History Class 9 : Chapter 3 - Nazism and the Rise of Hitler
Class 9 History Lesson 3
NAZISM AND THE RISE OF HITLER
1. Describe the problems faced by the Weimar Republic.
Answer: The defeat of Imperial Germany at the hands of the Allied powers in World War I led tot he abdication of the emperor Wilhelm II. This gave an opportunity to parliamentary parties to recast the German polity.Thus, a National Assembly met at the town of Weimar to form a republic with a democratic constitution and a federal structure. But this newborn republic was not well received by its own people for the following reasons:
(I) The Allied imposed a harsh and humiliating treaty at Versailles, which squarely placed the blame of starting World War I on Germany’s soldiers. It was the Weimar Republic that signed the treaty much to the displeasure of the German populace.
(II) Germany lost all of its overseas colonies and a tenth of its population, along with 75% of its iron and 26% of its coal to France, Poland, Denmark and Lithuania.
(III) The War Guilt Clause held Germany responsible for the war and the subsequent damage it caused in the Allied nations. They were forced to pay compensation of £6 billion in total. Due to the loss of most of its revenue-generating colonies, Germany was unable to repay the amount.
(IV) Due to the failure to pay compensation, the Allied Armies occupied the resource-rich Rhineland for a time. The Weimar Republic reacted to this by printing paper currency in large numbers to pay off the huge debt. This led to hyperinflation and the eventual collapse of the economy.
(V) Coupled with the humiliation of a foreign power occupying German territory and economic collapse, the German public held the new Weimar Republic responsible for the defeat in world war I and accepting the disgrace at Versailles.
2. Discuss why Nazism became popular in Germany by 1930.
Answer: The end of World War I had changed the political landscape of Germany. Right from the beginning, the infant Weimar Republic was beset by problems.
(I) The harsh Versailles Treaty was a serious blow to the national prestige of the Germans and to the economy.
(II) The economic situation was worsened by the Great Depression of 1929, which had severely affected the already fragile German economy. The inability of the Weimar Republic to remedy the situation only further inflamed public sentiments.
(III) The political scenario was not any better as the various political factions, such as the communists and socialists fought with each other that stalled any policy that would uplift the plight of the German people.
(IV) It was in this background that Hitler would organise the fledgling National Socialist German Worker’s party, otherwise known as the Nazi party into a mass movement.
(V) By implementing Nazi ideals, Hitler promised to undo the injustice of the Versailles treaty and restore the dignity of the German people, promising economic security and to build a strong German nation free from all foreign influences and ‘conspiracies’.
(VI) He found strong support among the German middle class, who were threatened with destitution due to economic collapse that had shut down banks, businesses and factories.
(VII) Nazi propaganda, along with Hitler’s powerful oratory skills, successfully portrayed Hitler as a saviour and Nazism as the means to deliver the German people from the distress of living in a time of acute economic and political crisis.
3. What are the peculiar features of Nazi thinking?
Answer: The Nazi thinking was synonymous with Hitler’s world view. The features of such thinking are as follows:
(I) There was no equality among the human race, only a racial hierarchy – with the blonde,blue-eyed, Nordic German Aryans being at the top and the Jews being placed at the bottom level. All the other coloured people were placed somewhere in between, depending on their external features.
(II) The other aspect of Nazi ideology was the concept of Lebensraum or living space. It was believed that new territories had to be acquired at the expense of the local population in order to enhance material resources and the power of the German nation.
(III) They believed in the survival of the fittest, which was a twisted version of Charles Darwin theory about natural selection. In their version, they believed that the strongest race would survive, while the weak would perish.
(IV) Nazi thinking put much emphasis on ‘racial purity’. This meant that anyone born with physical and mental disabilities was considered ‘undesirable’ and impure. Allowing their existence would only pollute the German race and hence they had no right to exist. Along with Jews, Gypsies, Slavic and blacks were all considered subhuman and executed in large numbers under the shadow of World War II.
(V) Nazis believed in war and aggression. Any notion of peace or related ideologies were considered weak by their standards. They believed that world domination through war justified in proving the superiority of the German race.
4. Explain why Nazi propaganda was effective in creating a hatred for Jews.
Answer: The Nazis were quite effective in using propaganda to great effect. They made propaganda films to fan hatred for Jews with the most infamous being The Eternal Jew.Orthodox Jews were stereotyped and marked. They were shown with flowing beards, wearing kaftans and were referred to as rats and vermins who fed off from good Germans.Jews were also blamed for Germany’s defeat in World War I, despite the fact that a large number of them served with distinction in the conflict. The propaganda by the Nazis effectively worked on the minds of the people, making use of the centuries of anti-semitic feelings and tapping their emotions. This turned their hatred and anger at those who were blamed for all of Germany’s past and present ills. And the Nazis would be the remedy for these ‘ills’
5. Explain the role of women in Nazi society. Return to Chapter 1 on the French Revolution.Write a paragraph comparing and contrasting the role of women in the two periods.
