Handout: Nationalist Germany und WW II
Key Term
Sarah, Sonja, Robert, Eike
Definition
Ministry of Public Enlightenment and
Propaganda (Reichsministerium für
Volksaufklärung und Propaganda)
 led by minister of propaganda (Joseph
Goebbels)
 central institution in times of the Third
Reich being responsible for the control of
culture (music, literature, theatre...) and
mass media (newspaper, radio)
25-Points-Programme (1920)
 outline of the party programme of the
NSDAP
 only party programme that was drawn
up as Hitler rejected to commit himself
to a programme as this meant a loss of
flexibility
 addressees: mainly peasants, working
class
 main promise: reversal of the Treaty of
Versailles, give everyone “bread and
work”
 contains nationalist(e.g. PanGermanism), racist (e.g. “master race”,
anti-Semitism) and socialist (e.g.
establishing health care) aspects
 in order to appeal to middle & upper
class some aims were dropped later on
Mein Kampf
 Hitler’s autobiography written in jail in
which his main objectives become clear
(e.g. the creation of a master race,
importance of propaganda, expansion
into Eastern Europe)
People’s Community (Volksgemeinschaft)
 community of people sharing a common
race
 working together as one for the benefit
of everyone
 Hitler: striving for the union of all ethnic
Germans  including Austria
 working together creates close ties, no
matter how high their income is
 “common good” involves achieving a
“pure race” and the expansion of
Handout: Nationalist Germany und WW II
Sarah, Sonja, Robert, Eike
German boundaries
 Fictitious concept!
Social Darwinism
 only the fittest survive in the struggle
between the races ( in Hitler’s belief the
Aryan Race)
Anti-Semitism
 discrimination against Jews ( Jews were
discriminated against for a thousand
years)
 in Germany a new racial anti-Semitism
emerged based on the belief of a
national and racial superiority
 Jews were no longer seen as a religious
group but as a race (thus: you could not
be German AND Jewish)
 Jews were portrayed as the opposite of
the Aryan race
Anti-Marxism
 Hitler claimed that communism was part
of the “Jewish world conspiracy” 
communism had to be removed
 expansion into Russia did not only
provide Lebesraum, but would also
destroy communism
 Hitler’s idea of socialism: unite the
people, but not sharing any power with
them
Aryan Master Race (Herrenvolk)
 belief that there is a hierarchy of races
 Aryan race (population of northern
Europe, defined by their common
language, being blond-haired, blue-eyed,
muscular & healthy)
 Slavs & Jews were at the bottom rung
Eugenics, “racial hygiene”
 attempt to control who has children in
order to eliminate “undesirables” from
the population
 both men and women were sterilized in
order to allow the rest to create a
Handout: Nationalist Germany und WW II
Sarah, Sonja, Robert, Eike
“perfect” race
Euthanasia, T4 Programme
 in order to achieve a perfect master
race, mentally handicapped and children
with special needs were murdered
 later on, the programme was extended
to adults
 T4-programme referring to
“Tiergartenstraße 4”, the office where
euthanasia was planned
Pan-Germanism
 aiming for the unification of the entire
German-speaking population of Europe
in a nation state (Großdeutschland)
 Pan-German supporters founded PanGerman-League in 1891
 adopted racist ideologies
Living space (Lebensraum)
 expansion of the German territory into
the East to provide living space for the
growing “master race”
 justified by the belief that Slavs belonged
to a lower race
Reichstag Fire & Decree for the protection the
of people and state
 on Feb. 27th 1933, the Reichstag is set on
fire
 the communist Marinus van der Lubbe is
suspected, even though this has never
been proven
 Nazis exploited the case for their
advantage  arrest many communists,
undermine communist election
campaign
 Hitler urges Hindenburg to grant an
emergency decree (“Decree for the
protection of the people and State”)
 government was allowed to arrest
individuals without trial, search private
homes, censor post & telephone calls,
restrictions of freedom of assembly &
expression
Handout: Nationalist Germany und WW II
Day of Potsdam
Gleichschaltung (Bringing into Line; “Laws
for the Coordination of the States within the
Reich”) (31 Mar, 7 Apr 33)
Sarah, Sonja, Robert, Eike
 March, 21st 1933
 took place in the Potsdam Garrison
Church
 celebration of the opening of the new
Reichstag
 Hindenburg is present, as well as other
old army generals
 measure by Hitler to convince his more
conservative supporters
 Hitler gives a speech in which he claims
to be the representative of the great
traditions of Germany propaganda
Aim:
 increase of power
 elimination of potentially troublesome
interest groups
How?
 political Gleichschaltung: abolishment of
trade unions, political parties, federal states,
civil service, separation of powers
 cultural Gleichschaltung: Hitler Youth,
supervisions of literature, propaganda, role
of women
 Führerstaat
DAF – Deutsche Arbeitsfront (German Labour
Front)




