The Rise of Fascism: Part 2

Question 1

Weimar Republic

Answer 1

• tried to reconstruct Germany after the war
• very unpopular
• military leaders of World War I resigned forcing an end to the war
• • wanted to maintain army and keep allies from occupying Germany
• • Weimar representatives signed the humiliating Versailles Treaty
• • branded as “November Criminals”
• • later said they “stabbed Germany in the back”
• • doomed to failure

Question 2

Nazi Party

Answer 2

• National Socialist German Workers’ Party
• existed during WWI under another name
• extremely nationalistic – anti-Communist
• following WWI many ex-soldiers joined
• • Hitler was one of the first (number 7)
• • became one of the leaders – excellent speaker
• • a fee to join and when he spoke people joined thus becoming the leader

Question 3

Munich Beer House Putsch, 1923

Answer 3

• Hitler thought he had a large following (support)
• tried to march on Munich city hall and take over
• jailed, arrested and sentenced to jail
• • only spent a few months
• • while in jail he wrote Mein Kampf (My Struggle) the Nazi bible
• • Hess stayed in jail with him as his secretary

Question 4

Mein Kmapf

Answer 4

• outlined Hitler’s plans for Germany
• blamed the Jews and Communists for Germany’s defeat in WWI
• said Germans were a “master race” that should rule the world
• said Germans needed “Lebensraum” = living space
• explained his plan for the extermination of the Jewish Race

Question 5

Hitler

Answer 5

• leader of Nazi Party
• Austrian
• Failed artist
• organized a private army – Storm Troopers (brown shirts)
• the week before the 1933 elections the Reichstag burns
• Nazis blame Communists
• Nazis receive 37% of the vote, mostly middle class support (1932)
• one month later he appointed Chancellor by Hindenburg (1933)
• • Hindenburg does this reluctantly, dislikes Hitler
• – in 1934 Hindenburg dies
• • last person strong enough in Germany to stop Hitler
• now he goes into action
• • secret police set up - Gestapo
• • takes title – “Der Fuehrer”
• • set up the Third Reich, which would last a thousand years – lasted about 12
• • begins to start the process he describes in Mein Kampf
• • Germans need “lebensraum”
• – living space, Germans need to spread out
• Hitler pushed for the Enabling Act - made him absolute dictator for 1 year

Question 6

the Nazi party’s advocacy of extreme nationalism can be considered synonymous to __________

Answer 6

• fascism

Question 7

in its infancy, the Nazi party in Germany attacked democracy, and promised to save German from ______

Answer 7

• communism

Question 8

the Beer Hall Putsch was ___________

Answer 8

• a failed coup attempt by the Nazis

Question 9

in order to pay reparations from World War I to France and England, the German government printed more money, which caused __________

Answer 9

• inflation

Question 10

under the new constitution for the Weimar Republic in Germany, the _________ was a rather weak executive office

Answer 10

• presidency

Question 11

after World War I, inflation cause by ________ brought about an economic crisis in Germany

Answer 11

• increasing the amount of currency in circulation