Transcript How did Hitler`s aims point to war?

How did Hitler’s aims point
to war?
By the end of the lesson you will:
1. Understand the appeal and
motivation of the Nazi Party
2. Have discussed, noted and
prioritised the sequence of events
leading up to war in 1939
Nazi ideology
• In 1919, Adolf Hitler joined a small rightwing group called the German
Workers' Party. He took over as its
leader, and changed its name to
the National Socialists (Nazis).
• The party developed a 25-Point
Programme, which - after the failure of
the Munich Putsch in 1924 - Hitler
explained further in his book 'Mein
Kampf‘.
The Nazi ideology:
Lebensraum - the need for 'living
space' for the German nation to
expand.
A strong Germany - the Treaty of
Versailles should be abolished and
all German-speaking people
united in one country.
Führer - the idea that there should
be a single leader with complete
power rather than a democracy.
Social Darwinism - the idea that
the Aryan race was superior and
Jews were 'subhuman'.
Autarky - the idea that Germany
should be economically selfsufficient.
Germany was in danger - from
Communists and Jews, who had to
be destroyed.
The appeal of the Nazis
In the 1920s, the Nazis tried to be all things to all people. The 25-Point Programme
had policies that were:
Socialist - eg farmers should be given their land; pensions should improve; and
public industries such as electricity and water should be owned by the state.
Nationalist - all German-speaking people should be united in one country; the
Treaty of Versailles should be abolished; and there should be special laws for
foreigners.
Racist - Jews should not be German citizens and immigration should be stopped.
Fascist - a strong central government and control of the newspapers.
The Nazis did not appeal to:
working men who voted Communist
intellectuals such as students and university professors
They were popular with:
nationalists and racists
farmers
lower middle-class people such as plumbers and shopkeepers who were worried
about the chaos Germany was in
rich people worried by the threat from Communism
Study the 25 point programme. For each point plot it
in a Venn diagram according to who the point would
appeal to.
Farmer
Lower middle
class
Nationalist /
Racist
Rich
people
Conclusions
• Which group are most attracted to the
Nazis according to your Venn
diagram?
• Use the Venn diagram to write a
paragraph summing up who the Nazis
appealed to and why
• Alternatively draw a propaganda
poster for the Nazis appealing to either
one specific group, or combining it to
show a mass appeal
Further developing your
thinking ….
• Now study the 25 point programme
again.
• How might it lead to war; or at least
some future conflict with other
countries?
• “The Nazi aims might lead to war
because …….”
Hitler’s foreign policy
• It is easy to blame Hitler for starting the war.
• Hitler's aims were aggressive, and he openly
stated them in his book "Mein Kampf" in 1924:
1. Destroy the Treaty of Versailles.
2. Create a Greater Germany (a country
of all the German people).
3. Lebensraum (living space) to conquer land
for Germany in Eastern Europe.
• Once he came to power, Hitler set about
doing exactly what he had said he would
do:
•
•
•
•
•
•
1935 - Rearmament
1936 - Remilitarisation of the Rhineland
1938 - Anschluss with Austria
1938 - The annexation of the Sudetenland
1939 - The invasion of Czechoslovakia
1939 - The invasion of Poland
Date
1933
Event
League of
Nations
What happened
Hitler leaves the League of Nations.
1934
Austria
Hitler tries to take power in Austria. Austrian Nazis murder the chancellor, Dolfuss. Italy
moves its army to the border and Hitler backs down.
1935
Saar
Page 49
As planned in the Treaty of Versailles, the people of Saar (which had been given to
France for 15 years) vote to return to Germany.
1935
Rearmament
Page 48 - 52
Hitler increases the size of the German army to half a million members. Britain, France and
Italy do nothing.
1935
Anglo-German Britain helps Germany break the Treaty of Versailles by signing an agreement to allow
Naval Treaty
Germany a navy one-third of the size of Britain's.
1936
Rhineland
Pg 50 - 51
German troops re-occupy the Rhineland. They are given orders to retreat if France offers
any resistance. France does nothing.
1936
Guernica
Pg 52
Hitler tests his armed forces when German bombers, which are helping the Fascists in the
Spanish Civil War, bomb the Spanish town of Guernica. Civilians in Britain and France are
frightened.
1937
Anti-Comintern Alliance of Germany, Japan and Italy against communism
Pact Pg 52
1938
Anschluss
Pg 53
1938
Hitler occupies Austria. First, Hitler encourages the Austrian Nazis to demand a union with
Germany. Then he invades when the Austrian chancellor announces a vote to see what
Austrians want. After the German invasion, 99 per cent of Austrians vote "Ja". Britain and
France do nothing.
1939
Sudetenland Pg Hitler bullies France and Britain into giving him the Sudetenland.
54 - 60
Czechoslovakia Hitler invades Czechoslovakia and takes control.
1939
Poland
Hitler invades Poland and provokes the Second World War.
Read the relevant
pages to find out
more. Make any
necessary notes.
Homework task
• Who was Engelbert Dollfuss, and what
was the Dollfuss Affair all about?
• How did the Dollfuss Affair help
contribute to the later Anschluss
between Germany and Austria?
Anglo-German
Naval
Agreement
Saar Plebiscite
Re-occupation
of the
Rhineland
Invasion of
Poland
Anschluss
German
Rearmament
Spanish Civil
War
Anti-Comintern
Pact
Diamond 9 : Sort
the events into
the most likely to
lead to war, down
to the least likely.
Appeasement
Which event
most
suggested
that Hitler
wanted and
intended war?
Template
How did Hitler’s aims point
to war?
Now check that you have:
1. Understood the appeal and
motivation of the Nazi Party
2. Discussed, noted and prioritised the
sequence of events leading up to
war in 1939