„Gesetz gegen die Neubildung von Parteien“
(“Law against the establishment of political
parties“) (14 Jul 33)
 abolishment of political parties
 one-party state installed
Night of the Long Knives (Nacht der langen
Messer) (30 Jun 34)
 about 400 people murdered by SS including
Ernst Röhm (leader of SA) and other leading
figures of the SA (Hitler felt embarrassed by
their behaviour), old enemies of Hitler:
Strasser and Schleicher
 Hitler claimed it was "Reichsnotwehr"
(reaction to a treason plot)
replaced trade unions
leader: Robert Ley
membership compulsory
employees were not allowed to negotiate
over wages and working conditions
Handout: Nationalist Germany und WW II
Sarah, Sonja, Robert, Eike
Führer (19 Aug 34)
 after Hindenburg's death ( 2 Aug 34) Hitler
took over the title of president and
chancellor and named himself "Führer"
 automatically gained the supreme command
over the army (army swore oath of loyalty
towards the Führer)
Führerprinzip (leader principle) /
Führerstaat
 charismatic leader
 everything is centralized
 people try to outdo each other in order to
please the Führer
 working towards the Führer
appeasement policy
(Beschwichtigungspolitik)
 British policy towards Hitler between 1935
and1939
 settling disputes without military
intervention in order to avoid war
 Hitler interpreted it as a sign of weakness
and further pursued his aggressive foreign
policy (leading to war in 1939)
Four-Power Pact / Quadripartite Agreement
(GB, F, I, D) (Viererpakt / Viermächtepakt)
 ???
Geneva Disarmament Conference (Genfer
Abrüstungskonferenz)
 France refused to allow German forces to
equal her own size
 Hitler presented himself as victim of injustice
 received sympathy of Britain
 left France more isolated
Rearmament
 Hitler began rearming even though it was
forbidden in the Treaty of Versailles
 introduced conscription
 publicly announced existence of airforce in
March 1935
Anglo-German Naval Agreement (DeutschBritisches Flottenabkommen)
 Germany allowed to build a navy 35% the
size of the British navy and a submarine
force of equal size
 destroyed Stresa Front (being?)
Handout: Nationalist Germany und WW II
Rhineland fortification (Rheinlandbesetzung
/ Remilitarisierung des Rheinlands)
Sarah, Sonja, Robert, Eike
 Hitler sent troops into the neutral Rhineland
(Versailles!)
 Britain against sanctions
 Hitler saw the Allies as weak
 encouraged Hitler to continue his aggressive
policies
Anschluss (March 1938)
 The invasion and annexation of Austria to
the Third Reich (Gesetz über die
Wiedervereinigung Österreichs mit dem
Deutschen Reich)
Munich Agreement (September 1938)
 An agreement between Germany, France,
Great Britain and Italy. It permitted the
annexation of the Sudetenland to the
German Reich.
Sudetenland
 The Sudetenland belonged to the
Czechoslovakia until the Munich Agreement.
 Why would Hitler want to annex it???
Blitzkrieg
 Quick advance with tanks and air support,
giving the enemy no chance to organize a
successful defence (successful during the
invasion of Poland (Sept. 1939)and France
(May-June 1940)
Battle of Britain
 Air campaign of Germany against Great
Britain. The goal was to earn superiority over
the British Airforce, so that the country
could be invaded. Germany did not gain
superiority in this fight.
Lend-Lease Agreement (March 1941)
 Programme of the USA to supply Britain, the
Soviet Union, China and Free France during
the war (1941-1945). Aid against Germany.
Operation Barbarossa (June 1941)
 Germany's attack on the USSR
Atlantic Charter (August 1941)
 Statement of the Allies on the goals for the
post-war world, such as self-determination
Handout: Nationalist Germany und WW II
Sarah, Sonja, Robert, Eike
and freedom for the peoples, global
cooperation, reduction of trade restrictions.
War of annihilation
 German policy of killing Jews and political
opponents on the conquered territories in
the east. Total elimination of states and
peoples.
Total war
 Complete mobilisation of any available
resources for a war.
Hitler-Stalin Pact (Aug. 1939)
 An anti-aggression pact between Germany
and Russia, guaranteeing each other to not
attack each other if a war breaks out.
 Secret protocol: partition of Poland!
Axis powers
 Alliance between Germany, Italy and Japan
Battle of Stalingrad (Aug. 1942 – Feb. 1943)

