History- Hitler Flashcards
(12 cards)
Describe Hitler’s early life:
- born
- family
- education
- Born in 1889 in upper Austria near the German border
STRICT HOUSEHOLD:
- His father, Alois, was strict and harsh and was a customs official, his mother, Klara, was gentle and came from a poor, peasant family -> died!
- He struggled in school and dropped out at 16. He left school with no qualifications.
- He had a passion for art but failed to get into the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, crushing his artistic ambitions
feelings of rejection, weak, insecure and resentment
Where did Hitler move to? What was he exposed to?
- Moved to Vienna in 1907, Hitler struggled to make a living, he wasn’t successful as an artist.
- Vienna, he was exposed to anti-semitic politics of Karl Lueger (Vienna’s mayor)
-> Vienna had lots of anti-semitic newspaper - nationalistic and anti-communist ideologies
- He also became influenced by German nationalism, believing that ethnic germans were superior
His time in Vienna marked the beginning of his hatred of the Jews and the need for a strong, united Germany
Describe Hitler’s political beginnings
- World war 1 in 1914: Hitler enlist in the German army outbreak of WW1, he served as a messenger on the front lines
- this war deeply affected Hitler, after the German generals agreed to an armistice, he was upset about Germany’s defeat 1918 and was devastated with Germany’s capitulation
- Stab in the back myth: He believed German victory is possible and felt betrayed by the government and November criminals who signed the harsh treaty they viewed as national humiliation, leading him to blame Jews and communists for Germany’s loss and economic troubles
-During war service, Hitler became fascinated with the military discipline and German nationalism
experiences in WW1 made his nationalistic belief and importance of a strong Germany grow
Describe what Hitler did after the war
- what did Hitler join
- how did he gain popularity
- he was the leader of what?
- what were most of his speeches focused on?
- what techniques does hitler use to spread his ideas?
- when did he rise to power?
After the war Hitler joined the German workers’ party in 1919 which turned into the Nazi Party. He gained popularity from his powerful speaking skills and ability to inspire others.
Hitler became the leader of the Nazi party and changed its name. The party was based on extreme nationalism, anti-semitism and the rejection of the treaty of versailles
Most of his speeches were focused on the injustice of the Treaty of Versailles and the influence of Europe’s Jews.
Hitler used propaganda techniques to spread his ideas like speeches and symbols like the swastika. He promised to restore Germany’s former glory, create jobs and remove the influence of jews and communists
He rose to power in 1933 promising the restoration of German supremacy and action against its jews
-> shaped his ideologies
What skill made Hitler rise through the ranks of the party?
Hitler’s oratory skills helped him rise through the ranks of the party, in february he managed to speak to a crowd of nearly 6000 in Munich
What book did Hitler write about? What did it state?
He wrote Mein Kampf which defines his political vision, where he believes in the superiority of the white race over the Jews that he viewed as ‘parasites’.
He says that their elimination “must necessarily be a bloody process” and he wants to eliminate the ‘impure’ races
1920 and 30s
What were the economic issues?
- Weimar republic economy struggling
- 6 million unemployed!
-> wanted a leader that would end the economic and political chaos happening past 10 years!
Introduction paragraph:
Evaluate the events which caused Hitler’s ideology and personality.
From taking into account most of Hitler’s life and environment he was surrounded in, arguably, it could be said that the events of Hitler’s enrollment in the German army during World war 1 is most significant. This is because it ultimately pushed Hitler deeper into nationalism, and grew his hatred towards the Jews and communists to a high extent.
Paragraph 1:
Evaluate the events which caused Hitler’s ideology and personality.
Hitler’s ideologies and personality traits were heavily impacted by his early life where he grew up in a strict household and lived in Vienna.
- Born in 1889 in upper-Austria near the German border, his father, Alois, was an authoritarian figure who was very strict and worked as a customs official; this possibly reflected his cold, tough-minded traits that developed later in his life when being an authoritarian figure himself.
- His mother, Klara died when Hitler was a teenager which may have made him cold and distant.
->However, his ideologies started to develop when moving to Vienna in 1907, he got rejected from the Academy of Fine Arts 2 times, crushing his artistic dreams.
-> Karl Lueger, fed Anti-semitic politics along with newspapers which marked the start to Hitler’s true hatred towards Jews and nationalistic belief that ethnic Germans were superior.
Overall, the influence from Hitler’s earlier lifestyle when living with a possibly abusive, authoritarian figure also losing his mother at a young age may have shaped him to be a cold, distant person. As well as getting rejected from the Fine arts academy 2 times, it may have possibly led Hitler into feeling bitter and wanting power or control, which was something he didn’t have when he was young. Vienna which fed him lots of anti-semetic views caused his nationalistic and anti-semitisim ideologies that he’s well-known for to this day.
Paragraph 2:
Evaluate the events which caused Hitler’s ideology and personality.
Another strong cause for his developed aggressive, tough nature along with his ideologies was when he was finally politically involved in 1914
- he enlisted to be in the German army after the outbreak of World War 1- he served as a messenger in the front lines.
- Hitler was disappointed by this war from Germany’s capitulation and surrender in 1918 when the German generals agreed on an armistice- he believed that Germany could have victory.
-Hitler felt betrayed by the government, known as the ‘stab in the back’ myth, and specifically the November criminals who signed the harsh treaty of Versailles that involved brutal reparations, Germany found it nationally humiliating.
- Ultimately, Hitler blamed the communists and Jews for causing their war loss and economic struggles.
Altogether, being involved in world war 1 was a strong driving force to Hitler being ultra-nationalistic as he had a strong belief that Germany could be victorious and wanted to restore its former glory.
he grew his anti-semitic views since he always had a desire to have a ‘holy war against the jews’, especially after blaming them for their loss in battle.
The fact he decided to join the army was to have a sense of purpose and confidence, after the tough surrender, he may have felt very resentful, betrayed, and particularly after the violent experience in war, he became aggressive mentally and physically.
Conclusion:
Evaluate the events which caused Hitler’s ideology and personality.
Despite there being numerous factors and causes to his well-known ideologies and characteristics, his first political involvement in World War 1 is the most significant cause as it allowed him to truly experience representing Germany as messenger and soldier, and it was the first time that he felt truly most hopeful for Germany’s possible glory that drove him to his cold, aggressive and nationalistic morals, it was more influential than other parts of his life.
Paragraph 3:
Evaluate the events which caused Hitler’s ideology and personality.
Finally, Hitler’s involvement in the German workers party in 1919, which gradually became the well-known ‘Nazi Party’ based on extreme nationalism, … this developed his stronger hatred towards European Jews influence which he spread through propaganda techniques like spreading his speeches that made him popular, and the swastika symbol.
Mainly, he wanted to appear like Germany’s savior that will help restore Germany’s former glory by creating jobs and removing the influence of communists and jews.
He rose to power during 1933, this was a crucial time as the weimar republic’s economy was very low, and 6 million people were unemployed- Germans were looking for a leader that would bring them out of their political and economical instability from the past 10 years.
Their strong need from Hitler encouraged and caused him to be very confident and strong with his ultra-nationalistic, anti-semitic and authoritarian morals.
Furthermore, his rise to power led him to being charismatic in his speeches, but mentally unempathetic and cold, as suggested through his book: Mein kampf which defined his political visions that Jews were like ‘parasites’, and the elimination of them would be a ‘bloody process’, highlighting his aggressive nature.
