Germany+1930-1940

Danielle Delay, Maeve Noonan, Corinne Whittemore Mrs. Story American History II CP 9 January 2014 Germany 1930-1940

Hitler Saluting the Nazis **Essay:**

Maeve Noonan, Danielle Delay and Corinne Whittemore
Ms. Story American History 9 January 2014

Manipulation means power. During the 1930’s, the influence of the Nazi Party grew under the authority of Adolf Hitler. After the economic collapse in 1928 the German people were desperate for a strong leader; they needed to see change. President Hindenburg appointed Hitler to the position of Chancellor on January 30, 1933 (“Adolf Hitler”). The next month, civil rights were suspended after communists set the Reichstag aflame (Wilmott). Days later, parliamentary rule was abolished under the Enabling Law; Nazis began to express their contempt for those who held opposition to their beliefs (Wilmott). On April 1, 1933 the Nazis boycotted businesses owned by Jewish people; this was their first act of antisemitism (Panthaki). Within a week, Nazis were burning any books written by Jews, against Germany, or that held strong opinions. They wanted only the ideologies that supported the Nazi Party. On August 2, 1934 President Hindenburg died of lung cancer (Barrett). Hitler became both Head of State and Commander in Chief of Wehrmacht, and 10 days later he took on the role of President and declared himself Fuhrer (“Adolf Hitler Becomes Chancellor of Germany”). The Treaty of Versailles limited the German army, but on January 1, 1935 Hitler began rearmament (Panthaki). Breaking rules was Hitler’s forte, and he did not stop there.

Although Hitler had no problem breaking moral code by promoting his Aryan race, he expected the people of Germany to follow the Nuremberg Laws. Effective as of September 15, 1935 this document set forth restrictions on marriage, made Jews second class citizens, and stated that Jews were forbidden from displaying the national colors, among other harsh rules (Wilmott). In the following years, Hitler set out on a campaign to make Germany the most powerful country. To make Germany strong, Hitler tried to change what he believed to be a domestic problem; genetic impurity. November 10, 1938 became historically known as Kristallnacht, or Crystal Night, the first time Nazis violently attacked Jewish people and their property (Berenbaum). Hitler also had plans to advance into neighboring countries to build up the empire he so desired. In 1939, Hitler defied the German-Polish Non-Aggression Act as he invaded Poland ("German-Polish Non-Aggression Pact (Jan. 26, 1934) Summary & Facts."). Both France and Britain immediately declared war on Germany. Hitler fought back, and set out to gain control of Western Europe entirely.

In the following years, war caused destruction across the world. People lived in fear; some were brainwashed, most were confused and many were lied to. Hitler had the power he wanted, and within a single decade he rose to the top. Ultimately, he was responsible for the death of approximately 11 million people. Let us not allow their deaths to be for nothing. Never again should a government leader have so much control over a people. By studying the actions that were taken in the past, where leaders went wrong, where situations got out of hand, we are able to make better decisions in our government today. Knowledge is power; to know when you are being manipulated and how to respond accordingly is essential for making informed decisions.

German invasion of Poland 1939

Nazi Book Burning

__Timeline:__
1. September 14, 1930: Federal election in Germany 2. March 13, 1932: Hitler loses to Hindenburg in presidential election 3. January 30, 1933: Adolf Hitler appointed Chancellor by President Hindenburg 4. February 27, 1933: Reichstag fire 5. March 5, 1933: Parliamentary rule abolished under Enabling Law 6. April 1, 1933: Nazi boycott of Jewish business 7. April 6, 1933: Nazi book burning 8. August 2, 1934: Hindenburg dies, Hitler becomes Head of State and Commander in Chief of Wehrmacht 9. August 12, 1934: Hitler takes on role of President and declares himself Fuhrer 10. January 1, 1935: German rearmament 11. September 15, 1935: Nuremberg Laws 12. March 7, 1936: Germany violate Treaty of Versailles, reoccupies Rhineland 13. November 26, 1936: Anti-Comintern Pact signed by Germany and Japan 14. 1936-1938: Four Year Plan 15. September 1, 1939: Germany attacks Poland 16. April 9, 1940: Germany seizes Denmark and Norway Children in a Concentration Camp

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