Forced labour
 Economic exploitation by Germany of the
conquered territories. Population was forced
to work. Many workers died.
Pearl Harbor
 attack of Japanese forces on the
American naval base in Hawaii on
December 7, 1941; led the US to enter
WWII
D-Day (Operation Overlord)
 the Allied invasion of the Normandy June
6, 1944; decisive Allied victory which
opened a western front against Nazi
Germany
Unconditional surrender
 Germany’s surrender to the Allies May 8,
1945
Nagasaki, Hiroshima
 the two nuclear bombs dropped on
Japanese cities August 9 and August 6,
1945 respectively; about 200,000
casualties; caused the Japanese
unconditional surrender
A long battle for the control of Stalingrad.
During winter the German troops (not
equipped for winter) were considerably
weakened. Battle was in the end won by the
Russian army.
Handout: Nationalist Germany und WW II
Sarah, Sonja, Robert, Eike
Holocaust / Shoa
 terms applied to the mass murder of 6
million Jews and other minorities
between 1941 and 1945 by the Nazis and
their allies
Nuremberg Law of Citizenship and Race
(Nürnberger Rassegesetze)
 bundle of laws enacted September 15,
1935 determining who was to be
regarded as being of Jewish blood
Night of Broken Glass (Reichskristallnacht)
/ November Pogrom
 a series of coordinated violence in the
night to November 10, 1938 in all of
Germany in which at least 91 Jews were
killed and 30,000 arrested; pretext was
the assassination of German diplomat
Ernst von Rath by a Jew in Paris
Wannsee minutes (Wannsee-Protokoll):
“Final Solution to the Jewish Question”
 conference at the Wannsee with only
minor Nazi officials involved January
20,1942; however it is very likely that the
Nazis’ leaders knew about it, although
they denied that during the Nuremberg
Trials
 “final solution” agreed on / forced labour
 Full of euphemisms!
Ghetto
 small, overcrowded areas in cities
occupied by the Nazis in which the Jews
were forced to live in
Einsatzgruppen (“task forces”)
 special branches of the Wehrmacht and
especially the SS, designated to carry out
the “Final Solution”
Concentration camps –
 camps in which the Nazis’ enemies were
imprisoned to work there; many people
died there, due to lack of food and
horrible hygienic and working conditions
Handout: Nationalist Germany und WW II
Sarah, Sonja, Robert, Eike
Extermination camps –
 special concentration camps, especially
designed to kill as many people as
possible as “effective” as possible to
carry out the “Final solution”
Vergangenheitsbewältigung (coming to terms
with the past)
 the special path (???) of Germany to try
to cope with her crimes during the Third
Reich and trying to seek forgiveness from
the victims of their crimes (Jews, Sintis
and Romas etc.)
 NO: how can one deal effectively with
the past!
Deportation
 the process of bringing the Jews and the
other victims of the Nazis to the
concentration and extermination camps
Genocide
 the act or the trial of murdering an entire
ethnicity
Question
Answer
NS ideology
 Where can the origins of Nazi ideology
be found?
1) Anti-Semitism
- mass production & urbanisation
threatened middle class people who
blamed their failure on Jews whose
persecution had had a long history in
Europe
- as a consequence Jews were not seenas
a religious/cultural group, but they were
seen as a race
- Jews were pushed into margin group as
they were considered foreigners because
it seemed to be impossible to be Jewish
and German
2) Extreme Nationalism
- took its beginnings in the 1890s
- “New Right”  successful middle class
felt excluded from Germany’s ruling class
Handout: Nationalist Germany und WW II
Sarah, Sonja, Robert, Eike
 led to the formation of the PanGerman –League
- claims: industrialisation had changed the
society and had led to instability and lack
of unity due to a more political working
class
- “solution”: create a common cause
which was supposed to unite the
German people
- “greatness of German state”
 was to be achieved through expansion
and purity of Germans (exclusion of
foreigners (including Jews))
 Which interdependencies can be
detected in the cornerstones of Nazi
ideology and which consequences
result from the pursuit of their
fulfilment?
 Why were those ideas so appealing to
some parts of Weimar society?
 How did the Nazis ensure that their
ideas were spread among the people?
 the cornerstones of the Nazi ideology
being anti-Semitism, Social Darwinism,
Pan-Germanism and anti-Marxism all
include the belief that there are lower
races of human beings and that there
should only be one master race
 the pursuit of the fulfillment of this
ideology results in the discrimination
against and later on, extinction of margin
religious groups or people with special
needs in order to keep the master race
pure
 those who failed in the Weimar Republic,
for example during the economic crisis
or after the Wall Street Crash, had
someone to blame their failure on
(Jews=scapegoats)
 middle & rural population: felt that their
interests were not supported by the
Weimar republic
 fear of communism made many people
vote for the Nazis
 propaganda: central measure to spread
their amongst the masses
 most important: easily understandable
messages which are repeated often
 speeches were given all over Germany
(using car & plane to travel around)
 new technologies (microphones,
speakers) were used as support
Handout: Nationalist Germany und WW II
Sarah, Sonja, Robert, Eike
 posters, newspapers (e.g. “Der Angriff“)
Phase 2: control beyond the centre
 Where’s the difference between
“control at the centre” and “control
beyond the centre”?