Answer: Women in Nazi society were relegated to housewives who were charged with upholding the honour of the German race by limiting contacts with ‘undesirables’ and raising as many pure-blooded children as possible. Those who conformed to this role were given favoured treatment in hospitals, concessions in shops, theatre tickets and railway fares. Despite Hitler’s statement on ‘women being the most important citizen’, it did not apply to every woman.Especially those who deviated from Nazi ideology. Those that did, risked public humiliation, loss of civic honour, loss of family, jail sentence and even death.This was in total contrast to the role of women in the French Revolution, Where women led movements and fought for the right to education and the right to equal wages as men. They could not be forced to marry against their will. They could also train for jobs, become artists or run small businesses. Schooling was made compulsory for them, and they could even hold property.
6. In what ways did the Nazi state seek to establish total control over its people?
Answer: President of the Weimar Republic Paul Von Hindenburg made Hitler the chancellor of Germany. Shortly after, a mysterious fire broke out in the Reichstag, the parliament building of Germany. Blaming the act of arson on communists and other ‘enemy of the state, Hitler passed the First Fire decree in 1933 which suspended the civic rights like freedom of speech, press and freedom of assembly. Thus, Hitler effectively started controlling the German population. Other measures he undertook to systematically dismantle democracy in Germany were:
(I) ‘The Enabling Act’ was passed, which gave all powers to Hitler to sideline the parliament and rule by decree.
(ll) All political parties, with the exception of the Nazi Party, were banned. The members of these banned parties were either imprisoned, exiled or assassinated.
(III) The communists were eradicated, with the remaining members being sent to concentration camps.
(IV) Special security forces such as the SA, SS, SD and Gestapo were created to control and order society in ways that the Nazis wanted. These organisations were given extra-judicial powers.
(V) In schools, children were taught to be loyal and submissive. They were also taught to hate Jews and worship Hitler. Thus, cultivating a personality cult in the process.
(VI) Nazi youth organizations, the like ‘Jungvolk’ and ‘Hitler Youth’ were created, where the youth were taught to hate democracy, communism, Jews and other ‘undesirables'.
Extra Questions
Short Answer Type Questions
1. What was written in this book?
Answer: Charlotte Beradt secretly recorded people’s dreams in her diary and later published them in this book. She described how Jews themselves began believing in the Nazi stereotypes about them. They dreamt of their hooked noses, black hair and eyes, Jewish looks and body movements.
2. What was the name of the Nazi Youth organisation which consisted of all German boys of 14 to 18 years of age?
Answer: The Youth League of the Nazis was founded in 1922. Four years later it was renamed as Hitler Youth and consisted of all German boys of 14 to 18 years of age. To unify the youth movement under Nazi control, all other youth organizations were systematically dissolved and finally banned.
3. Who was Hitler? How did. Hitler reconstruct Germany?
Answer: Adolf Hitler was the founder of the Nazi party, who became the Chancellor of Germany in 1933. He soon became the dictator of Germany. To reconstruct Germany, Hitler assigned the responsibility of economic recovery to the economist Hjalmar Schacht. In 1933, Hitler pulled out of the League of Nations, reoccupied the Rhineland in 1936 and integrated Austria and Germany in 1938 under the slogan, ‘One people, one empire, and one leader’.
4. Examine any three inherent defects in the Weimar Constitution. Or Explain the inherent defects of the Weimar constitution that made republic unstable and vulnerable to dictatorship. Or State any three factors which made the Weimar Republic politically fragile.
Answer: The Weimar Constitution had three inherent defects (i) It was based on proportional representation, which made achieving a majority by one party virtually impossible. Only coalition governments ruled. (ii) Existence of Article 48 in the constitution, which gave the President the power to impose emergency suspend civil rights and rule by decree. (iii) Due to 20 different coalition governments being formed, people lost confidence in the democratic Parliamentary system, as it offered no solutions to their problems.
5. Nazis used chilling words as an art of propaganda. Justify.
Answer: The Nazi regime used chilling words as an art of propaganda. They never used the words ‘kill’ or ‘murder’ in their official communications. The term ‘special treatment’, ‘final solution’ (for the Jews). ‘Euthanasia’ (for the disabled), ‘selection’ and ‘disinfection’ were used. Gas chambers looked like bathrooms and were labelled as ‘Disinfection Area’. Nazi ideas were spread through visual images, films, radio, posters, catchy slogans and leaflets. Media played an important role to popularise Nazi ideas.
6. What was the impact of the Great Depression on the US?
Answer: The Wall Street Exchange of USA crashed in 1929. As a result, values of shares dropped drastically and the national income of the USA fell by half. Hundreds of American banks, factories, mining companies and business firms went bankrupt. There was large scale unemployment, poverty and starvation in the country. The effects of this recession in the US economy were felt worldwide. It is known as the Great Depression of 1929.
7. What were the main features of Hitler’s geopolitical concept of Lebensraum? Give three features.
Answer: The main features of Hitler’s geopolitical concept of Lebensraum or living space were
(i) He believed that new territories had to be acquired for settlement.
