• 2. What significance does the city of Nuremberg have?
• 3. What factors make the film “Jud Suss” a film which we cannot simply ignore in
understanding why the Holocaust happened?
What did you think of Jud Suss?
The SS
• SS stands for “SchutzStaffel”
(Protection Service). It was a military,
police, and security organization of
the Nazi Party, not of the military. It
will be the SS that will carry out
many atrocities, including the
Holocaust.
The Structure of the SS
Fighting Branch:
The Waffen SS
This was basically a 2nd
German Army. It fought
along with it, but was not
under Army command.
Police Branch:
The Gestapo
This was the German
Secret Police. Similar to
the US Secret Service and
US Marshal’s, but totally
above the law.
Geheime Staatspolizei
Security Branch:
The Sicherheitsdienst
(SD)
This was the Nazi intelligence
service. Imagine the CIA and
the FBI combined. It was the
SD that was responsible for
the concentration camps.
Reinhardt Heydrich: Chief of
the SD
• To be admitted into the SS there were strict racial
requirements. You had to prove your “Aryan”
ancestry back to 1750 and have no Jewish ancestors.
You also had to have at least four children, if you
didn’t you received a cut in pay. By World War II the
SS had more than a million members.
• The Leader of the SS was Heinrich Himmler. Hitler
will give him the task of carrying out the Holocaust. It
was Himmler who decided to build the concentration
camps and it was his decision to build the gas
chambers. When Hitler issued orders about the
Holocaust he did so verbally to Himmler, usually with
no witnesses. It was Himmler’s role to break the
direct line of evidence that linked Hitler with the
Holocaust.
Himmler wanted to introduce policies that even
Hitler thought went too far. Those who conspired
to kill Hitler worried about Himmler taking his
place. They had a saying which went “Why kill a
madman only to have a lunatic take his place.”
How to identify an SS officer
• The SS had specific insignias
which made them easily
distinguishable from the
army. The collar ranks were
made up of either small
squares or oak leaves, and
their officers hats always
had the Death Head Pin. If
the uniform does not
possess any of these then
they were in the regular
German Army.
The results of propaganda on the SS
• The Nazis would thoroughly indoctrinate
SS recruits with books such as Mein
Kampf and films like Jus Suss.
• The leadership of the Nazi party would
then ask SS men questions such as,
“How can we Germans defend
ourselves?” or “What can we do before
the Jews destroy our people?”
– What answer did people like Hitler and
Himmler want to hear?
• Using this twisted mentality Himmler
wanted the SS to be seen as “The
Greatest Generation” that must bear
the hardship, do they dirty work, so
future generations can thrive and
humanity evolve into a more perfect
form.
Fact: All SS officers gave oaths of
loyalty to Hitler himself, not to
Germany. They were required to
obey his word without question, no
matter what it may be.
Did people really believe this?
• There were a small faction of
fanatical Nazis who firmly
believed the SS mentality.
Evidence exists however that most
men in the SS had doubts. This
mentality was more the “official
ideology” than what people truly
believed.
• It was up to Joseph Goebbels to
drill this mentality into the minds
of millions through his
propaganda. He had to make sure
there was no one left in Germany
that could have publicly countered
“Nazi political correctness”.