Chapter 3 Nazism and the Rise of Hitler

After the defeat of imperial Germany, ,the Weimar republic came into existence of them. The republic had a democratic constitution and a federal great structure. The republic was not well receive by the people, the Weimar republic fest faces many defeat in the first world war . The republic had to pay war compensation and this put the republic in deep financial losses. Germany had fought the war largely on the basis of loans and had to pay war reparation in gold. Subsequently gold reserves got depleted and the value of the german mark fell. Prices of essential commodities start to rose dramatically. The Weimar republic faced many problems on the political front and also the constitution had many defects. The problem faced by the Weimar republic were as follows:

(i) Versailles treaty : at the end of the first world war dispossessed germany of its territories its resources and its pride as a nation. He also had to pay 6 billions pounds as war compensation after the loss. Despite the harsh terms, the Weimar republic accepted the humiliaring treaty, thereby making it non- famous amongst the german masses .

(ii) Economic crisis: the german state was financially crippled due to overwhelming war debts which had to be paid in gold. Subsequently gold reserves got reduced and value of german mark fell.prices of essential gold roses dramatically.

(iii) Political defects: the Weimar republic was very weak due to inherent constitutional irregularities like proportion representation and article 48 which gave the president the power to impose emergency and rule by decree.

Nazim became popular in germany by 1930 due to a lot of following reasons:
. The most apparent being the great depression. The Weimar republic have done little to remedy the country economic downfall and hilter was presented as a saviour to the humiliated german people which were living in economic and political crises.
. The powerful speeches of hitler in which he sought to build the great nation undo the injustice of the Versailles treaty which restores the dignity of german people and provide employment for all stirred hopes in people of there.
. Nazi propaganda was very unique. Red banners with the swastika nazi salute and the rounds of applause attracted the people making nazim
was very popular. In 1919, adolph hitler took over the german workers party and named it as the nazi party giving birth to nazim in germany. During the great economic depression nazim became very popular. The nazi propaganda which was very unique and helped in making nazim very popular.

The peculiar features of nazi thinking were as follows:
. a belief in racial hierarchy and lebensraum or living spaces.
. Nordic german Aryans were at the top while the jews formed the lowest rung of the racidal ladder.
. they belived that only the strongest race would survive and rule.
. new territories must be gained for enhancing the natural resources and power of germany.

Films were formed to create hatred for the jews. The film the eternal jews that represented the jews with following beards and dressed in kaftans. The jews were known to as vermin rats and pests. The nazi propaganda compared jews to the rodents. Orthodox jews were stereotyped as the killers of Christ and money lenders. Stereotypes about jews were even more popularized through Maths classes. Children were taught to hear the jews. The nazi propaganda against the jews was so effective that the people felt anger and hatred surge from inner side in them when they saw someone who looked like a jew.

Role of women in nazi society accompanied the rules of a largely patriarchal or male-dominated society. Hitler hailed women as the most important citizen in Germany but this was true for only Aryan women who brerd pure-blood advantageous Aryans. Motherhood was the only goal they were taught to reach apart from performing the stereotypical functions of household management and being good wives. This was in stark contrast to the role of women in the French revolution where women led movements and fought for rights of education and equal wages like man. They were allowed to form political clubs and schooling that was made compulsory for them after the French revolution.

The Nazis established control over its people by the various means:
. They used different propaganda through posters or films to praise their behaviour.
. Media was carefully used to win and support for the regime, and popularize it.
. Nazim worked on the minds of the people, tapped their emotions and turned their hatred and anger against those which are pointed as undesirable.

. special surveillance and security forces to control and order society in several ways that the Nazis wanted, was created.
. the police forces had extra powers to rule with impunity. Genocide also created an atmosphere of fear and repression that helped them to establish total control over people.