(ii) The settlers in new lands would be able to maintain intimate links with the place of their origin.
(iii) The new settlements would enhance the material resources and power of the German nations. By capturing Poland, Hitler put his new ideas into practice.
8. Explain the impact of the First World War on European society and polity. Or State any three effects of the First World War over Europe. Or First World War left deep imprint on European society and polity. Support the statement with three examples.
Answer: The First World War left a deep imprint on European society and polity. It had a devastating impact on the entire continent.
(i) In society, soldiers were ranked higher than civilians. Trench life of the soldiers was glorified by the media.
(ii) Politicians and publicists laid great stress on the need for men to be aggressive and masculine.
(iii) Aggressive war propaganda and national honour occupied centre stage in the public sphere.
(iv) People’s support grew for the recently established dictatorships.
(v) Democracy as a young and fragile idea could not survive the instabilities of interwar Europe.
9. What were the main features of Nazism?
Answer: The Nazis were against democracy and socialism. They. believed that there was no equality between people, but only a racial hierarchy. They stressed on the superiority of the Nordic Aryan Race. All other races were classified as ‘undesirable’. Jews, Gypsies and Blacks living in Nazi Germany were considered as undesirable and were largely persecuted. The Nazis glorified war and believed in the geopolitical concept of Lebensraum or living space meaning that they could acquire new territories through war.
10. How was Nazi ideology taught to the youth in Germany?
Answer: Hitler believed that a strong Nazi society could be established only by teaching children Nazi ideology. Youth organisation like ‘Jung volk’ tutored ten year old children. At the age of 14th, all boys had to join ‘Hitler Youth’ where they learnt to worship war, glorify aggression, condemn democracy and hate Jews, Communists, Gypsies and all ‘undesirables’. After a period of rigorous ideological and physical training, they joined the labour service, usually at the age of 18th.
Long Answer Type Questions
1. Explain any five measures adopted by Hitler to establish dictatorship in Germany.
Answer: Having acquired power. Hitler set out to dismantle the structures of democratic rule.
(i) Under his rule, the Fire Decree of 28th February, 1933 was passed which indefinitely suspended civic rights like freedom of speech, press and assembly.
(ii) Then he turned his arch enemies the communists, most of whom were hurriedly packed off to the newly established concentration camps.
(iii) The Socialists, Democrats and Catholics also were arrested and killed.
(iv) On 3rd March, 1933 the famous Enabling Act was passed. This Act established dictatorship in Germany. It gave Hitler all powers to control over the economy, media, army and judiciary.
(v) All political parties and trade unions were banned. He controlled media, army and judiciary.
2. What were the promises made by Hitler to people of Germany? Or Explain three factors which led to the rise of Hitler in Germany? Or State any three promises made by Adolf Hitler to the German society. Or How did Hitler effectively mobilise popular support in Germany? Explain in five points.
Answer: During the Great Depression (1929-1932) Nazism became a mass movement and the Nazi propaganda created hopes of a better future for the German people. Hitler gave some promises
(i) He promised to build Germany into a strong nation.
(ii) He promised to undo the injustice and humiliation caused by the Treaty of Versailles and restore the dignity of the German people.
(iii) He promised employment for those looking for work.
(iv) He promised to secure future of the youth.
(v) He promised to weed out all foreign influence and resist all foreign conspiracies against Germany.
3. Explain any four points of Hitler’s foreign policy. What did Schacht advice to Hitler? Or Describe any three important points of Hitler’s foreign policy. Or Describe Hitler’s foreign policy before the Second World War.
Answer: In foreign policy Adolf Hitler took quick and successful steps.
(i) He pulled Germany out of the League of Nations in 1993.
(ii) He integrated Austria and Germany in 1938 under the slogan ‘one people, one empire and one leader’.
(iii) He then captured German-speaking Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia and later the entire country.
(iv) Hitler got unspoken support of England, which had considered the Versailles Treaty as too harsh.
(v) These quick success at home and abroad helped to reverse the destiny of the country.
4. Describe any five effects of the First World War on Germany. Or Explain any three effects of the First World War on Germany.
Answer: (i) The First World War left a deep imprint on European society. The war had a devastating impact on the entire continent both psychologically and financially.
(ii) Financially there was a great economic loss. The Weimar Republic was being made to pay compensation.
(iii) Formation of League of Nations took place to prevent the Second World War.
(iv) Germany lost its overseas colonies.
(v) The Allied powers demilitarised Germany to weaken its powers.
(vi) Many of Germany’s territories were annexed and distributed amongst Allied Powers.
5. How did the common people react to Nazism?
Answer: (i) Many people saw the world through Nazi eyes.
(ii) They spoke their mind in Nazi language.
(iii) They felt hatred and anger when they saw someone looked like a Jew.
iv) They marked the houses of Jews and reported about their suspicious neighbours.
(v) Common men really believed that Nazism would bring hap piness and prosperity for them.
(vi) The large majority of Germans were passive onlookers, they were scared to act on protest against Nazism.
(vii) But many German organised active resistance to Nazism, braving police repression and death.
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