Week  11 Day 2

Class 2- Thursday March 20, 2014

Lecture Notes:

·         Summing up Germany in the 1930’s

-          Kaiser Wilhelm abdicated and fled to Holland creating a vacuum.

-          It was crushed by the TOV: economic burden from war reparations, loss of major industrial areas

-          Weimar Republic, new, unstable

-          Rampant poverty, reduction of GNP

-          GREAT DEPRESSION, Stock market collapse USA

-          Failed harvests

-          France seized more territory when Germany failed to make payments in 1923 (coal areas)

·         Summing up Germany in the 1930’s:

-          The Nazi Party begins. National Socialist Workers Party.

-          They had a solution

-          A young man, poor started joining the meetings, named Hitler

-          By 1932, the Nazi Party was the largest in the Reichstag (German Parliament).

-          In 1993, the President of Germany (Hindenburg) appointed Hitler as Chancellor (Prime Minister). (This was a trick by the Nazis. Find how they did it!)

-          Once in power, Hitler moved quickly. He soon made the Reichstag give him plenipotentiary power, the power to pass laws without consulting the Reichstag.

-          Al opposition parties and trade unions were banned.

-          The Gestapo was formed (Secret Police). Primarily to ferret out communists (the world saw the horror what had happened to Russia and what was happening to China. Even he was afraid.)

-          Prison Camps were originally for the communists!

-          Media was taken over (Gobbles)

-          Education was modified to political purposes

-          Jews became targets (in 1941, Jews became “enemies of state” and were rounded up for prison camps as wells. See holocaust)

-          In 1933, Hitler and the Pop signed a “concordat” Agreement, for the Pop to recognize Hitler’s government and Hitler to allow the church to remain in Germany.

-          Industry improved, unemployment dropped to almost “0”.

-          Hitler commissioned Ferdinand Porsche to design a “Volks Wagen” (people’s car), a cheap reliable car for everyone. And soon everyone had a car.

-          Paid 2 weeks vacations

-          Luxury Hotel (Prora) for the people’s vacations. 4.5 km long

-          Re- armament begins

-          Proclamation of freedom to rearm rally in 1935

-          Autoban created. World’s fastest highway.

Discussion and Reflection: None

Homework: None