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__**The Rise Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany**__

Hitler’s Early Life

Adolf Hitler was born on April 20, 1889 in Braunau, Austria. However, he was mainly raised in Linz. Alois, his father was a customs official, while his mother, Klara, was a gentlewoman. Hitler and his father did not get along very well because Alois was very brutal and judgmental towards him. On the contrary, he idolized his mother. Hitler did not do well in his studies; he left secondary school in 1905 without a graduation certificate. After failing secondary school, he decided to pursue his hopes of becoming an aspiring artist. His unseen and uninspired drawings were the reason for him not being accepted into the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. Hitler’s mother died, this caused him to be torn and broken. For six years after her death, he went back to Vienna to chase his dreams of becoming an artist. He wrote postcards and made advertisements; however, this put him into a state of depression. He soon developed a sick nationalism and at the same time showed deep anti-Semitism. Hitler was influenced by many people. One was anti-Jew author, Lanz von Liebenfels. T he major of Vienna, Karl Lueger and also Georg Ritter von Schönerer, who was a supporter of pan-Germanism, were also people who influenced Hitler. These few people contributed to shaping Hitler’s violent hatred towards Jews.

Problems from WWI

The armistice or agreement to cease-fire on November 11, 1918 ended World War I. The Treaty of Versailles, a peace settlement between the Central Powers and the Allies, was signed on June 28, 1919. This treaty caused major problems for Germany. The treaty banned Germany from maintaining an army; it only allowed them to have 100,000 soldiers. In addition, the treaty contained a war-guilt clause, which forced Germany to take responsibility for starting the war. The treaty made Germany pay reparations to the Allies, the costs of these war damages were more than Germany could afford. This caused Germany’s economy to go down the drain. Also, the Treaty of Versailles required Germany to return the Alsace-Lorraine region back to France. The end of World War I and the Treaty of Versailles are often noted as a cause for World War II. One reason why many historians believe this is because the treaty substantially weakened Germany and their economy, only giving them more desire to be a stronger nation. Also, it limited or, in some cases, banned Germany from many things. For example, it made them have a small army; however, it banned them from producing any weapons or aircrafts. Germany didn’t care about these restrictions and continued to build up a large army and they also produced weapons. This is why historians believe that the end of World War I and the Treaty of Versailles are direct causes of World War II.

Rise of Hitler and Nazis

Hitler wanted to transform the German Worker’s Party in the Nazionalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, also known as the Nazi Party, and he succeeded. The goal of the Nazi Party was to destroy everyone who threatened the Aryan race. Hitler formed an alliance with an army staff officer, Ernst Roehm, who elected him president of the Party in July 1921. Hitler began assaulting people who threatened the race, such as Jews and Communists. On November 8th and 9th, 1923, he led the Munich Beer Hall Putsch. This was an effort to gain control of the Bavarian government. Hitler, however, was arrested, convicted of treason, tried, and sentenced 5 years in prison. In prison, he wrote an autobiography called Mein Kampf. This underlined the viewpoint of Nazism, described the opposition to Jews and Communists, and his hopes of racial purity. In addition, he wrote about how Germany would rise again and how he wanted to gain contro over Sudenetenand. Hitler was only in prison for nine months. After being released, he went out to strengthen his party and recruit more men.

Hitler Becomes Leader

Hitler ran for President of the German republic in 1932; however, he lost to Paul von Hindenberg, a hero from World War I. The July elections gained the Nazis 230 Reichstag seats, making it 37 percent of the vote and the largest party represented. This forced Hindenberg to appoint Hitler as the Chancellor of Germany. On February 27, 1933, arsonists set fire to the Reichstag. Many people believed that it was the Nazi Party who did it; however, they used it as an alleged reason to legally destroy the Communist Party and detain its leaders. On March 23, 1933, Hitler plotted passage of the Enabling Act; this act gave him complete power over the government for four years. A few months later on July 14, he declared the Nazis as the only legal political party in Germany. At the same time, he ordered construction of the first concentration camps. Hitler, in order to maintain his control over his military, ordered Heinrich Himmler and Hermann Goering to execute other leaders and political opponents, such as the former Chancellor, Kurt von Schleicher. In 1934, the Nazis combined the Chancellor and President offices, this caused Hitler to become the dictator of Germany.

