WWII+Hitler+Page+WVQL

=__**Hitler And World War II** __=  **Hitler's Early Life:** Adolf Hitler was born on April 20, 1889 in a town named Braunau near the German boarder; his father, Alois, was a customs official and his mother, Klara, was a gentle lady. Hitler moved to Vienna before his was able to finish his secondary education at the age of 18 to study art and architecture; however, he was unsuccessful in his efforts in receive admission and stayed in Vienna until 1913 getting by doing menial jobs. Hitler showed nationalism and simultaneously showed a deep anti-Semitism, anti-Jew writers and leaders helped shaped Hitler's hatred towards Jews.

**Problems From WWI:** The Treaty of Versailles caused some problems with the Germans. First the Germans had to surrender all of their colonies as League of Nations mandates; they also had to return the Alsace-Lorraine to France which was a huge chunk of land (living space) for them. The Germans had to pay reparations of £6,600 million yet had no way of paying their reparations, the Germans were also no longer able to form a union with Austria, and they had to accept that Germany was the cause of the war. Germany was only aloud to have an army that contain no more than 100,000 men with no conscription, no tanks, not heavy artillery, no poison-gas supplies, nor aircrafts, and no airships; they also limited Germany's Navy to vessels under 100,000 tons, with no submarines, and the only reason why Germany signs the Treaty of Versailles was because of protest. The Treaty of Versailles weakened Germany to a state that they could never come back from unless they went back to war. The Treaty of Versailles was too hard on Germany and restricted Germany of their most basics needs; also it gave them a debt that they would never be able to pay.

**Rise Of Hitler And Nazis:** Adolf Hitler joined a small group in Munich known as the German Worker's Party in September 1919. When a man of the German Worker's Party began to speak in favor of the German state Bavaria Hitler was enraged. Hitler spoke out forcefully against the man for the next fifteen and no one interrupted him because they were stunned by Hitler's ability to speak. Hitler never held a regular job and aside from his service in World War I, he lived a lazy life, but after joining the German Worker's Party he immediately began to make an effort to make his party succeed and by the end of 1920 it already had about 3,000 members. In early 1921 Hitler had become highly effective at speaking in front of large crowds. Later Hitler demanded he be put on the ballot for leader of the Nazi and received 543 votes; only one vote was against him. In July 29, 1921 Hitler was introduces asFührer of the Nazi Party. When the stock market collapsed October 29, 1929 it also hurt Germany because Germany owned loans to America. The Germans grew tired of misery, suffering, and weakness, during these desperate times they were willing to listen to anyone, including Adolf Hitler. After Election Day on September 14, 1930 the Nazi Party went from the smallest to the second largest political party in Germany; Hitler finally had the power he needed to conduct his next plan.

**Hitler Becomes Leader:** Hitler was appointed chancellor of Germany in the year of 1933 and Hitler goal of become dictator of Germany was finally obtainable, but in order to achieve this dream Hitler would have to change the German constitution. Hitler wanted to pass what was officially called as “Law for Removing the Distress of the People and the Reich," and if passed it would in effect vote democracy out of existence in Germany and establish the now legal dictatorship of Adolf Hitler. Since this would actually change the constitution Hitler needed a two-thirds majority and 31 Non-Nazis votes in order to pass the bill. Hitler obtained the votes from the Catholic Center Party after making a fake promise to return some basic rights that the bill denied. The vote was taken; 441 for and only 81, who were the Social Democrats, voted against it. Hitler had now officially become the legal dictator of Germany.

**Hitler Youth:** By early 1939 about 7.3 million (around 82%) of eligible children within the Third Reich were enrolled into the Hitler Youth, making it the largest youth organization in the world to date. A new law came into place on March 25, 1939, stating that any remaining children that have not attended Hitler Youth would be taken from their parents and placed into an orphanage unless they enrolled.

**Blitzkrieg:** Blitzkrieg is the basis of modern warfare in the age of tank, aircraft, and radio; because it makes the best military use of the advantages of speed firepower. It receives the best results against a less modern or prepared army, but can also do wonder against equally equipped armies. The Germans used Blitzkrieg to defeat the Polish army in 1939, they also used it to defeat the French army in 1940 which also had tanks, aircraft, and radio but of a lesser quality; also they didn't know how to use it. In 1941 the Germans used Blitzkrieg to defeat the Yugoslav, Russian, and Greek Army.

**Gestapo:** The Gestapo otherwise known as the Nazi Police state job was to ensure that everybody obeyed as they were commanded or they can pay the price. The units within the Gestapo were skilled in torture techniques and used them as they see fit. The Gestapo operated without any restrictions by civil authority, in other words members couldn't stand on trial for any of their practices. This added an elitist element to the Gestapo because its member knew that whatever actions they did, they would not have to face anyrepercussions.

Adolf Eichmann: Adolf Eichmann was responsible for millions of deaths during World War II. In 1938 Eichmann headed the Aurtian office for Jewish emigration and his assignment was to murder all the Jews in Europe. For six years Eichmann's office was headquarters for the 'Final Solution.' Adolf Eichmann is responsible for the death of not only 6 million Jews but also 5 million others, approximately 11 million people died under his rule. On December 2, Adolf Eichmann was killed for his crimes.

**Josef Goebbels:** Joseph Goebbels was a German politician and Reich Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany beginning his reign from 1933 until his death on May Day in the year 1945. He was one of Hitler's closest associates and most devout followers. He also played a role in the Kristallnach attack on the German Jews which marked the beginning of the Final Solution, leading towards the Holocaust.


 * Primary Sources: **

//"Adolf Hitler, you are our great Führer. Thy name makes the enemy tremble. Thy Third Reich comes, thy will alone is law upon earth. Let us hear daily thy voice and order us by thy leadership, for we will obey to the end and even with our lives. We praise thee! Heil Hitler!" //

-This was the slogan recited by the children of the Hitler Youth, and this would prepare young Germans boys for war. Hitler was seen as godlike and was to be worshiped like one, which is why they called this slogan a prayer.

//<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">"I was just following orders." //

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">-This is what Adolf Eichmann pleaded before he was sentence to death in the year 1962. Adolf Eichmann was the only person to be sentence to death by the State of Israel whose only defense was //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">"I was just following orders." //

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">**Works Cited:**

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">Axelrod, Alan. "Hitler, Adolf." //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Encyclopedia of World War II //, Volume I. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2007. //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Modern World History Online //. Facts On File, Inc. [] (accessed September 18, 2011).

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">"Versailles Treaty." //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Spartacus Educational //. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2011. <[|http://www.spartacus.schoolnet]

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">"From Unknown To Dictator Of Germany." //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">The History Place The Rise Of Adolf Hitler //. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2011. <school.nettrekker.com/goExternal?np=/external.ftl&pp=/error.ftl&evlCode=235977&productName=school&HOMEPAGE=H>.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">"The Gestapo." //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Jewish Virtual Library - Homepage //. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2011. [].

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">"Adolf Eichmann." //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">The Holocaust, Crimes, Heroes and Villains //. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2011. [].

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">"Joseph Goebbels." //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Jewish Virtual Library - Homepage //. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2011. <[]>.