"control at the centre":
strengthening his own position as
chancellor;
arousing dissatisfaction with other
parties in Germany and the system itself;
giving more power to the government;
spreading sympathy with his character



"control beyond the centre":
elimination of other potential enemies
(Gleichschaltung);

elimination of separation of powers
meant no power could act against the
Hitler's “seizure of power”
people were sympathetic towards Hitler
censorship didn't allow critics to gain
attention
one-party state installed

 How was “the final stage” prepared in
the second phase?



Phase 3: the final stage
 How could Hitler win the support of
the army?




 Which preconditions for the
establishment of a dictatorship were
implemented by the completion of the
third phase?



Ernst Röhm (leader of SA) attempted to
merge the army and the SA under his
control
regretted by the army as the SA was
embarrassing the army due to its
behaviour (hooliganism)
Hitler prevented merging and supported
the army
Night of the Long Knives (s.o.)
Hitler held all important offices
(chancellor, president, commander in
chief)
all German institutions including
economic institutions followed his lead
Führerprinzip (s.o.)
Handout: Nationalist Germany und WW II
Sarah, Sonja, Robert, Eike
British-German relations, 1919-1939
(substitute for “the development of the GDR”
in bilingual history classes)
 How did the British attitude towards
the Treaty of Versailles affect AngloGerman relations and in how far did
Hitler profit from this?