Additional Points about Hitler

Gestapo, shortened form of Geheime Staatspolizei, is the name for the political police of Nazi Germany. This agency was created to stop opposition to the Nazi Party.

Anti-Semitism is the hatred towards Jews. Hitler and his Nazi party practiced Anti-Semitism by kicking all Jewish officials out of the government, depriving them from citizenship in the Nuremberg Racial Laws, and eventually sending them to concentration camps in which they would be murdered in.

Adolf Eichmann was a German Nazi Party general who was a lieutenant colonel of the SS and chief of the Jewish Office of the Gestapo. He fulfilled the Final Solution, or the complete extermination of European Jewry.

The book burning campaigns were when the Nazi Prime Minister, Joseph Goebbels, staged the burning of books in the streets of cities like Berlin. At these campaigns, members of the Nazi party would through books written by Jews and Communists into bonfires.

Blitzkrieg means lightning war; it is an attack method, used commonly in World War II, which crushes the defenders with rapid, mobile, violent action. In addition, it disrupts the defenders’ communication and supply. This causes confusion during the attack.

Primary Sources:

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">"The Allied and Associated Governments affirm and Germany accepts the responsibility of Germany and her allies for causing all the loss and damage to which the Allied and Associated Governments and their nationals have been subjected as a consequence of the war imposed upon them by the aggression of Germany and her allies."

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">In this excerpt from the Treaty of Versailles it states that Germany will take and accept that they are responsible for all the damage of the war. This excerpt is very significant, as it states that Germany is held accountable for essentially starting World War I.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">"Germany, the United Kingdom, France and Italy, taking into consideration the agreement which has been already reached in principle for the cession to Germany of the Sudeten German territory, have agreed on the following terms and conditions governing the said cession and the measures consequent thereon, and by this Agreement they each hold themselves responsible for the steps necessary to secure its fulfillment"

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">In Adolf's Hitlers autobiography, Mein Kampf, he wrote about how he wanted to take over the Sudetenland. In this except from the Munich Agreement, it talks about how the Sudetenland will be given to Germany from the United Kingdom, France, and Italy.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 150%;">Works Cited:

<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">Allied Powers, Associated Powers, and Germany. Treaty of Versailles (1919). Facts On File, Inc., September 18, 2011. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?

<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;"> ItemID=WE53&iPin=treaties00105&SingleRecord=True.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Axelrod, Alan, and Charles Phillips. Hitler, Adolf. Facts On File, Inc., 1995, September 16, 2011. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?

<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> ItemID=WE52&iPin=lbio0087&SingleRecord=True.

<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">Axelrod, Alan, and Charles Phillips. Hitler, Adolf. Facts On File, Inc., 1995, September 15, 2011. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?

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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">Axelrod, Alan. Gestapo. Facts On File, Inc. 2007, September 18, 2011. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?

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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">Axelrod, Alan. Eichmann, Adolf. Facts On File, Inc., 2007, September 18, 2011 http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?

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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">Axelrod, Alan. Nazis Burn Books at a Rally. Facts On File, Inc. 2008, September 18, 2011 http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?

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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">Axelrod, Alan. Blitzkrieg. Facts On File, Inc., 2007, September 18, 2011. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?

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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">Edelen, Annamarie. Treaty of Versailles. Facts On File, Inc., 2010, September 16, 2011. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?

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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt;">Germany, Great Britain, Italy, and France. Munich Pact. Facts On File., 2006, September 18, 2011. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?

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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Mishra, Patit Paban. Hitler, Adolf. Facts On File, Inc. 2008, September 15, 2011. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?

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