Germany+and+the+Rise+of+the+Nazis,+1919+to+1933

=Speaking Out Against Injustice= = = First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a communist;

Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a socialist;

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a trade unionist;

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Jew;

Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak out.

Pastor Martin Niemoeller, 1933

Do you think you would have the courage to speak out against evil or injustice if doing so could hurt you? Martin Niemoeller did. Niemoeller was a submarine commander in the German navy in World War I and later a leading Protestant minister. In the 1930s he became an outspoken critic of the Nazi party and government in Germany - and paid a high price for it. Niemoeller lived through one of the darkest periods in the 20th century. As you read this chapter, think about how you would have reacted if you were watching events in Germany during this time.


 * Germany's Economic Problems **

As you read in Chapter 2, the Treaty of Versailles ended World War I. The punishing terms of the treaty were designed to ensure that Germany could not pose a threat to other countries for decades.

After the war, every country in Europe was in terrible shape, economically, socially, and politically. With the added burden imposed by the Treaty of Versailles, Germany was in ruins. It was exhausted by the effort of fighting the war, and now it was saddled with an impossible debt to its enemies.

Germany was given a new constitution in 1919. It was known as the Weimar constitution. Everyone hoped that it would create a stable and democratic country. But it did not. Because so many parties got elected to the German Parliament, it was very divided. No one could agree on a plan to rebuild Germany's economy.

A series of weak governments followed. They tried to pay the reparations that the Treaty of Versailles demanded. When they did not have enough money to make the payments, they did two things that had dramatic results.

- They borrowed money, mainly from the United States, with a promise to pay back the loans in the future.

- They printed more German marks and used them to buy U.S. dollars to pay off the loans and reparations.

As more marks went into circulation, each one became worth less. Businesses demanded more marks for their products. Workers demanded more marks for their labour. Prices rose, slowly at first, then at an alarming rate.

As the value of the mark went down, Germans could no longer afford to buy imports. Many companies went bankrupt and laid off all their workers. The situation became so bad that people needed shopping bags full of marks to buy basic groceries. Prices rising out of all control like this is called **hyperinflation**.


 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Did You Know? **

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">During the period of hyperinflation, criminals were more likely to steal your clothes than your money, because money had so little value.

Figure 6-3 <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Price of a Loaf of Bread, Germany, 1919-1923. Which year saw the most rapid rise in prices?

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">BEGIN TABLE:

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Year: 1919 <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Price: 0.26

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Year: 1920 <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Price: 1.20

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Year: 1921 <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Price: 1.35

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Year: 1922 <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Price: 3.50

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Year: 1923 (Jan.) <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Price: 700.00

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Year: 1923 (May) <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Price: 1200.00

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Year: 1923 (Sept.) <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Price: 2 000 000.00

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Year: 1923 (Nov.) <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Price: 80 000 000 000.00 <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Source: Joel Anderson, "A Look at German Inflation, 1914- <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">1924," www.joelscoins.com/exhibger2.htm, <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;"> 1999, accessed February 15, 2005. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">END TABLE.

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Although a new version of the mark was introduced in 1924, and prices stabilized, the damage had been done. People had no confidence in German money or the German economy. Unemployment rose to very high levels.

__ Questions __ __ 1. Based on your experience, do prices of things you buy tend to rise quickly, or stay relatively stable these days? __


 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">The Rise of the Nazi Party **

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">in this atmosphere, extreme parties began to gain popularity. They seemed to be the only ones offering a clear message and strong leadership. The Communists wanted to make Germany more like Russia. The **fascists**, or **Nazis**, on the other hand, supported dictatorship and an economy dominated by large corporations. They were also racist, and admired certain so-called "pure" races. Their leader was Adolf Hitler.

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Hitler exploited people's bitterness over unemployment, poverty, and the Treaty of Versailles. He told the German people he had a plan to make Germany a great nation again. His plan included the following items.

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">- He would stop paying the reparations to other nations.

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">- He would invest in Germany's industries to create growth.

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">- He would build up Germany's military forces.

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">- He would end unemployment.

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">It was a powerful message. Even Martin Niemoeller was impressed. In his 1933 autobiography he looked forward to a "National Revival" that he hoped Hitler would bring about. Niemoeller would later regret this statement.


 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Did You Know? **

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">The word "Nazi" is a • shortened version of the first word in the party's German name - Nazionalistische" - meaning national.

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Just before the election of 1933, the German Parliament Buildings burned down. Many historians believe that the Nazis themselves set the fire, but Hitler blamed the Communists - a tactic designed to scare people into voting for the Nazis.

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Hitler also enlisted his supporters in the Storm Troopers to threaten voters with violence if they did not openly support the Nazi Party. Not surprisingly, the Nazis won the most seats in the German Parliament, and Adolf Hitler became Chancellor.

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Once in office, Hitler asked Parliament for special powers to deal with the "enemies of Germany" who he claimed were trying to destroy the government. He pointed to the burning of the Parliament Buildings as proof that the threat was real.

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">As soon as Parliament had granted him these powers, he abolished the Parliament? Hitler would now rule as a dictator. He called himself the Führer (or leader) and his word was law. Anyone who opposed him would be imprisoned, tortured, or murdered.


 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Literacy Hint **

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Whenever you notice a date in the text, flag it or make a note of what happened on that date. Later, you can go back and organize the events in a timeline (this will help you complete the first "Wrap It Up" activity).


 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Did You Know? **

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">The Nazis never won a majority of seats in any election. But in 1933 they won a plurality - that is, they had more seats than any other party. The other parties were too disorganized to form an alliance against the Nazis. If they had, history might have taken a very different course.

__ Questions __ __ 2. What aspect of Hitler's plan do you think Germans would have found most appealing before his election? Why? __ = = = = =Hitler's Economic and Social Policies, 1933 to 1938= = = = = <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">At first, Hitler focused on building up Germany's economy and reducing unemployment. Like other Western nations, Germany began a huge program of **public works** - projects paid for by the government, such as road building and the installation of water and sewer pipes. Hitler also authorized the production of an affordable //volkswagen// or "people's car," for ordinary working families.

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Hitler created hundreds of thousands more jobs when he began to build up the German military. The buildup was above the levels allowed by the Treaty of Versailles, but Hitler claimed that Germany had to protect itself against the Communists, and especially the Soviet Union, if it should attack.

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">At the same time, Hitler began to reduce people's civil liberties. (Civil liberties are the rights of people to do, say, and act as they please in society, as long as they're not breaking any laws or hurting other people.) Trade unions were banned, newspapers had to support Nazi policies, and teachers were expected to tell their classes how wonderful Hitler was. Books that did not conform to Nazi views were burned in huge bonfires.


 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">Did You Know? **

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 19px;">The company that made the Volkswagen survived long after the war ended, and continues to make cars today. A modified version of the original Volkswagen is still sold as the popular "Beetle."

__ Questions __

__ 3. Identify two things that Hitler did to help the German economy after he came to power. Explain how these actions would have helped Germany's financial recovery. __

__ 4. What do you think would happen if a Canadian leader today tried to reduce people's civil liberties the way Hitler did? __