 Is it justified to claim that
appeasement contributed to a large
extent to the outbreak of WWII?
sympathy towards Germany due to the
harsh treatment, high amounts of
reparations and injustice of the size of
the army
Hitler was not attacked and the United
Nations (???) did not impose sanctions
on Germany even though Hitler ignored
the terms of the Treaty of Versailles
(rearmament, Rhineland fortification)
Germany was allowed to develop a navy
which meant the reversal of the Treaty
of Versailles

It is justified to claim that. Appeasement
policy gave Hitler the impression that he
could do whatever he wants to do,
without having the risk of a war. The
English should have interfered earlier.

UHM… counter-arguments???

The war of annihilation was certainly
part of Hitler's ideology. The killing and
enslaving of Jews on conquered
territories contributed to anti-Semitism.
Moreover, as Hitler also saw
communists as enemies, one can
conclude that the forced labour was also
a means to realize his ideologies.

Hitler constantly kept on following the
concept of “total war”. By forced labour
and by exploiting the conquered
territories, he ensured that all available
resources were spent to support his war.

The Second World War was a very
dynamic war. There were no clear
fronts. “Blitzkrieg” for example was
based on quickly advance and breaking
through the enemies defence without
stopping. It was, for example, totally
The Second World War
 How did the ideological features of the
Third Reich contribute to Hitler’s
means of warfare?
 How did Hitler ensure that his war
plans could be realized?
 In how far can the Second World War
be considered as totally different from
all other wars in history before?
Handout: Nationalist Germany und WW II
Sarah, Sonja, Robert, Eike
different from the First World War, with
its trench warfare in the west. Moreover
the war was also fought inside the cities.
That is also totally different from all
other wars before.
The Holocaust
 How did anti-Semitism change through
history?
 Anti-Semitism was a part of history long
before Hitler and the Third Reich. The
crusades, for example, also were by some
people used as a pretext to commit murder
of Jews. In Venice and other European cities
in the Middle Ages, there were special
quarters just for Jews. They always have
been people of lower estate. But the
Holocaust was a very extreme form of antiSemitism. It was the first time that Jews in
the whole of Europe were chased and put
into extermination camps. It was the first
time that someone tried to annihilate all
Jews in the world.
 In
which
steps
was
disenfranchisement of the
accomplished?
 From the beginning on the Nazis made laws,
which were discriminating against the Jews,
they could not work in their professions any
more or were banned from certain areas.
Later they had to wear yellow stars to show
everyone that they were Jewish and had to
move to ghettos. From 1939 onwards, the
Nazis tried to exterminate the Jews still living
in Germany.
the
Jews
 Elaboration needed!
 Which term is appropriate to describe
the pogroms against the Jews in the
night of 9th to 10th November 1938?
 Why wasn’t the “final solution to the
Jewish Question” carried out before
 Probably the term “November Pogrom” is
most appropriate, as “Reichskristallnacht”
was a propaganda term used by the Nazis
and the word “pogrom” indicates that these
events were violent and is the common term
for violence against Jews
 Before the outbreak of WWII Hitler was
still eager to make Germany look like a
Handout: Nationalist Germany und WW II
the outbreak of WWII?
 How can this part of the German past
effectively be dealt with nowadays?
Sarah, Sonja, Robert, Eike
decent, humane state (cf. 1936 Summer
Olympics); after the outbreak of WWII he
did not have to worry about the opinion in
other countries any more. Also, the chaos
of the war made it much easier for the
Nazis to cover up their crimes.
 I do not think that there is a generally
accepted solution for that, but I think it is
important that the Nazis’ crimes are
remembered and that it is ensured that
similar things will not happen again.